A normal person would jump, being woken up by a scream in their ear; but Lurk was not normal.<br/><br/>He was also not a morning person: it took him almost five minutes to crack an eye open.<br/><br/>After a lot of stretching, and groaning, Lurk yawned a big yawn, and turned to see who had screamed in his ear.<br/><br/>Mia had scrambled away from the wolf, and stared at it in consternation; did that thing really just<em>wiggle its eyebrows at her?</em><br/><br/>The wolf growled and bared its teeth in a snarl, then leaped at her.<br/><br/>Mia ducked ducked to the ground; she heard the wolf land behind her, and suddenly its growls rose; teeth snapped and something fell hard: Mia looked, and saw the wolf snapping its teeth at a creatures like clawed shadows that trailed shadowy lines with every movement.<br/><br/>Three more appeared, and moved toward her: Lurk turned away and leaped at the closest. In midair he grew larger and what hit the shadow was less wolf- and more monster-like; he hit and with a snap of his jaws, tore the thing to shreds which disappeared like smoke.<br/><br/>The others backed away, and Lurk stalked around the woman, hackles raised and teeth bared.<br/><br/>Suddenly all three jumped at him: caught by surprise, Lurk disappeared under them and for a moment, all that could be seen were black shadows and rending claws.<br/><br/>Then his growl rose to a howl of rage; what burst up from under the creatures bore only a slight resemblance to a wolf: it was a monster, large and : three swipes of the sharp claws and the shadow-creatures were gone.<br/><br/>Lurk stood there for a moment, looking around, trying to find something else to kill, then his eyes lighted on the maiden.<br/><br/>She stared up, terrified, into his huge red eyes, then he glanced away.<br/><br/>He shrank before her eyes, until a wolf once again stood before her: black-furred, a little small, but only a wolf.<br/><br/>He walked up to her, and put his nose close to hers, just staring at her for a moment, then he licked her softly on the cheek and turned away.<br/><br/>He walked a little way toward the village, then glanced back, and gestured for her to follow.<br/>