Page 13 of Outnumbered

Silverowl circled me, his eyes wide. “How very interesting. I’ve never seen a warrior form like this before.”

“Did … did I do it wrong?” I asked nervously and pressed my paws together.

He shook his head. “No, no there’s nothing wrong. You’re just so … unique.”

“Unique means weird,” I said and put a paw on my hip.

He snapped another picture and showed it to me.

I gasped. “That’s what I look like?”

He nodded.

“Whoa.”

Taking his phone back, he put it in his pocket and said, “Try walking and running now.”

With my differently shaped legs, it was slightly difficult to take normal steps, but I was able to after a moment. Running took even longer to figure out.

“Try jumping up, straight up,” he instructed. “As high as you can.”

Squatting down, I tensed my muscles, tilted my head back as I looked skyward, and jumped.

“Holy hybrids on a hill,” Caleb gasped from below me.

I looked down and screamed. I was at least fifteen feet in the air. Flailing my arms, I tried to figure out how to land. My body shifted into my human form as I fell, which worried me even more. Would I break something if I landed now?

“I’ve got you,” Caleb assured me as I fell, his arms out, ready to catch me.

As promised, he caught me, not even stumbling a single step forward as he did.

I panted, my heart hammering and magic feeling like it was depleted.

“That’s enough for today,” Silverowl said. “You did great.”

“Thanks. Can you send me the pictures?”

“Pictures?” Caleb asked.

“Great job, EmberRew,” Silverowl praised.

“Ember,” I corrected.

He frowned. “Do you not like your elven name?”

Caleb set me down and I brushed down my shirt. “It’s just … I don’t really want to keep a name my birth parents gave me when they didn’t want to even keep me.”

“Would you prefer I rename you?” he asked.

I blinked. “Huh?”

“As a prince of the elves, he can give you a new elven name,” Caleb explained. “If you don’t have family members who can change your name, a royal can in their place.”

“Oh, um, maybe? I hadn’t really thought about that since I didn’t know it was possible.”

“I’ll send you my suggestion with the images and you can let me know what you decide,” he said and patted my shoulder as he walked inside. “No pressure.”

Did I want to change my name? EmberRew did fit what my animal form looked like.