She opened her senses and asked it to flood her with its beauty.
The light of the tree rushed towards her in a blinding flash, shooting up her arm. Startled, Ellie cried out and yanked her hand away from the trunk. Her eyes flew open. Rain leapt forward to snatch her to his chest and fling a protective barrier around them as fireoak branches snapped and rained down from above, blanketing the ground around Ellie and Rain.
When the shower of tree limbs ceased, Rain looked at the destruction at his feet and glanced up at the tree. Not a single branch remained. The once-lush fireoak was now a thick, denuded pole thrusting up from the ground.
"I think we need to teach you moderation," he murmured. "What happened?" Ellie looked at the tree in dismay. "Did I do that?”
"Nei, it wasn't really you, Ellysetta. You weren't weaving magic. You only asked the tree to respond to you. But you must have asked very, very strongly." He shook his head.
"Can you fix it?" She couldn't bear to leave the poor tree like this.
"Ai yah. “
As Ellie watched, Rain's eyes began to glow with summoned power. He gestured with his hands, and silvery white threads of what Ellie now knew was Air wrapped around one of the branches and raised it high overhead. Bright green Earth threads knit the branch back in place. Rain continued, branch by branch, until the fireoak was once more whole and undamaged.
When he was done, Ellie thanked him and whispered a heartfelt apology to the tree, not daring to touch it again lest she feel it quivering like a frightened puppy.
"That was good," Rain said.
"Good? I almost killed the poor tree!”
"But you did not. I want you to try weaving magic.”
"I don't think that's a good idea. I just destroyed a tree without even trying to weave magic. I shudder to think what I might destroy if I was trying ...”
"Shei’tani, trust me. You promised me you would accept instruction.”
"I promised to accept instruction when we reached the Fading Lands," she countered. "We're not there yet”
He opened his mouth, then shut it. A rueful smile tilted up one corner of his mouth. "When you wager with tairen, take care with your words.” Then his expression grew serious. "This is important, Ellysetta. I will not allow you to harm yourself or anything else, but you need to understand what magic you possess, and you need to learn to control it. Both our bond and the tairen depend on it.”
She hesitated in indecision. On the one hand, she was terrified of the magic she seemed to possess. On the other hand, she was desperate to learn how to control it so she could stop herself from weaving it accidentally or with unexpected consequences as she had last night and with Adrial this morning.
"All right," she agreed. "Teach me."
CHAPTER FIVE
Terkaz, Blood Drinker, slake your thirst.
Frathmir, Flesh Eater, feed your hunger.
Boraz, Bone Grinder, mill your dust.
Choutarre, Soul Taker, claim your due.
-Feraz Witchspell
"We'll start with something simple," Rain said. "You've already shown you are strong in Air, and it is weightless and easy enough to direct for what I have in mind. Sit here." He indicated a grassy spot beside the Same River.
Ellysetta sat where he directed.
"Now we'll borrow a little bit of the river and shelter both it and us from the current and the breeze." He lifted his hands and wove a curtain of still Air around them and a small portion of the river near Ellie's feet. She started to dip her toe in, but he stopped her.
"Nei, do not touch the water. The surface must be perfectly still for this exercise." His eyes glowed faintly and a pale blue light shone around his hands. A moment later, the small portion of the river before them was smooth as glass. "There. Now I want you to try to weave enough of a breeze to make the water ripple.”
"How do I do that?”
"Find the silence inside you. Just a moment ago, when you. asked the fireoak tree to respond to you, you found the silence and through it you could
The light of the tree rushed towards her in a blinding flash, shooting up her arm. Startled, Ellie cried out and yanked her hand away from the trunk. Her eyes flew open. Rain leapt forward to snatch her to his chest and fling a protective barrier around them as fireoak branches snapped and rained down from above, blanketing the ground around Ellie and Rain.
When the shower of tree limbs ceased, Rain looked at the destruction at his feet and glanced up at the tree. Not a single branch remained. The once-lush fireoak was now a thick, denuded pole thrusting up from the ground.
"I think we need to teach you moderation," he murmured. "What happened?" Ellie looked at the tree in dismay. "Did I do that?”
"Nei, it wasn't really you, Ellysetta. You weren't weaving magic. You only asked the tree to respond to you. But you must have asked very, very strongly." He shook his head.
"Can you fix it?" She couldn't bear to leave the poor tree like this.
"Ai yah. “
As Ellie watched, Rain's eyes began to glow with summoned power. He gestured with his hands, and silvery white threads of what Ellie now knew was Air wrapped around one of the branches and raised it high overhead. Bright green Earth threads knit the branch back in place. Rain continued, branch by branch, until the fireoak was once more whole and undamaged.
When he was done, Ellie thanked him and whispered a heartfelt apology to the tree, not daring to touch it again lest she feel it quivering like a frightened puppy.
"That was good," Rain said.
"Good? I almost killed the poor tree!”
"But you did not. I want you to try weaving magic.”
"I don't think that's a good idea. I just destroyed a tree without even trying to weave magic. I shudder to think what I might destroy if I was trying ...”
"Shei’tani, trust me. You promised me you would accept instruction.”
"I promised to accept instruction when we reached the Fading Lands," she countered. "We're not there yet”
He opened his mouth, then shut it. A rueful smile tilted up one corner of his mouth. "When you wager with tairen, take care with your words.” Then his expression grew serious. "This is important, Ellysetta. I will not allow you to harm yourself or anything else, but you need to understand what magic you possess, and you need to learn to control it. Both our bond and the tairen depend on it.”
She hesitated in indecision. On the one hand, she was terrified of the magic she seemed to possess. On the other hand, she was desperate to learn how to control it so she could stop herself from weaving it accidentally or with unexpected consequences as she had last night and with Adrial this morning.
"All right," she agreed. "Teach me."
CHAPTER FIVE
Terkaz, Blood Drinker, slake your thirst.
Frathmir, Flesh Eater, feed your hunger.
Boraz, Bone Grinder, mill your dust.
Choutarre, Soul Taker, claim your due.
-Feraz Witchspell
"We'll start with something simple," Rain said. "You've already shown you are strong in Air, and it is weightless and easy enough to direct for what I have in mind. Sit here." He indicated a grassy spot beside the Same River.
Ellysetta sat where he directed.
"Now we'll borrow a little bit of the river and shelter both it and us from the current and the breeze." He lifted his hands and wove a curtain of still Air around them and a small portion of the river near Ellie's feet. She started to dip her toe in, but he stopped her.
"Nei, do not touch the water. The surface must be perfectly still for this exercise." His eyes glowed faintly and a pale blue light shone around his hands. A moment later, the small portion of the river before them was smooth as glass. "There. Now I want you to try to weave enough of a breeze to make the water ripple.”
"How do I do that?”
"Find the silence inside you. Just a moment ago, when you. asked the fireoak tree to respond to you, you found the silence and through it you could
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