Artemis concentrated on weaving the threads of her power in her minds eye her eyes only half focused as she used her power to create a seamless shirt out of a single piece of fabric. She'd very nearly gotten the hang of it the day before. Under Gandalf's tutelage while they traveled she'd gained a lot of control over her power though she knew some of that was due to prior experience in both Greece and her own World. She'd been a witch and had used energy and magic before which gave her a leg up on the lessons. She had surprised Gandalf when she hadn't needed a Focus like his staff to work with her power, apparently no Wizard could use Magic without a staff and he'd muttered angrily about that for hours.
He'd also muttered angrily over her refusal to talk about her Universe or what she knew of Middle Earth. "If I told you what is going to happen what would you do about it?" Artemis had finally asked challengingly.
He'd grudgingly admitted that he would attempt to alter the outcome and she'd nodded in understanding. "But that would upset everything else and could even lead to none of this existing at all. I won't take that risk. I was brought here to change something, even if I don't understand what yet I Know, with a capital K, that I was not brought here to tell you the whole of your future."
He puffed at his pipe irritably for a minute then chuckled. "Here I am, older than you by many many years and you are teaching me the value of patience." He'd laughed and she laughed with him.
He realized he liked this strange woman with her sharp tongue and dry humor, she was intelligent and capable and though she was concerned for her friend she had not let the worry consume her like many would have. She instead focused on becoming better with her power and though he would never tell her she was already as strong as he if not as experienced. It was only in sleep that he saw her vulnerable, she fretted in her sleep murmuring and speaking strange names, at one point she had sat bolt upright and screamed the name Dahok in terror. It had startled him but when he'd shaken her she'd woken confused and refused to speak of whomever Dahok was.
They were still many leagues away from Rivendell and supplies were running low, it was also starting to snow, he cleared his throat. "It may be prudent for us to find somewhere to stop until the worst of the early winter storms catch us out of doors."
Artemis was inspecting the shirt she'd finished with a critical eye, he'd noticed that she was a very capable seamstress and seemed to prefer doing some things without the aid of Magic at all. "I don't want to come to rely on Magic. It might fail me at a critical moment if I rely too much on it." She'd explained.
She sighed and nodded reluctantly. "I've been thinking the same. I don't like the idea of being stuck in one place for weeks not knowing where Tracey is but if we freeze to death that does her no good either."
"The Winter storms only last a few weeks at most this far south. As soon as they pass we can continue, by then I can have horses to carry us." He said with a shrug.
She gave him a sidelong look from those keen dark eyes of hers. "You're going to stay with me?"
He shifted a little uncomfortably before he got control of himself. At times she seemed to know too many things about him and it unnerved him a little. "Of course, I can hardly leave you alone to manage as you may."
She smiled and then laughed. "I'm teasing Gandalf. We'll find a place to stay tomorrow."
He laughed with her but promised himself that he would start plying her more subtly for information, he hated not knowing anything.