It took almost another hour for Rue to return. Her horse was laden with what seemed to be wooden shafts, except they lay across the horse almost like lengths of rope. Anaya shook her head at the sight. With her new haul of raw materials, she proceeded to fix the wagon wheel in no time and also made a couple more of the one-handed club-like weapons, just in case, giving one to Anaya and the rest to the caravaners.
That still left a few lengths of wood unused.
“I suppose I have to make something extra for you so that I don’t have to spend an hour or more healing you again,” Rue commented dryly when Anaya inquired on the subject.
“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Despite her embarrassment over her companion’s words, Anaya couldn’t help but be curious.
“Up to you, really,” Rue replied with a shrug. Contrary to her words, she picked up one piece of wood and started carefully shaping it, something Anaya was sure she wouldn’t get tired of seeing any time soon. The wood simply reshaped itself as if a sculptor was sculpting clay, except without even using their hands. After it was done, Rue presented it to Anaya.
“Oh, very funny,” Anaya commented with a hint of sourness as she took it. It was a two-handed axe, shaped much like the one she’d held at the execution in Illion. “I assume it will actually cut things?” An axe made entirely out of wood was something of an amusing concept.
“As long as it is imbued with my magic it should cut through bone as long you know how to use it properly. That doesn’t last indefinitely, though, especially when you hit things with it. You could say that the magic protects it against impact, whether someone hits it, or it hits someone.”
“Could say that, huh? Really, though. It would be helpful if you explain more of these things to me.” Rue looked at her with a blank expression. “Or am I that untrustworthy?”
“What should I tell you? You’ve already seen most of what I can do. I can reshape wood and other kinds of plants or affect them in some other ways. I can do so remotely, but it is not as effective and is more tiring. I can make them move, but not fly. I can imbue them with magic to make them more durable, or to help them grow. But even with magic that is a slow process and requires a source of energy like any plant.”
Anaya stared at the witch. She wasn’t sure what to make of her companion’s behaviour. She’d told her, sure, but it felt rather passive-aggressive.
“Should I not have asked?” Anaya wasn’t able to keep the uncertainty from her voice entirely. “I didn’t mean to pry, but if we keep running into more problems… I’m sorry, but I don’t have any mystical skills of my own to share in return.”
“Your bone-headedness is rather mystical, I would say.” Despite her sharp words, Rue’s expression softened. “I may use the magic rather freely if there is good reason to, but I don’t normally talk about it with anyone. It is something passed down in my family for generations.”
“I understand that. But I am not planning on misusing this information. I don’t know how I even could if I wanted to. However, understanding what you can or cannot do can save our lives.”
“Which is why I told you as much as I did.”
“What about your healing, then? I may be as dumb as one, but I’m not a plant. How does that work?” Rue’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“Don’t mean to pry, do you? And then that is what you ask me?”
“Oh… I… didn’t realize. You don’t have to answer. Well, not that I could make you anyway.” She looked down at the weapon she was holding, unable to meet Rue’s angry gaze.
“I will tell you. Just so you don’t get even stupider ideas in the future. Yes, I can also affect humans and other living beings. But only if I can touch them. Their life force prevents me from doing so from a distance, and when I touch them, I can mix my life force with theirs and use it to heal or to harm, albeit slowly. So don’t go and get your head cut off and expect me to reattach it. Ask me to harm someone that way, however, and I will end you myself.” Anaya forced herself to look at her companion. Rue’s expression made it clear that she meant it, not that she’d doubted it from her tone of voice.
“I won’t,” she promised. She looked at the remaining pieces of wood. “A shield.”
“What?”
“Could you make me a shield?”
“Ah. I was planning to before you sidetracked me.”
“Sorry,” Anaya muttered sheepishly.
“I guess I will explain one more thing while I am spilling all of my secrets anyway.” She took the bent piece of wood in her hands. “Manipulating the material to simply move is easier than more extensive re-shaping.” The wood started coiling up into a disc shape, much like a snake. “Like so. However, melding it into a different shape can make it stronger.” Before their eyes, the material reshaped itself into a smooth disc instead, but more slowly this time. “Different materials have different properties, even after I adjust them. This is oak, which is one of the better ones for something like this, but it is slower to re-shape.” She presented the completed shield to Anaya.
“Thank you.” Anaya realized her hands were a bit full. She handed back the axe. “One final adjustment. Could you make the butt end sharp?” Rue rolled her eyes and sighed theatrically but did as asked.
“Don’t think I’ll be your personal armourer forever. I can’t really do anything to metal anyway.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” The thought was quite appealing, however.
“And just because it has my magic on it, don’t do something as stupid as trying to block a hit like the one you took yesterday.
“I might’ve pried too much, and I can be self-deprecating at times, but spare my feelings at least a little bit?” Anaya couldn’t help that she was starting to feel the accumulated barbs.
“I’ll take it into consideration.”
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