“Believe ye me, it be a surprise ta me too,” Yvonne announced. “More a horrendous shock really, like when yer arch-nemesis sneaks up on ye and pounces from behind. Ooh Nelly, it be absolutely dreadful.” The hybrid mage’s eyesight was crystallizing clear, clear enough to be utilized again. The radiant spots dancing throughout her visual modality were making final steps to their saltations. Her darkvision ebbed into awareness once again, defined grey outlines, edges and corners coming into focus far in the distance - where to others, their awareness would be left undefined in the unknown.

Yvonne took lead of the pair, strode down the dirt trail which would lead them to a destination of mine. She kept a brisk, steady pace and didn’t look back, assuming one Lillian Svalesin would fall in and do her utmost to keep up. It wasn’t like the diminutive drow-dwarf was overly fleet of foot, so she had to take the initiative preemptively, set the pace expected and get to it. Most everyone else would be able to catch up with her, once they’d figured out the little rascal beneath their eye level had taken off on them while their attentions had been elsewhere.

“Aye, interesting, that be a word for it I suppose. I’d say it be absurd, a wizard paranoid about her own spells, how ironic. Some divinity above us be having a right old laugh at me expense. If I could get me hands about tha neck of whoever decides who gets ta be what in this life, why I’d throttle tha living tea bags out of them!” Yvonne was in rare form, back to being herself, rising above her timid trembles and jumpy jitters through the force of her personality. Fear kept raising its ugly head every time magic was discussed or experienced, but she courageously chopped it off again and again, as many times as she needed to.

“Of course I need ta be hiding me talent dear. Let’s not forget who we be or where we came from. A pittance of magic be accepted in Alerar and even that be sparingly. Only tha magic easily controlled, tha spells considered safe ta rely upon. Anything else be dangerous and reckless - threatening - and when Alerians feel threatened they be likely ta put their heads together ta resolve their issue,” Yvonne rationalized, shaking her head in respecting disagreement.

“Ye could say I don’t get along with our brethren at tha best of times and, honestly, it be no fault of mine. Most of them be disdainful and snobbier than ye be - no offense ta ye, yer quite agreeable and lovely as far as dark elves go. Ye don’t seem ta look down on me because of tha disfigurement of our race’s perfection which I supposedly represent,” she booed and cooed at the same time. “Give them another reason ta hate me, see what happens… no, wait, don’t ye dare,” Yvonne turned and grinned, gestured with a pointing finger, laying down her little law.

The grey magus followed the trail down a sloping hillside, the descent allowing her to pick up a bit of speed. Gravity was her friend for once, whereas usually it was a limiting, oppressive master much like sel darthirii were. The hill-fall caused her to jog until she reached the bottom, where the ground plateaued a while though would continue to decline. From this plateau Yvonne could make out the distant materializing of the mine entrance, forbidding and ominous in the pitch-black darkness at the very borders of town.

“Everything be having its time and place sweetheart. As long as ye understand that ye need not moderate yer speech in me presence. I can handle tha magic-talk when it be ye and me, but it be hushhush when others be about. Tha risk that a rumour about me might eventually find its way back to Alerar be too great,” Yvonne allowed, her voice a little shaky as she said so. “I’d like ta hear yer perspectives on magic - how science explains it. I think being able ta understand magic in a thorough capacity might banish me anxiousness of it altogether, but I fear I’ll never be rid of me dread of dark elves. Not ye, sorry, them.”

Yvonne chanced a glance back at Lilly, her brow furrowing as her seemingly endless voice fell silent for a moment. The novitiate was considering whether or not she even wanted to get into it - the spells she knew and showing them off, because talking about them specifically made them real and Lilly would doubtlessly beg to see them come to life for herself afterward. Filled with hesitation and reluctance, she conceded a word or two about them, not wishing to offend a friend who may be able to explain away a great deal about the mystical practice.

“They be very basic, probably not at all interesting ta someone well travelled with a group of mages. A simple mind soothing spell and a stone skin spell, nothing more, nothing fancy,” Yvonne admitted, talking her talent down.