Raven Saga 01 - Raven

Gabriel. He will let you know. Just wait for him, okay?”
    Again she nodded, “I'll make us some tea, Sammy. You two go. Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be all right.”
    Rose beckoned me to follow her as she opened the front door and so we walked in silence for a few minutes before she turned to look at me and smiled.
    “A mountain lion, eh?” she said with pride. “Your mother would have been so proud of you, Lilly. Of course we knew that you wouldn't just be any old cat... or raven,” she added.
    It was then that I thought about ravens. I had become a cat, not a bird. Gabriel must have been a little disappointed that I had inherited my mother's genes and not my father's. Especially considering there was no other family member, at that stage, that was able to become the bird of our ancestors.
    I thought how great it would have been to be able to fly, but as I looked around at my surroundings and smelled the wonderful things I could smell and heard the extraordinary things I could hear, I didn't feel any disappointment. Although I still wondered how I was going to return to my old self and I dreaded the pain that I had felt earlier that evening, I was still amazed at my whole transformation.
    It hadn't happened how I had hoped it would. I had imagined myself something like Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter who could change in the blink of an eye, without an ounce of pain. That is how I'd wanted it to happen and in the company of a select few. Certainly not in the company of Oliver. But that is exactly what had happened and I couldn't take it back. My relationship with him was ruined. And there was nothing I could do about it.
    Rose had become quiet once again, deep in thought, I imagined as we trampled through the undergrowth beneath the tall trees and headed in the direction of her home. Although I wasn't looking where I was going, I knew we were close because I could hear all of her cats. I could smell them too but more than anything I could almost feel the sound of their hearts, beating gently, keeping them alive.
    Of course I could 'feel' Rose's heartbeat even louder than anything, and it was beating a little quicker than when we had left my house. I looked at her and it amazed me that this seventy-plus (she still hadn't told me her actual age) year-old woman was capable of such a massive transformation. She was still incredibly fit and agile. She was a force to be reckoned with and I was intensely proud that I could call her family.
    We arrived at the front door and as she pushed it open, Scully was the first to rush out. The hair on her back raised high as she saw me and she arched her back. I noticed that her eyes had become as black as coal again as she stared deep into my eyes. I just stood still, waiting for some kind of recognition. It didn't take long. Within seconds, she relaxed completely and approached me, purring happily.
    Rose smiled too and patted her on the back, “I knew she would recognise you. She just needed a moment,” she said.
    As I entered the house, I had similar experiences with the rest of the animals and soon it was as normal, the cats curling up in various nooks and crannies wherever they could.
    Rose walked into the kitchen and sat down, taking off her black pumps and replacing them with a pair of warm slippers.
    “Right,” she said, “we need to get you back to Lilly, the girl. As much as I love this new look.”
    I sat beside her and waited for her to tell me what to do.
    “And don't worry, I've got clothes for you to wear here,” she laughed. “You'll find that it becomes very useful to keep clothes at the homes of all our family members,” she laughed.
    “Now, the key is to relax. It's really quite simple but it will take some getting used to.”
    I tried to do as she said but nothing happened and so I sat and focused on relaxing and being calm. Nothing. I was still a mountain lion.
    “Okay, let's try something different. Lie down completely,” I did as she said and curled up on the soft rug besides the kitchen counter top.
    “Now close your eyes. Slow your breathing down and relax. Feel as though your muscles are falling away from your bones. That's it. Breathe in slowly. Breathe out slowly. In. Out. In. Out.”
    Sure enough, as I completely relaxed my body, I felt something happen within me. There was no pain like before. It was incredibly uncomfortable but strangely pain free. And finally, moments later, I felt my whole body become human again. I