Full Moon

He could feel the urge coming up again. He looked around. The place looked ok. The last rays of the setting sun could be seen over the small rock formation. He packed the armour and his belongings in the sack and sat down. He could feel the power within him building up.

The rage.

The strength.

He thought back to the moment it had happened. The bear had attacked the sheep and came running after the women running past his smithy. He had thrown his hammer and jumped at the bear which was four times his size. He would never know if it was the blow from the flying hammer or the surprise of a man flying out of a building towards it that drove the bear away after the short fight. He was a hero.

It had started a few days later. The bites from the fight had just closed when it had happened. Ragnar had no recollection of what he did that night. He woke up in the forest the next morning, a body of a slain deer next to him. It took him two more changes before he had realised what he was. First he had cursed the gods for bringing that upon him and tried hard to hide it, to fight it. Later he had realised that he can still be in control. He was the animal and the animal was him. That was when he did realise the power the gods had granted him. And he soon had to learn that the gods never give gifts for free. Three months after the first change he was in a bar when it happened. It wasn't him that started the fight, but it was him who had ended it. He flew when he had seen the bloodshed and only went back at night once to collect some of his belongings. The people didn't understand and he couln't blame them. He would be frightened as well.

The sun had gone and he could feel the first rays of silvery moon light touching his skin. He let the energy that was building up take over his body. He could feel his muscles explode and the hair grow. He threw his head back and opened his arms towards the full moon. A roar filled the night. It was the animal once again.

The bear walked over to the sack and threw some branches over it. He shut his eyes and listened. He could hear and smell everything. The trees, the other animals, the air blowing over from the distant city. He started to walk into the young night. The gods had given him the power and he was determined to use it his way. There were always robbers and highwaymen in these type of woods. They were up for a surprise.