Page 415 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

"If you meant to harm me, that spell would not have shattered harmlessly against you," she said.

He snorted, then held up his enormous paws, claws extended.

Rossa waved her hand, and a small shield encased his paws, so he could no longer move them. "Size doesn't matter as much when it comes to magic. My little magic hands are more than a match for your extra large ones, any day."

His eyes crinkled, just as they had yesterday, and the same sound came from his throat.

Laughter, Rossa realised.

Not the response she was used to. Her father would have given her one of his opaque looks, and told her that skill or quickness of mind mattered far more than size or power, before telling her to repeat the training exercise.

She pulled out the sack of food she'd taken from the kitchen. Bread, meat, cheese, fruit – even a handful of dried chestnuts that had been soaking in warm water overnight, and were now tender enough to eat.

"I'll need to get back to my training when it's light enough to see, but my father says the best warriors are ones who are well-fed. So, would you like to break your fast with me, Snow?"

The bear inclined his head, and for the first time in her life, Rossa found herself sharing a meal with a bear. The first of many, as it would turn out.

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