Minnow
A SILENT DROP OF OCEAN

Minnow wasn’t about to respond to the comments about monsters. She wasn’t sure he meant it as an insult to people who came from the swamp, in fact she was guessing he didn’t, since no one else in this world had said any of the hateful things that were often thrown about in casual conversation. But she’d heard enough of those comments to pick them out. Minnow also wasn’t sure she had the same idea of monsters as the boy did. Other than wolves, Minnow had a one track mind when he came to what, or rather who, monsters were, and she’d recently had that idea challenged. She didn’t particularly want to feel that way any longer.

So she bit her tongue on the subject.

It shifted soon enough and Minnow watched recently determined coolest person ever think over her comments about the nice guy at the market place. Powerful magic or weak magic was still magic, and Minnow had very little understanding of what made one stronger than the other. Certainly some elements were stronger than others, but they all had their weaknesses and she couldn’t imagine any other sort of magic being different. Still, she nodded at the boy’s description of the man. “Ahuh. I didn’t get his name. Do you know him?” If so, perhaps Minnow could thank him again, now that she had at least a vague handle on her situation.

As Thoth began to tangent, she turned her attention forward and, for the first time, realized that the stone house that had always been sort of vaguely visible on the horizon had grown enormous since they’d left the fair. And it wasn’t on the horizon anymore. Minnow didn’t realize stones could be made into such big buildings. Sure she’d seen some since arriving, but none came close to being this size. How many families could fit in there? It even had walkways between bits of it like the docks and bridges. She nodded absentmindedly as she was questioned about the grammar. Despite Xara having a fairly uniform grammar system with few exceptions, things relating to aja tended to follow their own, pre-ker rules.

She struggled to pull her attention away from the castle but when she saw what the boy was starting to do, that struggle disappeared. She was riveted. “Two?! You have TWO powers!” The awe froze her just as quickly as the water sculpture froze, and it took a bump from Morveren’s head (Minnow guessed it was actually for more rubs, and obliged) for her to realize that the boy was handing her the figurine. She took it and inspected it, twisting it around in her hands as she marveled at how Morveren-like he’d managed to make it.

“This is amazing.” It was, perhaps, the first time she’d fully forgotten about home. She showed it to the mare who seemed uninterested. “Can… can I keep it? Or do you want it back?” she asked, realizing it might not have actually been a gift, just a small boast (one she considered well deserved, to be sure)