Obviously, there are the physical differences that I have already described. Then there is the use of what humans call magic. To Tal’mar, using magic is no more “magical” than using your legs to walk. It’s simply part of us. That’s why, even though I didn’t have any training, I still managed to learn to use my abilities. They came as naturally to me as breathing. Communicating with trees, healing Tinker’s leg, and bending the wood on our airplane were all part of this very natural and simple process. That’s why, out there in the windswept fields and under the light of the waning crescent moon, I was able to see the enemy front advancing towards me. I had never observed this phenomenon before because I had never been outside in the woods at night. Most Tal’mar children would have known this almost from birth. Like most things, I had to discover this ability by accident. In retrospect, I remember that I had been able to see my way around Tinker’s house when I awoke in the night and made my way to his loft, but in that half-wakened state I didn’t even notice the subtle changes in my vision.
