She sat on the edge of the island, her legs swung over the edge. Roger sat next to her.
"You're going to have to talk to me sometime. I could keep you here you know." He threatened her. She snorted, very unlady like. Roger sighed and rolled his eyes. "Shelby Lynn. For the last time I'm ordering you to speak to me." Shelby looked at him and glared. "Gods curse it woman! I need to teach you these spells! The Gods have commanded it!" He was starting to lose his self control. They had been sitting in an unbroken silence for nearly thirty minutes.
Shelby refused to let him teach her. She was brooding over his past… Indiscretions. But Mithros, the Mother Goddess, and the Black God had told him he must teach her these spells. In exchange they had promised the end of the torture he had been receiving daily. It had been his punishment for trying to over throw Jonathan and take the thrown. The right to rule was a God given right and they meant to show him why, over, and over, and over again every day. As long as he was teaching Shelby though they had promised to stop the torture. So of course Roger had jumped at the chance. How was he supposed to know this girl would recognize him and be upset by him? Roger rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ok woman, I am your teacher and you will listen to me." He stood up and then pulled her to her feet. She tried to pull away but he held on to her arms. "Don't act like a child. And pay attention." He dragged her over to the speckled rock and commanded her to sit. He stood and faced her. "Now I know you're not exactly pleased with my past behavior but I have been given the duty to teach you. Now you're going to sit there and listen to what I say or you can sit there and ignore me. But there will come a time when you need what it is I have to teach you. So would you rather learn these spells and be prepared, or would you prefer to blow me off and risk being unprepared in the future?" He finished his rant and sucked in a deep breath. His face was rosy with anger.
Shelby looked him in the yes. Roger stared back into hers. Finally she gave in and looked down. "Ok, fine. Teach me oh great one." She said the last part mockingly but Roger just brushed it off.
Her first lesson was a section on Gift leeching. It went quite smoothly. More smoothly then her lessons with Lucas. When they finished Shelby and Roger walked over to the edge of the island once more. Shelby had grown a new- Respect for him. He was a good teacher. But she still didn't trust, or even like him for that matter. Once at the edge they stopped and faced each other.
"Before you go, I want to give you something." He said. He cupped his hands together and focused on them. Slowly orange fire swirled up around his finger and wrapped around his fingers. Once it completely surrounded his hands it flared and died. Roger opened his cupped hands and held out a flat butterfly shaped pendant. It was nearly the width of her palm and glowed a faint, steady orange. She took it and held it gingerly. It was beautiful. Shelby could feel the magic pulsing in it. She looked up at Roger for an explanation. He gave her one. "If you ever need me, during the day while you're awake just hold this and think of me."
Shelby looked down at the token once more, then back up at Roger. "Thank you Roger. How could I-"
He cut into her sentence. "Don't thank me. Just promise me you'll use it." He smiled a broad white-toothed smile.
Shelby nodded. "I promise I'll use it."
"Good," He said. "Now get some sleep while you still can."
She didn't have time to respond when everything turned black.
Lucas had torn her blankets away and was shaking her to get up. Shelby moaned and blinked up at him.
"Shelby! You need to get up. If we don't leave now, neither of us will get breakfast!"
Shelby jumped up. Lucas was a crank as it was. She didn't want to see how he was with an empty belly. She shooed him out quickly so she could change. That's when she realized she had been holding something in her palm. She unfurled her fingers to expose an orange butterfly pendant.