Chapter 32: Magic
Sionna turned around hearing someone behind her. In the distance she could make out the dark giant silhouette of Caith.
As he got closer she saw that his face and hair still had traces of blood on it, while his black shirt and pants were clean.
"Finally calmed down?" He smiled at her while swinging the bag off his shoulder and reaching in.
"Here," he said pulling out her sword. "I couldn't just leave it in his leg."
Sionna gave him a small smile, and took it strapping it to her waste.
"Why did you make me leave I could've helped?" She said he green eyes watching his face intensely. Caith sighed, and ran his large hand through his black hair. Feeling all of the blood in it he pulled it out and gave himself a mental note to wash it out.
"You are really dangerous when you loose control like that. Not just for the enemies but also for yourself." He said putting his bag back on.
"But I was able to defend us, I wasn't as useless as I am with a sword." She said feeling the handle of the blade at her hip.
"I would rather get hurt then see you like that." Caith said firmly his glacier blue eyes glowing. "If you aren't careful that magic you were using could consume you. Literally eat away at your soul. Magic is different colors for a reason and fire magic is especially tricky. It can be used for good, but like everything it has a bad side to it. You were using that side of it." Caith sighed again, tired from the battle and mentally struggling to convey his point.
"How do you know I was using the bad side of fire magic?" She replied with annoyance in her voice.
"Because your eyes turned black." Caith replied simply, starting to walk in a slightly different direction then Sionna was walking earlier. She followed having no other choice, new thoughts tumbling around in her head.
"How do you know where your father is?" She asked trying to change the topic.
"He's my father," he replied candidly.
"Why are you being so short with me?" She asked narrowing her eyes.
"I don't know how to explain it any other way." Caith sighed and shrugged. "I am not the best with words."
"You can say that again," she smiled at him. Feeling a bit relieved, yet she still felt like he wasn't telling her something on purpose.
He looked down at her, his eyes shinning as he smiled softly back. There was almost a sadness in the way he looked at her, which only caused Sionna more confusion. Caith looked ahead again, moving steadily though the forests.
"Do you think I will ever be able to control the magic?" She asked breaking the silence.
"I don't know, but for now I will always be there to help you."
Sionna felt her cheeks get red at his reply. The two continued walking through the forest until sunset. Then they decided to set up camp next to a small stream. Sionna collected firewood while Caith tried to wash the blood from his hair and face. She paused watching his manipulate the stream water to wash himself. He was able to turn the water into a funnel and hose his hair off with it.
'I wonder how he learned to control magic like that," she thought to herself while picking up fallen twigs and branches.
When she found enough she went to the clearing they picked to set up camp. Caith was now setting up the tent. She started setting up a fire pit before building a tepee of sticks and branches with kindling inside. Then she started looking on the ground for rocks to start the fire.
"Just use magic," Caith said and she stopped what she was doing.
"How?" She replied looking over at him.
"I can help in a second," he said using his barehand to nail the last tent stake deep into the ground. He then went over to her and sat down cross legged next to her.
"Give me your hand" he said holding his out to her and she obeyed.
"I want you to think of warmth, not the heat of anger. Warmth like an embrace of a love one or a childhood home when it's cold out."
Sionna closed her eyes and pictured those things in her head. The smell of soup over the open fire as her Papa told her stories. She felt the warmth in her chest and the corners of her mouth turned upwards.
"Now take that warmth and move it to your hand." Caith said as he turned her palm towards the fire. Sionna imaged the warmth inside her was a small flame. Like that of a candle and she tried to move it towards her hand. She opened her eyes suddenly when she smelt smoke. A small flame was burning the kindling she had set up.
"I did it!" She laughed and hugged Caith excitement washing away her darker thoughts from earlier today.
"Next you can teach me how you did that water thing!" She exclaimed her arms still wrapped around him. Caith's cheeks became red as she looked into his eyes. It was rare that their faces were ever this close. He could see every freckle on her nose and cheeks.
"Of course," he replied softly. Suddenly Sionna became aware of how close they were and she untangled herself from him sitting back down. Her cheeks red as well as she looked at the fire and poked at it with a stick.
"We should do that soon you kinda stink after all of that fighting." Caith said with a wide grin making Sionna hit him in the leg. Yet she had a grin to match his.
"You should be talking, you smell like a wet dog."
"Touché, I saw there was a bath tub in there. Should I fill it?"
"For me or for you?" She asked furrowing her brows.
"You of course, I would never fit in that thing." He replied standing up and brushing the dirt off his pants.
"Well if you don't want me to stink anymore be my guest." She replied poking at the fire some more getting it into the center. She tried to keep her expression neutral but her lips continued to turn upright.
"Of course m'lady," Caith said with a bow before heading toward the tent.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone