Hilda and the Magic Feather

Chapter 3: Of Wolf and Girl

By Sunday, Hilda had settled into her new sleeping routine. Even without an alarm, she still woke up before 9 a.m. Sitting up, she stretched her arms and let the duvet slide down her bare torso. After spending a full two hours sunbathing nude yesterday, the decision to also sleep naked was a no-brainer.

"Good morning, Twig," she said. Curled up in her lap, the little white deerfox's ears perked to her voice. Letting out a small yip, he sprung up and onto her chest, slurping his tongue all over Hilda's face.

"Give over!" she giggled, wrapping her arms around him. "Are you ready for today's adventure?"

Twig let out another energetic bark, furiously wagging his tail.

"That's what I like to hear!" Shifting Twig to one side, Hilda kicked off her bed covers, drew back the curtains and opened her window, letting the rush of fresh air fill her lungs.

Now that she could shape-shift reliably, the world was her oyster; and with an appetite for adventure that was greater than ever, almost nothing would stop her from satiating it. However, her morning routine still took priority.

"Where did I put them..." she muttered, dropping to her knees and feeling around the floor for her pyjamas. Unlike Frida, she wasn't bothered by tidiness, and so her discarded laundry tended to pile up around the floor from time to time. As she tossed clothes aside, the cuckoo clock's door swung open.

"Good morning, Hilda," Alfur yawned, unphased by her nudity. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning, Alfur," Hilda smiled back. "Yes, like a baby! I can't remember the last time I slept this well."

"Glad to hear it. I suppose I slept okay. I've considered sleeping naked, but alas, my tiny body doesn't retain heat the same way yours does – even with a nice blanket to slip under."

"That's a shame," Hilda commented idly, her attention focused on the laundry mountain before her. "Sorry, Alfur, I'll be with you in a minute. I just need to find where I put my pjs."

"Here they are." Ever reliable, Tontu popped from under the bed with her grey nightclothes in hand. "You know, nowhere space is available for extra storage, if you ask nicely."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Tontu", Hilda took the clothes. "It's not like I'm short on space. I just haven't got round to using my closet. Not yet anyway."

"And when will that be?" Tontu crossed his arms.

"Eventually. Hey, Alfur, how goes the report on my new adventures?"

"Typical pre-teen," he grumbled. "I'll tell your mom to start breakfast, then."

"Thank you," Hilda rolled her eyes. "Anyway, about the report?

"Way ahead of you!" Alfur proclaimed, holding up his notebook like a prized trophy. Flipping through a few pages, he checked off the first item on the list. "The first draft of your adventures so far is complete, detailing your experiences as a phoenix and as a wolf. Per your request—which I have in writing as a separate contract, by the way—I have omitted any details over the requirements of nudity. I shall now review and prepare to edit before submitting my final report by the end of the day."

"Well, you're quite the busy bee, aren't you?" Hilda giggled. "Can't say I blame you. Trolberg is an inspiring place, after all."

"Indeed," Alfur smiled. "Although there is one area of which more research is duly needed."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"You mentioned some cursory details about the Ulfhednar. It's easy to draw parallels to the lost Viking clans which gave David some trouble, but other than that, they're quite the enigma. I can't find any records of their existence among elven history books, and believe me, they're extremely dense tomes."