same one that the person who locked
it did.”
“Huh?” There was a confused look on his
face.
“I don’t know how to explain it, Cousin.”
Liselle concentrated on the concept for a moment and then shrugged.
“Nope . . . I just don’t know how to describe it.” She went back to
moving her hand around in front of her eyes. “I just know you don’t have to say words or make gestures.”
Tathan leaned back on his elbow to look at
stars forming in the darkening sky. He considered her words for a
few moments before looking back at her. She was still moving her
hand around in front of her face, which amused him. “You just know
these things, Cousin? No one taught you?”
Liselle sat still for a moment before
turning to him. “I don’t know how I know, Tathan. I just know. No
one has ever taught me or told me.” Liselle nibbled on her lower
lip. “Watch. . .”
Slowly her hand began to move again. Liselle
leaned her head and focused on the motion. She let out a wordless
breath. A small breeze ruffled her hair.
Tathan gaped as the flame grew in her hand.
He watched her move it back and forth, making it dance around her
fingers. Then she stood and began walking in the clearing, still
making it move with her gestures.
He got up and followed. “But you’re using
gestures . . .”
“Hmmm?” She was paying attention to the
flame. “Oh, gestures. I’m just experimenting with them. I can make
the flame move around with them.” She turned and smiled to Tathan,
the flame still moving in her hand. “Thank you for letting me know
about that.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said.
The flame stood still in the palm of her
hand as she concentrated on it. She made it rise above their heads.
Then, without making another gesture, she guided it down toward the
grass in the clearing. Just as it reached the tips of the grasses,
she put out both hands and quickly made gestures.
***
Tathan had seen many things in his life,
magical and otherwise, but nothing like what happened next.
Grasses underneath the flame reached up to
wrap around it. The flame brightened then began transforming.
Liselle continued to move her hands as though weaving threads.
Tathan watched the magical breezes that accompanied all spells
gently caress her cheek and cause strands of her hair to blow
forward at the sides of her face. The flame turned into a flower
before his eyes and the grasses transformed into a plant with
leaves to sustain it.
“Ha! The gestures help!” Liselle clapped her
hands close to her chest, jumping up and down a couple of times.
She laughed and pounced on him in a great big hug. “Thank you,
thank you, thank you!”
He absentmindedly caught her, still staring
at the flower she had just created. The petals looked like small,
blue flames. Tathan moved over to it as she watched him, bemused.
The middle of the flower was white and the leaves of the plant were
thin and grass-like.
“I like plants a lot and they listen to me
sometimes, especially the flowers,” Liselle explained. “I have a
way with them. They make me feel good. I’ve never combined fire and
plants and I don’t know how I did it there, but it . . . it feels
good.” She smiled and shrugged her shoulders as he watched her,
saying nothing. “You don’t hate me now do you Tathan?” she asked,
worried.
“What? . . . Hate? No. No, no, no, no, no.”
Moving to Liselle, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked
into her eyes. “I don’t hate you at all. I’ve never seen anyone use
magic as easily as you just did, nor have I seen anyone create a
life with it, even life as simple as a flower.”
Liselle stepped back, angry. “Simple?
Simple?!”
He stared at her, nonplussed. “Umm . .
.”
“Flowers aren’t simple! They are beautiful,
wonderful and vitally important to the entire world!” She crossed
her arms, glaring at him defiantly. “Flowers are not simple!”
That was not the response he had expected.
“Umm . . . I’m sorry,” he
it did.”
“Huh?” There was a confused look on his
face.
“I don’t know how to explain it, Cousin.”
Liselle concentrated on the concept for a moment and then shrugged.
“Nope . . . I just don’t know how to describe it.” She went back to
moving her hand around in front of her eyes. “I just know you don’t have to say words or make gestures.”
Tathan leaned back on his elbow to look at
stars forming in the darkening sky. He considered her words for a
few moments before looking back at her. She was still moving her
hand around in front of her face, which amused him. “You just know
these things, Cousin? No one taught you?”
Liselle sat still for a moment before
turning to him. “I don’t know how I know, Tathan. I just know. No
one has ever taught me or told me.” Liselle nibbled on her lower
lip. “Watch. . .”
Slowly her hand began to move again. Liselle
leaned her head and focused on the motion. She let out a wordless
breath. A small breeze ruffled her hair.
Tathan gaped as the flame grew in her hand.
He watched her move it back and forth, making it dance around her
fingers. Then she stood and began walking in the clearing, still
making it move with her gestures.
He got up and followed. “But you’re using
gestures . . .”
“Hmmm?” She was paying attention to the
flame. “Oh, gestures. I’m just experimenting with them. I can make
the flame move around with them.” She turned and smiled to Tathan,
the flame still moving in her hand. “Thank you for letting me know
about that.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said.
The flame stood still in the palm of her
hand as she concentrated on it. She made it rise above their heads.
Then, without making another gesture, she guided it down toward the
grass in the clearing. Just as it reached the tips of the grasses,
she put out both hands and quickly made gestures.
***
Tathan had seen many things in his life,
magical and otherwise, but nothing like what happened next.
Grasses underneath the flame reached up to
wrap around it. The flame brightened then began transforming.
Liselle continued to move her hands as though weaving threads.
Tathan watched the magical breezes that accompanied all spells
gently caress her cheek and cause strands of her hair to blow
forward at the sides of her face. The flame turned into a flower
before his eyes and the grasses transformed into a plant with
leaves to sustain it.
“Ha! The gestures help!” Liselle clapped her
hands close to her chest, jumping up and down a couple of times.
She laughed and pounced on him in a great big hug. “Thank you,
thank you, thank you!”
He absentmindedly caught her, still staring
at the flower she had just created. The petals looked like small,
blue flames. Tathan moved over to it as she watched him, bemused.
The middle of the flower was white and the leaves of the plant were
thin and grass-like.
“I like plants a lot and they listen to me
sometimes, especially the flowers,” Liselle explained. “I have a
way with them. They make me feel good. I’ve never combined fire and
plants and I don’t know how I did it there, but it . . . it feels
good.” She smiled and shrugged her shoulders as he watched her,
saying nothing. “You don’t hate me now do you Tathan?” she asked,
worried.
“What? . . . Hate? No. No, no, no, no, no.”
Moving to Liselle, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked
into her eyes. “I don’t hate you at all. I’ve never seen anyone use
magic as easily as you just did, nor have I seen anyone create a
life with it, even life as simple as a flower.”
Liselle stepped back, angry. “Simple?
Simple?!”
He stared at her, nonplussed. “Umm . .
.”
“Flowers aren’t simple! They are beautiful,
wonderful and vitally important to the entire world!” She crossed
her arms, glaring at him defiantly. “Flowers are not simple!”
That was not the response he had expected.
“Umm . . . I’m sorry,” he
Similar Books
