[open] they can't see you if you don't move

[Maurtia]

MAURTIA

Although she had seen Malik grow wings before, her eyes widen once again to see him become a black wolf that’s close to, but not quite, what Deebee iss. The pup dissolves and reforms on Maurtia’s back, curling up and blinking it’s indistinguishable eyes at his bonded’s new friend.

She’d like to ask the colt about what other animals he can become but he beats her to the subject change by asking her some questions, and she’s happy to answer. “I’m from Ischia! There’s two others like Deebee, but they belong to my sisters.” She lapses into silence for a moment, thinking hard. “I don’t remember their names but they aren’t nearly as great as Deebees. Anyway, they were all a present from our dad but he lives in Pangea.” Does it occur to her that this is a bit of an overshare? Not even a little bit. For Maurtia, this was all part of the answer of if there were more shadow wolves and where she lived.

Now it is her turn to ask a question, but she forgets about the shapeshifting one she had been thinking of and instead follows her own train of thoughts. “Do you have any siblings?” Was that where he got Birdbrain? Is this just how everyone got their companions, from their parents? But the only other question that makes it onto her tongue is one focused on something else he's said. “And what is a panther?” She wasn't sure she had ever heard of those before.

@ Malik I can no longer remember where Maurtia was living when I started this thread so I'm just making shit up

[Malik]

Malik’s knowledge of geography is limited. He has only been told of the lands across the River, the lands that comprise the western half of Beqanna. The east he knows - Hyaline, the Cove, Pangea. The Common Lands grow more familiar with each trip, but the black colt has not yet gathered the courage to venture across the water.

So when she mentions Ischia - the farthest place of all - Malik’s triangular ears turn to fix on her as intently as his eyes. So the wolves are not from Ischia. They’re from Pangea? Or no, he thinks, from her father, whomever that might be. Malik has never met any of the residents, preferring to explore alone, shifting to a well-practiced flea when danger comes too near.

Perhaps he should ask his own father for a shadow wolf. It seems something the magician would be capable of, but Malik would need to find him first. He is saved from wondering where Gale has gone by Maurtia’s questions, and Malik is as open in his answers as she had been.

“I have a sister too, but just one. Her name is Myrna.” She does not have a shadow wolf like Maurtia and her sisters do, which is yet another mark against her, Malik thinks. The girl asks what a panther is, so Malik concentrates and shifts from his lupine body to one that is far more feline. He’s closer to a tiger in appearance than a true panther, especially with his striping, but he thinks that maybe Maurtia - who doesn’t even know what a panther is - will not notice his imperfect shift.

“It’s like this,” he says, making a circular motion with his now-blunt muzzle to gesture at his most recent shape. It’s not one he knows well, so Malik cannot hold it long. Soon he is a colt again, and looking very curious when he asks: “What else do you have on Ischia? What’s it like?”

@Maurtia

[Maurtia]

MAURTIA

Only having one sister sounds pretty boring. Who would Malik team up with to pick on her? Would he do all that by himself? That was a lot of work. Everyone knows you need at least three so that everyone gets their turn being picked on and being part of the team doing the picking. Those are just the facts.

Luckily for them both, the pity she would’ve looked at him with gets swept away by other, more interesting topics. Even though she knew he could change, she’s still delighted to see it up close. And now panthers are permanently in her head as striped, so that probably won’t cause any confusion later on in life. “Woah! That’s pretty cool.”

Maurtia makes a mental note to ask her mom to turn her into a panther one day, just to see what it’s like.

At the question of what Ischia is like, her tone starts off thoughtful but quickly grows brighter with her excitement. “Ummm… it’s very green. Like, all the time and very warm. And there’s so many parrots they almost never shut up. And there’s lots of ghosts. I think a monster lived there one time.” She adds this last sentence in a lower voice, just in case it's a secret. She's not very sure it is, but better to be safe. One thing is for sure, it clearly doesn't scare her - her white eyes are bright. The more ghosts the better, as far as she was concerned.

And then, very belatedly, she realizes she's heard the name Hyaline before. Sometimes she only is mostly listening to Beyza when she's being told something. “Hey! I think my grandmother lives in Hyaline too. I don't think she's a panther though.”

@ Malik