Valla peered at Tommy's hand compass, openly admiring it. Even though they had both been apprenticed to the same wizard, the two hadn't interacted much before setting off on the voyage so each knew little of the other's abilities. Upon first meeting Tommy, Valla had taken an instant dislike to him, largely because she perceived him as a threat. If he showed her up, maybe the wizard would reconsider and send her back to the farm.<br/><br/>On the island, though, Tommy was Valla's only colleague and she had been slowly warming to him.<br/><br/>"Actually, now that you ask, I learned a new trick the other day," Valla said, suddenly smiling. She was excited about this one. "My tutor had been trying to get me to do this, but I just never could manage it. Until now, of course, when he's nowhere to be seen. I haven't done this for anyone yet, so you'll be the first."<br/><br/>She reached for a small satchel hanging at her waist. The bag was actually just a piece of cloth bound together by string. She pulled from the makeshift bag a ragged strip of leather and gripped this in her fist. She fixed her eyes forward and stared for a moment, concentrating.<br/><br/>"<em>Levitatus inculatum</em>," she intoned.<br/><br/>Immediately, she began to rise into the air. Bastian squawked and beat his wings, leaping from her shoulder to land on the branch of a nearby tree.<br/><br/>A big smile broke on her face as Valla slowly lifted up, as though a giant were raising her aloft. At about twenty feet above the forest floor she stopped, beaming down at Tommy. "Isn't this great?!" she exclaimed, laughing like a little girl. She kicked her legs like she was sitting on a swing, her body swaying gently.<br/>