Jesa stood at their bedroom window, and on impulse pushed it open, leaning out the window and breathing in the fresh air. There were so many scents on the air and she felt intoxicated by them. A whim overtook her and she decided to fulfill it. One never knew when one would get another chance. Instantly she shifted out of her humanoid form, carefully, almost lovingly crafting herself into the image of a falcon-like bird they had seen often in these parts. Blue-grey wings, white underbelly tipped with black dots. Head slashed with black and golden eyes. She knew each feather like she knew each of her hairs in her humanoid form.

Giving a flap of her newly-formed wings, Jesa perched on the windowsill and looked out. It was so very tempting. She thought about Buck's dinner, and how she should probably be getting that started. 'It'll wait...' she thought. Then she simply hopped out the window, spreading her wings once beyond the shutters, and letting the breeze catch her. Flapping vigorously Jesa began to circle, gaining altitude and a new perspective on the land she had come to live in.

Everything seemed to shrink in size as she looked below her, the house they shared becoming small, and the further away dots of the rest of the village and people's farms. A decent walk away from their modest cabin was a wide deep lake that Jesa flew towards, carefully feeling for thermals and adjusting her heading as necessary. It was hardly the first time she had enjoyed this kind of freedom here, but she didn't do it often.

It was so quiet... just her and the wind. The sound of the air against her feathers, and the moisture in the clouds above her. There was no need to think of anything but this moment, and the next, as they came in a steady stream. She circled the lake once... where their runabout was hidden, and heard the cry of a larger bird. Pulling her wings against her body Jesa dove quickly downward. The ground came up to her faster and faster and just before she touched, Jesa spread her wings again and glided along the ground.

Merely a foot above the grass, Jesa allowed the bird form to melt away, taking instead the shape of a Wolfe, a brown Wolfe, white underbelly and golden eyes. Turning around, she snapped at the very confused eagle which made a cry of alarm and beat its wings furiously, attempting to gain altitude. She allowed it to escape, wheeling away into the sky until she couldn't see it anymore.

Jesa took up a gentle lope across the land, feeling the grass brush against her legs and flanks. The trees grew denser and she started having to dodge fallen logs. Her mouth was open, panting slightly, though she didn't know why. It just felt right. She increased her speed, pushing herself, enjoying the experience that being in this perspective gave her. She turned suddenly and hopped up on a nearby fallen log, pausing at the end she threw her head back and let loose a mournful howl.

Snorting she leapt off of it and continued running, crossing a stream, the cold water clinging to her feet and the fur of her belly. The underbrush gave way to a carpet of dead leaves, then the trees began to thin, the needles became grass, and all of a sudden she was plunged into the wide open space of the meadow near their cabin. Skidding to a halt she stopped, sniffing the breeze, testing it for signs of humans having been about.

Immediately she caught Buck's scent, but it was fading. Carefully she trotted towards the cabin, keeping in the tall grass, allowing her mind to go blank of thought except for just where she was headed. It took her only a few minutes to approach the cabin, circled it once and then sniffed the front doorframe carefully. After all, it wouldn't do to arrive and then find someone waiting for her. Occasionally one of the women from the town would visit her, but she hadn't been expecting anyone today.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Jesa let go of the Wolfe form and once again adopted her humanoid one, adding clothes that were part of herself for modesty's sake. Unlatching the door she went inside and smiled to herself. She had to admit that was the one thing she missed the most living aboard a starship. Jesa slowly climbed the stairs up to their bedroom and looked at the pile of clothes abandoned just underneath the window.

Allowing the appearance of her clothes to melt away, leaving nothing but perfect humanoid skin beneath, she began to dress, looking out the window and feeling the slight breeze in through it. The moisture content of the air was rising. There was a good chance of rain in a few hours. Jesa couldn't help but let her thoughts turn to what Buck had said. Making contact. There was a part of her which had great anticipation of that event. As she climbed down the stairs and headed to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner, she let her mind wander. She didn't mind cooking and cleaning, she didn't mind the waiting, she minded the living in constant fear that someday, somehow, they will have been discovered.

As the months passed, the possibility lessened, but there was always a steady mainline of probability that with nothing but blind luck, someone would happen upon them. And what bothered Jesa the most was knowing she was just hiding here, biding her time, trying to stay under the radar. She needed to be useful, she needed to do something to make a difference, even in the smallest ways. It was impossible in her mind to know what she did, and still remain here, allowing those who would harm her to live on with the benefits of having her out of the way so as not to cause trouble.

It rankled her. And so Jesa had been forcing herself to stop thinking about it, especially as Buck seemed to really be enjoying the time away from the stresses of duty and worrying about the universe. Truth be told, he was probably as exhausted of the constant struggle as she. And as far as employment was concerned, Jesa didn't really consider cooking and cleaning (which she did without complaint) to be very adequate. That was the one way she probably was most like a standard Human attitude today.

She needed to leave. To work through the problems and make towards the goal. It was essential to her survival as the continued existence of her physical form.

Despite the danger.