resists the water urge,” he shook his head in disbelief. “It takes years upon years of training and meditation to learn to begin to control the urges and yet Kathryn went for years without using them. Her self-control must be unbelievable. Why it doesn’t kill her, I can’t fathom. As to her second gift I don’t think she realizes the effect she has on plants…although she probably feel s somethin g around them.”
“How can a person not know?” Jasmine demanded.
Jasse shrugged. “I really don’t know.”
“The next potential member of the Guardian Council doesn’t know?” she teased, half serious.
He grinned at her. “As I recall we both spent a lot of time passing notes during theory class. Anyway, what I do know is that when Kathryn touches a flower or a leaf the color brightens and it seems to be given new life. I doubt she’ll realize it until she makes something grow.”
“Which will terrify her even more,” Jasmine slumped against the couch. “Oh, Jasse, what am I going to do?”
“The only thing you can do. Give her time and let her know that using her gifts is not wrong.”
Jasmine nodded, knowing already that Jasse was right. Kathryn was a conundrum—a conundrum that needed to figure itself out. The two friends talked a few minutes more before Jasse retired.
A month later the little eagle had finally taken to flight, and Jasse and Arianna spent most of their days trying to keep up with Kathryn who seemed to find great pleasure in simply running after her bird, slightly put out at having to remain stuck to the ground while her bird could soar. Radian after radian, Kathryn would spend running around Jasmine’s extensive property while the eagle soared just above the girl’s head. Sometimes the eagle would perch herself high in the treetops of an evergreen, and despite Jasse’s and Arianna’s cautionary comments, Kathryn would rapidly haul herself up to be with the bird.
Jasse had begun to help Kathryn teach her bird to hunt and obey commands, unspoken ones since Kathryn still hadn’t said a word. However he began to suspect that Kathryn was speaking to the bird when no one else was around, because the bird began to show an understanding of spoken commands as well.
One day he asked permission to hold the growing bird and after a bit of silent coaxing, Kathryn persuaded her friend to perch herself on Jasse’s well-muscled forearm. As soon as the bird had positioned herself on his arm, Jasse found himself shocked at the weight…a bird as small as her should not have weighed as much as she did. He voiced his thoughts, saying, “It’s amazing this bird can even get off the ground weighing what she does.” Peering at her curiously, he was unsettled to find the bird staring back at him with mirrored curiosity. There was a change in the bird’s eyes as though she was scowling which further unnerved Jasse. Suddenly she let out a screech and opened her wings, one of which caught him on the back of his head.
Jasse stared at the bird in complete disbelief. Had she really just delivered a slap to the back of his head? He was still staring when the bird, apparently deciding to dislike him, unexpectedly tightened her grip on his arm. Despite the thick leather gauntlet sheathing his arm, Jasse ground his teeth together to keep from making a sound against the pain. “You can have her back,” he gasped as he held the eagle out to the little girl. The bird needed no coaxing; she hopped from Jasse’s arm to Kathryn’s and settled herself with a very satisfied look in her eyes.
Grimacing, Jasse eased the vambrace off his arm and studied the damage. The eagle’s talons had punched through the leather and he could feel the bruises forming on his arm. He looked quickly to Kathryn, worried that the bird was subjecting her to similar treatment, but all he found was Kathryn looking at him curiously. He shook his head and grinned. “You have one bizarre bird,” he told the little
“How can a person not know?” Jasmine demanded.
Jasse shrugged. “I really don’t know.”
“The next potential member of the Guardian Council doesn’t know?” she teased, half serious.
He grinned at her. “As I recall we both spent a lot of time passing notes during theory class. Anyway, what I do know is that when Kathryn touches a flower or a leaf the color brightens and it seems to be given new life. I doubt she’ll realize it until she makes something grow.”
“Which will terrify her even more,” Jasmine slumped against the couch. “Oh, Jasse, what am I going to do?”
“The only thing you can do. Give her time and let her know that using her gifts is not wrong.”
Jasmine nodded, knowing already that Jasse was right. Kathryn was a conundrum—a conundrum that needed to figure itself out. The two friends talked a few minutes more before Jasse retired.
A month later the little eagle had finally taken to flight, and Jasse and Arianna spent most of their days trying to keep up with Kathryn who seemed to find great pleasure in simply running after her bird, slightly put out at having to remain stuck to the ground while her bird could soar. Radian after radian, Kathryn would spend running around Jasmine’s extensive property while the eagle soared just above the girl’s head. Sometimes the eagle would perch herself high in the treetops of an evergreen, and despite Jasse’s and Arianna’s cautionary comments, Kathryn would rapidly haul herself up to be with the bird.
Jasse had begun to help Kathryn teach her bird to hunt and obey commands, unspoken ones since Kathryn still hadn’t said a word. However he began to suspect that Kathryn was speaking to the bird when no one else was around, because the bird began to show an understanding of spoken commands as well.
One day he asked permission to hold the growing bird and after a bit of silent coaxing, Kathryn persuaded her friend to perch herself on Jasse’s well-muscled forearm. As soon as the bird had positioned herself on his arm, Jasse found himself shocked at the weight…a bird as small as her should not have weighed as much as she did. He voiced his thoughts, saying, “It’s amazing this bird can even get off the ground weighing what she does.” Peering at her curiously, he was unsettled to find the bird staring back at him with mirrored curiosity. There was a change in the bird’s eyes as though she was scowling which further unnerved Jasse. Suddenly she let out a screech and opened her wings, one of which caught him on the back of his head.
Jasse stared at the bird in complete disbelief. Had she really just delivered a slap to the back of his head? He was still staring when the bird, apparently deciding to dislike him, unexpectedly tightened her grip on his arm. Despite the thick leather gauntlet sheathing his arm, Jasse ground his teeth together to keep from making a sound against the pain. “You can have her back,” he gasped as he held the eagle out to the little girl. The bird needed no coaxing; she hopped from Jasse’s arm to Kathryn’s and settled herself with a very satisfied look in her eyes.
Grimacing, Jasse eased the vambrace off his arm and studied the damage. The eagle’s talons had punched through the leather and he could feel the bruises forming on his arm. He looked quickly to Kathryn, worried that the bird was subjecting her to similar treatment, but all he found was Kathryn looking at him curiously. He shook his head and grinned. “You have one bizarre bird,” he told the little
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