There is something similar in the other girl’s eyes that immediately sparks Breach’s interest. It is enough to recognize like in the other girl and suddenly what had previously felt like a chore feels a little easier—a little more pleasant. Perhaps practicing her shifting with Mazikeen would not be as dreary of a day as she had though before. Perhaps it would even be interesting—and maybe learning would not be so dull.
The surprise she feels at the mention of her older brother registers on her face and she doesn’t bother to hide or conceal it. “I am,” she says quickly, not thinking twice about confirming her relation. It would be difficult to anyway—the resemblance between her and the boy was too apparent for her to truly hide it.
She grins at the remembering of their first meeting.
“He always chooses the funniest animals,” she says before her face goes a little more serious. “Although he has some not-so-funny choices too.” They sparred enough to know that she couldn’t underestimate her kind older brother. Laughing, she watches the girl shift into the small animal and she quickly follows, although she does not mimic the rodent. Instead he shifts into a natural predator of the guinea pig, thinking back to all of the times that she has played this exact game with Spirit.
With a little effort, she emerges as a coyote—lean and ready to pounce. She leans down on her limber front legs and snaps her jaws at the air in front of her before making a series of small yips and cries.
She leaps forward, bouncing around the guinea pig but not making a move to kill.
Her eyes bright, she taunts Mazikeen.
“Come on, show me something else.” She wiggles with excitement. “Then it’ll be my turn!”
I want to swim until we both begin to feel the weightlessness sink in