As I walked out into the night, I felt different. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it was definitely new. It didn't feel quite right. Didn't feel... normal. I never really understood why my Father differed from me. With the same blood flowing through my veins, I should at least have the same nose, same eye color. Something that people could spot, and say "Oh, you have your fathers nose!" Yet nothing of the sort did occur. The thought that he might have been lying to me about my heritage had crossed my mind before, but I had always brushed it aside. He wouldn't lie to me. Suddenly, a shock ran through my very bones. I collapsed onto one knee feeling slightly dizzy, but there was no pain. Yet. I felt a small stab of pain in my fingertips, and was horrified to see ebony claws tearing through the tips of my fingers. I held my arm up to the pale moonlight and saw the hairs on my arms grow long, white and thick. I tried to call out to Father, to anyone who could stop whatever was happening, but the only sound that escaped my lips was a choked cry of pain as large, yellow-stained teeth broke out from my gums.
My breathing had become slow and labored, I stood up and wondered why the grass was so close to my face, all the scents and smells in the meadow hit me with the force of a hurricane I found myself physically reeling back while my senses took their precious time to adjust. I looked down at the grass and found that I no longer had hands, well not human hands, but paws, giant sized paws with large black markings painted on them, and ebony claws that felt abnormally heavy when I tried to lift them. I quickly scanned around to try and find an explanation, but all that was visible was a small lake and many trees, I crept to the lake not trusting my now fur covered legs to support me. I hesitated before gazing upon the lake, afraid of what I might see, until finally I summoned the courage to look. Staring into the face of a Snow Leopard in awe, my mind doesn't register that it is me until a few seconds after. I shifted my gaze away from the black and white beast and stared at the moonlight bouncing off the clear water. I tried to scream to Father but it came out as a startlingly loud roar. This is actually amazing, maybe this is the part of me that is my Father, maybe I have finally found the answer to all of my questions! I unsteadily made my way back to my home in need of an answer to this one question, but all that I came to find was an empty house. Fear struck me so much so that my heart began beating out of my furry chest, I had just heard a roar as loud as mine seemed. It's coming from the East of here, I can smell the wild animal. Beginning to get used to these legs, I started off down the slope heading towards the echo of the ear throbbing roar, making for the forest just ahead until suddenly I felt the presence of something much larger than myself, and much more powerful.
As I slowly turned around I could feel its breath as much as the claws that are attached to my paws, locking eyes with the cruel monster I felt confusion, I know those eyes. Father? Byorn? How, I mean, why? Before the shock could hit me he started turning back to himself, to the Father I knew. Is this where he has been every night? Is this what is really happening when the orcs are around? Is this why we have never been attacked before? After a few seconds he was back, as Byorn, my Father, not that monstrous beast that he was a second ago. He stared into my eyes telling me what to do, what to think, he said that it was OK, that I might be able to control it. I took a deep breath and began to concentrate as hard as possible upon an image of the real me, Aurelia. To my surprise I began to change, my claws sealing themselves back into my body, the fur slowly yet painfully dissolved into my skin. Faster than I had expected I was Aurelia again, still happy to find that I was wearing all of my clothes, not a single rip, how was that possible? How come my clothes didn't rip? I looked up to find my Father, with only his blue pants on.
"Father? H-how?" I stammered, peering into his eyes as intensely as an eagle.
"I have been wanting to tell you this for a while now, but I just hadn't come to it. Aurelia, you may want to sit down ..." he said to me, so I obeyed him and sat on the soft ground. "I, I am not, you are not my daughter." a wave of emotions hit me, sadness? Anger? Confusion? But anger drowned all the others and took over.
"How could you not tell me! You could have said this from the start instead of waiting until this happened!" I felt so angry, yet miserable that my own Father would lie to me, why did he not tell me of this? I have had so many unanswered questions! "If I, 'Father,' am not your daughter, then how come we can both do that? How come I can change like this?"
"Its a long story." he said,
"I've got time," I retorted.
"Well, you have some of my blood in you because, when you were born, your mother had to hide you somewhere, she loved someone other than the one she had claimed to love." a feeling of perplexity captured me. "She had one child, your half sister, Tauriel, and not long afterwards had you with another skin-changer. They loved each other Aurelia, no one could stop them, after your second Father found out, he wanted you gone, far away, so he could never see you again. So your mother put the duty upon me." Byorn looked at me with sadness and fear, he looked as if he wasn't sure that he should be telling me this, but I thought differently.
"So, I have a half sister, Tauriel then, who are my Mother and Father?" I can't believe that he hadn't told me this earlier. What if my parents aren't alive any more? How will I find my sister then?
"Your true Father was and still is, unknown to all, but your second Father was a Sylvan elf, like both your sister and your mother." He stared at me with his great hazel eyes.
"Where is Tauriel now?" I asked quickly, silently hoping it was somewhere nearby.
"I believe she is in Mirkwood, where the elves live." He said in a slow, cautious voice.
"I'm going to go there, 'Fathe...umm, Byorn." I'm rather unsure of what to call him now. The realization of what I was going to do hit me. How am I supposed to believe, this?
"Aurelia! You can not go there! The forest you must pass through is full of spiders, and even before that is dangerous!" He said to me with fear upon his eyes.
"Byorn, please, I must find my sister, I must." I looked at him intently, waiting for an answer, he stared at me and shook his head.
"I… I need some time to think about this," He muttered before turning away and heading back to the house. I'm glad he made me sit down because my head spun from all the questions and emotions running through it.