Dawn swam in lazy circles, her slim form gliding easily through the water. “Vale isn’t anywhere, now,” she said softly. “It was a village to the far west - near edge of the woods - surrounded by huge walls that kept almost anything out. We used to farm what we could and trade away anything extra to travellers that passed through.”<br/><br/>She dove forward, the cool water rushing around her. It wasn’t so bad now that she was used to it. Shafts of light swayed to and fro beneath the surface of the lake, filtering down through the water in shifting patterns. It was all rather pretty to look at. It was hard to believe everything had been so dangerous not so long ago.<br/><br/>Finally, she surfaced again, closer to Verita this time. “One of those travellers used to stop by for a week or two every few months. He said he was a bard, but...” she tilted her head slightly, “he wasn’t much of a singer. He was a very powerful mage, though, even if he rarely showed it.” She smiled brightly. Somehow, talking about her village didn’t seem to bother her. “So no, I’m no druid-daughter. I just learned what I could from Lucian, whenever he stopped by.”<br/><br/>Dawn spun around in the water at the strange voice from the shore, her eyes narrowed.<i>Aviari? Why?</i>And how did he know they weren’t all there? Had he been watching them? Aviari were usually peaceful, but...<br/><br/>Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry of pain from behind her. The sudden rush of steam and the telltale shiver of magic through her told Dawn all she needed to know. She quickly swam over to Verita and gently put her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “It’s all right,” she said quietly, her grey eyes glanced downward for a moment and she winced. “I’ve healed a few burns before,” she said.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>