Tharos stood at the treeline. How could she possibly blame him? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Besides. He thought. Everyone knows the Captain and Caelin are equals. What gives her the right to speak to me that way? She’s not even the captain yet.
Tharos stopped he had found a tree that suited his purpose. Drawing what little power he could afford he sent it up and around the tree. Slicing all the branches neatly at the trunk. Taking a deep breath from the exhaustion, he gathered his power again. This time he sliced the trunk near the base. The tree began to fall.
Tharos used his magic to catch the falling log, and started to walk, leading it back towards the he ship. He was almost there when he collapsed. The tree fell again, missing the ship by mere feet.
Tharos lay on the ground, in utter agony. He’d come dangerously close to letting the magic consume him. He had greater tolerance than a human, but that just meant when his strength failed the resulting catastrophy would be all the greater. He slipped out of consciousness as he lay there.
“Does my appearance alarm you little one?” The dragon halted right at the edge of the Orchard. “I am sorry if that is the case.” Her voice was comforting, and brought to mind a warm Sunbeam. The dragon tilted her head to the side. “Why were you going to kill the man?” Her pose was entirely non threatening, like a large dog waiting for a command.
Mariner didn’t answer, he sat staring at the waves. Eventually he put down the toolbox, and hopped the railing. Slipping below the surface of the water.