Divided we fall

Chesh raised an eyebrow as Talia joined her in the stables. Camon had mentioned she was a powerful empath, but she hadn't realised just how powerful.

It was a shame they had company now, she'd almost figured out what she wanted to say to Iearnen. One problem with being old was that she tended to overthink things. She'd outgrown action for the sake of action decades ago.

She introduced herself again as she brushed Iearnen. Kept her from having to shake hands. She frowned. Talia seemed to be congratulating her on something. What...? She thought her and Camon were.... She started laughing. She couldn't help it.
Talia looked down at her over the side of the stall, a chagrined expression on her face.
"I misread the situation totally didn't I?"
"Oh yeah." Talia shook her head and moved into the stall, flopping down onto the hay, heedless of her spotless clothes. "Not that he's not worth sleeping with. Decent kid, just needs some polish." She laughed "Though I think I'll leave most of the ego buffing to some suitably enamored 'sweet young thing'. I tend to leave scratches."
"Camon mentioned that you're quite the earth mage."
"Speaking of mages, have you worked with Silverleaf? Considering the man's attitude I expect he has some talent at least."
"He's quite the mage." Great, the diplomatic answer. Just what she didn't need.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go." She tossed the brush on the self and headed off. She was in a mood to kick someone's ass, and she preferred to do it without an audience.

"So, have you reconsidered my offer?"
"Offer? I thought that was intended as an insult. It certainly was one."
"Why you arrogant..." Seconds later Silverleaf was flat on his high and mighty ass, reeling from the attack on his power source.
"Listen you, I may be arrogant, but of the two of us, I've earned it. I'm stronger than you, more experienced, and I have a hell of a lot better control. I'm also the person who's going to teach you common courtesy if I have to strip you of every last shred of your dignity to do it. I know the pride of your lineage, and I won't permit you to ruin it."
"You're lying" Legacy leaned forward, breath hissing past his ear.
"I knew your grandfather. I knew your grandfather's father. I knew your grandfather's grandfather. And if you tell anyone that, there won't be enough left of you to fill that silver frog your family is so proud of." She walked off, releasing the hold she had on him. He'd recover soon enough. And learn. Yes, he'd definitely learn.

There was a harsh banging at legacy's door, and before she could even say 'come in' it was thrown open.

"What in the nine hells did you do to me woman?" She stared at Silverleaf, mildly surprised.

"I've limited you to five cases of verbal abuse a day. It's only two candlemarks to noon, don't tell me you've used them up already?"

"You...how...How dare you! How DARE you crawl around in my mind and change me." She blinked at him, surprised.

"I didn't expect you to see it that way." She undid her work and told him so. He was still staring. What did he want? Oh.

"I'm sorry." He let loose a torrent of abuse, proving he could, then spun to leave. "Silverleaf, do you have any friends, back at the vale I mean?" She could hear the honest curiosity she felt reflected in her voice. For a second he paused, reacting to it before storming off. The door slammed loudly behind him.

After a moment she followed.

"I feel responsible for him, I suppose that's why I did it. I just felt this impulse to make him into somebody his family would be proud of. But it's wrong, isn't it, because if I do that, it's about me and not him.

The real hell of it is that it's so easy. Like breathing. And who thinks about breathing most of the time? You just do it. Power like this, it should be difficult, require sacrifices, anything to make it special." She swallowed, for the first time in years really thinking about what she was. What she had been built to be. It was a frightening thought. "If this gets out of hand I could be really dangerous. The kind of dangerous that spreads across the land...I have to stop." Legacy didn't generally cry. But resting her forehead against the calm chestnut mare, for the first time in centuries she thought she might like to.

Behind her a very worried Talia slipped away to find the king.

The anger would have been easier to hold on to if he hadn't had a cold core of fear and sadness in him. The hell of it was, she was right. That question, so honest, so unlike the rest of her he'd almost answered. Admitted that no, he didn't have any friends, not at the vale, not elsewhere, not even in his own family. That the other mages went out of their way to humiliate or avoid him. And that he liked it that way.

But then, that wasn't entirely true, and she'd know that, he was certain. His grandfather had been a great Adept, able to bring statues to life and make light his solid tool. But with his son and his grandson, it had gradually bled away, leaving Silverleaf with nothing more than a reputation he could never hope to live up to.

For every accomplishment he made, he was graciously informed that it'd already been done, more quickly, bigger, better. Every failure was rubbed into his face until he was ready to scream. So he did. At one person after another, stripping their confidence and self possession to match his, and driving them away. Over and over until he was finally, blessedly, alone.

The vale gave him a task, and he did it. One errand after another, until finally they'd sent him here, with a different set of people who hated him and a dangerous woman who asked him the most irritating questions. 'Do you have any friends?' Hah, of course he didn't.

But for the first time he admitted, if only to himself, that he wanted one.