Page 12 of Outnumbered

I opened my eyes, expecting to find myself in the same position, but instead found myself much lower than I had been. Lifting my hand, I blinked at the white fur-covered paw.

Rabbit’s foot.

I was a rabbit!

A tiny, terrified squeak came out of my mouth.

“You’re okay,” Silverowl said. “You’re in your rabbit form.” He pulled out his cell phone and snapped a picture.

I opened my mouth to yell at him or growl or whatever rabbits could do.

He turned the phone around and showed me the picture.

My mouth snapped closed as I looked at the adorable white bunny, exactly as I had pictured, but with ruby red eyes.

Looking over my back, I wiggled my tail, feeling giddy at the little fluff ball moving.

“Try walking around, er hopping around,” he instructed.

Hopping instead of walking was really awkward and I was even more thankful he’d sent the others away.

“Stop trying to figure out how to move and let your body do it for you. Let your natural instincts take over.”

Right. I was supposed to be a rabbit.

Aiming for a spot across the yard, I let my mind go and only thought about wanting to be over there.

Wobbling at first, I started hopping easier and then faster and faster until I was zooming around the lawn, Silverowl watching with a smile.

Skidding to a stop in front of him, my heart pounded wildly. I jumped straight up into the air, shocked when I was able to reach his eye level.

“Yes, bunnies hop very high when they want. Now, are you ready for your next lesson? This one is much harder.”

I bobbed my head up and down and hopped around in a circle.

“You’re going to try to shift into warrior form,” he explained.

Warrior form? I was a rabbit. How could I shift into a half-rabbit half-human form? Would I be like a tiny human?

“Warrior form for smaller shifters usually takes the best parts of the animal and combines them with your human parts. So, what are the best parts of your rabbit form? Your strong legs, your long ears, right?”

Okay. I could do this.

“Focus on your magic again, let it spread throughout your body, let it reshape you into the best form you can be.”

Right. Rabbit legs, bunny ears, cute tail.

My magic spread throughout my body, building larger and larger, and I felt my form changing. More and more it spread, but the magic started to falter as I wondered what I looked like.

“Focus on the form you want to take,” Silverowl said urgently. “Hold the image in your mind just like you did before.

I was trying!

Rabbit legs, ears, and a cute tail. Bushy white rabbit tail.

“Whoa,” Silverowl whispered.

Opening my eyes, I looked down at my body. I was mostly human, but my hands were giant white bunny paws, my legs were shaped like a rabbit’s and definitely at least twice as muscular as my human ones. Reaching up I felt long ears above my head and when I peeked over my shoulder, I smiled at the fluffy white tail. “I did it!” I shouted and hopped up and down.

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