Sololapa, East Province
Marisa was exhausted, but she didn't dare complain. They had been traveling for over four days with hardly any stopping. She was sore, tired, and irritable. Not that her teacher, Mistress Melena, cared. At the end of the first day, she had informed Marisa that Elemental Seekers had to be hardy, able to weather any condition, and that treating her gently would only make her weak.
Personally, Marisa would've preferred weak if it meant getting to rest without wincing from the cuts and bruises. She returned from her inner musing when her horse abruptly stopped, almost sending her tumbling to the ground.
"What's wrong?" She glanced about and saw that Mistress Melena had stopped as well.
"We will stop at the town, Sololapa, that is ahead. I want you to stay close. Do not wander off or leave my side. Sololapa has very strict rules, rules that take too long to explain. Don't say or do anything without asking permission first. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mistress Melena, I will keep quiet." She resented her teacher's tone. She was old enough to know how to act in front of strangers.
"And keep a cool head. Your power comes from your emotions. If you get angry, you might accidentally cause a fire. No matter how much you want to, don't give in to anger of any sort. Ignore things that aggravate you to the best of your ability. Let's go."
"Yes, Mistress."
Marisa didn't say another word until they had made it to the town and into their inn room for the night. She stared at the small beds and sighed. Back home, she had a large bed to herself. She was going to have another bad night.
"Don't dawdle. Get undressed and go to bed. We leave early tomorrow. Winter is almost here, and I want to make it to Coragiosi before the snow comes."
"How far is that?" She mumbled through her shirt as she undressed and slid her nightgown over her head.
"Another week's ride. We will stay there through the winter, and you will begin learning the keystones to being a Fire Elemental Mistress. Once it is spring, we shall continue our journey to the Negrazul Mountains for more advanced training and to meet the other users that you will be grouped with."
"I'll meet other fire users?"
"Not just fire, but also the other elements of air, water, and earth. The friendships you make at that time will serve you well in life when you graduate and go out into the world."
Friends? She didn't want new ones. The ones back home had been just fine. She felt a pang as she thought about her father all alone. She still couldn't believe he'd let her leave. Marisa slid under the thin blanket and pulled it up over her head. She didn't want to look at Mistress Melena. Her chest felt tight, and the urge to cry rose. Angrily, she pushed it away. She was Ortiguez's daughter. She was strong and not a crybaby. Keeping that thought in mind, she fell asleep.
***
Marisa grumbled a complaint when something warm blew against her neck.
"Stop it."
The warmth increased its force, tickling the hairs on her neck. With a snarl, she opened her eyes and froze. She was lying in the middle of a field of flowers. Shocked, she sat in the bed and tried to regain her wits.
"What? What's going on?"
"Welcome," the word was a sigh on the breeze, yet it did nothing to calm the panic Marisa felt.
"I don't want to be here. I'm going back to sleep."
"Fire,keeperofheart'spassion,youmuststay."
"I'm not a keeper of anything. I'd like to go to sleep now."
"Stay.Learn.Mayyourpassionblazehighandstrongineverythingyoudo.Seekthatwhichwillhelpyouinlife'strials."
Thoroughly unnerved by the strange voice and location, she started to bury herself under the blanket. It was just a dream after all. As she reached for it, the bed beneath her abruptly vanished, and she was falling toward a pool of fire.
She screamed, threw up her arms, and prepared to be burned alive.
***
"Marisa, stop that ruckus right now!"
Her eyes flew open, and Marisa bolted upright. Her heart beat fast and painfully in her chest as she swung her head from side to side, taking in her surroundings. She let out a shaky breath and dropped her head into her hands. She was alive and not dead.
"Really, child, you must learn better control. All that screaming."
"But it felt so real..."
"Dreams, for those of us who wield the elements, always do feel real. They also contain messages you need to heed."
"But..."
"No. I do not wish to hear about it. It is for you to ponder. Since you are up, get dressed. It's morning and we need to be on our way."
Melena walked away, leaving Marisa to consider her words. She didn't like it. Not one bit. Without complaint, she did as ordered, too rattled by her bizarre dream to offer any protest.
They went to the common area, had breakfast, and left the small inn. The ride was silent, like always. This time, however, Marisa did not try to break it. Dreams had messages, didn't they? What message could a field of flowers, a warm wind, a pool of fire, and a voice that spoke in riddles possibly teach her? Her thoughts tumbled around as she struggled to understand. After several hours, she admitted defeat. She just didn't get it. There was nothing that linked the three things together except the fact that they made no sense and filled her with unease.
"Did you reach a conclusion yet?
Melena's voice startled her. She jerked upright and glanced over at her teacher's intense stare. She squirmed, reluctant to say she'd given up.
"I guess not. Your face says it all. Really, my Apprentice, you have to learn control of your expressions. You must cultivate an unreadable one if you are to survive in the world. It will be difficult, but you will master it in time."
"Yes, Mistress."
"We'll ride for a few more hours and then stop for the night."
Melena kneed her horse into a fast canter and, after a moment, Marisa followed. Another night outdoors...yes, the First Ones must really hate her.
She settled down and dozed as her horse kept pace with Mistress Melena's mount. When her horse dropped to a slow walk, she opened her eyes. The slowly darkening sky reminded her that night was fast approaching. She couldn't wait. She was still a little sore, though not as bad as before when they had first set out on this crazy journey.
Mistress Melena halted before a break in the forest and pointed to a small cleared area.
"We'll stay here for the night. There is something I would like you to learn tonight. Simple, but it will get you started on your basic teachings that you will need in order to wield your Element effectively."
Marisa gaped at her teacher's abrupt change of mood. Was she actually going to teach her something, or would it really be just another lecture? If it were the latter, she could do without that. Keeping her thoughts to herself, she dismounted and set about making camp. Mistress Melena had taught her how on the first night of their journey.
First, she took care of her horse, removing the riding gear and wiping the mare down. Once she had tethered the mare near a nice section of grass, she moved farther into the bushes to gather wood. Soon she had enough kindling and pieces of wood for the fire. She returned to the camp and set her load down, taking a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead. She frowned. She didn't see Mistress Melena anywhere.
Grumbling, she went to her saddlebags and pulled out her bowl and eating utensils. She then moved to the foodstuffs bag and chose a few items that would be quick and easy to cook.
Off to her right, the bushes rustled, and Marisa hastily stood, her hand going to the small dagger strapped to her side. She would protect herself if she had to.
"Never put your hand to a weapon unless you are prepared to use it."
Marisa dropped her hand and glared at Mistress Melena.
"Never try to sneak up on someone if you don't want them to think about using a weapon," she countered angrily. Was this another of Mistress Melena's little tests?
Her teacher laughed and held up a basket full of berries.
"Where did you find those? Isn't their growing season over?"
"Yes, it is. However, if they sprout late, they will be ripe toward wintertime."
"Oh."
Having run out of things to say, Marisa turned and gathered up the kindling, arranging it in a circle and a neat little stack that would allow for a fast start and wouldn't die out too quickly.
"Ready for your fire, Mistress Melena."
"Ah, but it is not my fire we will be using. This will be your first lesson. Please kneel, and we shall get started."
She did as instructed and watched Mistress Melena's every move.
"Hold your hands up like this and point them toward the kindling."
"Like this?"
"Yes, make sure your fingers remain straight. Though it seems like such a little thing, the positioning of your body, limbs, and fingers is important. You will become your element and, to do so, you have to master control of yourself in every area."
Mistress Melena paused and studied Marisa's hands intently. After a moment, she grunted and continued with her explanation.
"Now, you will light the fire. Focus on the kindling and imagine a small flame burning in the middle of the pile. You must not get distracted."
"I'll try."
Marisa turned her gaze to the center of the kindling and tried to picture a flame burning there. Several minutes went by, and nothing happened. She dropped her hands and glared at the wood. This was impossible. That's why people used flint and stone to start a fire. Using some power she never had before to do a simple job was silly. Angry at Mistress Melena for believing such nonsense, Marisa rose to get her fire kit and took two steps in the direction of her pack.
"I did not say you could move yet."
She whipped around and frowned at her teacher. "I can't do it. I'm not going to sit here looking stupid when I can start our fire the normal way." She moved toward her pack and gasped when her legs refused to obey.
"What? What's happening?" She glanced over her shoulder and saw Mistress Melena's stern expression.
"I did not give you permission to do anything other than start the fire. Until you do as I ask, I will control your fire and you. You cannot move without my approval."
Marisa gritted her teeth and thought a hundred evil thoughts about what she wished would happen to this tyrant teacher she was stuck with. Several minutes of silent struggling ended with her sigh of defeat.
"I will try again."
"Good. I knew you would understand. After all, you are my apprentice."
The abrupt release of her legs sent Marisa tumbling to the ground. She glared at her teacher as she got up and returned to the unlit wood. She resumed the uncomfortable position and stared belligerently at the wood. She didn't want to be up all night doing this boring, useless lesson.
"Light, you stupid fire!" she snapped.
Foryou,Ishallburn,ChildofFire.
Her eyes narrowed. A voice.... She felt heat course through her arms and into her fingers. Her eyes widened as flames shot outward and landed on the wood. First smoke and, then, a tiny flame, which turned into a tiny blaze burning before her startled gaze. Her mind tumbled about. Had she really heard a voice before the release of the flames? Did she really start the wood burning, or was this Mistress Melena's doing?
"Why so confused, Marisa? Do you doubt what your own eyes are showing you? Congratulations, you have completed your first lesson."
"I don't get it."
"By releasing your emotions, you created the flame. You don't have to tell me what you were thinking or feeling. Just remember how it felt when the fire traveled through you and to your target."
"Yes, Mistress Melena."
"Now, get some rest. We have a long way to go to reach our winter destination."
Dazed and disturbed by the day's events, Marisa went to bed without another word of protest.