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No. Pack-fear. Pack-cub-fear. Not good. What has frightened the young dwarf? No smell of danger, no sound. The dark forest smells of illness and death, but there is no immediate danger. Why does pack-cub fear? The wolf moved closer, only to stop short at the terrified whimper of the young dwarf. She whined, wagging her tail and crouching closer to the ground. Not helping. Still smell fear.
No danger in area. No predator. Only pack, so why fear? He fears us. Why does pack fear us? Not harm pack! Will not harm pack! Comfort?
Ori felt as though his mind had simply shut off. He could not reconcile what he had seen with what he knew. Asta was… a wolf? What by Mahal had just happened?! Oh Aulë, there was a wolf standing right where the Company's human had been just seconds ago. And it was staring. At him! He couldn't move, frozen as he was with fear and shock, but when the creature lifted its head a bit and sniffed at the wind, taking a few steps closer, he could not stop himself from letting out an involuntary yelp of fear.
Surprisingly, instead of attacking him, the creature only whined a bit, wagging it's tail and staying where it was. He tried not to tremble, wondering if screaming for help would only aggravate the beast and incite an immediate attack. He knew that, while dwarves were excellent sprinters over short distances, he would have little chance of outrunning this lean predator. Cautiously, he took a single step backwards, not looking away from the wolf, but this proved to be a mistake. He collided with a large oak that had been directly behind him, and could not suppress a surprised gasp. The wolf immediately moved, and it was so swift, he could see only a blur quite similar to the one he had spotted in the Goblin Tunnels, and then the creature stood but inches from him.
Instantly, he dropped to the ground, huddled against the trunk of the oak, and pulled his arms protectively over his head, quiet panicked whimpers escaping him, as he waiting to feel fangs and claws tearing into his flesh. Instead, a cold and wet nose pressed into his forehead, and the creature snuffled, scenting him. Then, a warm tongue licked at his skin, and the dwarf yelped again, flinching back.
Several minutes passed, and he was surprised when there was no further contact from the creature. Finally, tremblingly, he lowered one of his arms just a bit, and glanced up. The wolf sat a foot away, it's head cocked sideways curiously, and when he looked at it, it chuffed softly. Slowly, carefully, he sat up, lowering his arms, and looking up at it in a mixture of curiosity and fear. "A-A-Asta?" he whispered.
The creature stood, shaking out it's coat, before dropping to her belly on the ground and stretching out her front paws until they came within an inch of Ori's boots, it's tongue lolling out of it's mouth in a wide yawn. It then placed it's head upon the outstretched paws, looking up at him with those glowing blue eyes. Several long moments passed, before Ori, hardly daring to believe his own temerity, slowly and cautiously reached out a hand, and went to touch the wolf's muzzle.
When the wolf made no move to react aggressively, he gently laid his hand upon her head, shocked when she merely licked her chops and then nuzzled into his hand. He carefully began to run his fingers through her fur, automatically scratching behind her ears. The dwarf couldn't help but smile a tiny bit when she began to pant contentedly.
After several minutes, during which Ori found himself relaxing more and more, and even enjoying the feeling of the wolf's surprisingly soft fur beneath his fingers, she suddenly perked up, causing him to flinch back a bit. Immediately, she turned back and nudged him reassuringly with her nose, before rising, and very, very gently taking the sleeve of his tunic between her teeth. It was only then that Ori realized that she had not once shown her teeth until then.
The wolf tugged on his sleeve, and he cautiously got to his feet, which made her let go at once. She then nudged him again with her nose, though it was hard enough this time to make even a sturdy dwarf stumble forward a step. He caught his balance, only just in time to receive another nudge, then the wolf darted around in front of him, looking back to see if he was following. Ori realized she was trying to lead him back to the camp, and he began to move in that direction, "You, erm, probably shouldn't let the others see you… like this… I don't think Dwalin would react favorably…" he muttered, looking at the wolf in concern.
Fortunately, when he had come close enough to the camp to hear the quiet conversation of Nori and Bombur, who were due to be relieved from their watch in approximately an hour, the wolf suddenly turned and darted off into the forest faster than his eyes could follow. He made his way to his bedroll quietly, and had barely begun to sit, when he felt a shiver run down his spine. Ori looked up to see his brother staring at him, the thief's hazel eyes narrowed in suspicion and concern. The young scribe shook his head slightly, but Nori seemed to misinterpret it, and instantly rose to his feet and made his way to Ori's side.
"You couldn't find her?" he demanded quietly, already thinking up a search pattern and how to track down the missing human, when his younger brother interrupted. "No, Nori, I found her, it's just that…" The elder dwarf looked into his little brother's face, curious now. "What is it? Tell me, Ori."
Ori hesitated, and then looked up again. "It's nothing, Nori. She is alright, unharmed. She just refuses to return to camp right now. I think she fears Dori's wrath, but she swore she would remain very near to camp, and would return by morning. I think we should just leave her, and respect her decision, and privacy."
Ori thanked the Valar, Aulë, Mahal, and any other deity he could think of that Nori, after a moment of contemplation, finally nodded his agreement, and with a swift embrace for his brother, made his way back to Bombur and the remainder of his watch. He hoped that the wolf, who was apparently also Asta, would in fact return by morning, and would be, well, human-shaped again. Even while he lay there and fretted, the scholar in him marveled at the phenomenon, and he wondered if there was any lore regarding humans who could turn into wolves.
The moon's call sung through her blood as she paced lithely through the forest. Illness and darkness aside, these woods were still a marvelous hunting ground for the wolf, and she reveled in the chance to stretch her legs. Playing with small-soft-pack-Bilba had been wonderful, but the wolf had a great deal of pent up energy, that had only spiked with the call of the moon in the sky, and playing with a single hobbit had barely scratched the surface the night before.
The trees began to blur as she increased her speed, and the wolf succumbed to the urge to howl, far enough now from her pack that her cry would be very, very distant to their weak ears. Uninhibited glee surged through her as she howled her joy, her very life-song out in response to the call of the full moon above. Immediately after she ceased her howl to draw breath, she was off again, racing through the trees, and only vaguely paying heed to the scents around her.
There! A stag, it's life-blood pumping hot and swift through it's veins, the sweat and scent-markers of the prey-creature unmistakable. The wolf slowed, pacing around in a wide circle, entirely uncaring of the moment when her prey caught her scent and jolted, it's head shooting up in alarm. She might have been a wiser hunter in times of need, but her human had been eating quite well with the pack, and this night, it was only a mild hunger in her belly. The rushing blood of the creature between her jaws would be reward enough for the hunt, though she also felt the urge to bring back her kill for the alpha's approval.
No! Stay away from the pack! I will return in the morning. Human insisted. Human foolish, but still frightened. Still wary of alpha. Why not submit to alpha, bring prey as gift and submit? Cold-strong-dark alpha is strong, fearless. Protects his pack. Why fear, when can submit? Part of pack, nothing to fear. Alpha will protect, not harm. We protect alpha and pack, pack protects us. No. Foolish human!
The wolf's frustration with her human spilled over, and she leapt recklessly at her chosen prey, the brown stag falling to her claws and fangs before ever it had the chance to bolt. The hot blood of the prey soothed the wolf, and she panted happily over her kill once it lay still upon the ground. She tore into the meat, content, and when she had eaten her fill, over half of the carcass remained.
Yes, human. Will not go to alpha. But part of pack. You do not let me submit, you must submit to alpha. One-shapes are different. I have submitted, by following his orders, and swearing my loyalty to his Company-pack. I am part of his pack. You know this. Know. Am part of pack. Why fear? We are pack, alpha protects pack. Why fear?
Human does not answer. Foolish human.
The wolf rose, shaking most of the blood out of her fur, and then raced on swift paws back to her pack. She stopped at the outskirts, beyond the eyesight of the pack-night-guards, and then ran in a large circle around the entire pack several times, scent-marking the clearing as hers for the night. She then stopped in the trees, closest to small-soft-Bilba, and curled up comfortably, content that all of her pack was present, accounted for, and safe. The wolf slept.