I awoke to the gentle tickle of Yun's tongue lapping at my outstretched fingers and took a slow, lengthy breath, inhaling the sweet-tasting country air that flowed in through the open window to my right. I silently stroked his flowing white mane. Even Yun, my wolf, knew that today was a special day. It was the day I became a true warrior! It's a day every Ionian child waits for: the first moon of autumn, the day that the elders take us under their teachings and entrust us with their knowledge of swordsmanship. I had waited 16 years for this day, and it had finally arrived. Hastily, I threw off the quilts that caressed my body and snatched up a brush while bolting for the door; I had to prepare.

On the solid, finely carved maple door hung a beautiful, sleek, light-purple colored kimono, with an intricately laced black pattern of roses and violets from the shoulders, across the breast all the way down to the waist. It had a piece of parchment pinned to the shoulder that read:

"Syndra,

I know today is a big day for you, and I want you to know that I am so proud of the beautiful and strong young woman you are becoming. I will see you soon, my darling. I hope you appreciate the robe that I have gotten you. I love you to the ends of Valoran. Make me proud, princess.

Love, your Father."

I read with admiration the kind words, then softly folded up the note signed with my father's intricate, delicate handwriting and placed it underneath the black satin waistband, just out of sight inside the newly-laced kimono. I brushed my hair furiously while trying to arrange the skirt of my robe so that it sat perfectly around my ankles, to no avail. It sat at a stubborn angle and refused to cooperate. Angrily but precisely, I bound together the middle part of my straight, snowy, elbow-length hair and pinned the three parts I had made together at the tips. It was a style my mother had used when she was young.

I stole down the staircase and around the fashioned wooden corner into the dining room where my mother stood preparing a last-minute breakfast for me; it was clear that I had overslept. She smiled kindly as I stumbled in, but took a more serious air when she noticed the protruding edges of my skirt. She glared at the imperfection with her glossy sapphire eyes, the same she shared with me. We were a lot alike: thin, sleek, snow-white hair, a strong posture and our mildly tall height, as well as the same pursed pink lips when we saw something we did not like.

She was quick to arrange my kimono as she had once done herself, tucking the edges neatly over each other and pressing them together crisply. She then placed a few stray strands of hair that had fallen from their band back into place and kissed me softly on the cheek. She glanced at the clock that hung lazily on the cream-colored wall and then turned to look me in the eyes.

"I'm very proud of you, Syndra, as is your father. We are here for you should you ever need us. I love you so, so much. We know you'll make us proud," she said with a grin visible on her lips. "Good luck, sweetheart."

With that, she hugged me with strong, cloth-covered arms, thrust a bowl of wild berries into my hand and sent me on my way to the western temple, the one that my entire family had belonged to. It is there that I will be tested on my knowledge and skill with a blade, which will also be given to me, in birth order. I was born on the third moon of winter, so I will be one of the first to receive their blade. The thought of being one of the first students to be bestowed with such a gift brought a warm feeling to my heart, and a smile to my lips.

I burst through the mahogany door engraved with violets and roses, and intricate spirals, the symbols of my family, while shoving unceremoniously a hand of berries into my mouth. I could tell I had to move quickly: no other students were nearby, meaning they must already be at the temple. Though I had to make haste, I also needed to keep my clothing clean and my hair tidy, which was certainly not easy given the dusty surroundings. The temple was just coming into view behind the tall, ancient trees, its majestic blood-red rooftop standing watch in the distance, when the sound of hurried footfalls came from behind me. They belonged to a young man who appeared to be around my age, and was in just as much a hurry as I, as could be seen from the furrowed brow of the form that was coming quickly into view. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek but he quickly wiped it away. The glint in his forest-green eyes seemed to tell that he had an important day ahead of him, as well. He blew by me as quickly as he had appeared, his bright blue shirt billowing in the wind, leaving only a trail of dust licking at my sides and the faint words, "Pardon me!" could be heard from his retreating body. The wind rushed up for a moment beside me, then settled, but his light brown hair that was held back in a ponytail did not; it stood tall as if held there by magic, but bobbed up and down as though nothing were there at all.

I brushed off my robe quickly and hurriedly ran my fingers through my bangs to ensure they were still in order as I flew up the golden yellow steps past the grand stone arches that led to the entrance of the temple. Standing at the entrance under the looming mahogany doorframe that led to the heart of the temple were the three elders of the western temple, one man and two women among them. They wore rough, aged white robes that had a golden inscription around the right arm, and a thin golden circle with lines intruding on either side and joined with the top, the sign of Ionian purity, drawn over their hearts. A lone crimson red band was slung around each thin waist, and each had long silver hair tied behind their heads in an equally long bow that matched the belt. They stood still with attentive old eyes as they watched the 9 young students, each around my age that had presented themselves, myself among them. I was proud to stand in front of them. I knew that it truly was time for me to become a warrior. I stood second in line; only one student was older than me, the tall boy with the ponytail that seemed as though even the wind was with him. He stood in front of me eagerly awaiting the words that would come next, and they soon did. My eyes widened in excitement, and I could barely contain my happiness.

With a calm and balanced tone, I heard the elders say in unison:

"Shall we begin?"