Deep within the Vale of Mists, in the quiet hour before dawn, what had started as a gathering of Ashlynn's coven to stand vigil over Isabell as she underwent the trial of her seed of witchcraft had turned into something much greater. And, to Ollie at least, something stranger than any morning he'd yet experienced since coming to the vale of mists.
"The trick is to watch the way drops of water dance on the surface of the pan after you've pulled it out of the fire," he explained to his attentive student as he dipped his fingers into a small cup of water before sprinkling several droplets across the surface of the cast-iron pan.
-HSSSSTTT-
"You see how the water turned into steam in an instant? That's too hot," he said, keeping most of his attention on the task. "If we drop butter into the pan when it's that hot, it will scorch and brown, and our eggs will come out dark and chewy. We need it to cool down more before we add anything to the pan."
