It took a day or two for Obwain to feel okay enough to actually get up and move around. He was incredibly thankful to Davvyd for undoubtedly saving his life, but if he was being honest, he felt like an idiot. He should have been more aware of his surroundings, more aware of what his magic was doing. He shouldn't have done something so dangerous when his gift was so new to him.He was frustrated. And embarrassed.
Over his couple days of rest he tried not to make a big deal of it. He didn't want Davvyd or Fulsome to feel burdened by him. So instead of sitting still and steeping in his negative emotions he helped Fulsome wade through some of the books he was so interested in.
Obwain didn't understand a single squiggly line on a single page, but it really seemed to make Fulsome happy and that was worth the effort. Occasionally they came across a book with artwork inside, and Obwain would fill a few hours absorbing the colors and delicate lines while Fulsome dissected the squiggles. Though it was incredibly different from his usual day-to-day tasks, it was kind of nice. He felt like he was really experiencing something new.
When he was finally feeling okay enough to get up and walk farther, he snuck away in the early morning hours before Fulsome and Davvyd were awake. Though his time with them had been fine and enlightening, the frustration was beginning to build up and he needed to get away and think on his own. He could only spend so many days pretending he wasn't locked in an internal battle.
The golden beams of morning sun hitting the ruins made it seem almost cheery, which in turn felt eerie and wrong. The ruins were never supposed to be something beautiful, at least not in Obwain's mind. They were a menacing reminder of why all nouls had to work together to heal.
He followed the streets slowly, picking out the turns Davvyd had made carefully. His leg didn't really hurt anymore, but he was still nervous to move too quickly on it. Maybe he should trust Davvyd's magic, but he was fairly uncertain of everything at this point. The rest of him still felt pretty stiff and bruised, which was to be expected. But bruises he could work through.
He nearly took a wrong turn, but found the right path at the last moment. The grove of dead trees loomed immediately before him, and the one he had taken down laid in shattered pieces on the ground. From the break in the stump left behind sap had bubbled and begun to harden. Looking at it now, it was obvious he had been funneling too much into it. Obwain clicked his tongue in disappointment at himself. If he couldn't control himself and pay attention, what good was he going to be?
He wasn't so dumb as to try the same thing without someone there to rescue him if needed, though. His pride wasn't so fragile. Instead, he thought he might be able to practice just controlling his flow of magic for a short while until he would need to regroup with the other two bucks.
He approached the downed tree carefully. He could see where some branches had broken across his body, and where others had been broken and tossed by Davvyd to save him. He chose one of these branches carefully, one that had broken pretty cleanly and remained mostly intact, and moved it back to the base it had apparently come from.
His goal was to carefully control his magic and use the sap to glue the two pieces back together without making a huge mess. He stared at the broken ends that would have to be puzzled back together and took a steadying breath. Then, he reached within and called upon his gift, but paid careful attention to how it moved through him. When it seemed to rush forward, too eager, he let go. He did that several times, calling upon it and then letting go before actually using his ability, until he felt more confident in the way it moved and manifested. Then he finally let it free.
Sap formed at the base of the branch - a small dollop that oozed and shimmered prettily. He carefully gave it a little more of his magic, and it grew slowly into a round, lightly golden bulb. Before it could grow too large he let go and shoved the branch back onto the tree, securing it im place.
Immediately he was exhausted and his eyes were heavy. He'd though the first time he'd been so tired because of his injuries, but clearly he'd underestimated how exhausting his magic could be. But he'd done it! He controlled the sap, hadn't hurt himself, and hadn't created a huge mess.
Content with that, he got back up on shaky feet and began to pick his way back to the other bucks. He'd have to practice more in the coming days and weeks to feel truly confident, but at least he knew he could do it.
