The Shifter in the Woods Nina Swartz

he birds skittered from the high branches of an oak tree as men stomped into the clearing, not bothering to quiet their steps in the previously tranquil forest. Some groaned when they viewed the numbers of trees they had to cut down. The axes hung from their belts. The moon had not fully set, and a ray of sun barely shone from the horizon when chips of wood started to pepper the ground. The rhythmic thuds of axes cleaving wood resounded through the forest. They worked until dawn had fully cleared the horizon, giving birth to the new day’s light.

The grove no longer teemed with life. In the shade of the trees, the wind danced as a doe trotted away, dappled with the golden morning light filtering through the canopy. It only glanced back once with eyes the color of the fallen oaks’ leaves.

A young man with sharp eyes asked his partner, “Did you see that?”

“Hmm, what? See what?” His partner looked at him with bleary eyes.

“The doe, man! Did you see that deer? They are never that healthy anymore.”

“Then go after it. We need fresh meat.” He smirked. “Oh! And uh… while you’re at it… leave me to my nap.” e sat back against a root and tipped the brim of his hat down over his face. The other young man walked toward the gap between the trees, seeing the deer’s tracks leading deeper into the forest. The flash of a white tail bobbed to the right. A hoof trot clacked against rock and echoed from the left. He trailed