The mask on my face feels cold, like ice. At first nothing happened. But just a few seconds later a big change came over my body. I could feel my instincts changing. My sense of smell was no longer as great and complicated. I can no longer smell my father from a distance. He was not even fifty meters away from me. I could feel changes. Changes that confuse and frighten me. I became human. Or rather half human. When I looked down at my now slightly thinner and slimmer body I could see these changes. My transformation was not as complete as my father's. My paws and waist were still red, but my legs and upper body were human. I couldn't see my face, but I could no longer see my long white snout in my eye wraps. And my perspective changed. I could no longer use my night vision. Since we were in the darker part of the forest, I couldn't see more than three meters. My eyes had to get used to the darkness first. But it was different. Although I had often walked on two legs, I had problems walking in this form. "I told you," my father's voice boomed in the silence of the forest. It was day, but not a single ray of sunlight came through the treetops. Suddenly I felt dizzy and the world around me became opaque. My father noticed this and ripped the mask off my face. He accidentally dropped it and it shattered into several pieces. The world around me improved again and when I regained consciousness, I found myself in my old form with the old senses. When I looked around and saw my father, he was standing there, stunned, looking at the ground. "She. Is. Broken?" my father asked, stuttering. He only cared about his mask. He didn't care about ME. I got a little angry. "Now I have to think of something else," my father said. He looked at me and looked back at the broken mask. His expression was very surprised. "Let's go back. Let me sleep on this situation for a night," my father said as he moved back to the camp. I followed him on command and quietly. The day was ending as we approached the clearing. Newhirst was still visible in the background. The large tower in the background looked so beautiful that I forgot to keep going. "Keep going, don't stop or you can sleep here tonight," my father interrupted my thoughts and I went ahead. I could smell them as I approached the camp. Silinea and Thomas. They were there. I knew it. "It's been a long time since my father was behind me," I told myself as I looked around. He went to the other adults. I could hear them laughing. I could imagine what they were laughing about. I turned around and went into my tent. The tent was a small room with a bed, more like a basket with pillows and a table in the middle. I sat down on my bed. I took off my clothes and lay down in my bed. I wrapped myself around my body, pulled in my claws and tried to go to sleep. But the situation from before still makes me shudder. The way I felt sick, helpless and that my father wasn't helping me scared me. Is that like that with us wolves? I asked myself. I hadn't slept so well for a while and despite my transformation earlier, I managed to fall asleep now. The dream world awaits me.
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"My lord, the hunters of the western forest have arrived. Should I let them in?" asked one of the king's servants. "Please. Let them in!" said the king in his high voice, more a female than a male voice. The servant did not run. He went to the large hall door, reached for the lever and opened the door with a squeak. Three hunters entered the room with a cage attached to a rolling vessel. A net was stretched over the cage. A white sheet that covered the view of what was inside. "My lord, we have found something. Something magnificent. We have caught one of these creatures at your request. You know. These warriors," said one of them while bowing his head to show his respect. "Carl, please take off the sheet!" said one of the hunters, the leader. At his command, the smallest, even younger hunter, went to the cage, took the sheet in his hand and tore half of the sheet off. The creature could be seen in the light of the chandelier. "Fabulous," said the king. He looked at the creature. "But it's female," said the king, suddenly disappointed. "But better than nothing," said the king afterward. He turned around, showed the creature in the cage his back and began to speak. "Leave the room! EVERYONE." He shouted the last part. At his command, everyone left the room. As if he was talking to himself, he began to speak. "So, YOU are one of these magical creatures," he said to the cage. Something moved in the shadow of the cage. But it didn't answer his question. The king looked briefly at the cage and finally said. "If you don't want to talk, then I'll have to make you do it." He threatened the creature as he picked something up. The creature moved backwards. Out of fear? The king went to the cage. He took the sheet and tore it off completely and now he could see the creature in its entirety for the first time. "Oh what a beautiful red fur"