Owen approached Aurora and whispered her name until she stirred, sitting upright in a tangled mess of blankets. She blinked at Owen's shadowy outline and memory dawned in her eyes.

In a series of low voiced grunts, she untangled her blanketed legs while staying quiet so as not to disturb Eri. He took note of her attempt to suppress a yawn while running her fingers through her hair to braid it once again. Barely awake, she walked toward Owen as he sat on a large root.

The wind stirred the branches and the chattering of the swaying leaves turned to tickled laughter. She turned her gaze to the forest, and Owen's gaze dissected her.

He reached out with his power and examined her aura. Magic mingled with fear. Her texture was rough and uneven; as untested as her power. But it was there.

Looking at her no one would see the extraordinary power within someone so young. Although, perhaps girl was not the right term to describe her. She was about his sister's age as far as he could tell.

She bit her lip before sitting across from him. It was simple enough for him to read her. Thoughts of her captured friend clearly ran free in her mind.

Owen continued to study her openly as she shifted. Clearing her throat she faced him, "So what do we do now?"

His lips twitched into a smirk. "We sit and watch."

She remained silent.

He attempted to ease her nerves and played with a branch. "You need not be a mute. Talking helps pass the time."

She gave him a weak smile. "I don't know what to talk about." She hugged her knees then rocked back and forth on her heels.

Owen clasped his hands together. "Feel free to ask me anything. I'll do my best to answer." He offered what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

A long tress of hair glided across her face and she pulled it back before saying, "You knew Larn."

Of all the things she could have chosen, the topic of Larn was the least he had expected and the one he could not fully answer. "Yes, I knew Larn. He was very much like Tezaro. But if you wish to know more then you will have to ask Tezaro." He didn't volunteer any more information.

She took a moment and with a steady voice said, "You're a good friend to him."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "That was a test of some sort. I have not been tested since I was a young apprentice. By your smile I take it I passed. I'm glad." He chuckled lightly, shaking his head with disbelief.

"Eri told me you've known Tezaro all your life. A good friend knows your secrets and guards them as their own. You look out for one another as Lily and I do for each other."

"Yes, your ferocious loyalty has convinced Tezaro to put her above your safety." He did not mince his words.

Aurora released her legs and inched closer, "You disagree?"

Owen replied with a simple nod. "That is not to say I will not follow him."

"You trust his judgement?" She was defensive.

"If he was not born to lead, then surely he has been made for it. He had to shoulder the weight of a kingdom for a long time." The information was apparently shocking to Aurora.

"My sister did not tell you?" Owen recalled Tezaro as Protector of Armindia dealing with constant bickering among the council and incessant problems along the southern border and to the north. It was not a task he envied.

"I've placed not only my life but my sister's life in his hands countless times before. That does not mean I will not question his judgment. I can think for myself. On this occasion though, we've made a compromise. It involves you." His eyes never left her, always learning her reactions.

"Me?"

He removed a silver ring from his slender finger and offered it to her. She did not take it.

"What is it?"

"You're apprehensive. Good, that shows me you're not gullible." He continued undaunted. "Magic is a part of you Aurora. It is who you are.

"And there is a great deal of magic in you. You need a teacher, a proper mentor. I mean to fulfill that role. This ring marks you as my apprentice. Place it on your thumb." Owen offered it once more. This time she took it though cautiously.

She did not put it on, but toyed with it instead, studying it. "What little I can do has mostly been discovered by accidents to be honest. Lily said it must be instinctive, but I've always feared discovery. I hardly use it knowingly. Until now only Lily has known my secret." Aurora paused and met his eyes.

"I would like to learn, but above all I need to know why I have it. I am not of your world. If I accept and I wear this---are you sure this won't mean anything else? Like I'm your slave or we're married? Something like that?"

He chuckled at the notions she conjured. "No, Aurora. Trust me, this only means you are a mage's apprentice. In this case," he motioned to the ring, "mine."

"This is your crest?" Realization caused her to observe it closely: two interlocking rings with an eye in the center. She continued to fiddle with it undecided.

"The rings represent my family; the eye is an addition to my own crest as wielder of magic. Magic may not have been accepted in your world but here it is a way of life. It is nothing for you to be afraid to admit.

"Many spend a lifetime trying to learn the Craft with little success. Others are born with a glimmer of it that is honed through rigorous training. You carry a beacon of power. It is your responsibility to explore it to its full potential. Will you?" Owen held his breath.

"Why the thumb?" She hesitated once again.

"Because the hand cannot function the same without it. It is the master; as I will be to you." Owen waited.

Aurora slipped the ring on her thumb and it magically fitted itself. "I don't believe I have as much power as you seem to believe. But if I do...teach me. I want to learn." Her face carried a stubborn determination.

Relief spread through Owen's entire being. So much depended on her response. "That ring will bind you to me. I will be your teacher and you will call me Master. You will not deceive me in any way, or I will know." He saw the turmoil in her eyes.

"You need not worry, your private thoughts and feelings are your own. I will not delve into them unless they interfere with your learning. So take care that they do not." Owen's tone was unyielding.

She would take heed of his warning. "I understand." He glared at her to which she added hurriedly, "Master Owen." He gave a slow nod in approval.

"Tell me about your power. What can you do?"

"I can project shields mostly. Other things that I have done, I don't know how to explain them. They just happened." Her hands waved across the air.

Owen scratched his beard. "Perhaps your friend is right. It is instinctive."

"What do you mean, Master Owen?"

"Shields come naturally to you because it is in your nature to protect. Tezaro told me how you met. You could have used your magic against Mimika and Lord Fennaris, but you did not. Why? You struggle to attack, but are quick to defend. Casting offensive spells might be your greatest weakness. We will begin your first lesson now. Show me how you cast."

At that he saw her frown. "What is the matter?"

She glanced at the ring, avoiding his stare. "I don't think I can use my powers. I tried at the clearing before and I couldn't. Perhaps I am weakening from being in this world." Her face was forlorn, and her voice heavy with worry.

Owen found her ignorance of the Silent Circle amusing but tried to hide his smile before he sat beside her.

"There is nothing wrong with you. I'll prove it to you. Cast a small shield over this branch." He placed the branch he'd been holding in the ground and stood. "Just like you did for Tezaro in the desert. Go ahead, before I crush it."

Reluctantly she held out her hand and focused on creating the shield as his foot came down on it. The shield shimmered into existence reflecting the starlight like a soap bubble. Owen's foot hovered above it, unable to crush it into the ground. Joy erupted in hiccupped laughter and resounded through the forest.

It was difficult not to share in her joy, but she had to be warned further. "You must know that if your identity as the Key is discovered before we reach Armindia there will be no end of trouble. Your elf friend has guessed as much already. You are a target, now. The sooner you learn to use your powers the better. Our watch is nearly at an end."

With his outstretched hand he helped her stand. "We will continue in the morning. Let's wake the others." He watched her walk towards Lucas. "No, no. I'll wake him. You wake up my sister. Just follow the snoring and you'll find her in the dark."