RR_The_Buck_Returns

The Buck Returns

A "Winds of Change" Story

Never have I been so stupid.

The past day or so after the incident near Springfield had left me very angry. Angry at… I really didn't know. We'd stopped in Portland because I wanted to see my sister. My sister the osprey morph. I'd really wanted to take a flight with her ever since my "accident." But it didn't turn out that way.

Ospreys had broken Kim's wing. They'd locked her in norm-shape. And all of us (except perhaps, Jack) knew the risks of staying in that shape too long. So I'd taken out my frustrations on my sister. I'd said a lot of things I'm not proud of. And I was so sorry for it I couldn't even begin to express my apologies. But I didn't say anything, we parted with angry words on our beaks.

Unfortunately for me I'd only felt that way once we were over the bridge into Washington State. The whole car was silent, but the pecking of touchpad keys from Kim. She seemed intent on asking me a lot of questions. I let her, but I didn't answer very much. I'd figured that my instinctual attraction to her was a part of my outburst.

Damn it! I just wasn't cut out to be an eagle! In my heart I was still a deer morph, and because of that didn't really know how to control my instincts. I felt the edges of my beak with my tongue, wishing for the umpteenth time that I had my sense of taste, smell, and hearing back. Even though the incredible eyesight was slowly making up for it…

Oh sure, the flying was fine. I was becoming more and more comfortable with it. But as far as I was concerned the problems far outweighed the benefits. And I was kind of comfortable with myself. In a forceful way, really. Just a few minutes ago I'd made my first kill (and was eating it at the moment… yuk.) a nice juicy rabbit. I was in norm-shape too.

We were closing in fast on Canada. This was the final rest stop (well, actually it was about five miles southwest of where I was) just ten miles south of the border. When we stopped I'd jumped out and gone flying. My instincts had made me kill the rabbit, and I was snacking on before I knew it. It was late afternoon now, and after I finished this we were going to cross the border. So close to Maxine (country wise, that is)… As far as I knew only she could change me back.

On top of all this my beak had been bothering me a lot over the past few days. I really didn't' know what was wrong with it. And I was afraid to ask Brian about it lest I sound too ignorant. As far as I knew the thing was just going through a growth spurt (do beaks grow?). I noticed it itching around my cere, most annoying. I ate a bit more of the rabbit (getting an internal anatomy lesson in the process) until my inner Voice said -sated- and I took off.

In the air, I shifted to morph and caught a thermal. I'd been gone an hour or so, according to my watch. Not too long, but we wanted to get across the border by nightfall. I wanted to try one thing first though, before I headed back. A dive.

One, pure, unadulterated, in morph form. Dive. I'd done it in norm, but like this it was another matter. I wanted to do it without the help of my eagle instincts. I circled above two thousand feet (I'd left my flightcomp in the car, but my watch had a nifty altimeter function) and glided over to one side of the clear mountain lake.

I figured if I crashed than my shield would protect me from most of the blow, and the water the rest of it. I'd tested my shield, and it seemed that not all of my Power had transferred. It was less powerful than before, and only absorbed 90% of the kinetic force. Which meant like this I could still be hurt… Something that even made my eagle side scared.

My beak started bothering me again as I started the dive, the wind whistled in my naris. The ground. Wow what a thrill!! There was nothing like a dive! Brian was right… falling isn't scary as long as you can control where you're going. Wow.

A couple hundred feet above the water I opened my wings just a bit to level out. Eventually I was skimming above the water. In that moment of pure joy of flight, I thought, Maybe this isn't so bad after all! Yes, it was bothersome at times. But hey, me is me, fur or feathers, antlers or beak. Speaking of beaks… mine was bothering me again. Then I realized that I hadn't gotten rid of any excess kinetic charge that I'd accumulated. I get it shield on or not…

Ah yes! It was great to be an eagle! Complete freedom! There is no other word for it. I was about two thirds the way across the lake. But my beak itched again, and I decided that I couldn't wait to degauss anymore. I did the little mental twist that released the excess force (I'd figured out that the KE must be stored in there… huh.). Turning off my shield in the process. I was maybe ten feet above the surface of the lake.

All at once my vision started to blur! I couldn't stay the air! It felt like my wings were shrinking! My beak felt strange, and I hit the water, skipping a couple of times in the process. I didn't seem to have much force built up, because a moment later my shield clicked on, cushioning my impact. But I was so dizzy I didn't know what was happening… and I blacked out from the impact.

"Come on, man! Wake up!" A light slapping on the side of my face awoke me, I was still wet, I knew that much. Still in the water, in fact. I blinked a few times, clearing my strangely MUCH less sharp vision. And then I realized something.

I had ears again.

They seemed heavy from being soaked, I was sure. But I took a look at my arm in front of me and found it covered with the familiar rusty fur. "Oh my god… I'M ME AGAIN!!" I yelled. "Yahoo!!" Then I felt something smooth and scaly let go of me, and I was treading water all of a sudden.

"Well, good," a man's voice said. "That means I don't have to hold you up anymore. I hope you can swim good, because I'm too tired to help you to shore." I caught a brief glimpse (and scent!) of a rainbow trout morph swimming away, leaving me about two hundred yards from shore.

Unfortunately a lot of fish morphs felt like they were the object of pity. They were maybe five percent of the total population, which made them a small minority. I sighed once, and as a last test I reached upward with my hand… and found my antlers. So, I'm all here. Groundbound again. But I wonder why I didn't need Maxine to do this? Strange. Something I'd have to figure out later, after I got to shore.

I remembered from my books that deer were supposed to be good swimmers. So I changed to norm-shape (holding my watch in my mouth, and noticing that I didn't flash shift. Damn) and swam for shore.

It only took me twenty minutes, and I shook myself off once I got out of the water. I took a moment to reassess myself.

Yes, I was a whitetail again. I could feel my muzzle, my hooves, and my tail. I trotted around in circles just a bit, joyful at being myself again. And for the first time, I was truly grateful for my Change. And my Power, too. I thought a bit about exactly how I'd changed back. It didn't take much to realize the 'degauss' had something to do with it. Both times this happened I'd wanted to get rid of excess Kinetic Energy and both times it had caused a change. Wow.

But I would have to ponder exactly how later. Right now there was the little problem of getting back to the rest stop. There was five miles of thick forest between me and there. I knew the general direction, but otherwise…

I Shifted and took a sniff of the air. It smelled wonderful! Never have I been so happier to have my nose back! I walked into the forest, happy again.

Just because one is a deer doesn't mean that one has an unerring sense of direction. There were a lot of dangers in the forest. I smelled wolf-scent. Only hours old. And then fifteen minutes later I realized that I was lost. Great. Now what do I do? My instincts didn't have a clue either, but they did think that finding shelter would be a good idea. Then I had a flash of inspiration…

Jack! Jack can find me! I'm a latent telepath, after all… I stopped, concentrated, and then "yelled" at the to of my "lungs" JACK!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME???_

Eeyow! Quiet down, wouldya? Yeah I can hear you! Where are you anyway?

Groundbound, and hoofing it back your way. But I'm lost. Can you direct me somehow?

Hoofing it? Does that mean… My mind felt weird a moment. Wow! So that's what happened. You're lucky you're not dead!

No kidding. And do you mind not rummaging around up there? Some of that stuff if rather private.

Sorry. Sure, I can act like your compass. Let me just tell the others what's going on…

I could still feel him there, but it was like he was talking to someone else with his mind. The other voice sounded familiar… Very familiar. It was very strange (which was saying a lot in this crazy world…). On a whim I said, loudly, with my mind. Bryan??

Wha?? Jon? Is that you? the voice came back. Weak, and a little hard to understand, but definitely his. How can I hear you?

I'm a latent telepath, there was no point in hiding it from him. Without Jack I can't do anything with it, but it's there.

Did I hear him right? You're a deer again?

Yep. Hell if I know how. But I'm hoofing it back right now. I've been able to lock on to where you are, so it should only take me a couple hours. And then I noticed I couldn't hear Jack anymore. Yes, he still felt like he was supporting my telepathy, but he simply wasn't really there. Jack? I thought experimentally.

Yeah? he replied.

What did you do? I thought, Bryan echoed my thoughts.

I've linked your minds together. Your telepathy is strong enough that I can just support you a little and you'll be able to do active sending on your own. You can't actually read minds but you've got enough to talk with others. Bryan's power is similar enough to yours that I've just put in a little mental "adapter" if you will so the both of you can talk. And you need to talk.

I sighed. I guess you're right. Bryan… I've been a fool. What I said to my sister proves it…

I guess both what Jack said and what I'd just said caught him off-guard. He paused long enough for me to get a lock on his direction and I started to walk in my "caution mode" back towards the rest stop.

Jon… I really don't know what to say. I mean, you were right. I was running away. Heck, I have to admit. You know that night in Springfield I actually went out and grazed for the first time? You were right again, it helped me think.

Grazed? You? Wow. I stopped a moment at a suspicious sound, rotating my ears towards it, and taking a sniff. My nose said Rodent: Squirrel.

What is it?

I told him. The one drawback of being a deer that I forgot. I'm here, alone in the wilderness, with nothing but nature around me. I think there's wolves around here. But I do smell coyotes. I don't think any can get through my shield, though. So I'm safe.

Jack said that you bounced on the surface of the lake? Doesn’t your 'degauss' or whatever make you change? Can't you just turn into an eagle again and fly back??

I've thought about that, and unfortunately my Power doesn't work that way. When I'm the one that's moving it won't absorb anything. Just protect me from the impact by redirecting the force back into the earth. I fell off a roof once and wasn't hurt. So I'm stuck hoofing it. Which actually isn't bad… But I really should apologize, Bryan. I've been cruel to you. You've been through a lot, I think. I can tell, though I don't know what exactly happened to you…

Well, I guess if its something I owe you, it's telling you what happened to me before we met. Met in person, that is. This is really hard for me to deal with…

What're friends for? Can't be any worse that what I've experienced. Shoot…

I was wrong, of course. I carefully trotted through the woods as he gave me a run down of everything that had happened to him. His Change (with the man who'd lost his mind to the bull), his initial "migration," his first experience with Shifting, and most of all, his experience with Reimer. Bryan, if I'd know just what you'd been through I'd never have gotten mad in the first place!

Well, it's just that…

Heck, I don't blame you for not telling me. I'd be hesitant myself, but… whoa. A scent caught my nose. And it was unmistakably whitetail.

What?

I smell other whitetails. Only an hour or so old… I sniffed the ground a little. Yes, two does and another buck. The does must be in heat. Well, one is. The other should be ready soon. Ah! I smell Tarsal scent! And that other buck… I saw scrapes and rubs, too. Wow.

You're not about to do anything are you??

Of course not! But if I don't get out of this area fast I might meet up with the other buck. And then I'd probably have to fight him. I don't want to do that… My instincts remained quiet. They knew who was in charge, but would appear if needed. But I was admittedly curious. I'd never seen natural whitetails before. So I took a risk and followed the scent.

What're you doing?

I'm curious… I'd decided to play it safe and follow the doe-scent that didn't smell like she was in heat. I truly wasn't sure I would be able to withstand the full force of that scent. And it paid off. I saw her, looking at me strangely. She was a beautiful sight! I've seen enough. I'm coming… But then I turned around, and I saw him.

Another whitetail buck, and eight pointer like me. The mating season must have started early up here. My instincts made themselves know. -rival. samesize. Fight.- In that moment, there was a click in my mind. And my animal and human halves were one again. But I knew it would only be temporary. What was that voice?? he suddenly asked. And what's going on? His metal words brought me back all the way.

I was stupid. The other buck has shown up. If I turn my back I'll never live it down, and it'll take me another few hours to get around his territory. Even then I'll probably meet up with another buck! If I fight him and lose then I'll have to do that same, only I won't be as energetic. And we seem evenly matched. So I've got to let my instincts direct me. That was that voice you heard by the way, my instincts.

So that's what they sound like? No wonder they're hard to resist… I think I understand you a little better now…

Sorry, but we're about to have at. Wish me luck… He did. And we did. The other buck and I did our snort-wheeze challenge ("your mother wears army hooves") and the scent in the air screamed our distaste for each other. We started walking sideways towards each other, and at about fifteen feet apart, took aim, and the fight was on.

Bryan was in effect along for the ride. He didn't feel what I felt, but he caught the edges of my struggle. It lasted five minutes, and with my and my instincts together as one there was no contest. I won, and moment or so later my instincts broke free again. I panted hard while the buck that lost ran off. And that, my friend, is how we handle our instincts. Phew! I'm tired! How far away am I?

Jack says only about a half mile. Wow! That was incredible! I'll have to call Dr. Samuel about this… it might help.

Well, I'm glad to see this wasn't a total loss. I don't even get to keep the doe! Heh. I'll be in sight in a moment… Even though I was dead tired, I decided to sprint for the rest area. I made it in about five minutes, appearing out of the woods in the growing darkness. I saw everything in black and white. I saw them standing just where I'd left them, talking to Kim who was all propped up in the "nest" in the back of the car. The three of them were just looking at me. Jack was smiling. And I heard a mental click that seemed to mean that Jack had disconnected me from Bryan. "The Buck reetunth!!" I lisped.

Brian just shook his head. "I can't believe what you just did, by the way. Jack gave us a running commentary. How did you do it?"

I walked up in front of them and changed back to morph. "Hell if I know. Hell if I know why I can change between eagle and deer. Maybe we'll experiment later, but not now. I'm too tired. Can we get across the border now? We can talk in the car…"

As we got in, (I was too tired to drive, so Bryan drove. I sat in the passenger seat), Bryan said. "I have to admit that I'm a little confused. And a little embarrassed. I don't have this voice yelling inside my head like you do. And I don't know how you deal with it. But I just have one question. Why didn't you just turn on your shield and block his thrusts?"

I thought a moment. "Why… I don't know Bryan. I guess it was something I just had to do."

We reached the Border a few minutes later. It didn't take much to get us across. But when we stopped at a motel just across the Border, Bryan turned to the four of us and said in a HUGELY stereotypical Canadian accent, "Welcome to Canada, eh." And grinned.

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Go Foreward to Sit Down, Young Stranger.

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