Changelings - Part Four and Five

....

It's been over a week.

And I blame you.

Not that it's your fault, but I blame you.

Because if you remember correctly, I gave you full permission to hold me to my promise.

Okay, fine. I broke my promise.

BUT! 

I put up two parts at once to try to get back in your good graces. Which you may or may not end up being grateful for since there are only eight parts and I'm giving you two at once. But here you go. And once again, I re-promise to put the next part up within a week. And this time, feel free to harass me on Facebook. Please. Because I completely forgot this last week.

Part 4 - 

“Oh! Were-wolves.” Sabine spent most of her time living among normal humans, away from the changelings castle home-base, so some of the 'basic' changeling knowledge escaped her. “There've been more sightings of were-wolves in the last month than I've heard in the last three years put together.”

Oren roused himself from thought, but the concerned crease in his brow remained. “If you will excuse me, I have something to attend to. Gregg, I would suggest you head back to your room and get a good long rest. It's still early morning and I think this afternoon and tonight are going to be very busy.”

Gregg nodded smoothly. His every move was reminiscent of his last form. He left for his room, his footsteps silent.

“Sabine, would you accompany me to the hatching room?” Oren asked.

Sabine also nodded, but much more excitedly.

Oren smiled, amused. “The eggs in the hatching room are very fragile, my dear. Perhaps it would be better if your temperament were a touch calmer. A cat, possibly?”

Sabine made a face. “Cats aren't really my thing.”

She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her whole body lengthened, and every feature smoothed out, as if her arms, neck, shoulders and legs had been wiped flat. Her face lengthened and became diamond shaped. Finally, her clothes were replaced by shimmering blue and purple scales.

Coiling herself, Sabine the boa constrictor flicked her forked tongue out, smelling the air. One of the cats by the fireplace raised its head, glanced at her and lazily laid back down.

“I must say, you are one of the showiest boa constrictors I have ever met.” Oren chuckled.

“Thanksssss.” Sabine hissed, shivering herself to see the firelight dance of her scales. “Jussst give me a sssecond.”

The snake closed her eyes, and her head bobbed in a circle as she thought hard. In a few moments, the change had reversed itself, leaving Sabine with long, shiny black hair flowing down her back. She herself was slightly taller and a little more willowy. When she moved, she tended to take a curving motion instead of a straight path, and her hair showed the slightest blue-purple undertone.

“Sshall we go?” She asked, some of the after-effects still fading.

“Certainly.” Oren led the way out of the room and through the maze of hallways.

After a few minutes of walking, he put his finger to his lips and pushed open a heavy door. Sabine followed him through and blinked in surprise. It was very warm and dry inside. Other changelings in human form moved around carefully carrying baskets of colorful eggs, setting them in newly warmed nests. While Oren went to find someone in the far recesses of the room, Sabine tried to keep from licking her lips. The eggs looked to her still ever-so-slightly-snake-like eyes like a heavenly feast.

“Snake!” She hissed to herself angrily. “What was I thinking?!”

Part 5 -

After gazing around hungrily for a few more moments, Sabine wisely, left the hatchery, waiting just outside the door for Oren. He appeared after about five minutes, glancing around for her.

“Ah. There you are.” He said, then sighed heavily. “I'm afraid there's a lot of work for me to do.”

“Why?” Sabine asked smoothly. “Is something amiss?”

Oren let the faintest smile flicker across his face. “You still speak like a snake.”

“Is that so?” Sabine said in surprise, unknowingly stretching her S's.

“Yes. You chose word with lots of hissing noises.” He answered. “I'd be glad to tell you exactly what's wrong, but it's a rather long and involved story. However, I think it would behoove you if you found Lady Fontaine and asked her for the Tale of Half-Changelings.”

“That sssounds-” Sabine stopped and changed her words. “I'll do that.”

Oren nodded, not really paying her much attention as they split up. Sabine moved down the hallways silently but quickly. Every once in a while, the tiniest vibrations would travel through the stone floor, alerting her to someone's presence. Sabine shook her head, trying to rid herself of the snakley influence. Since she had not changed into one for a while, it's influence affected her strongly and would take a little while longer to wear off. If she did not change again for several days, she would gradually lose all the after effects and return to just Sabine, in appearance, personality, and movement.

She stopped in front of a heavy wooden door and blinked, surprised she had already arrived at the library. On the door was a sign:

The Library of Lady Fontaine:

Changes not allowed: Monkey, Elephant, Birds (excluding owls),

Skunks, Ferrets, Kangaroos, and any water creature.

NO CHANGING IN THE LIBRARY

Will all those who have changed please leave the library to do any personal business.

Beneath the last part of the sign, someone had scrawled: “And those who haven't changed too!”

Sabine pushed the door open and entered quietly. A large black panther glanced at her as it walked past with a large tome carefully held in it's mouth. Sabine slipped past to find Lady Fontaine. Soon she located her, a barn owl sitting at a desk in the back of the room. She was swiveling her head all the way around and back again, listening carefully. When she saw Sabine, she cocked her head almost completely upside down.

“Sabine. I haven't seen you in quite awhile.” She said quietly, her beak clacking.

Sabine was impressed. It was supposed to be very difficult for owls to speak to non-changed because of their unique beak shape, but Lady Fontaine was very good at it.

“Oren sent me.” She explained. “He said to ask you for the Tale of the Half-Changed.”

Lady Fontaine blinked her large black eyes, then turned and took off silently from the desk, swooping above the many, many bookshelves, chattering softly to herself, “Tale of the Half-Changed. Heavy reading. Dark times, then.”

After a few minutes, she returned, dropping a large scroll into Sabine's hands and alighting on the desk. “There you are, my dear. But, what does Oren want with the Tale of the Half-Changed? He should remember it.”

“He's in it?” Sabine asked in surprise.

Lady Fontaine churred softly, laughing. “Not only is he in it, dear, he wrote it.”

Welp, there ya go!

Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!
-Trinity