Eric decided to head back to her village despite the late cold night because her wife might have some answers for her. She was the one who had given her the potion so she was likely to know more and besides until she was transformed back she wouldn’t be able to complete her mission. It took all of her effort to drag her great ax off into the woods. She doubted she could lift it off the ground much less swing it with any effectiveness.
It seemed like leaving a friend behind but she couldn’t hope to carry the weapon home with her. She wasn’t sure it was wise to walk home like this in the dark but the trail was clear to her and familiar. The bear robe kept off a lot of the cold but not enough to stop her shuddering. The robe was designed for someone much larger than herself so it was awkward to move in but she could see she was making slow progress towards home.
She wondered if her wife would believe her about what had happened. Eric suspected she would because they had shared a lot together over the years. The children would be hesitant to believe at first because of the drastic difference in form but kids always had a belief in magic that would shine through. Eric tried to remember if the shaman of her village was still around or if he was on one of his quests for greater insight.
Floating Owl was getting on in years but he was still very sharp of mind. They were not friends with each other because Eric believed in bringing civilization to her people and the shaman wanted them to live off what the land would provide. She hoped the man’s magic would help her obtain her old form. If he didn’t have the answers he might know somewhere they could be found.
The smoke from the fires in the homes could be seen as she reached the crest of a hill and she smiled at the quiet village below her. Dawn would be coming soon and she debated waiting here to see the sparkle it would bring to the snow but decided she wanted to home as soon as possible. When she was done with the quest for King Emeril she planned to take a long break and remind his wife how much he loved her.
