The Right Motivation

Featuring Melindriel
Autumn, Year 752 of the New Age
Glenmore, Glenwood

"I'm sorry, I just can't do it!” she cried, as the older doe encouraged her to use magic

“Don’t be ridiculous, Melindriel, there’s no such thing as ‘can’t” the older doe snapped “How are you to prove your worth if you won’t even sooth joints? What stag would want that, do you think?”

It wasn’t so much that Melindriel couldn’t heal, she just had no desire to. Why spend the energy healing someone else, when she could be off playing with friends? And she really couldn’t care less if the old doe’s joints were getting stiff - perhaps if she actually did something during the day, she wouldn’t be having those problems.

“Grandmother, I assure you I do want to obey you” the filly said seriously “Pleasing my family is my greatest aspiration - but I’m afraid I just cannot call the magic forth”

She watched as the cremello furrowed her brow, clearly displeased by what she was hearing. But it was true, and no amount of reprimanding could change that. Light magic was aligned with emotions, and if Melindriel couldn’t summon compassion for her patient - that was it.

“Perhaps you need more motivation”

Melindriel snapped her head up at that statement. What on earth could that mean? Motivation? She tilted her head slightly, confused, and then her eyes widened with shock.

Her mother dragged forward a small, dark filly. A Commoner who Melindriel actually knew quite well - they’d played together during a trip to The Gardens, oblivious to ranks and social status. Melindriel had regarded the small doe as her only true friend - one who liked her, and not the political benefits she’d receive via association.

And now, here she was. Her friend, dragged before her covered in cuts and bruises. What had they done to her? Without thinking, Melindriel walked over to her friend, concern evident on her face as she attempted to reassure the Commoner.

“See, I said you could do it”

Confused, the young princess looked over her friend’s body to discover the bruises fading and cuts sealing. Oh goodness, the ramifications of this would be great - healing a common doe, and not her own Princess grandmother?! She didn’t want to think what this would mean for the future, but she did know one thing:

She would no longer be friends with Commoners.

Her grandmother would get away with this incident, because it was an unimportant filly. But she could not do the same with Royals. No, Melindriel would only socialise with the best of society, ‘friends’ who she could not hurt.