Angele

Angele was running and she didn’t know why. She felt soft dewy grass against her belly and for a moment she was confused.
Why am I on the ground and where am I?
She next heard a shot at such close proximity she yelped and veered to the right. A bullet had struck a tree to her left, mere inches from her head, and bark flew and struck her nose. She was being pursued by someone who wanted her dead!
I must find a place to hide-to think.
Her thoughts were a whirlwind. She remembered lovely ladies and one dark and cruel.
Her family…someone wanting to harm her family?

And now she was running lost and in danger. Angele saw a clump of bushes near a stream and darted inside a crawlspace. The sky was dark as twilight set in, and night was falling fast. The small crawl space she had found was pitch dark already and she crawled in as far as she could, then edged herself around to face the path she had come on-hoping to see her pursuer. Angele heard the crunch of heavy boots trotting quickly through the forest. She shivered with fright and the sharp branches scratched her skin. She tried to keep still, but was too frightened.

Oh where am I?!
She looked down at herself then.
And why am I naked?!
She remembered.
That witch!
She hissed in a breath.
Queen Raven!
She tried to find a more comfortable position, as the crawlspace seemed to suddenly shrink. The hunter was upon her then, and she saw his boots. He paused at the clump of bushes she was hiding within, and Angele held her breath.

“What the…?!” A man’s gruff voice exclaimed.
And Angele found herself yanked out of the bushes by the hair. She screamed and tried to cover herself as best she could.
“Woman? What in the heavens are you doing here? And in such a state!? There is a wolf about!”
And he looked wildly around as if a wolf was about to attack. He had seen a white wolf appear from nowhere, and was frightened it would harm his livestock. He had barely given chase when he found the girl.

A wolf?
She looked around quickly as well. She was deeply frightened of wolves, any dog really, as she had been attacked by a dear pet once when she had tried to play with its pups. Angele had a tiny scar on her lip to remind her of that frightening day.
“I..I..” She shook her head,and her blond hair covered her face. She was too distraught and frightened to speak.
The man had already covered her with his wooly coat, and was leading her out of the forest. He had noticed her hair right away, as it was so pale as to be almost white. He almost mistook her for the wolf if not for the long strands peeping out from the bushes.
“You must be lost, and you look starved.”
She walked slowly with him, and then stopped. She turned to him, to ask where she was, but then she was on the floor again. She shook the coat off her body and let the forest wind blow through her fur.
This is glorious!
She tilted back her head and let out a long howl then bounded into the woods looking for dinner. The man wouldn’t hurt her. He smelled delicious, but he smelled like a friend.
When she had transformed, the hunter could only stand-staring down at her, his mouth agape. Before he knew it, she was gone.
Angele ran swiftly and surely feeling her strong body move at its whim.
I am a wolf!
She laughed silently and let her tongue loll out. Freedom was beautiful, and she had never felt so free, or so very alive.