The running footsteps approach, and a few seconds later, a cluster of people in the uniform worn by Urtho's guard force reach her. "Miss - what's wrong - are you hurt–" 

"They didn't hurt me. I set-commanded the two who tried and these ran away and Skan caught them. These two didn't actually attack me but I think they were with the other two."

These two look so cowed! A little relieved, though, the angry gryphon is less likely to lose its temper and tear them to shreds if the Guards are here watching. 

"You - set-commanded them?" one of them says blankly to Azabel. 

"It's a Mindhealing thing, it's reversible but my teacher is busy and will be by later to help me."

That gets her a very disconcerted look! 

"I - see," the woman among the Guards says, stepping forward. "Er, what sort of attack was this?" 

"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."

"You - can't run?" This gets her another blank look, up and down her body, which of course looks perfectly normal and un-disabled. 

"If I try I fall down."

"Oh, I see." The guard doesn't particularly as though he sees; he seems puzzled and doubtful, but not actually suspicious. "Well, we'll get these boys hauled in - uh, where are the others, can they walk...?" 

"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.

"We can get some more people here to help– uh, Carson, can you go do that -" 

     "I'll go with her to get her side of the report written up," the woman says. "I'm Lasi. What's your name?" 

"Azabel."

"Thank you." Lasi takes her arm, in a way that's half offering support and half making sure she doesn't decide to run off, and begins ushering her along the path. "So you're a Mindhealer - other Gifts?" 

"Mindspeech and also I think I'm a mage now, I made shields when the second boy did the fireball."

Startled look. "You think you are a mage as of - right now?" 

"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."

"How long have you had the other Gifts?" 

"A few years."

"Hmm. It's unusual, no, for a potential new Gift to awaken that much later?" 

"There's a usual age, but I am the usual age, the other Gifts were just early."

"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."

"I see." Another very sympathetic look. Lasi gets out a pad of paper, dips her pen in the inkwell, and then props her chin on her free hand and looks at Azabel. "Why would they have known you're, um, scared of mindreading? Has this sort of thing come up before?"