A restlessness pervaded the scene, a subtle but observable shift in posture, in focus, in desire to linger here, in this space and time. I feel it, though I do not recognise it immediately for what it is - it feels like this form has almost a will of its own, or at the very least, a subconscious one, that detects and interprets and notices things that take my conscious mind time to unravel, to make sense, to understand and appreciate. It is an annoying delay, one that I hope to improve, so that my taking and using this form to its full potential is enabled. I observe the hound, watch as his hairs rise and fall, as muscles flex and bend, as he moves to leave off, to depart us, before my question reaches him. He peers around, drinking in the world surrounding us, before fixing me within his sights once more, and I hold great concern that this was it - this was the end of our interaction, our meeting - the time for me to return to the place I was calling home (for now?) was here.
Then his words echo within me, and I let them pull my attention, my joy, my curiosity along. Patterned hide is pressed into motion, smooth strides placing me at the hound's shoulder, an eagerness in my step evident, no doubt slipping into the bond, as I was still so unpractised in holding those surface emotions back. Improvement would come, with time, with more shifting, with more utilising this form - I have a quiet confidence that one day, I will be as accomplished as the great beast I stalk alongside, this form able to be worn with ease, the hesitation between my understanding of its heightened senses and my interpretation of them reduced or eliminated, and my own muscle memory developed well enough that I can move less like a human-inhabiting-a-leopard's-body and more like a leopard.
I didn't know all of the answers yet, or even all of the questions to ask that would get me there, but I was nothing if not persistent in my quest on animal sciences, and this was a most curious science indeed. I would master this aspect about myself, one day.
'Have you explored all parts of these woods?' I ask, my gaze searching the world that was shifting, moving and changing all around us, the canopy stretching high above, the shadows lengthening - and my eyes able to drink it all in, my mind awhirl at the details it would have missed, been ignorant to, been blind to, had my human form been present in this moment.
Then his words echo within me, and I let them pull my attention, my joy, my curiosity along. Patterned hide is pressed into motion, smooth strides placing me at the hound's shoulder, an eagerness in my step evident, no doubt slipping into the bond, as I was still so unpractised in holding those surface emotions back. Improvement would come, with time, with more shifting, with more utilising this form - I have a quiet confidence that one day, I will be as accomplished as the great beast I stalk alongside, this form able to be worn with ease, the hesitation between my understanding of its heightened senses and my interpretation of them reduced or eliminated, and my own muscle memory developed well enough that I can move less like a human-inhabiting-a-leopard's-body and more like a leopard.
I didn't know all of the answers yet, or even all of the questions to ask that would get me there, but I was nothing if not persistent in my quest on animal sciences, and this was a most curious science indeed. I would master this aspect about myself, one day.
'Have you explored all parts of these woods?' I ask, my gaze searching the world that was shifting, moving and changing all around us, the canopy stretching high above, the shadows lengthening - and my eyes able to drink it all in, my mind awhirl at the details it would have missed, been ignorant to, been blind to, had my human form been present in this moment.
Chulane
fridooh & whimzi @ deviantart
