Mazikeen’s eyes brighten as she watches Bolder’s wings change not only in colour, but texture as well and she is meeting his beaming smile with one of her own. Will it feel like this when she helps teach her own children? Will she and Gale stand by the shore of this lake and share the tricks they’ve learned with their twins on a sunny day as filled with smiles as this one?
She had never wanted to be a mother, but Mazikeen wants that day. Wants a handful of perfect moments she can hold onto as Gale slips away from her.
Her gaze shifts to Nashua as he comes closer, her smile falling when she sees the expression on his face. And she thinks again of the Curse, sees some of the concern she remembers Gale having when he had first grown wings during the eclipse. Even knowing what she does, knowing that their concern is incredibly valid considering what happened to their father, it bothers her.
She reverts back to her natural form and her voice is a little clipped when she replies. “If by help, you mean teach him so he can control it and get better - then yes.” The part she does not say - the part she hopes is implied heavily enough - is that if he meant help as ‘make sure it does not happen anymore’ then the answer is no. “It’s not a bad thing, to be able to shift.” She says this while levelling a fierce glare at Nashua, wishing she had telepathy so she could shout at him to get it together, at least in front of his son. Hoping that the blazing look in her eyes is enough to get that point across.
Mazikeen doesn’t know for sure that the Curse that’s affected their family can’t exist in two hosts at the same time but she does know it’s already occupying someone else at this moment so it feels unlikely that little Bolder could be in the same situation as Gale.
She feels protective of him, this young shifter, and does not have any qualms about letting her opinions of Nashua’s parenting techniques known. Whether it’s her business or not - Bolder shouldn’t be made to feel guilty over being able to shift.
“You can come back any time you want, Bolder. I'd be happy to teach you as much as I can” She doesn’t mean to exclude Nashua from the invitation, not seriously anyway. But she can’t do anything to help the chestnut without betraying the secret she is keeping for his brother, so instead she resolves to be the best teacher she is capable of being. And maybe in that way they can show his father that there is nothing to worry about.
@Nashua