Ranara and her little daughter Azabel move to Urtho's Tower when the latter can say six words ("up", "mama", "milk", "no", "now", and "please") and hasn't started to walk yet. Ranara sets up to teach little children to read, ones who don't have evident Gifts yet - Ranara herself has Mindspeech, is all, with about a classroom's worth of range. Azabel sits in on classes, worn on her mother's back or later plopped in a corner with toys or, when she's only four, plopped in a corner with a book, younger than the other kids in the class. When Azabel has in fact sat through her mother's curriculum she is turned somewhat loose, to walk very carefully up and down and around the Tower, exploring.
"The first one was trying to get through my Thoughtsensing shields, and the second one tried a fireball, I think he singed some plants."
"Eep!" The second part gets a lot more alarm and a sympathetic look. "Er, good work defending yourself, very relieved you aren't hurt. And this is unacceptable behaviour, we'll haul them right along to the office for questioning."
"Who's the gryphon?" one of the other guards says, addressed to Azabel rather than Skan per se.
"He's my friend Skan, I asked him for help chasing the ones who ran off because I can't run."
"The first one might be able to, I'm not sure - I've never actually done this before - the second one can't. But if you can carry them that'll work." She leads them over to where she left them.
"Mindspeech and also I think I'm a mage now, I made shields when the second boy did the fireball."
"Like five minutes ago? I knew I had it in potential but it hadn't awakened. But I have control training for the other stuff, I don't think I'll do anything accidentally."
"Mmm."
Lasi falls silent, and doesn't speak again until they reach the Guard-building and she's led Azabel to her office and offered her a seat.
"So. My...understanding, Azabel, is that the average age for a Gift awakening varies, but - when Gifts awaken late, whatever 'late' is for a given person, it's usually..." she clears her throat delicately, "because of something traumatic. So - I did want to ask, now that we're alone and in private. Did those boys do anything worse to you, or threaten it, than what you described to my colleagues?"
"No, but they must've known I'm really scared of mindreading. - also the second one called me a bitch."
"Skan heard from some people that some bullies thought it was funny how careful I am with shields, but we didn't know who or whether they'd do anything."
Nod. "I see. I suppose I understand why you didn't report it, for something that vague, it's - not the kind of report we have much ability to act on. I'm very sorry this happened, though." She frowns. Clears her throat again. "Are you, um, feeling calm right now? ...I'm sorry, you look it, just, the usual protocol for taking a report from youngsters who've just had a Gift awaken in possibly-traumatic circumstances includes asking that."