almost halfway towards the forest before crossing paths with an animal that looked like a small elk.  After getting it back to camp, he found out it tasted like elk as well.
	Its a bit small, Mist told him critically.
	We have no idea how big its really supposed to be, and itll feed all of us, he retorted.
	True.
	As Mist cooked, he gave the children a lesson with their bows.  Telven didnt like it all that much, much more interested in the sling, but Zyri and Jal were rather taken with their bows.  Jal seemed to have a knack for it, naturally doing what needed to be done to make a good shot.
	Where did you learn how to shoot bows? Zyri asked him.
	My father, he answered.  Raise your elbow in a bit more, little bit.  Thats better, he said as she practiced drawing her blueleaf bow.  You want a straight line with the arrow and your arm.  Crooking your arm like thats going to put your aim off.
	Was he a hunter?
	He was a soldier, he answered.  A member of an elite part of the Sulasian army called the Rangers.  They were woodsmen, trained to use the forests of our kingdom to their advantage while they protected the land from invaders.
	Did he ever fight a war? Telven asked excitedly.
	Not a war, Tarrin shook his head.  Thankfully.  The worst thing my father ever had to deal with was bandits, and Goblinoids.  My father taught me everything I know about the forest, and how to survive in it.
	Ive always been afraid of the woods, Zyri admitted.  Its dark there, and you cant see whats there.
	And whats there also cant see you, he told her.
	I never thought of it that way, she said after a moment of contemplation.
	Is your father as big as you?  What color is his fur? Telven asked.
	My father is human, Tarrin answered calmly.  So is my mother.
	But, but how
	What I am isnt how I was born, he answered the boy.  Its a condition that can be passed on to humans.  I caught it, and now Im a Were-cat.
	Are we going to catch it? Telven asked with a kind of wary excitement, both afraid of and intrigued by that idea.
	Tarrin chuckled.  No, you wont catch it, he answered.  It cant be passed by accident.  It has to happen on purpose.
	So someone did that to you on purpose? Zyri asked astutely.
	He nodded.  Its a very long story, Zyri, but the short of it is yes, it was done on purpose.  I wasnt very happy about it at first, but now I rather like what I am, and I know that it had to be done.
	Why? she asked.
	That, little bit, is a story so long it cant be told in one day, he chuckled, handing her an arrow.  Now, this time, release smoothly.  Dont jerk, that makes the arrow fly off target.  Remember, keep the bowstring on your fingertips, not in your knuckle joints, and remember what I taught you about releasing the string.  Just relax your fingers and the bowstring slide out of your grip.  Trust me, its not going to make the arrow go slower.
	After letting them practice a while, they put aside the bows and Tarrin joined as Ulger taught them how to use the sling.  Tarrin was naturally quite agile and dextrous, even in his human form, and he caught onto the trick of it almost immediately, mainly because his training with the bow already gave him a knowledge of distance and trajectory needed to make a sling stone hit a target.  By Karas hammer, Tarrin, thats not bad, Ulger said appreciatively as Tarrins stone struck the knot of the tree which was their target.  You should put that bow down and go with the sling.
	Not in this lifetime, Tarrin told him evenly, which made him laugh.
	Just keep practicing, Ulger told him.  You might find someday that that sling may be just what you need.  Mine has saved my life several times over the years.
	I think Ill have Miranda make me one, he nodded in agreement.
	The elk was a good filling meal, and it made them all quite drowsy, sitting around a cheery fire and with soft bedrolls beckoning in the tents surrounding it.  Well, I guess wed better draw for guard duty, Ulger yawned.
	Just go to sleep, Tarrin told them, taking the charm out of his pouch and affixing it to the back of his amulet.  Ill keep watch tonight.
	You sure, Tarrin?  Youve been relying on that thing a bit too much here lately, Ulger told him.
	Ulger, I once wore it for over a year, he told him sharply.
	What does it do? Telven asked.
	I dont have to sleep as long as I have it on my amulet, Tarrin told him.  Im going to stay up tonight and keep watch so everyone else can get some sleep.
	That sounds neat! Telven said.  Youd never have to go to bed again!
	I think it would be boring, Zyri said after a moments thought.  I mean, what do you do all night when everyone else is asleep?
	That, little bit, is the double edge sword, he said with a slight smile.  Keeping watch all night is boring if I have nothing to read or nothing to do.
	Then what will you do tonight?
	Ill think of something, Zyri.  I always do.
	Well, Ill stay up with you, she announced.  You shouldnt be alone.
	You will go to bed, Mist ordered.  If my mate wants company, hell come wake me up.
	Maybe not that kind of company, Sarraya whispered conspiratorially to Haley.
	Tarrin stood up and shapeshifted into his normal form, so he had access to his powerful senses, moving without even thinking about it so Fireflash wasnt dislodged from his customary place on his shoulder.  He swished his tail a few times to get the stiffness out of it, then sat back down beside the fire.  Im going to get some sleep, my mate, Mist told him.  She came over, leaned down and kissed him.  Want me to stay up with you?
	No, no, go get some sleep, he told her.  If you want to keep me company, get up before dawn.  Thats when I get bored.
	Alright.  Night.
	Sleep well.
	I think Mist has the right idea, Haley said with a yawn as the female Were-cat stalked off towards the tent she shared with Tarrin.  See everyone in the morning.
	If you want someone to relieve you, Tarrin, you can come get me, Azakar said as he stood up.
	Dont worry about it, Zak.
	One by one, the others took to their tents, until only Zyri was left.  Well? he asked her impatiently.
	I dont want you to be alone, she said in a small voice.  And I want to hear the story of what happened to you.
	Its not a good story, girl.
	Im not worried if its a bad story.
	No, its not a nice story, he told her honestly.  I dont think youre ready to hear it.
	Why?
	If you did, by the end of it, your opinion of me would be much different, he told her, giving her a steady look.  I was a much different person back then, and I wasnt nice.
	Who you were doesnt matter as long as youre who you are, she said sagely, then she blushed and gave him a sheepish smile.  Its something my father used to say.
	Your father was a wise man.  Now go to bed.
	But youll be alone.
	Im used to being alone, he told her, then he looked into the fire, his eyes distant.  Bed.  Now.
	Yes, sir, she responded, then got up from the ground and brushed off her skirts.  He was a little surprised when she put her hands on his shoulder, barely missing Fireflash, and kissed him on the cheek.  Good night, she said, then she scurried off to her tent.
	Fireflash hissed a little as she retreated from them, but Tarrin just chuckled.  Stand down, you big fraud, he chided.
	Fireflash snorted a little, then jumped down onto his leg and looked up at him.
	You staying up with me, little one? he asked.
	Fireflash gave him a serious little look.
	I could use the company, he said with a smile, reaching down and scratching the drake between the horns.  He brought out his Gnomlin Travelling Spellbook and spoke the word that made it expand to its full size.  I also need to work on this a little.  Im trying to figure out Kimmies spells.
	Fireflash gave a little chirp, moving so Tarrin could put the book in his lap, then laying down on Tarrins lap just below the bottom edge of the book.
	Sometimes I agree, he chuckled, then got to work.

	He expected Mist to wake up early and come join him, but he didnt expect Zyri.  She came out of the tent she shared with her brothers well before dawn, wearing one of Dolannas nightshirts.  She padded over in the warm, muggy night on bare feet and seated herself beside the fire.
	Go back to bed, he ordered.
	Im not sleepy anymore, she replied in a measured tone, looking up at him.  Do you want some breakfast?
	He chuckled.  Youre going to cook? he asked.
	I know how to cook, she said in a slightly challenging tone.
	Im sure you do, Tarrin said with a slight smile.
	Fireflash vaulted over to land on Zyris shoulder.  The girl gasped in surprise, and froze like a startled fawn.  He wont hurt you, little bit.  Hes just curious.
	She remained still as Fireflash sniffed at her shoulder, but she started giggling when the drake stuck his nose against her neck, which turned into loud laughing when he flicked his tongue along the base of her jaw.
	Fireflash, behave, the others are still sleeping, Tarrin chided the drake absently.  Hes playing with you, Zyri.  He likes you.
	Well, I kind of like him too, Zyri offered.  Can I hold him?
	Sure, he answered.  If he doesnt like you, hell just gas you.
	Hell what?
	He can breathe out a gas that paralyzes people who breathe it in, he explained.  The effect lasts a few minutes, but its not all that pleasant.
	Wow, really? she said in surprise.  That sounds really neat.
	I had him do it to me once to test its power.  Trust me, you dont want to be gassed.
	If you say so, she said, gingerly taking the drake off her shoulder and holding him before her.  Fireflash didnt object at all, and cuddled with her when she held him up against her chest.
	He definitely likes you, Tarrin informed her.
	What is he called?
	Hes a drake.  I told you that once before.
	I forgot.  He looks like the pictures of dragons they have in the old books.
	Hes a cousin to dragons, just much smaller, he answered her.  A real dragon is about five hundred spans long.
	Do they look like him?
	Hes a perfect replica of a dragon.  Only smaller, he chuckled.  Much smaller.
	How big is five hundred spans?
	He held his hands about a span apart.  This is a span.  A fully grown, mature dragon is five hundred of these long.  The tops of their backs are about a hundred spans off the ground.
	Wow! she gasped.  Thats bigger than, than a warehouse!
	Dragons are the most powerful creatures on my world.  Nobody crosses them, but thankfully, theyre a peaceful species that doesnt like to get involved with the smaller races.
	They sound scary.
	They look scary, and sometimes they can seem a little scary, but once you get used to them, you find that theyre actually rather nice.  One of my best friends is a dragon.
	Really?  Whats he like?
	She.  Her name is Sapphire. Shes a blue dragon.  Shes not so much as a friend to me as she is a part of my family.
	Blue?  She has blue scales instead of gold?
	He nodded.  Shes a bit arrogant, but you have to expect that from a dragon.  They are powerful, and they know it.
	I cant imagine something being that big, she said hesitantly.
	I know.  It boggles your mind when you first see one.  You almost cant believe your eyes.
	She was quiet a long moment.  I want to hear the story, she told him, then she blushed and gave him a demure look.
	He looked at her, then chuckled.  I dont think youre going to take no for an answer, he told her.
	Not if I can get you to tell me the story, she answered.
	Well, if you want to hear it, thats fine.  But understand now that its not the kind of story you want to hear.  Like I said, youll never look at me the same way again.  
	Ill be the judge of that.
	He gave her a long look.  Alright, but remember, little bit.  You asked for this, he told her sincerely.
	It took a surprisingly short amount of time to tell, as he reckoned things.  That, or Zyri had woke up much earlier than he thought, for he finished the tale of his adventures before sunrise, even before Mist woke up and joined him.  He told her the story evenly, without much emotion, describing the darkest of his deeds with the same detached tone as he described the greatest of his accomplishments.  He left little out, even describing the destruction of Val and the battle with Vals shadow which had unlocked the hidden power within him.
	So, you were a god, she said in wonder.  No wonder youre not afraid of the One!
	The key word there is that I was a god, Zyrilin, he said grimly.  Not anymore.  The wings, the power, theyre like ripples in the surface of a pond after the rock is thrown in, just a shadow of what I used to be.  Im just as mortal now as you are, the only difference is that the echo of my lost power still resonates inside me, and that gives me the power I have now.  I can die just as easily as you.  The reason Im not afraid of the One is because I understand the power that gods use, and I know that he cant use all of his power against me.  In the mortal world, here, his power is limited.  Since he is, the power he can use against me is probably about the same as the power I have now.  That makes us even.
	Whats it like?  Being a god.
	Im not a god, he told her again.
	Well, having all that power, she amended.
	Id give it all up in a heartbeat, he answered immediately.  Its not a blessing, little bit.  Its a curse.  If I could free myself from this power and be totally normal again, Id do it without thinking twice.
	But you have the power to do almost anything, she protested.
	I do, at least if my sword decides its necessary to unlock my full power, he admitted freely.  But just because I can do something, that doesnt mean that I should.  My goddess taught me that lesson long ago, as I struggled to control my Sorcery.
	I wish I could use magic like that.  Id always be safe, and me and my brothers would always have food and a house and never be hungry again.
	Zyri, remember what I told you about Jula? he asked, and she nodded.  Think about what happened to her before you say that again.  Dont make the same mistake she did.  The greater your power, the greater your duty to use it responsibly.  The day you seek power for its own sake is the day that the power controls you instead of you controlling it.
	Zyri frowned, looking into the fire.
	Listen to my mate, girl, Mist told her as she came out of the tent.  Zyri looked at her, then blushed a bit when she saw that Mist had no clothes on.  He speaks from experience.  Hungry, my mate?
	A little, but you need to go put on a robe.
	Shes not seeing anything she doesnt have herself, she shrugged him off as she passed by the girl and sat on her feet by the fire.
	Well, I dont have a tail, Zyri offered meekly, which made Tarrin laugh.
	What time is it? Tarrin asked Mist.  She always knew.
	About an hour before sunrise, she answered.  Well need to get an early start to make up for the time we lost to the early camp and the rain.
	Um, Lady Mist, Kimmies your daughter, right? Zyri asked.
	Yes.
	But I thought Kimmie was Tarrins girlfriend, that shes the mother of two of his children.
	She is.
	And he said youre the mother of his son.
	I am.
	Well, um, uh, she hedged.
	Mist gave her a piercing look.  Were-cats arent humans, she told her.  Tarrin is my mate, but Were-cat natures dont let us stay together forever.  When we cant stand each other anymore, well split up.  When we do, hell go back to Kimmie, or maybe go to Jesmind.  The three of us share him, because we all love him.  So we take turns being his mate.
	Mist had to be the only person he knew that could say the word love and make it sound like so business-like.
	Oh.
	Thats good, girl.  Dont apply your human morals to us.  Were much more different from you than we look, Mist told her.
	Ill try, but its not easy, she admitted.
	We always want to think of others the same way we think of ourselves, Tarrin said absently.  Its a trait Ive seen in many races, not just humans.
	Racial arrogance, Mist grunted.  We all think were better than everyone else.
	True enough, Tarrin nodded.  You know, you should practice your human form, Mist.  Id like to have you around in something other than cat form more.
	I should take my belt back from Miranda, she growled.  Too bad you cant use Sorcery here.  We could really use your Illusions.
	No use wishing for what you cant have, he told her.
	What do you want for breakfast?
	I dont really care.  Surprise me.  Just put on a robe before you start.  Id rather avoid all of Ulgers impending comments.
	True, she agreed, standing up easily.  She paused to put her massive paw on Zyris head lightly, a touch of fondness, then she stalked back towards the tent she shared with him to dress.  That surprised Tarrin just a little bit, because Mists feral nature didnt allow her to act so comfortably with strangers.  Then again, Zyri was still a child, if nearly an adult, and shed demonstrated to him before that she rather liked the girl.
	Feel very, very lucky, little bit, Tarrin told her quietly.
	Why?
	Mist likes you.  Shes extremely finicky when it comes to liking people.  And since she does, my opinion of you just went up a few notches.  Mist is never wrong when it comes to judging people.
	Zyri blushed rosily, but said nothing.
	Kimmies trail, which had veered almost due west, was true to its course.  They followed it during the morning, a morning marked with a difference this day, for Mist was riding one of the spare horses, in her human form.  Tarrin had suggested she practice her human form, and she had taken that as an order to do so.  Sarraya kept intentionally calling Mist Miranda and Miranda Mist, which quickly aggravated both of them to the point where Sarraya spent a couple of hours trailing the group from a distance after Miranda used a Priest spell to freeze her to the spot over which she hovered, unable to move, which lasted nearly five minutes.  It felt nice to Tarrin to have his mate riding beside him instead of in the saddle with him, able to talk to her and her able to talk to the others without relaying her words through Tarrin.  She did look a little silly, however, for she didnt have a set of clothes that fit her smaller human body, and her clothes hung off of her like she was a girl playing dress-up, wearing her mothers dresses.  She was just about Tarrins size in her human form, just a little shorter, so after they stopped for lunch, he dug a spare shirt and pair of breeches out of his packs and gave them to her.  He had no spare boots, so she was forced to go barefoot.
	Im afraid Im no cobbler, Mist, Miranda chuckled ruefully.  I could probably do it if I had the supplies, but I dont.  I could sew you some leather shoes kind of like slippers, though.
	I dont care one way or the other, Miranda, Mist grunted in reply.
	Make them, if you would please, Tarrin told Miranda with a nod.  There might come a time when Mist may have to move around in human form, and shell need shoes.
	You got it, Miranda said with a cheeky grin, a very alien sight considering she was doing it with Mists face.  Ill make them tonight, when we stop.
	Hold, Azakar called, reining in at the top of a shallow rise, the bottom of which only Azakar could see.
	What is it? Tarrin asked.
	Trouble, he said as Tarrin crowned the hill.  He looked down and saw a large group of grayish-green skinned Waernorcs, they called them orcs hererunning to the south, towards the forest some half a days ride away.  Tarrin could see that this wasnt a complete band of Waernorcs.  These were females and children, and they had absolutely nothing with them.  Whatever had happened, it had caused them to flee their encampment without taking anything with them, literally running for their lives.  They werent grouped up, they were a long line of stragglers as the faster ones outpaced the slower, and the youngest of the children who had been separated from their mothers were the ones lagging the furthest behind.
	The cause of that rout came around the turn of the shallow valley to the north a moment later.  It was a large column of red-uniformed men on horses, almost three hundred of them, and the thin sound of a trumpet or horn reached them as one of them sounded their pursuit.  They were racing towards the fleeing orcs, swords and spears flashing in the noontime sun, blades that were already stained red with the blood of the bands warriors.
	Yay, the armys killing orcs! Telven said excitedly.
	Tarrin, however, was starting to feel the first stirrings of outrage.  These soldiers were obviously intent on running down and slaughtering defenseless females and children.  Tarrin had never had much love for Waern, and since they were Goblinoids, he had an ingrained hatred of them, but still, Tarrin could not stomach the idea that these men were about to kill children.  That was the one thing that Tarrin would never willingly do, kill a child, no matter what race it happened to be.
	Theres no need for this, Azakar said grimly.  Theyve beaten the bands warriors.  Running down and killing the women and children is going too far.
	You Knights are too soft, Mist told him with a growl.  The only good Waern are dead Waern.  That band will join up with another band, and in five years youll have more Waern raiders.
	Your racial bias against Goblinoids is talking, Mist, Miranda said evenly.  Or would you strike down a Waern infant?
	Yes, Mist said brutally, giving Miranda a flat look.  Im no simpering human, Wikuni.  If youre looking for mercy for Goblinoids, dont look for it from me.
	That seemed to take Miranda back a little.  But then again, it was more or less what Tarrin expected.  Mist may have come a long way, but she was still feral, and she was capable of such actions.  In his own way, so was he.
	Ah, but Mist, these arent Waern.  These are orcs, Haley told her.
	Different name, same Goblinoid, Mist told him with a dangerous look.
	Regardless of our feelings, there is nothing we can do about this, Dolanna said in a tone of finality.  Were we inclined to intervene, we would have to face far too many soldiers to handle.  In this, we are forced spectators.
	Well, Im not watching it, Miranda said with dignity, turning her horse around and starting back down the hill.  Come get me when its over.
	Im not either, Sarraya agreed, flitting after the Wikuni.
	I have no desire to watch myself, Dolanna announced, and she too turned her horse to go back down the hill.
	Tarrin too didnt want to watch this.  Senseless destruction was something that he had too much of in his lifetime.  And yet, he found that he could not turn away.  He watched with cold, almost emotionless eyes as the soldiers bore down on the tail end of that disorganized band of Goblinoids, which was made up of mostly very small children and females who looked to be either old or lamed.  He kept his outrage in check as they got closer and closer, even when some of them lowered their spears, and he flinched when the lead soldier stabbed his spear into the back of a fleeing female who had turned and threw her arms out to slow the advancing attackers, to protect the children.  She collapsed to the ground and was trampled over by the horses, but she had managed to slow the lead elements of that attacking force for a few more seconds, giving her life to grant life to the others, if only for another moment.
	He found himself unable to look away as the soldiers spread out and encircled the slowest of the fleeing orcs, trying to surround the entire host, an icy fury building up inside him to see what they were doing, and yet be unable to put a stop to it.  He couldnt fight them all, and that made him powerless to prevent what he knew was going to happen.  He watched as the horses of the soldiers allowed them to race past the females and children on either side, then rein in and veer in front of them, cutting off their retreat.  The sixty or so orcs were now surrounded by the humans on horseback, giving up their race and gathering in a tight circle, as the children cried and the females screamed in fear or anger, or perhaps both.
	He closed his eyes and bowed his head.  It was generally over now.  Not that the orcs ever really had a chance in the first place.  But now they were trapped, unable to flee, and the soldiers had just ensured that they would kill them all without having to ride all over the place to chase down the singles that might escape, had they tried to kill them all by chasing them down from behind.  He opened his eyes and saw that the children were still on the hilltop; Jal looked confused, Telven eager, and Zyri looked very sad.
	Down the hill, Tarrin told them, pointing towards where Miranda and Dolanna had gone.
	But I want to see! Telven protested.  Theyre gonna kill Defiled is all, we get to see it all the time on the stands back home!
	Fool cub, you have no idea what youre talking about! Tarrin snapped at him hotly, which made Telven flinch.  His sudden flash of anger made him forget himself, and he shapeshifted into his true form, which included the wings.  Those wings flared out, suddenly turning bright red, a visible symbol of his growing anger.  Or have you forgotten that you were on that stand, and youd be dead right now had if I hadnt have saved you?
	A thin squeal from the bottom of the hill got Tarrins attention, and he turned to look.  He wished he hadnt.  One of the soldiers, just one, had darted his horse in close to the trapped orcs with a spear and used it to impale an orc child, no more than a toddler, and raised the body up over his head, still on his spear shaft.  The child was not dead, convulsing and writhing on the shaft.  And the soldier was laughing, as the others gave a great cheer at the slaughter of an innocent, at the cruel wounding of a child.
	All shreds of rational composure were lost in the sight of that.
	With a scream of such outrage that no voice could truly define it, Tarrin hurtled at the soldiers like a fiery missle fired from a catapult, wings trailing licks of fire behind him.  His mind was consumed in a red haze of outraged fury, and there was nothing that mattered to him in the entire world in that moment than eradicating the mounted soldiers so thoroughly that not even their ashes would infect the grass beneath their feet.  There were too many for him to take on as he was, so his infuriated mind recalled a memory of what he had done before, creating the shell of another form around him and joining to it, which would make him much larger, much more capable of dealing with a large group.
	Expanding to massive size, Tarrins wings exploded out to either side of him, then quickly collapsed around him as the enraged Were-cat willed them to do so, to begin the process of change that would transform him into another shape.
	But this time, something wasdifferent.  It struck him so suddenly that it knocked him from his fury for a moment, as he felt the fire infuse him, reaching into his mortal form and touching what was there.  In that fleeting moment of lucidity, he felt his body yield to the power of his fire, to the power of his divine power, and become fluid.  Tarrin wanted size and power to deal with a large group of humans; well, the divine power within him, always seeking to do what Tarrin wanted of it and much more aware of what it was capable of than he who commanded it, responded to that desire.
	To the others, it was an awesome sight.  Tarrins body simply melted away within the core of the fire, as it as well was transformed into living flame.  He became a living entity without set form, able to mold the exterior of its borders at will, a true being of change, which was the representation of fires impact upon the world.
	The exterior of the fire suddenly billowed outward smoothly as Tarrins mind reverted to memory, to experience.  He needed to be able to take on three hundred menor, more to the point, stop them from slaughtering the orcs.  That didnt actually require combat if he could scare them enough, and if he wanted to scare someone, then he knew the perfect shape in order to do it.  Tarrins fire expanded, changed, twisted, grew, growing bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until it hovered over the entire valley, taking on a solid, defined form, displaying a shape with which his friends were more than familiar.  The fire completed that shape, and then, in a blinding flare of incandescence, the fire faded, retreating within the form it had just shaped, leaving behind true flesh and blood and bone in its stead rather than solid, living fire.
	In an earth-shaking cloud of dust, Tarrin landed on the floor of the valley.  His human form was gone, and in its place, stood a five hundred span long dragon with golden scales.
	It could be said with certainty that everyone in that valley was absolutely stunned, including Tarrin.  He had no idea he was capable of something like this!  This was not creating a fireform and joining to it, this was real!  Tarrin had shapeshifted into a form other than a human, cat, or his natural hybrid state!  He had shapeshifted into a gold dragon, a true, living, breathing, gold dragon.  He had the scales, the claws, the blood, the flesh, the bone, even the breath weapons of a gold dragon, he could sense it within himself.  The change was absolute, complete, perfect in every detail save gaining the mind of a gold dragon.  The Cat within objected violently to the taking of an unnatural form, but then it suddenly and mysteriously fell silent, as if it realized that this was nothing more than temporary, or perhaps that it found the shape to its liking.  He wasnt sure.  He had no idea how he had done it, had no idea he was capable of it.  Tarrin had just crossed the threshold and expanded his power to shapeshift to include forms that was not natural to him.  His wings, his power, seemed to have touched on that basic, ingrained ability within him and augmented it, allowing him to exceed his normal natural limitation.  He seemed to understand, perhaps subconsciously, that his famili