They had walked in silence for what seemed like hours. Her master had slowed his pace a bit, probably annoyed that she couldn’t match him, but A’nallia was happy to spend the time taking in her surroundings. She had never been outside the city before, so couldn’t guess where they were headed. Somewhere to the south perhaps. Or the east. Surrounded by high walls and guards her whole life, Taryn’nati geography wasn’t a subject she had found important to learn. They passed by fields of tall grass and wildflowers, and forests of green, leafy trees and brush. The sun was no longer blocked by the mountains and sat hazy in the background, warming her face and shoulders. She could hear birds singing and other creatures rustling around her. If she hadn’t just been sold at auction like livestock, this would have been the most beautiful day of her life.

As she strolled, she thought it was surprising her master didn’t have a carriage or cart, or even a horse to ride. She was sure all demon masters were wealthy, so why would he walk down a dirt road with no ride and no servants?

Well, I suppose I am his servant now, so he does have one of those with him.

Her bare feet were growing raw and, occasionally, she would step on a stone or twig and wince in pain. She wanted to say something, to rest and end this unbearable quiet, but she had no idea what to say. She had always been outwardly shy and certainly didn’t feel confident in this situation. Complaining seemed out of the question, though, and her master didn’t strike her as someone who liked to chat.

“We have been walking for a while.” Her master halted abruptly, still not looking back. “Do you need to stop and rest?”

A’nallia didn’t know how to respond. Was it a test? Could he hear her thoughts? Don’t be silly, A’nallia. There is no magic that can do that. Should she be honest, or would she just appear burdensome?

“No, I’m fine. I am actually quite hardy.”

“We will stop and rest for a minute.”

A’nallia smirked. Master, if you wanted a break, you could have just said so.

She followed him to the edge of the road, both sitting on a fallen tree. Not thinking, she rubbed at her feet. With a touch, her blisters and bloody cuts from the road were healed, and she let out a small sigh as the pain dissipated.

“I should have bought you some shoes.” His tone was without concern, just an off-hand comment.

A’nallia cringed, tilting her head away. How could she have made such a huge mistake? She had been taught from an early age that magic was meant to serve others and should only be used when ordered. Had she gone against his authority? Or did he take her healing herself as an insult?

“No, it’s just a habit,” she replied, smiling gently and waving her hand. “My feet didn’t really hurt. It’s just a good way to practice. I always did it like this in the Tower.”

Her master glanced at her, little emotion in his grey eyes, but nodded slightly. She felt somewhat better, relieved that at least she hadn’t done something wrong.

“Do you feel alright?” she asked, turning the conversation away from herself. “As you said, we have been walking for a while. Are you sore anywhere?”

Her master just continued to stare, not saying anything. She wasn’t sure what his expression meant or what she should do in response, so she stared back, their eyes locked in uncomfortable silence for what seemed to her like an eternity. Finally, he nodded again and motioned for her to come closer, then pointed to his left side. She knelt on the ground next to him and gingerly pulled his thin tunic loose. Lifting it, she gasped at what was hidden underneath. From abdomen to waist, he was covered in scars - burn scars, weapon scars, teeth scars - an uncountable number of old wounds spread around him. She lifted the fabric higher and saw that the jagged, discolored markings continued up his back and across his shoulder.

Her hand trembled a bit as an unknown sorrow overwhelmed her. She wasn’t familiar with this man, this demon, but to have suffered so many injuries - he must have lived through things she couldn’t imagine. She delicately traced her fingers along one of the healed sword wounds, feeling the pain that radiated outward, until he reached out and roughly grabbed her hand. Through a blur of building tears, she looked up to find him staring back with genuine shock. It was the first emotion she had seen from him. Turning away, she quickly used a sleeve to dry her eyes, then cleared her throat.

“Sorry. I just haven’t seen so many scars before. They must have been very painful.” Having felt it, her voice softened a bit and she added, “They are probably still very painful.”

“Which is why you are here. Are you going to cry every time? That will be a bit inconvenient, I think.”

A’nallia let out a laugh. From his tone, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious, but the comment put her more at ease. Lifting his shirt back up, she examined him carefully.

“No, of course not. I apologize.” Composed and smiling again, she searched out every twinge and burn and ache. “It's internal pain, yes? I can remove the scars for you as well, if you like.”

“You can do that?” His question was sincere, as if other healers were incapable of such a thing. “No, I will keep the scars. Just lessen the pain a bit, if you can.”

“Of course.” A’nallia placed one palm on his chest and the other on the small of his back. Closing her eyes, her hands warmed, sending a soothing energy through him. It only took a few moments and when she finished, she pulled his tunic back down, carefully tucking the fabric back into place.

“There. It isn’t perfect. I assumed you have similar pain in your legs, from the look of those wounds, but I would need to know your specific ailments to heal you better. For now, I can only relieve some of your discomfort.”

Her master stretched his left arm out and up above his head, rolling his shoulder and neck. He arched his back and then stood, looking down at her. Still expressionless, he reached out a hand to help her up and she accepted with a smile, wiping the dirt and grass from the skirt of her dress. Without saying anything, he released her hand, turned, and continued down the road. She followed him again in silence, this time much closer to his side.