I searched the cabin and found a pair of small snow boots I was able to put on. I also grabbed an animal pelt blanket and fashioned it into a small cloak for myself. Using the footstool once more I made my way to the front door and unlatched it to let myself outside. With the combination of exhaustion and slight draining, I had put him under there’s no way my father would be waking anytime soon. 

Stepping out into the cold wilds was a shock to my tiny system. The frozen wind sucked the air out of my lungs as I struggled to push the door shut behind me. I pulled the cloak tight up over my head and began walking through the snow. In the distance through the trees, I could see a few small billows of heat and smoke which must be the local village. With my short legs, this would prove quite the trek. I stumbled through the snow with each step getting slightly more used to the movement of the limbs. I wonder if my dexterity is down to this body’s age and development or if these are the lasting effects of the river? 

Around 100 metres from the cabin, although it felt like several miles, I spotted a small shape panting in the snow. Walking closer it was clear it had been caught in a trap, its front legs were covered in blood and it was near death. It had the appearance of a chunky ferret, almost raccoon in shape with short antlers and jet white fur and claws like that of a small bear. 

I had never seen any such creature in my previous universe. Its form and features were fascinating and I couldn’t help but ponder through the circumstances that would result in a beast such as this. I suppressed my excitement at the thought of what else this world might have to offer than my prior life and focused back on the task. Those horrible men still needed to pay. 

There was sadly nothing I could do to save the poor creature but this was certainly too good an opportunity for me to pass up such a valuable resource. I stepped closer to the beast and crouched down next to it. Now, what to do? Many options flooded my mind with the positives and negatives of each one. Some would be perfect but would be made unusable in my current form. Others might be helpful in the long run but such a lack of knowledge of the surrounding area or what is to come would be quite a risk. The small beast whimpered and something within me once more began to hurt. Was I going to once again use another’s life so flippantly for my gain like the toddler I currently inhabit? Where did that thought come from? Wait… That was it! Not only would it help me now but should things pan out I may just be able to save the beast as well. I reached out both hands and began to trace the Realm Sigils in my mind’s eye to create the needed effect. 

I had spent a portion of my previous life perfecting what many dubbed lycanthropy, although chimerism would probably have been a more accurate term. 

The trapped creature groaned as the magic begin to take effect, its flesh and essence coalescing and moving up my outstretched arms. The creatures whimpers died down as our beings merged. It’s pain and fatigue mixing with my own and evening itself out. I coaxed its consciousness to rest for a time in my mind’s eye and continued with the integration.  

My limbs wrapped in the same fur of the beast, a beautiful white and charcoal pelt after mixing with my hair. My calfs morphed and my feet stretched into a more digitigrade form. My face elongated, teeth sharpened, nose changed shape to match that of the beast and protruding from my forehead grew a pair of long sharp antlers. The shift in my senses briefly overwhelmed my mind and stared the beast awake once more. As it struggled I could sense the hunger it felt, it must have been trapped for quite some time. As the integration finished I took several breaths and strained to hold onto my ego against the will of the beast. In my mind’s eye, I imposed myself on the animal and brought it to heel. ENOUGH! Fall silent and submit. I could feel the animal analysing me as it retracted itself back to the shadows of my mind’s eye as if choosing to withhold judgement for now and agreeing to allow me the driver’s seat for the time being. 

With that sorted, I warmed up my limbs, stretched somewhat and hopped from one foot to the other to test out my movement. All seemed responsive. Despite being an alien form it was nice to have something a little stronger and more agile to work with. Once happy I began my dash through the rest of the woodlands towards the town.