It's cold. I can feel myself shiver in my state of half-consciousness.

I groan, blinking open my heavy eyes. The first thing I see is white light, forcing my eyes to shut again.

I huff, stretching. I still, suddenly very aware that my body was not the way I was used to it being.

I sit bolt upright, tossing my head around to examine my body. It's covered in dark grey fur, which is matted with blood, brambles, and a substance not dissimilar in colour and texture to dried snot.

Panic begins to set in.

I recognize the anatomy as being very dog-like. No, No, wolf-like. A wolf but... bigger.

I can only make an educated guess without an actual comparison (or without, you know, standing), but I'm about four feet tall at the shoulder and around seven feet long body-wise, with my tail being around two feet long.

My breathing is getting quicker by the second and I have to take several deep breaths before I calm down enough for rational thought.

Okay, okay. This is fine. I'm fine. Looking over my body, I frown in consideration. Let's just see if I can move first... I look down at my hands- er, paws.

Carefully, I try to move them. They shift In the dirt. They feel... heavy. My tail is next. I focus on my spine, willing it to move or shift, wag-

Oh! It just moved. Not by much, it kinda just... shifted. But it still moved! Ha!

Progress is progress, as Damon says.

I remind myself to breathe, looking around sluggishly. I begin to register that my head is much more difficult to keep upright, being far heavier than I'm used to. Fuck, I'm panicking again.

Okay, okay... deep breaths, in... and out... I breathe along with my inner coaching. I am not panicking, I am not panicking.

I take note of my surroundings. There's a river, a tree, more trees, a rock, dirt... Standard forrest stuff. I cock my head slightly. Okay, environment examined, the next thing I should do is... Uhm.

Well, I should probably figure out how to walk.

I haul myself up on shaky legs.

And... Nope. I fall on my ass and- what the hell? Did I just whine?

Okay. Nope. This, this is fine. I guess this is my life now! Fuck it all to hell!

Deep breaths, in... And out... In... And out.

Once again relatively calm, I stand. I feel my weight shift, and I stumble but manage to catch myself just in time.

I take a step. And another. I have to use all four limbs.

Right front leg, pull. Left hind leg, push. Left front leg, pull. Right hind leg, push. Rinse and repeat.

I practice walking for another thirty minutes or so, steadily getting more and more used to it.

Okay. Good. Now, where the hell am I?