8

Elder Nora walked through the forest, taking in the story that Kate had told her. It was tragic that the poor kit would have drowned if not for the two owl shifters. They were known quite well throughout the shifter world and many shifters thought of them as the Watchers of the Council. It would be befitting since they always managed to show up when someone was in trouble, almost as though they had the magic of the old world.

Nora shook her head at that idea and took note of the trees around her. The brown bark turned to white with black eyes that saw everything. An aspen groove that was hidden by the verdant forest. A true spectacular for those who did not know the forest well.

Nora took in a breath and perked her ears to hear the soft breeze whistling through the leaves. She smelled that of blossoming wild berries and the return of prey, old and new.

She continued her walk until she reached a clearing where a great weeping willow stood in the center. It's bark looked as though it