In a forest clearing, covered by a canopy of tall, ancient trees and cut across by a babbling brook, Emily stood with her eyes closed. She focused on the Stoneshell around her neck, concentrating on the weight of the pendant against her chest, and listened for Aria's instructions.
"Have you cleared your mind?" Aria asked.
Emily nodded.
"Good. Now, feel the earth beneath your feet," Aria continued, sounding like a yoga instructor. "Draw from its stability and anchor yourself to its strength. Plant yourself."
Emily wiggled her toes, feeling the softness of the grass and the firmness of the soil beneath it. Her hair was tied back, so as not to disturb her concentration. She felt the wind's caress against her skin and hardened her stance, digging her feet in. She was unyielding, immovable, in complete control. And she was naked, as she had been for most of this adventure so far.
Her cloak and boots lay a few yards away, surrounded by a protective rock formation. Emily had no desire to lose any more clothes to the Stoneshell's unpredictable flames, especially not during practise.
"Now," Aria's voice continued, smooth as silk, "imagine the Stoneshell's power as a small ember within you, glowing but controlled."
Emily held the picture in her mind's eye and felt a corresponding warmth against her chest.
"Open your eyes," said Aria. "Now, direct the Stoneshell's power to the palm of your hand."
Emily held out a hand in front of her and stared at her outstretched palm. Maintaining her focus on the small, glowing ember in her mind's eye, she pushed it forward, from her chest and into her arm, down her arm and into the palm of her hand. A flame appeared in the air just above her palm. It flickered slightly in the soft breeze. Its warmth was soft and pleasant, and Emily knew it would not burn her. At its base, Emily could see the faint outline of a shell.
"Good," Aria said, a smile cracking her stone countenance. "Now extinguish it."
Emily took a deep breath, picturing the flame being enveloped by a cool breeze. It vanished instantly.
"Well done, Emily!" Aria said.
"Yes!" Emily cried, pumping a fist in the air. As she did so, small flames exploded upwards from between her fingers. "Woah! I didn't--"
"Emotions, Emily! Be careful with your emotions!"
Emily blushed, recalling the scene at the inn. "S--sorry."
Aria's expression was stern, with a hint of worry in her eye. "It is a simple matter to conjure small, controled flames in a peaceful and secluded setting such as this, with time to empty your mind and calm your nerves. But circumstances may not always be so favorable."
"Sh--should I try to remain calm and emotionless all the time?" asked Emily, eyeing the tendrils of smoke rising from her outstretched hand.
"No, that will not be possible," said Aria. "You must merely learn to be conscious of the Stoneshell and to separate your emotions from it. Know when it is engaged and be mindful. This is a good lesson in that regard."
Emily bit her lip.
Aria paced the clearing. "Every action, every emotion is a spark, Emily. The Stoneshell amplifies these sparks. Controlled, they can be a warm campfire, a guiding lantern in the dark or a powerful weapon against danger. Uncontrolled, they're a wildfire."
Emily took a moment to absorb this, looking at the pendant. It was still warm against her skin. "But there were times I felt strong emotions and yet nothing happened." She thought of Brevin the traveling merchant and of the troll at the river.
Aria pointed towards the pendant. "The Stoneshell has its own will but is especially responsive to immediate threats or extreme distress. Once engaged in the manner we just practised, it will remain active."
Emily gazed at her fingertips. A small flame appeared hovering just above each one. She shook her hand to extinguish them. "This is a lot to take in."
"With time and patience, you will come to wield the Stoneshell with complete intentionality," said Aria. "Of that I have no doubt. Now, reclaim your calm, and disengage the Stoneshell. Imagine a sudden downpour, which extinguishes all flames."
Emily closed her eyes and imagined rain. As she focused on the falling droplets, the Stoneshell began to cool. She did not reopen her eyes until it returned to an inert stone. "I've disengaged," she said.
Aria nodded. "Good. Let us rest a while and eat."
The picnic basket which had been given to Aria by the bartender was nestled among the rocks, with Emily's clothes. Emily took the cloak and spread it out on the grass like a picnic blanket, on which she sat cross-legged and enjoyed a lunch of smoked meats and freshly baked bread, washed down with a flask of apple cider. Aria stood watch at her side. Though quite capable of sitting down, she found it more comfortable to stand.
When she was finished eating, Emily shook out her cloak and pulled it around herself, retiring to a seated position against one of the rocks. It was good to have something to wear again, even if it was a bit scratchy. "We should try to make some money at the next village we come to," she said to Aria. "I'm sure we'll be able to assist a baker, or a seamstress, or just run errands for someone. Then I can buy a proper dress and some underthings."
Aria furrowed her brow. "In my previous life, I never worried for money, so I must admit that I have little experience with it. But I am sure you are right. Perhaps we could even buy a horse!"
Emily grimaced. Though Aria was her ancient and wise guide in this unfamiliar world, knowledgeable in many areas, it would fall to Emily to navigate the economy for the both of them. She didn't want to think how many years of baking bread or darning socks would be needed to afford something as extravagant as a horse.
"Let us continue your training," said Aria, deeming Emily sufficiently rested.
Emily nodded and shrugged off her cloak, mentally preparing to access the Stoneshell's fire once more as she strode towards the center of the clearing.
Over the next few days, Emily and Aria journeyed through an ever-changing landscape. Dense, shadowy woods gave way to sprawling meadows awash with the colors of wildflowers. Then the meadows transitioned into open plains, where tall grasses swayed with the wind like waves in an emerald sea. Emily was grateful for her cloak, but grew tired of holding it closed while nobody was around and would allow it to hang at her sides. What she would give for a few safety pins!
Once the contents of the picnic basket were finished, Emily subsisted on a diet of berries and other fruits. The land was bountiful and always seemed to provide more than she needed any time she became hungry. She slept under the stars, wrapped up in her cloak, with Aria standing watch.
They passed the odd fence or stone ruin, but seldom saw any other sign of civilization. On a good day, they might spy a farmhouse in the far distance. Castle Elid, Aria mentioned, was nestled in the most remote and sparsely populated area of Thessolan. This is what had allowed it to be forgotten for so many centuries.
On the sixth evening since their departure from the castle, as they crested a grassy knoll, Aria slowed her pace and pointed out a distant structure.
"Do you see that, Emily? Beyond the grove of trees?"
Emily squinted against the bright morning sun. A stately manor house came into view, surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges, which were themselves flanked by groves of regularly planted trees.
"That is Odonata Manor," Aria said. "Before I was turned to stone, I was great friends with the lady of that house. It is remarkable how little it has changed. Although I have no doubt that Isolde is long dead."
"I'm sorry, Aria," Emily said, opening her cloak to rest a hand on Aria's shoulder.
"Thank you, my dear, but I have had many centuries to grieve those I once knew," Aria replied. "I carry the sadness still, but it does not affect me as it once did. I only point it out to ask if you would like to visit. I am certain that Lady Isolde's descendants will be warm and hospitable."
The thought of a proper bed and a hot meal was enticing, but Emily was skeptical. "Do you think they still live there?" Emily asked. "And if they do, would anyone recognize your name?"
"I believe they would," replied Aria. "Lady Isolde was greatly in my debt, and it was a debt she never repaid. She promised me the eternal loyalty and friendship of the Odonata line."
Emily looked wistfully at the manor, imagining the luxuries inside. "I hope they remember that promise." She held the sides of her cloak together tightly from the inside.
Twenty minutes of walking took the duo through the neat orchard and in sight of the manor's grand entrance. Tall hedge rows flanked the path up to a pair of enormous wooden doors set into a stone archway. A large crest had been carved into the door, dominated by a dragonfly with its wings outstreched.
"The Odonata family crest," Aria remarked, taking the metal knocker in her stone fingers and tapping it against the door.
Emily heard the sound of shuffling footsteps from behind the doors. They opened a crack, in which the round rosy-cheeked face of a short, stout woman appeared. She turned her eyes from Aria to Emily, causing the latter to pull her cloak closer to herself. "Can I help you?" the lady asked.
"Good day," said Aria. "I am Lady Aria of Castle Elid. Centuries ago, I was a close friend and confidante of Lady Isolde of this great house of Odonata. She gave me her word and the word of her family that I would always be welcome here. I am traveling with a single companion."
The door immediately slammed shut and Aria's eyes widened in surprise. Emily's heart sank as she bitterly resigned herself to sleeping under the stars once more. Aria shouldn't have gotten her hopes up like that.
But before either woman said anything to the other, they found themselves jumping backwards as the manor's grand doors were flung open to reveal a grand foyer. Lush carpets blanketed the floor, ornate multicoloured tapestries hung from the walls and large chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A large staircase dominated the room, at the top of which was an enormous painting set into a golden frame, depicting two life-size women.
