After a brief fry-up including bacon, sausages and toast, Hilda freshened up and got dressed into her usual summer outfit; a red hoodie with rolled-up sleeves, black leggings, and her favourite red boots. Though Trolberg's climate was generally cool, summer days like this could still reach into the upper teens.
Twig rushed to her side before she could reach the front door, but Hilda blocked the way. Kneeling to reach his level, she petted him on the head. "Sorry, Twig. But I need this day to myself. I promise I'll walk you on Sunday."
Twig whimpered, rearing up to place his forepaws on Hilda's leg.
"I tell you what," Hilda added. "If you behave for mum, I'll buy you some more doggy treats on the way home.
To that, Twig perked up, bounding over to Johanna while wagging his tail enthusiastically.
"Good boy," Hilda smiled. "I'll be heading out now. I'll be back before sunset, I promise!"
"Love you, Hilda. Enjoy your day, and stay safe.
"Love you, too, mum. I will." With that, Hilda left her apartment and headed down the stairs. She decided to walk through Trolberg city centre, taking in the hustle and bustle of market day as she headed toward the walls.
Walking at a casual pace, she did as her mum suggested, tuning into the background chatter she would normally ignore. One stall was selling miniature troll figurines, carved from stone. Though the craftsmanship was certainly impressive, Hilda decided not to mess with them. Her experience with troll body-swapping had made her weary of potentially magical statues.
Elsewhere, she visited a stall selling tropical smoothies, packed with a wide selection of fresh fruit to choose from. Licking her lips, Hilda rummaged around in her hoody's pocket. She was in luck: the spare change she carried was just the right amount. So, she ordered a strawberry smoothie, served in a rainbow-coloured paper cup with matching straw.
After criss-crossing her way through the busy streets for half an hour, she finally made it to the walls. Now that trolls were less of a threat, the city walls had been renovated, adding a wide footpath that ran along the top. Guests could traverse the full city's circuit, either on their own or with the addition of a tour guide, as advertised amongst various pamphlets. With Trolberg's long and rich history, there was no shortage of topics to discuss.
Hilda could think of no better place to clear her head. The walls served as a solid border between civilizations, housing the security of urban life on one side, and the wild majesty of nature on the other. Despite the bustle of inner-city Trolberg today, the city limits were relatively quiet. There were a few people chatting here and there, in addition to the frequent rumble of cars driving past; compared to the market's wall of sound, the noise level here was like a gentle lullaby.
Climbing up the stairs, she reached the top just in time to see a flock of woffs soar overhead. Ever since she was little, Hilda had been fascinated by these creatures. Like many of the magical creatures that inhabited the surrounding highlands, woffs were a scientific enigma. There was an abundance of lore about them, with some stories stretching back hundreds of years. For anyone who wanted to do serious research, however, soon found how notoriously difficult they were to keep up with, in addition to their weariness of humans and long migratory routes.
Hilda often found herself staring out her classroom window, watching the woffs fly by. How did they stay aloft? Where did they go upon leaving Trolberg? Did they make nests? One could write an entire book's worth of questions on, well, just about any magical creature they could name, with both woffs and deerfoxes being top of the list.
As her mind wandered back to Twig. He'd been with her through thick and thin, and now with his ability to walk on auroras, there were few places he couldn't go. Words could not express how blessed she felt, having such a loyal and loving beast as a pet.
Few other mothers would even entertain the thought of adopting such a strange creature from the wild, but that was what made her mother special. Johanna wanted her to make the most out of her life, to see the wonder in everything, from the smallest elf to the largest troll. Their relationship was hardly perfect, of course, but she wouldn't trade it for the world.
A wide smile grew across Hilda's face. Johanna's advice had been just what the doctor ordered. Inhaling the crisp mountain air, she leaned against the wall's edge and continued to marvel at her surroundings.
No sooner had she fixed her attention on the woffs, something else caught her eye. It was a bird, but one that looked like nothing she'd ever seen before. It had a streamlined body shape, covered in plumage of the most dazzling red and orange. What's more, it looked to be glowing, leaving behind a flickering red aura in its wake.
Dashing to the opposite edge to get a better look, she spotted the bird landing on a tree a short distance ahead. Now that she got a good look at it, she realized its feathers weren't simply glowing, they were on fire! By all appearances, she had stumbled upon one of the most mythical birds known to legend: a phoenix.
She hadn't forgotten her promise to take it easy today, but this was an opportunity she simply couldn't miss. Without a second thought, she leapt off the walls, landing on the back of a low-flying woff. Clenching her fingers tightly around the woff's fur, she pushed her weight forward, directing it townwards even as it tried to swerve and shrug her off. Her heartrate shot up, thumping loudly in her chest as adrenaline surged through her veins. Before she knew it, she was almost upon the legendary bird, so close she could feel the heat emanating from its feathers.
Just a little further...
At the last possible moment, Hilda pulled back, arresting the woff's descent less than a meter above the ground. Then, she abandoned her mount, bending her knees as she landed and leaning into a forward roll.
No sooner did she right herself, however, the phoenix spotted her, its head snapping around to meet her gaze. Then, it was off, flying away in a panicked flutter.
"Oh no you don't!" Hilda said aloud, sprinting after it.
Like many beasts before, the phoenix did everything it could to shake off its pursuer, weaving around obstacle after obstacle in its attempts to get a lead. But Hilda was wise to such tricks. She knew the forest like the back of her hand, jumping over logs, skidding under the petrified grasps of sleeping trolls, using every available shortcut to keep pace.
As Hilda ran, the more time seemed to blur. Her breaths grew heavier with every step, her muscles threatening to cramp up at any moment. She'd already forgotten why she was chasing the phoenix. She wasn't going to catch it, that much was certain. But her curiosity had her hooked, begging her to learn whatever she could about a creature, like many others, thought to be a myth. It was a tantalizing mystery, a secret that tapped into her overflowing adventurous spirit, begging her to find out more.
Just a little further, just a little further... The thoughts echoed in her mind, dominating every rational instinct to turn back. Just a little further, just a little further, just a—
Suddenly, she hit a snag, her foot catching on an unseen tree root, sending her face-first into the dirt. As abruptly as her chase began, it was over. The phoenix had escaped through the forest canopy.
"Darn it!" Hilda cursed, slamming her fist on the ground. Yet as she pushed herself up, she noticed that the Phoenix had left something behind. A single feather, its embers smouldering and flickering in a pile of loose leaves.
Dusting herself off, Hilda rolled her sleeves down over her hands and quickly scooped the feather up, though it wasn't as hot as she'd imagined. It was like magical troll fire: bright enough to light the dark undergrowth, yet harmless against human skin. She would have to bring this to Frida. With her growing magical expertise, she would no doubt uncover yet more secrets hidden between its barbs.
Then again, just holding it in her open palms filled Hilda with a powerful sense of wonder – as if a wordless voice were filling her mind with incredible tales. She could easily stare at it for hours, basking in its comforting glow. It had already erased the soreness from her fall, along with the mental stresses that had been plaguing her mind for days.
Hilda was about to place it in her hoodie pocket, but before she could leave, the phoenix returned in a flash of orange light. Only it didn't remain as a phoenix for long. The fire's intensity dubbed, enveloping it in a powerful golden light. Then its shape began to shift.
The edges of its features softened, then wavered, morphing and remoulding itself like a sculptor with a mass of softened clay. Wings became arms, talons became feet, and its plumage shifted from a full covering to a long, flowing head of hair. What landed before Hilda was no longer a phoenix, but instead was a human girl.
"An incredible feeling isn't it?" the girl said, brushing aside her long, shimmering gold hair. Based on her height, Hilda supposed the girl was roughly the same age as her - give or take a year or two. Were it not for her slightly darker complexion and pointed ears, she could easily be mistaken for a long-lost sister of hers. She even had larger—
Hilda snapped her gaze back up, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. The phoenix girl was completely naked!
"Oh, um, I'm sorry!" Hilda blurted. "I didn't mean to look, honest."
The girl rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Why do humans fuss about your bodies so?"
"W-well, it is kind of embarrassing," Hilda stammered, looking away and shielding her eyes with her palm. "Can't you transform yourself some clothes, or something?"
"Don't be so absurd," The girl scoffed and shook her head. "That is not how transformation magic works. We transform our bodies, not the furs one wraps them in. Did you transform with clothes when you became a troll?"
"Well, no, I— wait a minute," Hilda narrowed her eyes at the girl and cocked an eyebrow. "How did you know I became a troll?"
"It's my business to know these things. How do you think the trolls got such magic?" the girl stepped forward, straightening her arm and holding out her open palm sideways. "Here, I greet you with a common human custom. You call this the 'shaking of hands', correct?"
"Um, yes, we do," not wanting to be impolite—or, at least, not more than she already had—Hilda accepted the gesture, grasping the girl's hand with a firm yet gentle grip. "My name's Hilda. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, also. My name is Aevana, and I am an Ulfhednar. We are a race which you humans have historically called shape-shifters, or werewolves."
"I see..." Hilda said, fighting to keep her gaze above chest-height. She hadn't expected to spot a phoenix today, and somehow, the fact that the phoenix was a naked, shape-shifting girl all along subverted even that. "So, is it the feather that gives you your magic?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Aevana put her hands on her hips, smiling like a kid presenting their favourite art project at a school fair. "Our kind believes the coating of an animal unlocks a magic within us. It has helped us through countless victories in battle, though it has many other uses, too."
Hilda looked down at the feather in her other hand. "Does this mean I could become a shape-shifter, too?"
"The feather reacts to your presence, yes?" Aevana grabbed hold of Hilda's wrist, gently rotating her palm left and right. "Then you have magic within you to be harvested, should you so choose. Though one must crawl before they walk."
Hilda tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"My meaning is that you must take care," Aevana frowned, her expression morphing from enthusiastic to stern. "Learn your limits with magic. Do not overstretch yourself, as I may not be there to save you should the power overwhelm you."
Hilda gulped. The warning did sound ominous, but at the same time, this was an opportunity too good to miss. After all, despite her troll transformation being involuntary, she had still learned a lot about herself through the whole experience. Besides, if nothing else, she could always ask Frida for magic tips. She was Frida's human familiar, after all.
"I promise to be careful," she said with an awkward smile. "Thank you, Aevana. Maybe we'll meet up again sometime?"
"Oh, we shall indeed see each other again," Aevana replied, clapping her hands together and grinning. "Soon."
With that, she leaped back into their air and transformed. For several seconds more, Hilda just stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Considering everything she'd been through in the past year alone, she supposed this wasn't the strangest. Yet somehow, it still took longer to wrap her head around. Even so, there was no way she'd reject a magical gift like this. All she had to do now was figure out how to work it. Aevna had given her a clue, talking about how it 'unlocked the magic within' her people. It was cryptic, for sure, but it was all Hilda had to go on.
Closing her eyes, she cradled the feather in her hands once more and held it next to her chest. She pondered for a moment on what form she would take. Was she limited to a phoenix? Was there any limit at all? She had been advised to be careful, so, she concluded, it was perhaps not the time to explore the magic's boundaries.
With all that considered, Hilda decided to become a phoenix. She pictured the shape of the mythical bird in her mind: the slender break, the hawk-like wings, and the dazzling red magical fire that crackled across its feathers. At first, nothing happened, leaving her to wonder if she really had the 'magic within' Aevana spoke of.
Then, something changed. A warm sensation rushed through her body, fizzing up from the pit of her soul like the liquid from an uncorked bottle of champagne. In the blink of an eye, she was enveloped by the feather's light, levitating her body off the ground. She felt no pain as her body morphed. Rather, the sensation was the opposite, an exhilarating rush like she'd never felt before.
When she finally opened her eyes, Hilda's jaw dropped. Her body was completely different. Gone were her hands, replaced instead by broad feathered wings. Instead of her flat, squishy feet, she felt instead the three prongs of tough, extended talons, stretching out from her raised, elongated foot bones. She had done it! She had transformed into a phoenix. She patted herself down, assuming that her clothes had become the feathers that now coated her body.
All too soon, however, she noticed a problem with that assumption. Scattered around her was a ring of smouldering scraps of fabric. There was no doubt about it: the transformation had destroyed her clothes completely.
Oh no! She thought, frantically scooping up what remained of her outfit. I've got to get home before the transformation wears off. But how? I can't exactly walk through Trolberg looking like a phoenix...
Or can I? Hilda stopped. Panicking wasn't going to do her any good. She had been in worse situations before, and had always thought of a way out. So, she closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Okay. So, what's the one advantage a bird has over a human?
Stretching out her wings, she felt for the muscles that connected her flight feathers, flexing them to get a feel for how they moved. Tensing her wings, she experimented with a few, short flaps, feeling them push against the air. If she could understand the core concepts of this form, as she did with her superior troll agility, then she would make it home in no time at all.
Though she was hardly an ornithologist, Hilda had lived long enough in the woods to remember certain details about bird behaviour. So, leaving the remains of her clothes behind, she followed a familiar route back down the hill. It was a path that she'd walked many times with Despite her better judgement, Hilda couldn't stop herself from peering over the edge. Yep, that sure is a long way down... she gulped.
How a phoenix would react to the icy Nordic waters, she didn't want to know. Just the thought of falling from a height like that sent shivers down her spine. This was the part she had been dreading. She'd practiced her flaps a few times on the way down, but had gotten little airtime. There was a very real possibility she could fail, but, as scary as it looked, she could think of no better place to take her first flight. Already, the warm air thermals were rustling against her feathers. If there was any chance of getting home unnoticed, this would be it.
If only Aevana was here.
She shook her head. No, she couldn't rely on Aevana to babysit her. She had to prove herself worthy of the magic she bestowed. There was no sense putting it off. So, taking another deep breath in, she closed her eyes, spread out her wings and jumped.
Seconds passed. There was no splash, nor was there any sensation of falling, beyond the gut-wrench of her first drop. When she opened her eyes again, Hilda gasped. She was airborne! Despite wobbling a little, the powerful updraughts kept her in place, requiring only tiny amounts of adjustment from her flight feathers to stay wings level. Now the next challenge could begin. Tucking her legs in and straightening her back, she flapped her wings at a slow, yet steady pace to propel herself forward, leaning left or right to maintain flight to navigate the air currents and keep her on course for home.
The more she flew, the more she felt at home in this form. For the first time in weeks, she felt totally free, effortlessly soaring through the fjords like she'd been born to do so. The closest she'd come to flying as a human was her brief trip in Erik Alburg's Dirigible – an experience she wasn't keen to repeat.
The sensation of flying under her own power, however, was completely different. Not did she feel the wind flow across every inch of her body, she was in total control. Though she dared not perform tricks on her maiden flight, the temptation to test her limits was a strong one. Her mind was awash with fantasies, picking apart the details on how to perform all manner of acrobatics.
All too soon, she reached Trolberg harbour. As fun as the flight had been, Hilda had a promise to keep, and feather or no feather, she was not about to break her mother's trust. Flying by the clocktower, she read the time as being just after one-thirty, giving her plenty of time to return without rushing. Then again, she considered, there remained the challenge of getting inside without being seen, so having a time buffer would be ideal.
She decided to fly as high over Trolberg as she could, using her vantage point to find the most direct route to her home – a task that proved to be easier said than done. There were still thermals, for sure, but the long rows of city buildings made the airflow far less consistent. Her muscles groaned in protest over her additional exertion, but she carried on, holding her wings taut and beak shut tight as she pushed her way above the city skyline.
When she at last reached her apartment block, she chose the roof as her ideal spot to land, circling downwards in a slow, gentle glide. Now her wings were really starting to ache. If she didn't land soon, her muscles could give out, making a crash inevitable. Her timing would have to be perfect.
With as much grace as she could muster, she made her final turn to line up with the roof. Kicking her legs forward and flaring her wings, she touched down just centimetres from the edge...
...but it was still too fast. She fluttered her wings frantically to keep herself stable, but it did no good. She tripped over her own talons, face-planting onto the hard roof beneath her.
Note to self, she thought, now feeling sorer than ever. Practice landings somewhere safer.
Pushing herself up, Hilda limped toward the edge of the roof. Perhaps I could slip inside when Mr. Ostenfeld came out to water his flowers? She pondered, but quickly discarded the idea. Nah, that wouldn't work. No way I'd get through two apartments without anyone noticing, least of all Twig.
Then, out of the blue, Hilda felt an odd sensation ripple across her feathers. It was somewhere between an itch and a tingle, like the loose threads of an old sweater rubbing across her skin. Holding out her wing, her eyes went wide. Her magic was flickering!
Uh-oh, looks like I'm spent already. I can't transform back here!
This left her with only one option. If she were to get inside before she became human again, she would have to go through her bedroom window. Come on, feather, just a little longer.
As gently as she could, Hilda fluttered down onto the top rung of the fire escape and made haste down the stairs. She was in luck. With the summer heat, she hadn't closed it since last night, and her current form was just small enough to squeeze through. There was no more time to lose. Running down the stairs, she threw herself though the gap, her feet clearing the window just in time for her transformation to end.
She landed on her bedroom floor with a heavy thump, just in time for Alfur to push open the door to his cuckoo clock home.
"Oh, Hilda, when did you come— Ah!" Alfur jumped, throwing his arms over his eyes. "What's going on? Why are you naked?"
"Shh, keep your voice down!" Hilda said in a hushed tone, scrambling to her feet and covering her crotch with one hand. "Mum will hear you."
"Hilda? Is that you?"
Too late. It was Johanna, calling from the next room over.
"Yes, mum!" Hilda replied, hoping she hadn't heard Alfur's startled remark. "I'm just getting changed!"
"Changed? Why, what happened?"
"I just slipped on a patch of mud outside the walls. Don't worry, I'm alright."
"Wait, what were you doing outside the walls?"
Hilda could already hear the scepticism in her mother's voice. She had to say something to convince Johanna she was telling the truth, otherwise she'd have much more explaining to do.
"Just walking, mum. Like you suggested I do. That's all."
For a long moment, Johanna remained silent. Surely she wouldn't just waltz in and invade her daughter's privacy, even if she suspected Hilda of lying.
"Okay," Johanna said eventually, much to Hilda's relief. "Come and see me whenever you're ready."
Hilda breathed a long sigh of relief and hurriedly got dressed, throwing on a similar outfit to the one she'd left in. Only after slipping on her t-shirt did she realize something was missing.
The feather! Frantically, she patted herself down, hoping it had gotten caught in her hair or something. She recalled carrying it when she transformed, but assumed it'd become part of her phoenix form. But after she'd returned to being human? She didn't know.
It must be around the room somewhere, she reasoned. I can't have used all its power already, could I?
"Looking for something?" popping out from beneath the bed's entrance to nowhere space, Tontu presented the feather, pinched between his index finger and thumb.
"There it is!" Hilda said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Thanks, Tontu."
"You mean this feather?" he asked. "Sure, it looks pretty, but what's so special about it? You didn't trade your clothes just for this, did you?"
"No, no, it's not like that!" Hilda blushed, glancing back and forth between Tontu and Alfur. "Alright. I trust you guys, but you'll have to keep it a secret from mum, okay?"
"You know I don't like keeping secrets, Hilda," said Alfur, dropping his arm once he confirmed Hilda was dressed.
"I know, I know," Hilda bit her bottom lip. "We did agree 'no more secrets,' but this is bigger than my usual adventures. Much bigger. I don't know how to break the topic to her."
"Well, tell us, first," suggested Tontu. "Fill us in on the details, and maybe you won't have to lie to your mom again?"
"Sounds like a plan to me," Alfur agreed, letting out a small sigh. "I have your back. I just don't like seeing your mum worry so much."
"Neither do I," Hilda furrowed her brow. "That feather is magic. It allows me to transform into magical creatures, though so far I've only tried becoming a phoenix."
"That doesn't sound so bad," remarked Alfur.
"But it only transforms my body, not my clothes."
"Oh," Alfur's expression dropped, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, I can kind of understand why Johanna wouldn't want to know that."
"That's why I was naked when I came in," Hilda continued, her cheeks now a bright shade of red. "I'd just transformed back, as becoming a phoenix burned my clothes off. I'm lucky to have made it home before the magic ended."
"So, are you going to keep using the feather?" asked Tontu.
"Of course, I am!" Hilda answered without hesitation. "I'll be covered in feathers or fur when I'm in animal form, anyway. I just don't want mum to know I'll be stripping down to do magic in the woods."
"Yeah, I remember how embarrassing the troll thing was for you," Tontu nodded. "I'll give you the feather back, but only if you tell your mom some of what you found."
"I'll do just that," Hilda smiled gently at the Nisse, taking her feather back. "Thanks, Tontu. You too, Alfur."
"Not a problem," Alfur saluted. "I'll only tell Johanna as much as you do. We'll make a contract for it if you'd like."
Hilda chuckled. "No, thanks, that won't be necessary."
"Hilda?" called Johanna.
"Coming, mum!"