I looked to the passing village, savouring the feel of the warm breeze on my face. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and I took a deep inhale of the fresh air before leaning back into the seat.

We were currently in the carriage again, on the way to Bomani's residence in Apium province. Ayla was sat beside me along with Maya and opposite were the boys- Demir, Emut and Abrax. When we had woken in the morning, we were instructed to pack by Emut and had breakfast before leaving. Arun had stayed back with Negus to help rebuild the weapons.

I stretched out my legs with a grimace; I had been sat in this position for several hours and my entire body ached.

"Tell me why you couldn't transport us again?" I asked, turning to Ayla who was busily sewing away. She had said last night that she'd sew a silk nightdress for the three of us.

"Because, I've never been to his residence. I can only transport where I've been." She muttered half-distracted as she worked and my eyebrows furrowed at her words.

"I thought you were all taught to hone your powers by him?" I asked and Maya looked up from her book to me.

"He only recently moved there 5 years ago. Before that, he had lived with us, along with Madu Ustaaz." She answered before looking back to her book and I nodded at her words.

"He's really good at what he does, Hanna. Ustaaz really helped me with my powers too." Ayla reassured me, placing a hand on my leg. I had expressed my worries about not being able to access my powers to Ayla last evening, so her words slightly consoled me.

Demir let out a scoff at her words, his eyes still on the map in Emut's hand.

"A good thing too; I was beginning to tire of finding you sleeping on the floor of my room." He said to which Ayla reddened.

Emut let out a laugh.

"Or on my desk." He added, making both Maya and Demir laugh as well as Ayla to redden further.

"What is this we're speaking of?" Abrax asked, looking to Ayla with an amused smile on his face to which she let out a stutter, but it was Maya who spoke.

"Oh, when Ayla first came, she couldn't control her teleportation powers. She'd often teleport in her sleep and we'd find her in the strangest of places." Maya said with a loud chuckle, completely oblivious to Ayla's mortification who in response nudged Maya's side.

"What is it?" Maya asked loudly, turning to Ayla and I jumped in quickly to save Ayla.

"So how did you first end up discovering your abilities?" I asked, to which Ayla turned to me in relief before smiling.

"I was around 10 or 11, so 9 years ago. My parents began finding me in the strangest of places- the cupboard, the stable, the kitchen. At first, we found it amusing. They thought I walked in my sleep." She recounted with a wistful smile and I leaned in as she spoke.

"At first?" Abrax's voice spoke up curiously and Ayla nodded, her eyes deep in thought.

"It wasn't until I woke up one day, in the dead of the night, in a sea cave I had once visited years ago on a family trip, that I realised it was something dangerous. I didn't have a boat to get back and the water was too deep and vast to swim through. I stayed there for 2 days until a sailor found me." She almost but whispered and I placed a hand against her arm. I hadn't known such a thing could even happen with powers and I felt grateful then for not having to go through the same thing for my own abilities.

She placed her own hand over mine with a smile before continuing.

"My parents were confused; we were from a small secluded village and not well off. They were afraid that it would affect my chances of marriage proposals if anyone were to find out." She said with a small giggle and Maya let out a snort.

"Why say that as though it's a bad thing?" She grumbled out and Ayla rolled her eyes at Maya's words before continuing.

"My parents reached out to a priest and asked for help from the Gods. As you may know, Negus is very affluent with the priests and a common-goer to the temples. He heard about me and shared my fate with my parents who were a bit sceptical, but knew they could not oppose the word of God. I was brought back with Negus and Bomani Ustaaz helped me control it. I had a few mishaps in my sleep, yes, but he even helped me control it subconsciously." Ayla finalised with a small clap and I let out a laugh, happy that her story had ended on a good note. I can't begin to think of what would have happened, had the sailor not found her or if she had teleported herself into a more perilous situation.

I shook my head of the thoughts and, instead, distracted myself by looking to Ayla's handiwork. She sewed the navy blue silk intricately and I let out a small noise of awe.

"Whose is that one?" I asked, leaning forward to touch the soft material. Ayla smiled at this before reaching into her bag and pulling out the nightgowns she had sewed- one was white with a lace neckline and the other was a peach colour with a lace neckline.

"Which one would you like; it's your choice." She asked and I raised an eyebrow, a smile on my face.

"Which do you think would suit me?" I asked in return and she looked down thoughtfully before turning around and nudging Maya.

"What?" Maya groaned, shutting her book with a soft thud. Ayla rolled her eyes before jutting the nightgowns in Maya's face.

"Which colour do you think would suit Hanna?" Ayla asked with a smile and Maya looked to the gowns before returning her death stare to Ayla.

"Why are there 3? If you even plan to put me in one of these, I'll kick your-"

"Hey, you don't have to have one if you don't want to. Isn't that right, Ayla?" I butted in a rushed tone, turning my pleading gaze to Ayla who just tutted before dismissing Maya with a wave of her hand.

"Forget you. I'd much rather ask someone whose opinion I value." She said, turning her gaze to the boys, making Maya let out a snort.

"Good; I feel solace in the fact that I won't have to hear of such topics." She muttered to herself, but I heard and let out a small laugh to which she smiled before going back to her book.

"Emut, I need your opinion." Ayla spoke sweetly and I watched as Emut turned away from his conversation with the boys to look at Ayla.

"Of course." He replied with a smile and she grinned widely at this before jutting the clothes into his view.

"Which of these would you think suits me, Hanna and Maya?" She spoke in a tense tone, a stressed look on her face and I almost rolled over with laughter as Emut noticeably blanked at the question.

"What?" He asked, almost as if he thought he had heard wrong and Ayla tutted at his confusion.

"Navy blue, peach or white- which would suit who?" She asked again, jutting the material into his face and he looked down again at the clothes before he looked to the three of us.

"Any, I think?" He answered and Ayla let out a groan before turning her attention to Demir who looked to her with a raised eyebrow, a disdainful look on his face.

"Demir, what do you think?" She asked, hope glimmering in her eyes.

"I think you're asking the wrong person." He quipped just as quick before turning back to Emut.

"The white would suit you."

We turned our gaze to Abrax who was smiling at Ayla, his hand pointing to the white gown. She dampened slightly at this, looking to the gowns.

"I was rather hoping for the peach one." She murmured to which Abrax let out a small noise of protest.

"The peach suits you too. They all do." He said hurriedly and Maya let out a huff of breath as she read.

"Save some clothes for the rest of us, Abrax." She joked and I let out a laugh before nudging Ayla.

"Well, if they all suit Ayla, she should keep them. I'd hate to do them injustice by wearing them." I teased to which Ayla blushed slightly and Abrax let out a small chuckle.

"No, Hanna, you suit them too, of course. Might I suggest the white for you then, if Ayla would like the peach one?" He suggested with a smile and I smiled, shaking my head in a playful manner.

"But, what if I want the peach one?" I teased just to watch Abrax stammer again. Ayla let out a small giggle at this, leaning into my side as Abrax looked at the clothes, a sheepish look on his face.

"Forgive me for being too forward, but I think the white colour suits you well." He praised and I smiled at his words before taking the white from Ayla's hands.

"Yeah, white goes well with you, Hanna." Emut remarked, his eyes on the clothes and Ayla let out a cheery clap.

"Right, so that means Hanna gets white; I get peach and Maya gets navy blue." She finalised and I smiled while Maya gave her a distasteful look. Demir let out a small laugh as he looked to the window.

"Navy blue for Maya? I've never known a viper to be blue." He commented and Maya shut her book with a loud thud, dropping it onto her lap and leaning forward.

'Might I remind you, Demir, that I look extravagant in all colours." She said scornfully and Demir raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be surpised if you could wear white without looking like sour dough." He teased further, making Abrax and Ayla laugh. Maya snorted at this before leaning back, flicking her plait behind her.

"I can work white just as good; I can work it the best, might I add." She said smugly, looking quite miffed and Demir merely shrugged as he gazed to the dunes outside.

"Good. Then, you wear the white one." He said nonchalantly and I gaped at his words, folding my arms.

"And what do you expect me to wear?" I drawled, holding to the white material and Demir spared me a slight glance before turning to the window.

"The navy blue one, if that's what's left, balid." He said bluntly and I rolled my eyes at his words, but before I could answer, Ayla spoke.

"Yeah, actually, Hanna, I haven't seen you much in blue." She remarked with a thoughtful look and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I guess I don't own much navy blue." I answered to which Ayla smiled and grabbed the white from my hand and placed it in Maya's before grabbing the navy blue gown and placing it in mine.

"There! Now you can try something new and Maya can wear the white that she looks 'so good' in." Ayla joked, quoting Maya's words to which Maya rolled her eyes, but I noticed how she tucked the white clothes close to her side, making me smile.

"Thanks for taking the time to make these, Ayla." I thanked her to which she smiled, leaning against me and closing her eyes.

"There's no need to thank me, Hanna, I know you'd do the same." She muttered and I let out a laugh before closing my eyes as well.

"If I could sew as good as you." I joked to which she let out a laugh before yawning. I smiled at this before leaning onto her, feeling the tiredness hit.

Perhaps, I needed to rest now to prepare for what was to come.