Sword and Mind

26

Fear, anxiousness, curiosity: all these emotions flowed from her sister.

"How did you learn? Humans had forgotten the Old Ways."

Anger surged through her. Do Fairies have what we lost? Why didn't they teach us? Help us?

What do ya mean, Lu...

Not right now, Rumah. I can't keep two conversations at the same time. Get a group to go to Osof. We have a prisoner. Recet and I will scout the area. Already we found three mages. I will let you know when I know more.

Be careful an' don't be long in tellin' me.

Aye, I will.

"You're talking to her, aren't you? Or is it a brother?"

"Sister. Have you told your brother what happened?"

"I did." He sifted in his saddle as he studied the ground next to the creek. "He was asking me questions the moment I heard you. I think he heard you too."

Pallu's eyes roved the area as they walked. "Do Fairies know anything about it?"

"Yes. We know all twins can mind speech to some degree. Some more so than others. Same with telekinetics. We've never seen where Fairies and Humans can mind speech with each other."

"Maybe because you're not fully Human or Fairie. You're both," she said offhandedly.

Recet looked up at her, surprise written fully on his face. "Nice conjecture. I wonder that we had not thought of it earlier. Though Fairies rarely have twins."

"Are you implying that Humans can't come up with answers to all these riddles?"

Recet's face became a mask of emotionless features. "No...well...yes really. In general Fairies see Humans as not as intelligent as they are. They tend to raise their children with the same outlook. I did not intend for you to be offended. I did not communicate properly."

"Well, no matter your intentions, your words spoke for themselves." She dismounted after crossing the creek and searched the mages' small camp. "You do realize how unhealthy it is to believe that part of you is inferior."

Recet made no answer that she could hear. Without waiting for a response from him she moved to the body in the creek and in conjunction with her mind and body she had the man moved to look like he had been sleeping in the camp. She did the same with the person Recet shot out of the tree, taking their weapons as she worked.

"Why do you not just use your mind?"

"Because at this moment I am rather angry and physical movement keeps me from throttling you. Grasp?" She pushed her hair from her eyes. "Why do you ask so many questions?"

He shrugged as he continued to keep watch. "How did you learn the counter for the spells?"

She pulled out the arrows from the mages' backs and handed them back to Recet. "Why? You obviously know how to do it. Surprised a Human can discover something?"

"Yes...at least from what the elders told us."

"Are you always so honest?" she chuckled wryly as she took the reins of her horse in hand and began to walk towards the next town.

"No. But I can be nothing less with you."

Her head snapped around to consider him.

"You don't seem the type to want placating lies."

She strode up to him without a trace of fear in her eyes. "No. What I want is to know why you Fairies have kept the Masters in the dark about fighting our common enemy. But you are so afraid that we would somehow surpass you all that when the Masters were killed two hundred years ago you saw no reason to help those in need." She spat on the ground and resumed her hunt, her sword blade slapping her thigh as she went.