“Then.” Nathan Butler began, pausing for only a brief instant. “I think, we’d, better, take, the, lot.” He spoke slowly, taking care to form each word so they’d come out clear.
“Yeth.” Suzanne added, not as clear but still legible. “If, we have, them all, then, if it, gets, too much…”
“I see.” The older man replied. “That, was the answer I expected to hear.”
“Why, is, that?” Nathan asked slowly.
“I suspected that you’d wish to try and hold onto your human forms, but wish to have a contingency in the event it would become more than you could handle.” He replied softly. “That is why I had all the options prepared for you, so you’d have all the choices you could have given your, current situation.”
“I, thee.” Suzanne murmured, long head dipped with her mind lost in thought for the moment. “So now, that thith, ith on, how do, you, shee, me?”
“Right now, since I already know of what’s happened, what I see is you as you want me to see you. But there’s a shadow around you, revealing to me what you really look like.” He answered her question, observing both the illusion and reality around her.
“And there, is, another, matter.” Suzanne added, getting the hang of her new mouth. “Once this sherum, wears off, how long, would it, take, to, take ush, back to, as we are?” She held the one that would grant them back their original human forms.
“It, can vary.” He admitted. “Sometimes it can be a steady progression, at other times though, you may find it happening in leaps and surges. Usually though, it will take about two to three hours.”
“I, thee. One, thing, though.” Nathan cut in. “How, exactly, did thish, happen? And why, here?”
“This is sacred land you see. Sacred to its original inhabitants. A place where you can become one with the land if you have the means and the will.” He sighed gently as he scanned his eyes along the horizon. “That was before the colonials came, and made their mark, one that’s lasted to this day. Now, only in a few select locations such as this, can the old magics of the land endure, and its voice be heard.”
Long moments passed before he spoke again. “And I had best be off now, the others will be waiting for me. But I have left you a few things here which you should find to be of some help.” As he rose to his feet, a ripple seemed to run through him, as he pulled off his boots to reveal fast-forming hooves, and once his coat was open the Butlers could see his body shifting to that of a horse. Dropping the coat, he took only a step before falling to new forelegs with a deft skill suggesting experience before galloping off, leaving the Butlers to stare open-mouthed at what they’d seen.
“Well, that, wash, odd.” Nathan broke the silence after some time had passed.
“Yeah, but, I wonder, whath he left.” Suzanne decided not to worry too much as she checked behind where he’d been sitting. “Oh, look, at, theesh.”
What she produced was another long trench coat, sized to fit her, a check of the other one showing that it was in Nathan’s new size. A set of gloves and boots were there as well, the latter modified to handle their new feet.
“Sho? What, do we, do, now?” Nathan wondered as he bundled the pieces together and was ready to head back to the RV.
“I’m not, sure, but. I think, we could, try, to, enjoy our, honeymoon, shtill.” Suzanne offered. “But, do we, shtay here? Or, drive on?”