The first step of many

When Monday came around, Mary was as nervous as she had ever been. The thought of starting the evaluation and actually knowing if she could start to train was making her stomach clench into a ball of anxiety.

As she sat at the breakfast table, trying to eat, her mind was going in a million different directions. She didn’t know what type of test the evaluation would include, she should have asked, she realized. What if they asked her to do magic? She didn’t know anything about that.

Kopa and Bettina were watching her as she poked her sausage and moved her eggs around the plate, without realising what she was doing.

“Try and eat something Mary” Bettina gently said, placing a piece of bread next to Mary’s plate.

“Yeah” Mary said quietly and stated pulling the bread apart, making crumbles that mostly fell onto her plate.

“Mary, they will ask you to register your name at the start of the evaluation” Kopa told her, Mary nodded. That had been mentioned in the information that Kopa had received from Tariana.

“I want you to use our last name” Kopa said, which made Mary look at him and stop assaulting the bread. “I know that the adoption hasn’t gone through, but both Bettina and I think it is time you started to go by Mary Teeran. If you don’t have any objections to it” he continued. Mary shook her head.

“I would like that” she agreed.

“Good, do you want me to accompany you to the river field?” he smiled.

“No thank you, I can find my way” she told him. Mary had a feeling that showing up with Kopa would draw a lot of attention to her. Then again so would using his last name.

Mary thought about it for a while. She decided that she would still use her new last name. She loved the fact that it made her feel part of a family, it was solid evidence that Kopa, Bettina, and Mary were a unit. She would need that comfort today.

After gentle coercion from Bettina, Mary managed to eat part of her breakfast and then started to get ready to leave. Bettina drew her in to a tight hug.

“We are proud of you, no matter what. But I know you will do great. This is just the first step of many more to come” Bettina a told her.

“Thank you, I’ll do my best” Mary said with a faint smile.

“That’s all you can do, and it will be plenty enough” Kopa told her as he placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Now off you go, don’t be late.”

Mary sat off down the street, the way to the river field was one that she was familiar with. The instructions had said to go to either the east or west river field and there to gather with the others for further instructions.

As Mary arrived at the river field she was meet with a mass of people. The open area was full of all kinds of people, men, and women. Mary seemed to be amongst the younger ones, but there were people of all ages present.

Mara stood a bit to the side, not knowing what to do. She didn’t know anyone here and since everyone seemed to be waiting, she decided to do the same. It was a warm spring day, and the sun was shining on the spot where she stood. It was overall quite nice to be standing there if it hadn’t been for her nerves.

“Is it your first time as well?” a voice asked.

Mary looked to her side and saw a woman about her own age standing there looking at her. Several strands of her blond hair had escaped her braid and were whipping about in the slight breeze. She had kind, blue, eyes that were set on Mary.

“Yes” Mary answered. “I’m terribly nervous” she admitted, and the woman laughed.

“Same here, I could barely sleep. I’m Firlea” she said extending her hand.

“Mary” Mary told her and shook her hand.

“Do you know what kind of tests we will have to preform?” Firlea asked as she stood next to Mary.

“No, I don’t know any magic” Mary confessed.

“Neither do I” Firlea told her. That made Mary feel a bit better, at least she wouldn’t be to only one not knowing how to do magic.

“Are you from Salmis?” Mary asked to take her mind of what was about to happen.

“No, I come from a small town in the south. But my father has a cousin that lives in the city that I’m staying with during the evaluation. Where are you from, Mary is an unusual name?”

“I’m from Domne originally. But now I live here in the city with my family” Mary told her.

“I have never met someone from Domne, we don’t get to many foreigners in my hometown. I’m already experiencing new things” Firlea smiled happily.

There was the sound of small bells and everyone looked toward the river. A box had been put on the ground a man, dressed in all white, had stepped on top of it. Next to him stood four more people dressed in white. Everyone gravitated towards them.

“May I have your attention please” the man said, as if not everyone were already looking at him.

“I’m Furnlow, I am responsible for educating new aari. That means that from today and the next two weeks, you are my responsibility” he introduced himself.

“I expect you all to treat this time without most respect and sincerity. As I said, the evaluation will be ongoing for two weeks and then the final results will be given. But that does not mean that we will hesitate to cut some of you before the two weeks are up. If you don’t follow the rules we set up, or if you don’t take this seriously, you will be asked to leave” he continued.

Mary and Firlea looked at each other, this were getting real and a bit scary.

“We will start with the registration. My fellow aari and my self will sit down at the tables. Please form lines up to each one of us. When it’s your turn, state your first and last name and age. Then you will go down to the docks and get into one of the boats” he explained.

“The riders are helping us out and will be rowing you across once your boat is full. Once you get to the sanctum you will be shown to a room. Please take a seat there and wait for further instructions. Please follow my instructions in an orderly and efficient way. Thank you for your attention, let’s get started” he ended and the aari started to take their places behind the five tables.

“Let’s stick together?” Firlea asked.

“Yes please” Mary nodded and together they joined a queue leading up to one of the tables. After a few minutes it was Mary’s turn to step up to the table. Sitting behind it was an elder man that asked her name and age with a gentle smile.

“Mary Teeran, age seventeen” Mary answered.

“Teeran?” He asked and looked at her more closely.

“It’s nice to meet you, welcome to evaluation. Please move to the boats” he then said.

“Thank you” Mary said as she joined others that were making their way to the boats. On the dock they were guided into boats by waiting grey riders. Once there were four people in a boat, the rider would step in and start rowing towards the sanctum.

“Mary, over here”

Mary looked towards the sound and saw Jontak wave at her.
“Hello Jontak” she said walking towards him.

“Hello, I heard you would be joining the evaluation and hoped to get you in my boat” he told her as he was helping her into the boat. She smiled at him.

“Could you take my friend as well?” she asked, she really liked having Firlea with her. She felt less nervous not being alone.

“Sure thing, which one?” he asked.

“Firlea, over here” Mary called as her new friend walked onto the dock. Firlea looked up and smiled towards Mary, looking relived.

“I was afraid we would get separated in the boats” Firlea said as she came up to them.

“Same here, but my friend Jontak here saved us. Jontak this is Firlea, Firlea this is Jontak” Mary introduced them. Jontak gave Firlea a flirtatious smile as he helped her into the boat.

“This is my lucky day, two beautiful women in my boat” he said. Mary and Firlea looked at each other and started laughing.