"Just keep running!" Jennifer said. "I'll hold Mary off."
With that, the wereforms of Alice and Heather along with Sharon charged to the edge of the forest.
As they ran, the ground became rockier, and the terrain steeper. Soon, they found themselves going through a mountain pass, the way getting snowier as they went. Thankfully, the sounds of pursuit were gone. Looking out on the ground before them, the trio saw another valley, containing another forest, this time frozen in the grip of winter and dusted with snow.
"Well," Alice said, "We made it."
"Yeah," Heather replied, "We did. Why arrren't we changing back though?"
"Maybe need sun-up?" Sharon suggested.
Their wondering was interrupted by a blur of white and black striped fur that bowled Sharon over. Before Alice or Heather could react, their primitive companion was beset by what looked to be a woman with the wereform of a white Siberian tiger.
Heather and Alice were about to retaliate, ready to pounce, when suddenly the tiger woman leapt off of Sharon and onto a higher rock. Perched there, the girls saw that the weretiger had something in its hands. Looking, they saw that it was Sharon's boots.
"Did you a favor," she said gruffly.
"You maniac! She'll die!" Heather shouted.
"Nope. Watch."
Sharon was writhing on the ground as changes overtook her. Her mane turned pure white as it grew out to the same length as Alice's. Groaning, Sharon's body sprouted white fur, and as her groans turned to growls, she went through the changes that Alice had gone through earlier, becoming an ivory-furred werewolf.
"Well, she didn't die, but still, those boots were what was keeping her human!" Heather exclaimed, still angry.
"Better than the alternative, believe me. I've seen too many of these boots on people. Also, like I said, I did her a favor. Forms here are based on where you first change. She's an arctic wolf. She'll be better suited to this."
"But...but..."
"But nothing. You'd best get moving and hunt something with good, thick fur that you can skin. Otherwise, you're not going to be having fun when dawn comes."
The weretiger bounded off over the walks, pausing only one more time to call out to the trio.
"By the way, welcome to Snowmane Valley! If you survive the night, find me!"
Sharon struggled to her feet, mumbling.
"My...my God, she's right. I can think again!"
"Yeah," Alice snarled, "she's a real humanitarian."
"So that leaves us with a question," Heather mused, "Considerrring our options, what do we do now?"
Sat Mar 8 23:40:05 2003