My head was spinning. As I sat replaying everything that just happened, I became growingly aware of the sounds and smells around me. I could smell the iron in the spring water as it was being juiced from the cracks. Each trickle of water seeping in the cave echoed like tiny glass beads as they hit the cave floor. I could hear Ella's breathing, light and sweet. I focused on the rise and fall of her chest and matched her breathing pattern with my own until I could somehow hear the gentle, relaxed drumming of her heart. It grew louder in my ears,and my troubles faded away the more intensely I listened. I Could hear her heart now as if it were originating from behind my own ear drums. I could smell a warm vanilla wafting from her skin in small vibrations. The scent was alluring and I found myself longing to throw my arms around her and warm her body with mine.
A small, throbbing ping of longing hit me in a place I had never been aware of in this way before, I could feel my breathing deepen, so I pushed the thought to the depths of my mind. I hadn't even realized that I'd closed my eyes until they sprang open, trying to forget my guilt for feeling this way about Ella…
"You're cold. I...I don't know how, but I can sense and feel what you're feeling." Not understanding why this was happening to me so suddenly, I tried not to let it overwhelm me. "It’s getting chilly in here, can we start a fire again and just stay for a while longer?" I pleaded with her gently.
Ella, face fully blushed, glanced outside the cave to see how much daylight was left before responding.
"Yes, we still have time. Alma told us to be back before sunrise but there are things in the forest that can be a danger to you if they find out who you are. Your senses are very powerful, and your sensual perception goes hand in hand with your elemental gifts, but possibly with another that is yet unknown. Interpretation is important, you must learn what your senses are telling you about the world around you. This is key to mastering your gifts." She paused as she reached out to cover my hands with hers momentarily, offering contact for a small amount of support.
"Focus on fire, draw the energy from the air and earth around you, and set it ablaze. Go on, try it." With a nod, Ella closed her eyes so that I didn't feel pressured.
I relaxed my body and took several long breaths, slowing my heart rate and focusing on the chill in the air around me. I closed my eyelids and felt the cave floor against my seat. Knowing that deep in the core of the earth there was molten rock that was on fire at thousands of degrees, I allowed my own energy to gather in my chest, then forced it to descend downward, until it penetrated the ground, reaching deep into the warmth that lay below. I pictured my energy having arms that outstretched and scooped up the heat, slowly rising back to the surface with it in tow. When it crossed through the earth's surface and into my body, the heat was intensely radiating from within me, as if it were trying to escape. I willed it to collect in my chest, my breath steamy as I exhaled. I then forced it to migrate through my shoulders, then slowly into my arms, and down into my hands. I knew that to release the heat of the earth, I needed to draw the energy from the air and somehow use it to make a flame. As I inhaled, I prepared myself for the task. I had no idea what I was doing, but spirit talking had helped me understand energy exchange to an extent. I decided to hold on to the warm energy from the earth, while simultaneously pulling the cool charges from the air. I drew in one more deep breath, this time imagining my body as a magnet, allowing tiny electrical currents to gravitate towards me. When I could feel the excitement swell at my hands, I released my hold on the now blazing energy inside me. As if a dam had opened, it rushed from my fingertips and visually collided with the electricity in the air with a cackle. Just as hundreds of sparks ignited, they snapped with wisps of smoke and suddenly a luminescent ball of white fire hovered just in front of my palms.
I heard Ella gasp, her eyes fixated on the same sight. Feeling my mouth curling into a smile, I felt a sense of pride for having summoned flames from the earth and air, and now it waited for direction from me. Looking down at the pile of sticks that had been all but washed away earlier, I was at a momentary loss for what to do. Then I realized that the white flame did not need wood for fuel, so long as it continues to be fueled by the energy around it, just as Ella said. I turned my palms upwards and called the flame to split in two, one in each hand. Closing them in, their white glow still emanated from within. I admired the beauty for a few seconds, before reopening my hands. With a point of my finger, I was shooting ten individual flames in a circle around Ella and I, one from each fingertip. With a flick of my wrists, the flames remained suspended in mid air, lighting up the cave as though daylight were cascading in from above us. The warmth was immediate, and I could see Ella now blanketed in pure happiness.
"That was AMAZING," Ella exclaimed with a squeal, "I've never seen anyone ignite a white flame on their first attempt!"
"Never? Is that unusual?"
"I'd say unheard of. Elementals dedicate many years of their lives to practicing their craft in hope's of mastery, and most are never able to ignite a white flame."
"Why?"
"It takes incredible power to channel the energy needed for that. Look at it now, Maren;" Ella pointed at one of the hovering flames, "you've created a flame that is feeding itself, it is still under your control and you're not even touching it, they're levitating! You have no idea how truly powerful you are and with practice and guidance, I truly believe you can be the only person to ever master air and earth, and to command fire and water at will! You're a versed spirit talker, but you've never done this before and yet you made it look like child's play!"
My mind was reeling. Somehow, with nothing more than basic knowledge of earth science, logic, and concentration, I conjured a magnificent flame and became the new cool kid on the block! Hah! I couldn't forget about how astute my senses seemed to have become, and the fact that I understood what Ella was feeling just minutes before, without her actually expressing it to me.
* It must be tied to me being an elemental, like Ella mentioned earlier.*
I also was still quite curious about Ella's mind link… I wanted her to elaborate more, but we were quickly growing tired and hungry. It was completely dark now, stars were winking from outside the cave entrance and fog shrouded the ground. We would need to extinguish the flames before we draw attention, so I decided to file my thoughts away under "topics for a rainy day."
With a wave of my hands, all of the flames went out but one, which I used to light the largest branch I could find in the cave, to carry as a torch in the darkness. The color of the flame changed from the white that I created, to a yellow and orange that I was used to seeing. I caught a glimpse of Ella's eyes fluttering again and guessed that she was letting Alma know of our return so that she could expect us. She then took hold of a rope that was now hanging from above the cave entrance. Motioning me to come over, she handed me the end of the rope, as I handed her the torch I made.
"Hold on, he's going to pull us up." I found myself in a familiar situation and thought, Here she goes again, expecting me to know what she's talking about with no context…
Ella gave the rope two quick tugs and it began to pull. Holding on until I reached the cliff side again, I wondered who "he" was. A few seconds passed before I was able to grasp the ledge and pull myself up, crumbling in a heap as though I had just done a full day of exercise. My body felt weighed down as if my clothes were made of cement. Lifting myself off the ground took an immeasurable amount of effort, so I paused when I had made it to one knee to catch my breath. I could hear Ella's sing-song voice behind me, asking me if I was okay. Just when I looked up to respond, I was captivated by the gaze of the black wolf, who stood with one end of the rope in his jaws. He must have pulled us up! The realization hit me at the same time that the smell of cedarwood and hibiscus and I breathed it in, as deep and long as I possibly could. The smell of home. His emerald eyes caught every lick of fire from the torch and they were emblazoned with flecks of gold as they reflected the flames back. I felt myself being pulled into his eyes…
Suddenly, and without breaking eye contact, the wolf jumped a step back and lowered his haunches, simultaneously dropping the rope. Startled, I found my way to my feet as I felt the warmth from Ella's body just next to me. I turned to Ella, as she spoke directly to the wolf.
"There's no need for formalities right now." Ella asserted to the wolf, "We need to head back and master is exhausted."
What's going on here? Is this massive wolf bowing to me? Why does he smell like home, and comfort I can't understand? Why am I so tired? Did magic take every bit of my energy?
Just as I felt myself crumbling into a heap, the wolf whined and my eyes caught a glimpse of the stars above me. Only bits and pieces of my ride home were remembered, I was too exhausted to think or move, but one thing is for sure: I rode home on the back of my guardian wolf. I can vaguely recall the motion of his body as he carries me back to our homestead. His fur was coarse, yet billowy, my face slightly tingled from the friction. His body heat was fierce against the chill in the air. Most overwhelming of all was the absolute comfort I found in his scent, and the utter elation I felt. It was the most profound and purest happiness I had ever felt in my entire life. I could only speculate that my joy was from riding on the back of the giant wolf that I envied for his freedom.