Aeson was sitting on a fallen tree trunk at the edge of the forest, watching Leonie wringing her hands nervously.
"Don't chicken out like that," he grinned at her.
When Dorian had asked him to work with Leonie today while he prepared their departure, he had gladly taken the task. To him, the girl was like an exciting game. He could hardly wait to find out what she was capable of.
"I'm not… chickening out," Leonie shot him a disapproving look and hid her hands behind her back. She was very nervous about what would happen during this training, since she had no idea how she had managed to manipulate her magic at all so far. She didn't really believe she would be able to do it on purpose.
"If you say so," the man winked at her. "Then go on and give it a try." he ordered.
Leonie just stared at him in confusion. What exactly was he expecting from her?
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked.
"Move a branch… or a blade of grass will do just fine," Aeson said.
Leonie still frowned at him. How was she supposed to know what to do?
"Fine… but how?" she asked uncertainly.
Aeson jumped down from the tree trunk and walked closer to her. He stretched out his palm, facing upward, and a small flame flared up in it, then went out at once.
"Call it, and it will answer you," he said.
The girl did not think this was such a great idea. The last time she had done something like that, a man had died. And after that, she had driven a root through Dorian's leg. Her magic did not seem particularly reliable. But seeing Aeson's expectant expression, she decided to try anyway.
She closed her eyes and focused on the surrounding trees. She tried to call them. Whatever that meant, based on what the man had said. But no matter how she called to them, she did not feel anything happen. She cracked one eye open and glanced around to see whether something had changed.
"Nothing," Aeson informed her. "What a pity, I thought you'd manage it on the first try. If a pretty face like yours asked me, I'd definitely answer."
He grinned at Leonie, who instantly grew flustered and blushed. She didn't know the man well enough to realize he was just teasing her.
"Try again, I've got time," he said.
And Aeson really hadn't been joking. For almost an hour he let Leonie push herself to the point of exhaustion as she struggled to coax any kind of reaction from the forest, but nothing happened, and that only frustrated her more and more.
"Don't choke your emotions," he told her for what felt like the hundredth time. He didn't look the slightest bit bored by all the failed attempts.
"But it's not working!" Leonie growled in annoyance. She felt she had tried everything and was very tired.
"No wonder you couldn't get out of the humans' claws on your own with that attitude," Aeson said.
Leonie thought she had misheard him. She stared at him in stunned silence, but Aeson continued.
"Of course, it's no surprise that if an elf grows up among humans, they end up with the same weak character as them."
Aeson gave her an evil little grin, and now Leonie's face started turning red for very different reasons. Aeson didn't know anything about her, just like Xavier didn't. How dared they form an opinion about her and her life?
"Perhaps you disagree?" Aeson stepped closer in a menacing way.
"And you still don't do anything!" he barked at her. "I can see they trained you well, like a pet, so you don't bite back."
He stepped even closer to the girl, and her inner alarms went off at once. Her body tensed, ready to flee, but panic was drowned out by anger, and she had no idea who she was truly angry at. At the elf for threatening her? Because he was actually right? Or at the baron, for having turned her life into hell?
"Shut up!" she shouted at the man, her hands clenching into fists.
"And what will you do if I don't? Your body is weak, I could break it with a single move," he growled.
Now he stood right in front of Leonie, his voice turning downright chilling. It was to the girl's credit that she still had not run away screaming for help.
"There's no one here, I could do anything I want to you! You're weak, aren't you? You're so afraid you'd let me do whatever I pleased," he went on, slowly reaching his hand toward her throat.
Leonie's vision narrowed. Anger flooded her entire being. She hated this man, he deserved no better fate than that nameless soldier. Than any man who had ever dared touch her. They all deserved death.
Then she heard a whooshing sound above her head.
Aeson reacted so fast that Leonie barely even saw him. One moment he was in front of her, the next he had thrown himself to the ground, then rolled aside to dodge another branch. His loud, cheerful laughter snapped the girl out of it instantly. She stood there gasping for air, trying to clear her head and vision.
"Now that's more like it!" Aeson got to his feet, brushed the dirt from his trousers, then turned to the girl, who was still in a state of shock.
"See? You can do it, you just need a little emotion," he said, stepping beside Leonie and giving the top of her head a pat.
"You did well, kid. I hope you don't hold a grudge." He winked at the stunned girl, who still hadn't processed what was going on.
"That's enough for today. Hold onto this moment so you know you're capable of it. We'll continue tomorrow."
Aeson turned on his heel and walked away, whistling, leaving the girl alone, who collapsed to the ground, empty and drained. She had not expected this to be such a terrible hour, but if she was honest with herself, it had probably been necessary. She could use her magic after all. She had done something she'd never managed before. She had protected herself.