There was a nearly full moon sitting at the treeline, between two huge oaks that were probably not really as large as they truly looked to young eyes. The little wolf cub had to crane its neck to stare up at the top of the things, and tried to call out to practice its howl. It was tiny and raspy, a young creature’s howl that couldn’t quite lift, and was carried away in the wind. The little wolf cub looked down and nosed through the grass, bounding to where a series of blooming bushes sat and tumbled into the earthy root system. Shaking free of dead leaves and petals that had fallen during the day, the wolf sat and began shifting. The black and gray fur fell away in lieu of tan skin and paws lengthened into hands and feet. The result was a little boy, no older than eight, who quickly grabbed his discarded nightgown, a thin and silken black item perfect for humid summer nights, which could also become uncomfortable when he shifted and got tangled in clothing. He learned that early on.

Warren shook himself and ruffled his black hair. His first shifting episode had been when he was five, and when he had told his parents, they had brushed it off as a child’s fantasy. A dream he had had after seeing the guards shift in their training exercises, because it was common knowledge that royal blood didn’t shift. Couldn’t shift. They didn’t have the right genes. That meant they weren’t bogged down by the need to run, or be free, or be overtaken by their feral side. Shifters worked better as guards to their pledged alliances, protectors, watchers. Since then, Warren hadn’t told anyone about what he could do, sometimes couldn’t control. He would shift without warning, mostly at night, and stay that way for several hours. Tonight he had managed to do so on his own, without being forced by some kind of nature he couldn’t fully grasp yet. He wished his mother would help him understand, as she seemed rather disturbed by his admission several years ago and refused to even hear about it. Warren feared she wouldn’t love him anymore if he kept bringing it up, or tried to get his father or brother or any of the palace servants to believe him.

He knew his brother wouldn’t believe him. Eighteen year old Marcus didn’t seem to like Warren much, and often did his best to torment him behind his parents’ back. Warren stretched back and flopped onto the soft grass, staring at the countless stars above him. His tutors always said he could count so much higher than Marcus when his brother was Warren’s age, and perhaps Marcus resented him even more for that. With a sigh, Warren wriggled a little to pull his dressing gown over his legs, curling up on his side. He would have to get back inside before dawn, or be punished for going into the courtyard so late, and without someone to keep an eye on him.

Gary sighed, watching the moon from the tree he had climbed. He had been told that it moved across the sky, but he had yet to see it do so. He guessed that Fred had just been lying to him, making up stories so he sounded smarter than he really was. He sat up, finding the branch under him was starting to give away at his weight. He wasn't too far off the ground and jumped down from the tree, staring up at the high walls he had managed to climb over. The palace garden's were beautiful, but they were hidden behind high marble walls and thick oak doors that only opened once a week. Street kids like him were not allowed in the palace grounds, as they were seen as dirty or unpleasant. Gary just wanted to see the guards and their magical powers.

He had listened to their teaching from on top of the roof of their school, learning how to transform himself into a squirrel or cat. He had tried other animals, but it seemed they were the only two he could do at will. Once he had awakened his hidden powers, he would change randomly when he was feeling intense emotions. He wanted to be able to control it, but it seemed nearly impossible. He sighed and explored the mini forest that was in the palace grounds.

He came to a small area, where the trees stood tall and the flowers almost glowed under the moon. He saw someone lying on the grass and it made him wary. The last thing he needed was for someone to see him in the palace grounds. He'd be arrested and locked up. Focussing on his power, he turned into a cat, approaching the young boy carefully. His fur was red, like his hair, and his eyes were bright green. He purred, mewing slightly at the kid that seemed to be about his age.

In the grass, Warren turned and twisted and reveled in the feeling of the cool earth digging into his hair and nose. He loved the smell of the earth, but was told that proper young men and women are not to roll around like common animals. He just didn't understand why, though. It felt natural to want to get the scent of the earth on his body, or to leave his own smell where he went. Maybe it was natural for him because he could change and his family couldn't. His brother often noted he, Warren, was no better than a common dog, and should be treated as such, but his parents were having none of that. They were rather protective of their youngest, even if his hair was black and his eyes were gray while their hair was light blonde and brown and their eyes were green. He was the black wolf of a non-shifting family.

Turning over and sitting up, Warren blinked at a noise. And a smell. The cool night breeze carried a warm, almost familiar scent, something like cinnamon, to his sensitive nose and the sound of a little cat's voice. He gasped and lowered himself. "Hi kitty..." He cooed. "You're really different... Not a normal kitty." There was a knowing look in the cat's eyes. A human understanding of the world. "You're like me, aren't you?" He had to keep his voice low, or the guards on the other side of the wall would hear him and come escort him back inside.

Like him? How could this boy know about shifting? Was he a guard? He didn't look like a guard. No, in fact... Gary had seen his face before in drawings and paintings of the royal family. The Prince. He didn't look like his family at all. The King and Queen had beautiful blonde hair and noble green eyes. The youngest Prince had black hair and dark eyes. Gary knew what it was like to be different. He was the only one he knew that had red hair, and he was often teased for it. Or desired. He sat on the cool grass and meowed again, sniffing the boy's scent. He wouldn't change until he knew it was safe to do so.

Warren lowered himself, lying down on his stomach and pulling himself forward. "Can't you turn...?" He asked curiously. "Are you stuck like that?" Maybe he was. What if he was? How would it be to be stuck in his animal form? Could that be possible? What if Warren got stuck in his wolf form? Would his family even recognize him? What would they do? Royals couldn't be shifters---that was why they were chose to lead, because of their pure humanity. Warren bit his lip. "It's okay... you can turn... No one is out here... you just gotta keep quiet so the guards don't hear... please...?" If the sweet-smelling cat wasn't trapped in its cat form, he wanted to know who this person was. In reality, he just wanted a friend.

The Prince seemed so lonely, the way he begged a cat to transform into a human. What if he was just a regular cat? Would he still be asking? Gary had so many questions he had to change, and quietly he slipped back into his human skin. He laid on the grass next to the boy, smelling the dew on the grass as he looked to the Prince. "You are royalty. I've never talked to royalty before. Do I have to call you sir?" Gary felt awkward. If he was found out here with the Prince, what would happen to him? He was just a street rat, an orphan. No one would care if he was locked away.

"How did you know I wasn't a real cat?"

Warren gasped and sat up. He couldn't believe he was right! He knew there was something odd about the cat and he was right. He grinned. "No, no! My name is Warren, you can call me that. I just... I guess I just knew... And you didn't smell like any cat I know... Really different... Like... sweet, and warm, and kind of like the forest, but not really... I guess it's just how my nose is... I can turn too, you know? I can turn into a wolf. When I'm like this I can smell really well, though, and see really well too, at night... My family doesn't know..." He looked down and pulled up a little grass absently.

"You can change too? But I thought only the guards could do it? I learnt from them... Maybe my parents were guards or from their race." Gary sighed and stared up at the night sky, which was almost hidden behind the leaves of the trees. He wondered what life was like before the kingdom was around, back when people lived with nature as animals of their choice. "I can only turn into a cat or squirrel at will. Other times I turn into bears or panthers, but I can't control that..."

Gary rolled over and sat up, playing with one of the oddly glowing flowers. "My name is Gary, but everyone calls me Newt." He had remembered his last name, Newton. There was a faint chance that he could find his parents, all he had to do was remember his last name. Who were they? Why had they left him on the streets? Were they still alive? "Are you really a Prince?"

Warren watched the other child, looking down at his own hands. "Yeah..." He shrugged. "I know I look different... They say I'm the 'black sheep' of the family. I guess that means it's because I look so different. And my brother doesn't really like me. He says I'm weird. And not really part of the family. I dunno why..." He shrugged and looked up, plucking at hi shirt and wrapping his legs with his long night shirt. "Dunno why I can do it. Change, I mean. I tried to tell them once but they wouldn't believe me, so I just keep it a secret now." Warren glanced around the courtyard. It was quiet, save the trickle of water from the fountains nearby, dotted around here and there and the rustle of leaves from the trees and bushes. He plucked a rose from the bush he was sitting beside and stared at it. It was red, dark red, but looked almost black in the nighttime. "Why are you here? I've never seen another shifter come here..." Only the guards, and they were only on their rounds about that time.

Gary wondered how lucky he was to be talking to a Prince. A lot of people wanted to meet the royal family, to dine with the King and Queen. Gary didn't really care. He didn't know why they were any different to the people they served. Just because they were lucky and born into their family. What if the people elected a King instead of just serving one family? What would that be like? Everyone would have a chance then, and if you had a bad King you could just elect a better one. He smiled and shook his head, which always buzzed with ideas and questions.

He returned his attention to Warren. "Maybe everyone can do it, just some people are too stupid to figure it out for themselves." He continued to smile. "I love these gardens, ever since I turned into a squirrel and sneaked into here, I can't stay away. I know I'll get in a lot of trouble if I am caught, I just can't help it."

Warren just shook his head and shrugged. He didn't know why, and never put much thought into it. But the thought was fleeting, and he smiled back at Gary. "You like the place too? It's my favorite... Well, it's one of my favorites... I really like some rooms in the palace but... I guess you can't see those... But you can stay here! No one would know you're a shifter... And... I could be here with you too... After my lessons, I mean. I could open my chamber window and you could come up."

That would be nice, Warren thought. A friend, visiting him, talking with him. No one entered his chambers except in the morning, when he was to wake up, so Gary would be safe from discovery there. And even if someone did by chance enter the rooms, there were many places for a shifter to hide safely.

Gary shrugged, glancing at the Prince. He seemed so desperately lonely and it tugged on his heart strings. But how could he not be happy? His father was the ruler of the land, and he could have anything he wanted... A warm bed to sleep on and certainty that he will be fed every day. Gary's life was a struggle. Street kids were not tolerated in the city, due to petty crimes caused by some of the kids. They were often arrested or even killed by the guards. Gary wondered if Warren knew about this.

"Don't you have any friends in the Palace? I've seen some other kids our age. They like to play in the courtyard with a ball..." Maybe they were servants?