Many minutes and breaks later, we arrive at the peak, snow crunching beneath our feet. A silver tree with a trunk so large you could fit a small house into it stands before us. There is an opening carved into the trunk, and Asher leads me through, into a large chamber edged by tangled silver roots. Sunlight streams in from holes in the top, casting everything in shades of gold. A pool of clear water rests in the center. A flat black rock juts out from the water. The Druid, covered in white furs and silks, floats inches above the stone in a lotus position. His eyes are closed, his breath steady.
Asher gives me a small bow, then leaves before Varis notices him.
I shift nervously from foot to foot, wondering what I'm supposed to do. Should I say something? Introduce myself? Cough to get his attention? At the thought of coughing, I suddenly need to actually cough, but I don't want to disturb what seems to be some very serious meditating going on, with levitation and everything. What if he falls from the noise? What if he bruises his tailbone on that black rock? All because of me? Could I be punished for causing damage to a god's ass?
I'm spared from further consideration on the subject when Yami leaps off my shoulder, flutters his wings and screeches so loudly I'm certain the entire Air Village can hear him. He stares at something above. A silver owl. Sharp blue eyes.
The bird glides down toward us, digging into the earth with sharp talons, spreading its large wings, appearing larger than it is. Yami leaps away, shrieking, eyes wide with fear. The spikes on his back stretch upright, and then he does something new. He erupts in blue flame.
"Silence!"
The Druid's deep voice fills the cavern, and both the owl and Yami freeze. The screeching stops, the flames die down. Yami seems himself again, and he jumps up and lands on my shoulder, digging claws into my flesh, eyes fixed on the bird.
I don't know whether to apologize or yell. So I just stand there, silently, waiting to see which direction this goes.
Varis lowers down onto the rock.
And he jumps.
No…
It is more a glide, as if he were lighter than air, and he lands in front of me, his feet barely making a sound. His white furs billow behind him. His tattoos, which I thought black, but now see are a deep blue, glitter in the light. A gust of wind drifts around us, though there should be no wind in this cavernous tree.
The ancient Fae looks at me, his eyes probing. "Arianna Spero, your spirit is untrained, young and impetuous. From what I've heard, he is much like you."
I bristle at that. "It is not through any fault of ours that we are young and untrained," I say.
A grin plays on his lips. "And impetuous?"
"Often an insult levied at the bold by those too set in their ways to take chances or seek change," I say.
He nods. "I heard many tales of you last night, some favorable, many not. It is good to see the truth of things in your eyes. It seems my people have indeed become too set in their ways to see the Wild One in you."
He flicks his fingers, and the owl lands on his left hand, gripping the brown leather fashioned there. "This is Zyra, my Air Spirit. She is ancient, wise, and… very proper." The owl flashes him a look. A frown? The eyebrows are very expressive. Varis grins. "It will be interesting to see how your Yami does with her."
Yami screeches at the sound of his name, and I make hushing sounds at him, hoping to soothe the spirit. "You can see my dragon?" I ask.
Varis nods. "He has shown himself to me and Zyra. But it is critical he show himself at the presenting this evening."
"He won't," I say. "No one can see him but you and I."
"That is why you must train. I will teach you how to harness and control your powers, how to wield your spirit for the greatest good. Are you ready to learn?"
I nod.
"Very good," he says, hopping back to the rock. "We will begin with the simplest of castings. That of Illusion. Madrid told me you will be returning to the Seven Realms. You will need Illusion to hide your true identity from the demons. This is a casting our youngest Fae learn as children, so it should not take you long."
***
Famous last words, Druid. Famous last words.
I am stiff, cold, tired and hungry, and still I sit in lotus, meditating on the 'ember within that burns with magic.'
There is no ember.
There is no burning.
There is no magic.
I'm beginning to fear I do not have enough Fae blood in me to be what these people need. I tell Varis, and he shakes his head. "Yami would not have come to you if that were true. I would not have woken. The ember is within you, but it is buried deep. We must bring it to the surface."
"If you say so." He and I haven't done much talking, and there is much I'd like to ask him about, but the training comes first, and apparently the training involves silence and meditating.
A bell sounds in the distance, and Varis stands. "That is all for today. You must return to your room and prepare for the presenting this evening."
I stand and stretch the parts of my body that have fallen asleep. All of them. Yami yawns and snuggles deeper into my hair. He slept through most of the day, lucky dragon.
Varis turns to the exit.
"Wait," I say. "What do I feed Yami?"
"Feed?" He raises an eyebrow. "I’m sorry. I forget how little you know of our ways. Yami will eat meat. He will eat a lot. Be prepared."
I glance at the little dragon, not quite believing Varis. "He hasn't had much food yet…"