Abrial opened her eyes slightly. This time, there was no gasping awake, and the sweat on her neck didn't seem substantial. She even still felt sleepy.
For a brief moment, she studied the warm red glow faintly illuminating the tent, like the radiance of hot magma. It faded to a warm orange, then a yellow, and at last black.
Abrial closed her eyes and returned to a deep sleep.
______
Abrial spent her days at the Wei camp practicing riding Dal and following Finley around camp to her duties as someone with high magical ability. She watched Finley grow and harvest herbs for cooking and healing in the camp gardens, and direct healers in the infirmary tent in healing small injuries and treating colds. It was all amazing, but every time Finley performed magic, Abrial felt her heart sink a little knowing more that she couldn't do the same. She hadn't been able to perform natural magic successfully even one time so far…What if she never did?
