The Girl with an Owl

Chapter 61

Once they finally got back to their feet and processed what has happened, Ajana decided she needed to know a few things before she could fully enjoy their victory.

"Miss Fireborn? How did you manage to have such a perfect timing in saving me, if you don't mind me asking?" Ajana asked her teacher.

"When the elf first appeared, I am sure that he was alone. You weren't close behind him. So, how did you know when to come to me?" Ajana added.

She was very grateful for being alive, but she couldn't carve her curiosity. After all, if she was to become a great witch, such as Ruby, she needed to know how that was accomplished. It seemed to her like advanced magic to not only know that someone would need help but exactly when they would need it.

"I can't take all the credit for saving you, Abelard helped," Ruby said.

"I am happy to help," Abelard said, appearing suddenly by Ruby's side.

He was swishing his fox tail from left to right, still agitated from the stress they have all been through.

Ajana couldn't help but stare at him the same way she did when they first met. Her mind couldn't comprehend that the guy with fox tail standing in front of her was a troll, a troll who saved her life.

"I am sorry I couldn't come, myself, but I was a bit surrounded. Nothing I couldn't handle, of course, but I couldn't leave, so I sent the warning to Ruby." Abelard said.

Seeing Ajana's confused expression, Ruby decided to have mercy on a curious mind of a child and explain.

"As I told you during our class, Abelard and his people are very good at harvesting their magical abilities using more traditional approaches to magic, more old-fashioned if you will. That, in turn, makes them more in tune with nature than any of us, and they can, in a way, feel nature, connect with it." Ruby said.

"What does that exactly mean?" Ajana asked.

"Well, in your case, the trees saw the danger coming your way, and since they knew you were coming to help, they sent out the warning to Abelard, the best recipient they had close by. Then, he alerted me, and I teleported here as quickly as I could." Ruby said.

"The trees are sentient enough to do that?" Ajana asked in shock.

"Well, most of the trees are sentient on some level, but the trees here are even more aware than anywhere else. They have seen a lot of bloodshed and suffered losses, thus they wanted to do something for the girl who made it all stop." Ruby said.

"Did I do that?" Ajana asked.

"You sure did," Abelard answered instead of Ruby.

"You are a hero!" Bluebells said flying up and down.

"Hero! Hero!" Rex repeated excitedly.

Ajana was pretty sure the little guy had no idea what the word even meant, but she found it cute that he made an effort to support her. She patted his pages and smiled at Bluebells, but she didn't think of herself as a hero.

"The true heroes here are the trees. They have been through so much pain and suffering, and yet they decided to help an insignificant little girl. Being so kind after going through such pain, that's true heroism." Ajana said.

Upon saying that, she went to the nearest tree and hugged it tightly.

"Thank you for seeing me as worthy enough to save," Ajana said to the tree.

"You're welcome, little girl. You are the light that chased away the darkness which resided in us. We are forever grateful." Abelard said with a voice that wasn't his own.