Her gaze dropped again and she looked embarrassed, watching the ground intently as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Well... yeah. Yes. I know. But... I don't know what I'm asking, I guess."
"You could name any form of magic," he offered, "and I could try to teach it to you. But I want you to have some idea and I want you to look my in the eye when you do it."
She flushed and kept her head down, squinting at the ground. "Why does it matter where I look? And besides, you had stuff you were good at. Why not just teach me that?"
"You're too avoidant," he said. "You're interested in learning but you're not direct, or sure of yourself." He crossed his arms. "You need to less reserved about it. Tell me what you want."
She laughed a little, squinting up at him. "I don't need to change my character," she replied, sounding a little indignant. "I'm allowed to be reserved, especially when considering that the aura of my traveling companion is a little intimidating."
He folded his arms. "Fine. Don't expect me to help you with magic if your going to be a doormat about it, though."
She jerked her head up at him, frowning deeply. "You're a bully," she said sharply, a rare spark of anger in her eyes.
She visibly faltered, but shook her head at him, gesturing back the way they came. "Really. I mean, I knew that," she said, her voice trembling but sounding like she was mostly talking to herself. "I knew that you weren't very nice. But I just... I keep expecting you to be better than you are, and I genuinely don't understand how you can threaten me and belittle me and intimidate me and then still sleep at night. I don't understand, Zerras. I don't get it." She was wringing her hands nervously, but she kept going. "Don't you feel badly? Haven't you learned anything? At all?"
He picked up two sticks, one for each hand, and offered them to her. "Hold these. Focus your anger on them," he said, raising an eyebrow with a frown.
She looked confused, holding the sticks and squinting at him. "Are you going to hit me?" she asked, tilting her head as irritation filled her voice. "Just hit me if you're going to hit me."
Her face fell and she shook her head, her brow furrowing. "Forgive me for expecting that you could be better than you were," she said sharply. "Forgive me for hoping that you could make a conscious decision to be a decent being. I'm not being naive, I'm just hoping that you have basic decency."
It seemed the angry she got the warmer the sticks felt, unless they were basically smoking. Zerras was quiet, his head slightly tipped back as he watched.
She didn't notice, focusing on him, tapping the sticks on the ground in front of her in irritation. "What? Nothing?" she asked sharply, shaking her head. "I don't know what I expected. I don't know why I keep thinking that you're going to change. You know what? You're right. I am naive. I'm naive and silly, but at least I'm not... at least..." She struggled for the word, her temper taking the better of her. "At least I'm not a... a... wiener like you!"
The sticks would catch fire at the peak of her anger. It didn't hurt. She would hardly feel it, but it would be noticeable due to the bright flickering flames.
She yelped in surprise, dropping the sticks and looking down at them with wide eyes. "Oh no. Oh nononono. Did I do that? Ohhhh no. Oh goodness."
She looked up at him, her hands pressed to her mouth in genuine concern. She said nothing, just staring at him.
