Chapter 6

"What was that?" he exclaimed. He lost concentration, interrupting the morph.

--I don't know!-- I said. I pricked my still-wolf ears, straining to catch every sound. I heard it again - a long, low groan like a cow mooing.

"You have better hearing than me!" he said.

--Well hurry up and finish the morph,-- I replied. --Then you'll be able to hear it again.--

He resumed concentration, and the changes began again.

--It sounded like a cow, or something,-- he said, once he was fully stag. --Hang on, there it goes again!--

I turned my ears towards the sound. It was getting louder.

--I think it's getting closer,-- I said.

--Do you think it's the Yeerks?-- he asked. --Maybe we should wake the others up.--

--No, and no,-- I replied. --I think it's just an animal. Why? Not scared of it are you?--

--Certainly not!-- he suggested, as the sound was heard again. --Sounds like cows or something. Can't imagine cows out here in the forest.--

--I don't think it's a cow,-- I said, searching my brain for the answer. Suddenly, it struck me.

--It's a moose!-- I said hastily. --And I think it's nearby.--

--A moose?-- he repeated. --What's a moose?--

--You don't know what a moose is?-- I asked incredulously. --I thought you toffs were supposed to shoot them and hang their heads on the walls of your castles."

He shook his head - a strange move coming from a stag.

--It's like a huge deer,-- I sighed. --An elk. Big, brown, with huge antlers.--

--Oh, well, as long as it's not a mountain lion,-- he said. --Nothing dangerous.--

--Don't be so sure,-- I said, somewhat takenaback by his cockiness.--Moose can get really angry if it's the mating season and something invades their territory. And they're huge - much bigger than any morphs we've got. Strong, too.--

--Well, when's the mating season?-- he asked impatiently. His voice sounded a pitch or two higher than normal. Was I making him nervous?

--Not sure, but it lasts a long time. And I'll bet you we've just stumbled into it's back yard.--

The moose cried again, it's voice echoing over the mountains. I turned my brilliant eyes in its direction, just making out a large shadowy form of the animal a hundred or so meters away. It was moving, brushing the leaves of the tree as it headed nearer.

Ferdie stared at it for a second, catching the movement, then eyed me nervously. So the young blood does get scared of things after all?

--Well, we can outfight it, right? A wolf, two cats and an ox?--

--Probably, but we'd all need to morph first. And that takes time. That thing is mean,-- I exaggerated. --If it wanted, we'd be impaled on it's horns before we could morph.-- That wasn't true, of course, but I wasn't going to tell Fearless Flawless that until I was sure he had exhausted his cockiness.

--Out-run it?-- he suggested.

--And leave the others?--

--OK, what if we climbed a tree! They can't climb, can they? They have hooves, right?-- His voice was rising now.

--No good, Flawless. Moose are so tall, they can reach the highest branches. They don't need to be able to climb.--

I'm not sure why I was telling Ferdie all this, I was sure we were in no danger. But I have to admit it was interesting, and just slightly satisfying, to see fearless Ferdie scared of a moose.

--Well, why don't you go and have a nice girly chat with the thing?-- he said dryly, as the moose moaned again. It was very close now.

--Hey!-- I said. --I've got an idea. I don't have a large, powerful morph yet, do I? And I don't have a hoofed morph for the mountains like you guys all have.--

Ferdie's eyes twinkled, all thoughts of death-by-moose forgotten. Obviously Ferdie won't do the whole fear thing for too long at a time.

--You're going to acquire it?-- he said, perking up.

--I think I might.--

--Go on! You don't have many morphs, and it's only over there! I'd take the chance while you can.--

--Ok,-- I said, silently trotting towards the huge brown moose. --I'm going to get as close as I can, then demorph. My eye sight won't be as good when I'm human and I don't want to startle it.--

I got up as close as I could to the moose. --Keep an eye on it, Flawless,-- I said. --Don't let it stamp on me.--

I crept up quietly beside it. The moose twitched it's ears at the sound of my rustling, and made a half-hearted attempt to walk away. I kept pace, keeping still when it stopped. The moose might have good senses too, but I had the body of a wolf and the mind of a human. For the moment, anyway. I couldn't acquire the thing as wolf, I needed to demorph first. I kept my eyes trained on the moose, and demorphed at top speed.

--Try and get it's leg or something,-- advised Ferdie, who was obviously watching the whole thing rather than keeping an eye out for Yeerks. Of course, being unable to thought-speak, I couldn't reply. But I finished the demorph and gently reached out with my hand, touching the moose's long back leg. I immediately started to concentrate, the DNA flowing into me, and felt its' muscles slacken as it entered the acquiring trace. After a few seconds, I took my hand away, with the ability to morph yet another animal. I exhaled softly, then walked swiftly back to the others before it became regained alertness.