As he stumbled back, Paige gasped, remembering all-too-late the snatch of lecture she'd been to exhausted to pay attention to all those years ago. She'd broken the link, and that was bad. She couldn't even remember what happened when a link was broken too early, except it hurt the caster. Master Darius ad lectured about it. He'd told them explicitly never to break a link they hadn't forged, themselves. And that's exactly what she'd done. Apologies welled in her throat, and she stared, open mouthed, pain echoing through her for a moment. As he turned away, her eyes dropped from his broad back, her arms wrapping around herself.<br/><br/>A pang shot through her lower stomach as he turned back, his eyes seeking hers, and she bit her tongue. He'd always been attractive. She and Cecily had giggled over him more than once, always coming back to the same conclusion - If he weren't so sour, they would have given much to be with him. Hell, part of the reason he intimidated her so much was the attraction that he'd always cultivated within her. She nodded, pressing her lips together, as he suggested they keep their distance. Unless they knew what was going on, it would be useless to walk into it. With a sigh, her eyes skittered away from his, and she flopped onto her bottom, and began to tug her boots off, shedding the cloak as well. It would have been better to be naked, but it would be enough to get down to the essential clothing. She was going to do exactly that - find out what was going on. The faster they fixed it, the faster they could get away from each other.<br/><br/>Laying her boots, cloak and lute aside, she knelt, again, pressing her palms against the dry ground, and lay on her stomach, cosing her eyes and pressing her cheek to the parched dirt. She sent herself out, envisioning roots sprouting from her navel, to penetrate deep into the earth, measuring the dryness. There was water, deep in the ground, but further than anything but the eldest tree roots could reach. She could almost taste it, and sympathy for the plants blossomed in her mind. Tasting water, but unable to reach it. It must have been hell for them. She began to explore further, looking for the cause. There was nothing evil in the ground, just dryness. At least, until she reached for the deep water, to coax it up.<br/><br/>With a sharp gasp, her eyes opened, and she found herself on her side, curled in the fetal position, hands clamped over her navel. The shot of fiery pain that had raced up her mental roots had been more than she could bare, and she lay, panting, muscles cramping. It had almost been as if she were struck by lightning. "Something is blocking the water." She gasped, trying desperately to draw in air. The electric shock had also done something much worse than simply hurt her. The shock had been a warning, and she knew it. But it had also dragged all but the most essential life energy from her. She was as powerless as a null, for now. It must have been how such a large enchantment was maintained. Anyone who attempted to touch it was robbed of their energies, leaving them helpless until they could reabsorb more.<br/><br/>Paige forced herself to breathe slowly, trying to unknot her muscles and straighten, the pain of the cramps keeping her curled in on herself. "It robbed me." She added, her eyes opening to seek his. "This isn't a drought, this is an attack."