Two Left Feet

The proudest moment in Cade's eleven year old life was the day he turned into a squirrell. Sure, he hadn't been able to change back for three hours and his parents kept trying to shoo him out of the garage because they didn't know it was him, but as of that moment, he was a mage. It meant he had a magical ability and he would get to go to mage school to learn how to use it. And he would join the other 50 percent of the population who do magical things.

Everyone treated him like more of a grown-up too. Magic, especially mage magic, which tended to explode if the bearer wasn't careful, was a big responsibility. The old couple next door who still believed in the Calistian gods said it was a bog resonsibility which Holter, the god of animals had entrusted him with. Whether or not Holter existed didn't matter to Cade. All that mattered was that his parents looked at him like he had just joumped the first hurdle of manhood and asked and started talking serious about "the future."

But first, Cade had to go to mage school, so he could learn to turn into a squirrell at will. Kentford, the little town where he lived, had no mage school, which meant he got to go all the way to the capital to a school where he would live until winter. Cade was thrilled, though his seven year old sister could have been more jealous.

At mage school, Cade learned to pictures the magic within him and how to keep it contained until he wanted to use it. But he also learned normal school things, like math and history and science. He even learned how to dance.

In dance class, he met Lidia, a twelve year old electricity mage with dark hair that hung in her face. When he spun her, it lifted for a moment and revealed an expression of perfect serenity. She understood every cue he gave her, except his affections, and Cade decided to impress her.

The plan was to fly into the room as a dove with a flower in his mouth and turn back into himself as he reached her. Then he would bow, and they would dance. Cade stayed up all night concentrating on his dove form and practicing how to unwind the magic within him, so that he could use it, but it stayed contained. He fell asleep dreaming of birds.

The next day, Cade paused outside the door to the dance room. He drew in a breath and as he let it out, he imagined his body changing. He felt it too. He felt himself shrinking and feathers sprouting from his arms. He kept his eyes closed so as not to become disoriented.

When he had finished shifting, he heard other children laughing. It didn't matter. Lidia would understand his afftection now. He looked down at the daisy on the floor and picked it up in his beak. He flapped his wings and flew toward the open door... Which swung shut as he arrived. Cade hit it and slid down, like the birds that hit his window at home.

"Cade?" he heard her voice above him and looked up. There she was. She'd even pulled her hair out of her face. He tried to coo at her, but the sound that came out was different. He focused on turning back, imagined getting fingers, growing. Nothing happened.

Lidia smiled. "Cade, I love you," she said. He couldn't believe it. She opened the door and called out, "Mrs. Paulson, I can't dance today. My partner's turned himself into a turkey!" she turned back to Cade. "Thanks."