Chapter 1
Obi-Wan took three steps towards the fire and hesitated. He closed his eyes and breathed in the cool night air. From behind him he could hear his Master's voice instructing him.
"It will burn you only if you allow it to," Qui-Gon said. His voice was calm and soothing to Obi-Wan's fears. And at their sound the Apprentice's fears melted away like the snow around the perimeter of the fire.
Though his eyes were closed and he couldn't see them, he could feel the presence of the other Masters and their Apprentices encircling the fire path. Like a fool, Obi-Wan volunteered to go first in this pre-trial trial. But he knew he could do it, this he felt from the center of his being. He was ready.
Stepping up and putting his foot forward into the flames, Obi-Wan felt the heat and summoned the Force to instruct his foot not to suffer the burns. Then, when he felt his success, he took a long stride into the flames and walked the full ten paces through the burning path.
Reaching the end, he stepped into the cold night air again and his face felt the bite of the night's chill. Without ceremony, he was welcomed back into the circle of Jedi and Apprentices. As they all took a step to their right to make room for him, he could hear the sound of crunching snow under their feet.
He watched as the next Apprentice stepped up to the fire. Somehow he knew that her confidence was due to the benefit of having witnessed the ease of his passage. Looking past her he saw the face of his Master. The smile Qui-Gon wore surprised him and a sudden feeling of pride in his accomplishment washed over him. He pressed his lips together to keep his own emotion from showing.
Qui-Gon was more emotionally expressive than Obi-Wan preferred to be himself. But he had to admit that he didn't always mind the trait in his Master.
The young female Apprentice came out of the flames unscathed and took her place beside him as he stepped to the right to make room. He could feel the heat emanating from her robes and stole a glance at her.
She was not smiling but continued to stare ahead into the flames. He knew her name was Callista, but not much else about her. He guessed her to be around eighteen years old. After having felt the weight of his eyes on her, she looked back up at him. He gave her a nod and she him; then returned her attention to the next Apprentice.
They watched as the young boy, Onx, quickly walked through the flames and took his place in the circle.
When the next girl came up to the flames, there was obvious hesitation in her. Obi-wan glanced again at Callista, who now wore a worried look on her face. Then he felt the disturbance as well.
Suddenly the girl, now half way through the flames, began screaming out and around where her figure stood the flames began to burn brighter.