((Things that go Bump in the Night))

:prologue:

-the Human in the forest-

The she-wolf padded silently through the forest, the treetops filtering light in from above her head. Not a leaf stirred, and under her cautious paws, no twigs snapped and nothing made a sound. Prowling through the trees slowly, she paused to look back towards the riverbank. Her belongings still sat underneath the roots of the large tree at the bank's edge, shadows blanketing over them for protection from searching eyes. The she-wolf had kicked some dust over them to dilute the scent of her belongings, as well, just in case other Forest-dwellers happened to be out and about.

Turning back towards the pathless forest floor, the large black wolf peered deep into its dense foliage. She had not been able to run in her wolf form for what seemed forever, and now was her chance to get some fresh forest air and take in the beautiful yet dangerous scenery. The energy that pounded through her animal veins was pulsing with excitement.

The she-wolf finally started to run, and then began to sprint. Her speed soon made her a blur as she shot through the forest's trees. Out here, higher into the mountains on the east side of the island, a wind began to brew and shake the leaves of the towering trees. The wolf was free here, freer than any other place she knew.

The she-wolf skidded to a halt, leaves and dust flying up at her abrupt stop. The dust settled, leaves getting picked up by some of the wind.

In the wind, a familiar scent reached the she-wolf's nostrils. She perked an ear, hearing the sounds of someone's—or something's—approach from her side. The creature ventured closer, and the wolf turned her large, furry head towards it.

A mountain lion, large and tan, though darker in the shadows of the forest, approached.

The wolf lowered her muzzle, allowing something similar to a smirk onto her furred face. The mountain lion let out a soft growl and gestured towards its left, somewhere deep in the forest. The she-wolf looked back from where she'd come, then turned back towards the lion. She looked at a nearby tree, and without a second glance she reared up and slashed her claws through the bark of the tree, marking her place with it.

Another few moments passed, and the mountain lion darted back into the forest, she-wolf hot on its tail. The wind whipped up in the black wolf's face, and soon she could smell the scent of what the mountain lion had wanted her to see. They slowed to a stop near the edge of a steep hill, peering through the undergrowth and low branches down into the pocket of land that was on the other side of the hill.

If the wolf had had her human voice, she would have gasped aloud. The wolf dipped her head lower in an attempt to get a closer look at the person walking far below them.

No doubt about it, that was a Human down there. A Human male with hair the color of the darkest of shadows, hair that reminded the she-wolf of a raven. Looking just a bit harder, the wolf could see his emerald green eyes brightly contrasting with the darkness of his hair, his skin a healthy tan, though not unnaturally so. His eyes, though, were an unnatural green. He was clothed in apparel that puzzled the animals, apparel that they'd not seen before. Some sort of strange harness was on his back. From this viewpoint, the wolf could not exactly pinpoint what he was wearing. All she knew was that it was strange. Foreign.

A noise perked the wolf's ears, and she tilted her head skyward just in time to spot a black-winged being circling overhead, barely visible through the canopy of the trees. Her ears flattened against her head in defense; the creature was foreign to her, as well. Its wings looked gigantic, larger than most birds, its feathers sleek and somehow darker than the Human's hair.

Something told the she-wolf that it was not simply a bird. But what could it be?

The wolf turned her attention to the mountain lion beside her, who was eyeing the creature above as well. The lion's lips were curled back in preparation for a snarl, but the wolf snorted quietly to silence it. The lion scoffed at her as much as a lion possibly could before turning its attention back to the Human male.

The she-wolf saw that the Human's eyes were also turned skyward, watching the huge black creature circle overhead.

"Feral, come. We can't chance anyone seeing you, can we?"

The she-wolf was incredulous. Was the Human actually…calling out to the thing?

As if on cue, a swift black blur of wings brought the creature down to perch near the Human's feet. The she-wolf saw that it was really not much more than that; a pair of wings. Its body was miniscule in comparison to its wings, minute talons for feet and an almost cute set of round eyes set above a tiny beaked mouth. It looked like a majorly deformed bird…bat…thing. And whatever it was, it was obeying that Human.

For that matter, what in the world could the Human possibly be doing out there that far into the forest, anyways? Most Humans were too sickened or afraid of the forest to even go as far as the river.

Disgusted, the she-wolf couldn't look anymore. She turned away from her position on the hill, back towards the direction from which they'd come. The mountain lion did the same, and they exchanged a quick glance before taking off into the undergrowth.

ooo

A/N: So this is another story idea come to life. It's my first real fantasy/supernatural story, so I hope that it turns out the way I'd like it to. I've written plot ideas for things like this before, but none of them have really even made it this far.

The inspiration for this story (like pretty much all of my story ideas) came from a very vivid dream, so I'm trying to write down things and retain them in my mind.

Um, reviews, please? I'd like to hear some feedback…

Oh, also, this is NOT another werewolf story. Don't get me wrong, I like werewolf stories, but this story will have more to it than just revolving around werewolves. There will be many other shape-shifting characters as well, so it will not be the main focus of the plot.

Much love,

~Netty-chan214

EDIT: I fixed multiple problems with the prologue. Enjoy :D