<div class="floatleft">(http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4125/calypsawolf03.jpg)</div>The wolf became slightly nervous at the attention the boy was giving her. She allowed it, but soon she'd have to leave them, she'd been too long in this form already. It wasn't safe to linger for fear that the terrible darkness would take over.<br/><br/>She jumped back from them quickly, giving them one last look of thanks, then took off at a full run. She ran passed the gypsy camp, noticing the many corpses lying on the ground. Calypsa stopped there for just a second gazing in horror at the slaughter. That's when she noticed Nishka. She was not like the others. A gust of wind blew towards Calypsa. Among the smell of death and decay, there was a different smell. Calypsa was very curious, but dared not stay to investigate.<em> Later</em>, she told herself.<br/><br/>Calypsa began running again toward the forest, to where she dropped her axe. She found it, and picked it up in her mouth and searched for some place private to change back, soon coming upon a dense thicket. She dropped the axe, and sat there waiting.<br/><br/>This was always so painful, the turn back into human form. Not only did she feel a loss of self each time, the physical pain was enough to cause her to pass out.<br/><br/>Calypsa groaned as she concentrated on the shift.  A howl of anguish escaped her mouth, an angry cry to whatever caused this to happen mixed with longing to be back home with her pack. She felt as if a piece of her was being ripped from her being. As the muscles and bones began to reshape, she fell to the ground, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on blocking out the pain. Long hair gave way to creamy skin, claws became fingernails, her muzzle shortened, and her tail disappeared. She felt fully the weakness this body contained as tears streamed down her face, she was sobbing now.<em> Why?</em>That same terrible feeling of loss that had become all too familiar to her had crept in. Her senses dulled slightly, the shift almost complete, as the fatigue set in. Calypsa fell into a fitful sleep, trembling from hunger and exhaustion.