Vern
I waved to the other beaver shifters, trying not to act suspicious as we all left our work site for the evening.
We’d finished adding what the outer-worlders called a bathroom to the health and healing hut.
Rauh, the healer for our village, believed it necessary for any outer-worlders who would have to stay there.
And for any of us who had to be in our human form.
While others of my kind preferred to stay in their beaver form as much as possible and live in our dam, I liked my human body.
Maybe it was because I wanted to look like the outer-worlders to find a mate.
I had a hat and a tool-pouch that I wore as often as possible, even when not working.
When I saw my reflection in the water, I definitely felt like one of them.
I doubted I would ever get the opportunity to have a mate, but I prepared for the day that might happen anyway.
Every day after we finished our project, I collected scrap wood under the pretense of taking it beyond the meadow to a spot where it would decompose and return to the earth.
In reality, I saved the chunks to carve out little figurines, similar to the ones Lonnie had brought with him from the outer-world when he’d crossed over to become Banir’s mate.
Each small statue had a special meaning to him, and while I often gave the ones I crafted to the children of the Enchanted Forest, I hoped to give the special ones I saved to my future mate.
I couldn’t wait for the day I gifted them to him.
Sadness diluted my hope as I remembered I wasn’t anyone special in the Enchanted Forest. Just another builder.
The youngest in my family. There were so many others ahead of me in line for a mate from the outer-world, whenever one of their kind decided to make their wish and arrive in our world.
I shouldn’t hope so much, but I couldn’t help it.
Those with mates seemed so happy, especially when they had children.
Plus, they stayed in their human form much more once mated.
That wouldn’t be a problem for me. I looked forward to as many reasons as possible to keep my taller and less hairy form.
I paused on the path, taking a big breath before releasing it as a heavy sigh.
Maybe I would never have a mate, but that wasn’t going to stop me from carving the pieces.
I did enjoy the quiet time away from work and the dam, and more occasions to remain in my secondary body. But I would never stop hoping.
With renewed optimism, I raced to reach my favorite spot and I thought about what I wanted to make.
I’d already carved out many trees, a beaver, the sun and moons, and even created a miniature version of the house I wanted to build for my future mate.
It had all the features Walter, Nelson, and Lonnie said were necessary for outer-worlders, plus some extra space for our future children. Yep, I was already prepared.
Suddenly, a pop sounded in the air directly in front of me. A noise I had never heard before. Then I slammed into a being. Hard. I couldn’t stop my own momentum and fell right on top of him. Miffs!
I quickly scrambled off. “Sorry! I’m so sorry!
” Had I been that distracted that I hadn’t seen him in front of me?
But I was sure I was aware of my surroundings even as I daydreamed about a mate.
I had to be sure no one followed me to see what I was really using the wood for. So, where had he come from?
I stood then reached down to help the man up. My nose twitched, catching his pungent scent of burning rot before I realized he wore clothes that covered almost all his body. He was an outer-worlder.
“Oh gosh!” I brushed the dirt from what I’d learned was his shirt. “I really am sorry. You appeared right in front of me, and I didn’t expect you. Miffs, it’s not even my job to expect you. I’m not supposed to be here.”
The man glanced around. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be here, either. Where are we?”
I rubbed my hands together, sure I would get in trouble for greeting the outer-worlder.
It was supposed to be Holden or Chauncey who welcomed them as the security team for our world.
“This is the Enchanted Forest. Well, not exactly. The forest is there.” I pointed to my right.
“And on the other side is the meadow, the edge of our world.”
“The Enchanted Forest?” He reached into his pockets with his brows wrinkled, as if searching for something. “The same Enchanted Forest that was mentioned on that card?”
“Um, yes.” I nodded quickly before looking over my shoulder, hoping someone came quickly to find this outer-worlder so I could get going. “That card would have been given to you by Ahmed. He’s a wizard.”
“A wizard, huh?” The man chewed on his bottom lip.
“Yes.” I nodded again. “He finds mates for us in the outer-world, gives them cards, and then we all wait for them to wish their way here.”
He wrinkled his nose. “And that would make you a shifter?”
My heart fluttered a little, happy this being had at least a little knowledge of our world.
“Indeed. I am a beaver shifter. Do you want to see?” The first time I shifted as a young kit, I’d gotten stuck between forms, unable to take in enough magic to reach my human form.
Possibly one reason I preferred to stay in my bipedal body.
The man shrugged as a slow smile spread across his lips. “Why not?”
I unclipped my tool belt and rested it on the ground with my hat on top of it.
Taking a deep breath, I felt the man’s gaze travel up and down my body.
Hard to read his expression, I didn’t know if he was impressed or completely disgusted with my human form.
Though I hoped for the former, considering I tried so hard to look like his kind.
I clenched my fists then let the magic flow out of my body and into the ground, returning me to my animal form.
Everything tingled from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Slowly, the magic drained from me as my body shrunk, my hair returned, and my tail unfolded from my back.
When I worked, the process occurred much faster, but it was strange having an outer-worlder watch.
I glanced up at him to see his reaction.
But instead of his eyes lighting up in awe from seeing me shift, his whole body seemed to wobble before he sat on the ground.
Quickly reabsorbing the magic from the ground that provided all animals in my world with the ability to shift, I transformed to resemble his kind. “Are you okay?”
He chuckled, but it didn’t sound natural. “I must be overtired. The words on the back of that card the strange man gave me about alternate universe fan fiction have invaded my dreams. Please just make sure I get on the 72 bus.” Then he lay on his side and closed his eyes.
My chest fluttered in panic. Had I done something to harm the outer-worlder when I’d run into him?
Miffs, I was in big trouble. Probably even more so when one of the security guards arrived and realized what I’d done to him.
I thought about running away, about returning home and pretending I knew nothing about the being who had crossed over.
But I couldn’t. He needed someone to watch over him, especially as it became dark.
I would take whatever punishment I deserved for crashing into the outer-worlder, but I wouldn’t leave until someone came to properly greet him.