after the storm blows through

[Nashua]

Nashua walks briskly, trying to ignore the way his left shoulder still aches from an earlier sparring season with his Aunt Brazen. She had a particular trick of turning herself to stone (as if the bone armor wasn’t enough!) and Nash often had to test his reflexes when practicing with her. If he was quick enough, there was a chance his teeth or his hooves might actually find skin. 

The question was always a matter of if.

At a little over a year old, the adolescent pegasus still has much to learn and more questions to ask. His Aunt Brazen will be back and when he’s fully healed himself, he’ll test her again. And again. Nash is determined to keep practicing, preparing himself for the day that comes when he’ll actually be ready for a real fight. (And how many times has his sister Celina told him that there was a thrill to be found in the fight? Nashua might not be a hunter like she was but how often had she told him that he had every chance to be an apt fighter?) 

The pegasus winces as he turns his head to the left, appraising the shoulder that still hurts. There is nothing showing outwardly - the swelling is already going down and if the bruising was visible, the colors would already be seeping away. Giving his head a soft shake, the winged boy looks over his wing to find a titan form behind that is not one of Taiga’s trees. It's a stallion and a massive one - with sharp teeth like his sister and stripes similar to his own.

Lifting his head, Nashua nods a greeting. "They call you @[Skeleton Ghoul], right?”