The Moorian's Princess

Hiding Magic

"That was a fool thing to do last night, Miss Aila." ZebraAnna scolded that morning while they broke their fast.

"What do ye mean by that?" Aila retorted, fiddling with the rope around her hoof. After she had sent Cal into a deep sleep, she had tied herself back up again, as promised, but she regretted the choice as the rope was beginning to chafe.

"You used your gift on the Morn."

Aila's ears flattened against her skull. "How do ye know about me gift? Ma and Da kept it secret, not even the servants knew."

ZebraAnna held up her scarred hands. "Gift senses gift, Miss Aila."

Aila's eyes widened and her voice lowered. "Ye have magic? Like me own?"

The zebra woman shook her head. "No. Mine takes a much greater cost." She looked around to make sure no one was watching, before she took out a small but sharp pick made of bone, and slashed it across her palm.

Aila gasped as the blood dropped onto the earth and pooled, turning the grass red.

ZebraAnna murmured a few words that Aila couldn't understand and a small flower grew before her eyes.

"Blood magic." Aila whispered in awe and horror.

ZebraAnna nodded gravely. Then she murmured another alien word and the bleeding scratch on her palm closed, leaving only a red scar on her dark skin.

"Unlike most of the eastern lands," ZebraAnna said. "My people do not fear the gift, they revere it, they use it wisely. Unlike the rest of Saren and Vutessia who trample and murder what can be seen as beautiful." The Moorian made eye contact with Aila, her unsettling bronze eyes steady. "Your gift is the most beautiful I have ever seen, keep it secret, Miss Aila, I would hate to see such a priceless gift snuffed out like a candle flame."

Not long after their conversation, a Moorian came and untied their hooves, re-tying their hands together and Aila was tethered to Callahan again.

After an hour on the road, Callahan gently tugged at Aila's lead, drawing her to him. "A word with ye lass?" He asked softly.

Aila raised an eyebrow but nodded.

Cal ran a hand through his hair nervously, tail flicking as he tugged on a braid in his hair. "I wanted te thank ye fer yer help last night."

Aila smirked, "Wee bit out o' practice with 'thank you's' aren't ye?"

Cal scowled, "When we reach Morn, I can show ye a proper thanks, but fer now, I can only say the words."

Aila chuckled. "I look forward to see how ye show thanks." And the little Gaelan pranced away, her fluffed tail in the air.

I can't put me finger on what it is about that wee lass. Cal thought as he watched her skip to ZebraAnna. There's somethin' about her, somethin'...special.

They traveled until dusk, where a light rain had started. "Get under cover, lads an' find dry firewood!" Cal bellowed as his men followed orders.

They made camp under a grove of short gnarled trees, plenty of branches had fallen in a recent storm, but most of it was damp and the men were having trouble lighting it.

Aila, still tethered to Cal, came up next to him with a smirk on her pointed face. "Oh that's great, me captors can't make a fire cause of a wee bit o' rain."

Cal glared at the antlered woman. "I'd like to see ye try it."

Something glittered in those impassable green eyes. "Alright then, untie me and I will."