ORIGIN

'I wish I could grow up faster. Maybe then I'd know what to do.' Pride gave a gentle, good-natured laugh, at this, and shook his head. Even as he did, James was butting up against him; and he leaned a little into the foal, offering warm stability. "Experience comes regardless of age. I've met plenty of adults with less maturity than you already have, I can assure you. You're... hm, self-aware, which is more than I can say of everyone; you're concerned, too, about others' feelings. You try to see things from their perspectives. All of those are good things, and things that even some grown Gembound have yet to learn. I don't pretend to know everything, but my advice would be to try to do your best. If you always try, then you have nothing to be ashamed of if you fail--failure is normal, and natural. I fail all the time--everyone does. What you must take pride in is the knowledge that you did the best you could, that you put in your all. It can be frustrating, or disappointing, to fail--at anything, I mean, be it speaking or magic or... setting down a rock," he added, picking some random example, deliberately dropping it to one side as a small demonstration.

"And even if you find that you cannot approach things without fear or nervousness--know that I've known plenty of Gembound like that, too. It isn't uncommon, and it's also nothing to be ashamed of. Let me ask you this: if you met another James, one with all your fears and traits and worries, and he told you all that you have just told me, what would you say to him? How would you feel?"

Pride went silent for a moment, still a friendly rock, and waited to let James parse this out. Then he went on, at last addressing not one, but two of the foal's questions at once. "You asked both why I asked to train with you, and how my magic was weakened. I promised I would teach you what I knew--but I undertook a sort of trial, and surviving it seems to have damaged my magic somehow. I feel... potential? As though there's an open space for more to be filled in, if that makes sense; but for now I have lost touch with it. I thought that perhaps we might train together, so that we could both get some practice in--I hope that was all right?"

It was straightforward enough--matter-of-fact--but he wasn't sure what James had meant by "moving up." He waited to see if the foal would explain; he didn't want to press him with even more thoughts and questions, not yet.

Pride offered an expression like a smile, at what he certainly did take as a compliment, but nodded his encouragement. "Oh, yes, I'm all right. Thank you," he added, automatically. Ears swept forward to listen to the foal's request, and the white stag offered a nod as James finished speaking.

"It isn't something I'd say no to. I teach those I come across, but I simply do not know enough youngsters to... to gather them all up, so to speak. Hm--I doubt even two would happen to know the same type of magic as one another, or even as I do, but I could figure something out--if you had friends in mind?" he asked, blinking down at James. "I've asked the Bonebound about joint training, once or twice, but Aure, I think, has had no new youngsters since my last offer."

Unfortunate, really; Pride did enjoy teaching the young ones what he knew, looking after them, and just watching them grow. Fatherhood had a tendency to do that to a fellow.

Pride felt bewildered, for a moment, as James went through the details of his plan. Abruptly, it became clear that the colt had been thinking about this quite a bit--and it wasn't the plan itself that baffled him, so much as the sheer amount of information suddenly flooding his way.

He blinked, and tried to address it, as the horse finished, piece by piece. First, inspiration had him blinking again at the mention of Ari and his plants.

"James, has Ari met Mercurius-? Mercy is a white lion, I've mentioned him to you before--the one who grew the grove in Eridanus, full of lights. He is very gentle, very kind. Perhaps Ari would get along with him, and Mercy could teach him of the plants?" he suggested, peering. "As for Khloros, the horse is incapable of magic. His reformation in the Spire took it from him, from what he's told us. I do not know the other names, bar Dragon, of course--I doubt he needs training; he's much older than I am. But Khloros has knowledge of things I do not, and Dragon is skilled with flames. Perhaps rather than me teaching everyone, you mean a more... collaborative sharing of knowledge?"

Pride mulled this over, for a moment, and began to wonder aloud, expanding on James' idea--things the colt had probably already thought of, but that bore going over either way. "Perhaps a weekly scheduled time and place, and it can vary depending on who is offering a lesson; aside from that, perhaps meetings, too, for all of us to share knowledge with one another, or to spar?" He gave James a slightly more solemn look. "And yes, some of that information may not be pleasant. The meeting was... not reassuring, if I am honest. I feel as though we have escaped some terrible fate, but perhaps not for very long."

He lingered on this thought, for a moment, then blinked again and shook his head. "I am sorry, James--I do not mean to seem negative. It is a good idea--with great potential. The structure I offered is but one possibility, but since this is your idea, perhaps you can decide, for certain? You can arrange it, and gather others; I can direct you, perhaps, to the Bonebound and the Children of Rot for more. I will find Mercy for Ari, if you wish, but for the rest I can make myself available for your lessons whenever you like, and you can be the orchestrator of the details, yes?" It would be good, he thought, for the child to have responsibilities, and to gain experience; and he did not, either, want to simply take James' idea away and arrange it all himself. It was not his to do so, and he offered a nod to the foal. "It is a very good idea, to share what we have with one another, to ensure that we all share advantages, should we come to face something terrible--or even only to improve ourselves, and be the best that we can be. Are you comfortable arranging it?"

He didn't mean to ignore it, either, and if the colt didn't want to move forward with it out of nervousness, he didn't wish to discourage him; he'd have to see how James felt about it, and go from there.

He nodded along, listening, and when James asked about Mercurius, he nodded his agreement. A murmur: "Of course," and he listened to the rest.

Food--Pride beamed.

"I think food's an excellent idea, James, and I think perhaps Mercurius can help with that. I warn you, though, that it may mean having meat prepared--dead Lessers, without gemstones. Alternatively, we can hope that a few bananas will be enough of a treat, hm?" he suggested. "Still, it would be a good draw for everyone, and it's a good idea. I'll see about getting Mercurius for your friend Ari; let me know what Eythan says the next time you speak, but be sure you, or he, check with Aure. Aure is their leader; we do not want to be rude by consulting and making plans with the Bonebound without his consent." This advice was gently-given, with a nod.

He had expected this meeting to come to a close--and he was worried about how he might do, with magic--but James' warm enthusiasm was infectious, and he smiled.

"Take your time with Ari, James; but I think he and Mercurius will get along well. And the game sounds... good, yes. You're it," he added, and with a mischievous perk of a brow, he sprang away and began to run, hooves clashing against rock with every bouncing leap.