"Thanks," he replied. He watched her create ice out of nowhere and was a bit surprised at such a casual display of power. Normally mages were very secretive--though he had always thought this was a function of narcissism, rather than an actual necessity. They always seemed so arrogantly difficult about describing what it was they could actually do. He rode with very few magic users.
"Well, you are apparently very good, all things considered."
He slipped the ball of ice out of her hand and held it gingerly on a flat palm. If her parents had been powerful mages...why had they lived in a cave?