From Ask and Embla

Thanks for all the input, but I found for myself the myths of the swan-maidens. These are legendary creatures that could shape-shift between woman and swan by use of some magical, and feathered garment. I didn't realize that these were scandinavian legends, but, there you go. Anyway, the tales say that young, unmarried men would hang about the lakes after dark for these swans to alight and bathe (as women, of course). They'd then sneak out and grab the woman's feathered robe and thereby 'capture' the maiden. Typically, they'd marry the woman and she'd bear him children. But eventually, she'd find out where her robe was hidden and steal it back to escape. The children are not shifters, btw. There are actually male swan-changelings in these tales, mention of them, anyway, and that's good, for how else would the race continue, eh?

Anyway, I got to thinking that that would be cool, except, it'd be a whole lot more interesting if the captured swan happened to be male, wouldn't you think? So, that's what I've got.

Meet Eeiforr. He's a young man, we'll say roughly 18 years old, 5 ft 8 in, willowy and slight of frame, but strong (those wings can pack a punch). He has hair so blonde as to be white, with black eyes that are almost entirely pupils, just like a bird's. He's very light (light bones), but fast and strong enough to hold his own. And he can swim.

The way I figure it, while out raiding, the men of the Graeggos espied some women bathing in a lake next to the village they were about to pillage. Some of the men stayed behind to catch one, for they could see that the women were swan-maidens. They are as beautiful and graceful in human form as they are as swans. However, the womens' young guardian interferred and the maidens all escaped. The men, thinking they'd managed to capture one of the maidens' swan-feather robes, got Eeiforr's instead. They were, naturally, rather upset about this turn of events and decided to make some sport of what they had instead. Barufors, the ship-captain, hunting down his missing men, came upon this scene and, impressed by the youth's cleverness, and his courage (and the fact that he was very close to beating three of his men senseless), demanded the robe as his by right as captain. He gave Eeiforr his name and claimed him as a son, making Eeiforr a part of his crew. Now he has to learn how to be and live as a human.

And that's where I'm at so far. Comments?