Wizard's Heir (A Bard Without a Star, Book 1) by Michael A. Hooten

most animals, and when you take a form that is not
human, you must strive to retain that difference.”
    Gwydion cocked his head. “Can
you train yourself to spend long periods of time as an animal?”
    “You can,” Math said. “It may
be part of your training later on, for it is a great lesson in self-control,
but for now, be content with what you receive.”
    “Yes, uncle.”

Chapter
6: Wolf
    It took almost a week for Gwydion to feel like himself
again. Math asked very little of him during that time, although Bran came to
his room every day for a short training session. The exertion helped Gwydion
get used to his human body again, and working with Bran made him exercise his
mind as well.
    Gwydion went to the tower after
he felt completely human again, and Math gestured for him to come up on the
dais beside him. Like a whisper close in his ear, he heard, Can you
hear our voices?
    He turned to look at the old
man. “Did you say something?”
    The corner of Math’s mouth
twitched. “Are you ready for your next lesson?”
    With only a moment of
trepidation, Gwydion answered, “Yes, uncle.”
    Math pulled the rowan wand from
his sleeve, and touched it to Gwydion’s forehead again. The pain of transformation
made him scream, which turned into a loud, keening whine. He felt new senses
take hold, especially smell. He had to exert all his willpower to keep from
sniffing everything in the room, and ended up on his haunches, scratching his
ear.
    Math said, “You are now a wolf,
nephew. Again, no harm will come to you. Explore to your heart’s content, and
try to remember your true self this time.”
    With a wave of the rowan wand,
Gwydion found himself in the woods again. He tried to determine if they were the
same woods that he had roamed as a deer, but the change in perspective was too
great; he was lower to the ground, and none of the smells were exactly the same
as he remembered as a deer.
    In the distance, he heard a
howl, and without thinking, he answered it. More howls answered, each on a
different note, and it made a very satisfying music in his ears. The wind
brought him tantalizing whiffs of the pack, but the howls indicated that they
were moving downwind from him, and he understood; they wanted to know who he
was as much as he wanted to know about them.
    He sat back and waited,
tracking them by sound. He had made out at least five before he had lost their
scent, which struck him as a strong pack. As they closed in on him, he began
to get nervous. What if they decided he was an intruder? He heard two yips
close on his left side, and by the time he turned, they were surrounding
him.
    He had been wrong. Six wolves,
all male, watched him silently. Gwydion turned around slowly, looking at all
of them in turn, but ended up looking at the one that had to be the pack
leader. The leader cocked his head to the side and gave a short yip. Gwydion
was shocked to find he could interpret it to mean, “What are you intentions,
wolf who is not a member of our pack?”
    Trusting his instinct, Gwydion
replied, “I seek to join with you, pack leader.”
    “Are you prepared to accept
your rightful place?”
    “I am.”
    “Then it is time for you to be
judged.” The leader nodded and the smallest wolf attacked Gwydion.
    Despite being caught off guard,
Gwydion quickly rallied, and ended up on top of the younger wolf, his teeth
clamped on his neck just hard enough not to break the skin. The wolf struggled
for a minute, then went limp, and Gwydion released him, knowing he had won. As
soon as he stepped back, though, the next wolf attacked.
    Gwydion felt like his life had
become a blur of fur, fang, and claw. He fought for his life, and at the same
time, he knew he was not in any immediate danger; he was really fighting for
his place. They gave him no break and no breathing room, and it took all of
his strength and skill to keep himself upright, especially when they started
coming at him in pairs. And just as suddenly as it began,