Adlaide saw the hit coming and squeaked whacking the well aimed fist aside. She stepped backwards eyes wide. She stepped back mostly with surprise but also because the hit glanced off her shoulder. "This is crazy. I don't know what I'm doing."
She stepped back once more stepping out of her stance with a frown. She knew she had to learn, but her analytical mind just didn't like not being able to think through everything. "I know I kind of asked for this but... I'm beginning to doubt my decision."

Ngea gave a laughing smile she rose slowly and stepped over so she could look him in the face. "Good, good. You'll get there eventually. Shaking first steps are better than no steps at all. Don't worry about your tail." She laughed then shaking her head. "You'll learn to understand how to use it soon enough. Try to speak again."
It was nice to have something to work on. She had to just keep her mind off of the fact that her parents were gone forever and she was now the leader of a dying country.

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"You start over thinking? You'll get yourself killed, and more importantly, your brother. Even wolf-folk are not immune to death..." Mordecai didn't give her a chance to recover from the glancing blow. He just moved forward once more, this time aiming to put her down to the ground with a well aimed kick to the abdomen. She wanted to learn, did she not? Then she needed to stop doubting herself.

Trying to speak again? Well, he'd figured one word had been enough... How were these jaws even capable of speech? That was the one thing he didn't understand. Then again, nothing on this planet made sense... Mostly he was just moving his jaws at the moment to try and get a feel for them. WOrds did not come easily, honestly...

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(Adlaide reminds me of me... x'D I overthink things at the most inopportune times and end up getting punched because of it.)
Adlaide tumbled to the ground, for a second the air was knocked from her lungs. Great, what in the world had she gotten herself into? She rolled over and jumped to her feet still trying to catch her breath. She bounced back into the stance wincing slightly. So much for her bruised ribs healing nicely, the pain sent waves of black over her vision but she blinked them away.
"That's what I do though, think." Her words came out in little sputters as she tried to take in a few breaths. Abruptly she sat down, holding her stomach and leaning over. Another few waves of black washed over her.

Ngea sighed. "I'm talking to you right now. As a wolf. You can do it. Just say a few words. It is really hard at first, so think them through. I know you can do it. Besides, Adlaide's going to have a massive number of questions for you and I get a feeling she doesn't stop talking until she gets what she wants." She tipped her muzzle towards the earth, her tiny pinprick brows raised slightly. "Am I right?"
She tapped the earth with her paw. "If it helps put your hand on your throat, say just one word. Then mimic those vibrations over and over. That's how I learned. Only it was harder because I have paws and paws aren't as sensitive as hands. It took me forever to learn how to talk and shift, I hope you're a fast learner."

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(I have a friend who overthinks everything... XD So I've been trying to help him do less of that...lol)

Mordecai frowned at this, seeing her down on the ground like so. He knelt next to her then, placed a hand upon her back. "Did you ever see a healer?" he then asked. That wasn't good, if she was reacting like this... It was why he'd asked if she was okay back in the cave. They couldn't afford to cart around two humans that were...well, baggage. She needed to heal...a lot quicker than what humans did.

He'd definitely been questioning how she'd done that when she had paws. He soon glanced at his own hands though, and then to her. SHe looked far more wolfish than he did. Perhaps that was just due to teh fact they were both raised on different planets? Who knew. Frowning a bit, he just opted to go for it. It made him feel silly if he did what she said, even though it was probably a good way to go about it.

Still, his voice was rather grated, and it was evident he was sore. "How...?" James took a moment to clear his throat. Oh boy... This was strange... "What am I...?" Perhaps the first sentence he'd been able to spit out thus far. "Why...am I different...?" From her? he meant.

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Adlaide suddenly flew forwards, charging into Mordecai and tackling him to the ground. She stepped away and shrugged, still struggling for a breath. "I'm fine... just... just a few bruised ribs that's all. The air hurts my lungs. It's no biggy, I'll get used to it soon enough." Even as she said this her head swam and she plopped down once more.
She slowed her breathing, taking in long reserved breaths. For all her gusto about being alright she obviously wasn't, and the fact was she felt very close to just passing out.


"I thought I already explained this. You are now a wolf-folk. Why are you different? I can't answer that. For all I know you're like the wolf-folk on your home planet." She stepped closer to him. "Take a breath, a deep breath. See told you it works. You're a fast learner, that's good. I hope your sister is too..." She turned her head to glance out of the cavern. Her brows narrowed as her keen senses caught Mordecai asking Adlaide if she were alright. She turned back. "Now, how are your senses?" She began to circle him, her silent tread soft and light. Before as a human he could not have heard any sound, but now she figured he probably could hear what she could, the soft shuffle of the hard pads against the rocky ground.

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(And now I'm done with all my chores for the day...until supper comes...lol)

Unexpected, but she'd taken good advantage of him. Mordecai blinked a few moments, and he soon sat himself up. The young woman appeared to be doing poorly... He glanced towards the cave momentarily, and then back to Adlaide. "Well... Bruised ribs can always lead to something more here..." Especially if she couldn't breath... He frowned a little, glanced about a few moments. A shame there were no more capes or cloaks or blankets right now. He just shrugged to himself, and lunged forward instead. Mid leap, he was a wolf, and Adlaide would stand no chances against him as this was. A simple bite to her arm would suffice. It'd be easier to train her, then, too. He hadn't even been using his full strength...and she was aching.

His senses? What on earth did that matter for? James was distracted by about every sound, but his ears flicked, and followed Ngea rather well. He even glanced back at her when she came behind him. He didn't like her being back there, but that was a pup thing currently. He'd grow out of it.

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Adlaide gave a shriek then collapsed, her eyes closed. She had passed out, either from surprise or lack of oxygen it didn't matter for now she was just a heap on the ground.

Ngea's hair stood on end as she heard a shriek. "Stay here, or just whatever... I'm going to see what's happening." She trotted hurriedly from the cavern and started when she saw Mordecai's jaws about Adlaide's wrist. "What in the world Mordecai!? What happened? Why are you biting her?" She might have raised her voice but somehow managed to keep it low. It wouldn't do to startle James, especially when he was still somewhat like a little puppy dog who knew what his reaction could be.
Ngea's head lowered as she watched a growl rumbling in her throat. Now they had two helpless little cubs to take care of. She snarled and turned stalking back into the cavern. She returned a few moments later, dragging the horse skin along with her. She tossed it over the girl's limp frame then returned to the cavern.

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Ngea hadn't even given him a chance to speak. Mordecai would have told her why he'd done it, but she'd up and left. Ears flattened, and his tail tucked. Head lowered, too. If it wasn't for his responsibilities, he'd have bolted at the look she gave him. As it was, a soft whine was given instead. The brute did what he must... A soft sigh was given, and he just, instead, opted to curl up into a ball and watch the horse skin. He'd never seen his little sister get so angry with him before... She knew what he'd said, that he would turn them if he found a necessity. This wasn't something he did lightly...

James, though, at this point, was frowning. Something wasn't right. He could feel it. His sister... That had been his sister... Ngea would find him standing, his body stiff and rigid. Ears were high up, alert. Was his sister alright...?

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Ngea looked at James then sighed. Everything felt beyond her control, honestly she felt like just huddling up in a corner and sobbing her eyes out. However, she couldn't do that. She had responsibilities that required her to play it tough and cool.
"Adlaide will be alright. But... she'll need you in a little bit." She saw how tense he was and shook her head. "I need you to not freak out. Alright. Promise me you won't freak out and I'll let you go out there and sit next to her." Ngea blinked her golden eyes and gave a low growl. "Do you understand? I will not accept any nonsense when you first see her."
Now she had to find them both some clothing. She padded back out the fur on her shoulder standing up, her body tense as she padded away. "I'm finding them some clothes. Try and keep them both calm." Ngea figured the stallion's saddle bags had some clothes, that would be far easier to get to than going out to a village.

Adlaide was lucky she wasn't exactly conscious as the change occurred, but her mind was vaguely aware of what was happening. At first it protested against the change but then slowly relaxed allowing the change to happen. In the back of her subconscious she could hear the voice of her mom from the far past. "It'll be okay..."

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Mordecai only gave a grunt in reply, not even looking at Ngea as she came out. His eyes were off somewhere else, watching something distant. This just wasn't what he had asked for, and she knew that. He'd told her he'd not make her do it...that he would. So what was the problem? Why was she so angry with him? He'd had no choice in the matter. His gaze didn't even shift towards Adlaide as the shift began and ended. If they wanted to think of him as a monster, so be it. And if Ngea did, too...? Then he'd leave at the end of all of this...

He'd not abandon her to these two pups. A heavy sigh was given then, he slowly pushing himself to sit up. Ears flicked as he heard the soft padding of paws. By the weight and tread, it was James, he knew. And he didn't expect him to be...kind...with what he'd find...

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Not long after the change Adlaide awoke, but it was dark? She sneezed and tried to look around, then she realized it was just the horse skin. What had happened? All she remembered right then was charging into Mordecai and knocking him over. She reached up to pull the skin from her face then froze, instead of a normal human hand it was more like a paw. It still had a individual digits but it was still not familiar, it was covered in rich reddish brown hair, dark flecks spattering across the soft fur. She stared at it a moment then tried once more the paw the skin from her face.
Finally she got the hide from over her head and glanced around. Everything seemed... different? Had something changed? Or was it just her. She knew she'd changed but still she didn't seem to know what really had happened.

Ngea approached the saddlebags and the skeleton carefully. The scavengers had already picked the stallion's bones clean. She shifted and picked up the saddle bags before turning and walking slowly back towards the cavern. During the majority of the walk she allowed herself to cry, she didn't sob tears just streamed down her cheeks and fell like rain towards the ground.
The stress was truly getting to Ngea, and she was beginning to show signs of it.
She never snapped at Mordecai, usually she trusted his decisions without a second thought. But, now what was different? She didn't quite know, but she knew deep down inside the change was her fault.

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James gave a low growl, bristled a little even. Still, Mordecai paid it no heed. As far as the larger wolf was concerned, his sister had been hurt. For whatever reasons he did not know. All James knew right now was that his sister had been changed, hurt, even. He moved a little stiffly, wobbled some. He even fell down once, right on his face. That hurt his nose... Ouch. Caused a soft whimper, he rubbing it a moment. Ouch...

Mordecai still paid them no attention, though he did listen to them. Just in case. There was no need for the pair to try and jump him... But Ngea was taking so long to get back, and his concern for her overpowered his current negative swarm of emotions.

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At last she drew close to the cavern, still in her humanish form. She strode carefully, each step silent and each stride long. Ngea's gaze was fixed on the ground but it lifted to sadly settle on Mordecai for a moment before she set the saddle bags down. "I'm sorry Mordecai... for everything. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I trust your judgement."
She took a breath surprisingly enough for crying nearly the entire way back there was no remnant of the tears left. Her voice didn't even shake. "I suppose everything is just hitting me all at once."

Adlaide's ears flickered and she tipped her head to one side, seeing James that way was... strange? And he kept stumbling about, she opened her mouth to say something but found her voice to be lost. A frown crept over her features and she tried again. "What... what happened?" She nearly stammered her voice sounded foreign to her own ears.
Why was James growling? Why did Ngea seem so... sad? Her ears pinned to her head and she continued to frown, her silvery eyes glancing about this way and that trying to figure out what had happened and why she was on the cold ground.

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Mordecai's wolfish features softened then, and he soon shifted back into his human form. Thumbs gently brushed her wet cheeks then, and he pulled her into a hug. "All is well, my little sister..." he murmured softly. "A good thing he is so clumsy. I think aggressive behavior has taken over." For now, he just let Adlaide try and figure things out. Ngea had been extremely smart and figured out everything, from the beginning point anyway, on her own. He had guided her from there.

Adlaide would catch on quickly, to be honest. She was a brilliant woman, and definitely smarter than what she thought and felt. James himself had that same ability, but he was extremely defensive of his sister... That was something that'd need to change. It was good to be loving and protective, but this was over bearing.

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Ngea's expression softened and she even almost smiled. She took a breath then looked at James. "What did I tell you about no nonsense? You'd better sit down before you hurt yourself." As she spoke she seemingly disappeared, and then suddenly reappeared next to James in wolf form yanking his tail with her jaws forcing him to sit.
"Now then, both of you consider Mordecai and me your instructors. Not only will we be telling and showing you how to survive, but we will also be teaching you how to work with your new selves. So that means you had better listen to us." Her eyes narrowed slightly when she said this, glancing over both the new wolf-folk.

Adlaide huffed and shook her head. She tried to stand, only to fall back down again. She didn't want to stay on the cold ground. Finally she managed to stand, only to find that she had a tail. Her head cocked to one side, the expression on her face similar to that of an intent pup. She stared hard at it, then sat back down, watching her tail tap the ground.

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