[private] and its harder than you think

[Nashua]

(and it's harder than you think)
telling dreams from one another

A shadow crosses Nash's blazed face at the clipped tone that the Alpha uses. While watching his son shift might have been enough for his worry to show in the presence of the two shifters, the striped pegasus doesn't pin ears or show any other sign of the Hersir's rising temper. His green eyes glance at his youngest son whose wings still show the faint tracing of scales and the blue-and-white design of another horse.

And then his emerald gaze snaps back to Mazikeen, hearing her unspoken implication. The ability that Bolder has shown is one greater than Nash's; there is only one horse in Taiga that knows what he can do and the light-and-shadow mare had never told him her name. He's been fortunate that out of his five children, only Luminesce and Bolder inherited it. His daughter seemed to understand that her ability was something that made her father uneasy and hadn't done it often in his presence. His son had been the opposite of his older sister, taking the chance to shift and change every chance he could get.

It worries him. If what Bolder can do is greater than his shifting, what about Bolder's son? And if that descendant should have a child?

Maybe unlike his twin brother's madness - which had come on so suddenly - the children and grandchildren of Nashua would fall slowly into some kind of insanity.

"No," says the Northern horse, though his reply is just as terse as Mazikeen's had been, and Bolder - by now realizing the rising tension in the air - had returned into his chestnut self, innocently hoping that it might relieve it. "But for him, it could be." The older stallion warns and by now, the striped pegasus thinks that Mazikeen will understand him. The Curse and the destruction it wrought in the North is not something often spoke of (if at all) and the almost yearling certainly doesn't know the full story. Bolder has no idea why his father seems so upset.

But then Nash checks his anger.

They will need Mazikeen's help, if Bolder is ever going to control his shifting. Perhaps even Gale could assist in teaching the young pegasus. And then Nashua could explain that it would be best if he picked one shape, if he just stayed in one form.

"Soon," is what Bolder's father tells him as the boy drops his head slightly. The striped stallion glances back to the Alpha and nods, grateful for her help today even if they had disagreed on this final point. "Thank you, Mazikeen." Nashua tells the pale mare and opens his speckled wings, waiting a moment for Bolder to follow his example. The adolescent does and then turns his attention back to the Alpha, already eager. "Thank you," Bolder chimes after his father and smiles at Maze with a boyish grin. It's bright with enthusiasm because the okapi-striped colt is starting to realize that there is so much more to learn and with her help, he can't wait to see what that is.

NASHUA

@Mazikeen