"Ok Orynn, I want you to take some deep breaths with me, okay?" she said gently as Orynn settled, nodding his head hesitantly, "I know it feels overwhelming and grief and sadness is. I don't doubt that you've experienced this before in some form, but crying? Well..that seems to hurt the most when you least expect it."
Once she felt that his magick had settled down, she smiled warmly at him.
"Very good Orynn. Now, from what my magick is telling me, you share the same lineage of magick as I do. I can see that you haven't had much experience with using it so I'm going to help you learn to control it a little, okay?"
It was silent for a little while as he nodded and a tentative smile appeared on his face
"I…I would like that very much...Aoife…"
"Wonderful. Now, I want you to focus on your magick. Closing your eyes might help the first few times but when you're more proficient you'll be able to reach for it at will and direct it as you see fit, but to start with, closing your eyes is fine."
"Okay." he replied softly with the barest hint of determination creeping into his voice.
Aoife smiled to herself as she watched him closely.
"Now, can you feel your magick inside of you?"
"Yes. It's always there, but the...the other…is that yours?" HE asked as his brow dipped downwards.
"It is." she smiled softly, "The fact that you can differentiate between the two is wonderful as that can take a little while to master when you're just getting to grips with things. Now, I'm going to move my magick away and I want you to direct yours to follow. You're going to show mine the places that need healing inside of you and I will follow. Having a mentor guide you will help your magick know what to do reflexively when its sent out again in this way, do you understand?"
"I think so." Orynn replied with a frown as he concentrated on the task at hand.
Aoife stifled a giggle at the sight of the tip of his tongue sticking out between his lips as their magick moved around, completing their assigned task and once it was done, Aoife sighed with satisfaction.
"I'm going to withdraw my magick now Orynn, and take my hands away, okay?"
"Okay." He replied softly as she pulled it back and felt it coil and swirl inside of her happily.
She sat back on her heels as she withdrew her hands and smiled at Orynn who was watching her curiously.
"How do you feel?" She asked gently, still in awe that they shared the same magick.
"I feel…strange. I don't hurt, I think the healing worked well. Honestly, I can't stop the happiness that someone can hear me speak…figuratively of course."
"Would you like me to see if I can fix your real voice? Perhaps.."
"No." Orynn's voice snapped suddenly in her head as he shuffled backwards off the bed and took a deep breath before continuing, "I am sorry, I just…no."
"It's okay," Aoife smiled up at him softly, understanding that she had spooked him somehow, "We can revisit that at a later date if you want to. I have a feeling I'll be here a little while yet."
"Not if I can help it." Orynn answered vehemently as a dark cloud seemed to settle over his face, "Once Lexi is healed we need to start moving forward with the plan."
"Wait, hold on. Who is Lexi and what plan?" Aoife asked as she shook her head in confusion.
"Lexi was one of your best friends in your realm, she is also Lord Eromaug's eternal," HE snarled before his tone softened slightly, "You might not remember her now, but with any luck, your memories should return if you are allowed to spend more time with her."
"I take it you don't approve of her status as his eternal then." Aoife asked, desperate to gather any information that she could.
She hated going into situations blind and without her memories to guide her, she was no more than a lost child with very little realm appropriate knowledge to guide her.
"She should not be mated with that cold, cruel and unfeeling bastard. There will be nothing left of the Lexi that we know and love if he is allowed to complete the bond." Orynn snorted as he shook his head, "Besides, she is already mated. Lord Eromaug holds them in the cells along with her mother. She is as much his prisoner as they are."
Aoife's face fell.
"Is there nothing we can do to release them so that they can help get her to safety?"
Orynn's eyes locked with her own as seemed to contemplate something and then a slow smirk appeared at the side of his mouth.
"As I said, Aoife, we have a plan. Lord Eromaug's biggest mistake was binding Lexi to a soul Dragon and then locking the beast away in darkness as he stole her children and enslaved them for his own ends."
Aoife gasped, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as her eyes went wide with terror. She had heard the legends from the Elders of her House of the time when feral dragons roamed free and the destruction that they had caused, and now, she was hearing that Eromaug possibly held an army of them at his command.
"BUt…they're indiscriminate killers, Orynn!" She gasped as her stomach churned in panic...
"That all depends on which version of history that you are being told," he shrugged lightly, dismissing her concerns with a wave of his hand.
"Orynn!" She exclaimed in dismay, "I've seen the remnants of the devastation first hand…our history is not a lie! How can you trust a being that is so…so…untamed!"
"I trust her because she is my mother, Aoife." Orynn said softly, his tone cloaked in sadness, "Dragon's were never meant to be tamed and enslaved. We were supposed to be equals with those we shared our world with. We did not alter the power balance...your kind did."