Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to Tamora Pierce (obviously).

The Power of Mages

She was born at the beginning of winter. Nearly two months before the midwife had predicted. Her mother and father mourned for their daughter even before she took her first breath. The midwife had warned them of the risks or premature birth. The baby had little chance for survival.

She was born soon after the birthing pains had begun. Loud cries pierced the air, as the midwife tapped her lightly, making her take her first breath. As she wrapped her in a blanket and placed her in the mother's arms she sent some of the light rose coloured flame that was her magic into the babe's hand. Tiny lungs pumped quickly and a heart the size of a large walnut beat, sending clean blood through the body. The midwife had never seen such a healthy baby.

The danger wasn't over yet, she quickly informed the ecstatic parents. For mages in Corus had predicted the longest and coldest winter since before the reign of Their Majesties King Jonathan III and his Queen, Thayet. The babe must remain warm and fed through the first crucial weeks. The mother thought of the countless children who did not withstand the harsh conditions of Tortall's northwestern border, but her joy couldn't be extinguished as she gazed at the curious face of her healthy baby girl.

"What will you name her?" The midwife questioned, for naming ceremonies were for those of noble birth. They were for those who had ties to the King and Queen. They were even for the rich merchants who could afford them. They were not for peasants living in a two room log cabin, a day's ride away from the nearest large town or city.

"Aaralyn," the mother responded looking deep into shining blue eyes. "Aaralyn Adensra."

The cottage where Aden, Ilori and Aaralyn lived was small, and surrounded by a thick wood. The main room was scarcely big enough to hold a table, large fireplace, spindle, and darning board as well as the sturdy chess table Aden had built. The floor was solid stone that's only covering was a hearthrug in front of the fire. The walls were sturdy. Fourteen logs piled one on top of the other led up to a slanted roof. Two small windows and a door were the only decoration on the walls.

The second room was smaller than the first, with a cloth hanging for a door. Two large pieces of cloth, which Ilori had sewn together and stuffed with hay, served as their sleeping place. It lay against one wall a thin wool blanked its only covering. A smaller fireplace was opposite the bed. Aaralyn would sleep with her mother until she was strong enough to sleep alone. When she could a small loft could hold a bed and washbasin.

The privy was outside. A trough nearby served as a tub, but it was often more timely to take a dip in the nearby lake. A stone well was dug deep in the ground. A cooking pit was not far from it, which was used in warmer weather to cook fish and game. Ilori planted a small garden to grow corn, carrots, beans and a variety of cold weather fruit. During winter months they survived on salted jerky and thin stew.

Although they had few possessions, they were the furthest thing from unhappy. Often villagers found them seated in front of the fire, Aden entertaining Ilori as she nursed Aaralyn, with stories from one of the few books they owned or with slight of hand tricks.

It was on one such night when Aden and Ilori began to suspect there was something different about their daughter. Aaralyn was seated in her mother's lap watching her Da make a coin disappear from his had and reappear in the strangest places. Once he pulled it out of her ear and she squealed giggling and clapping her chubby baby hands together. Moving so fast that their eyes could not follow Aden hid the coin under the hearthrug. "Where is it Ari?" he asked, holding up his hands to show they were empty. She tilted her head slightly as if in though then stood on still wobbly legs and, holding the index finger on her mother's hand for support, bent down and lifted up a corner of the hearthrug. Picking the coin up she looked at her Da and yelled "Mine!" They quickly put it to the back of their minds though as Aaralyn yawned, wrapped her arms around her father, and promptly fell asleep.

There was no mistaking the next sign though. It was the second summer after Aaralyn's birth, and they had walked down to the village to visit friends, and look in the few shops. The villagers had all seen the exquisite detail Aden put into his carpentry and many were willing to pay, or trade for chairs, tables, or other small pieces of furniture. The owner of a general store invited them in. Her husband had recently traded fresh loaves of bread a large bag of oats and two chickens for a table and three chairs.

"Hello Aaralyn!" She said lifting her up onto the counter.

"Say hello to Natalie." Her mother instructed Ari when she only looked up. Ari obeyed.

"I've got something to show you!" Natalie told her. Aaralyn clapped her hands as she always did when she was excited. Ilori picked her up and followed Natalie as she headed towards the back of the room. Here was a shelf covered in nothing but toys. Ari gazed at the teddy bears in numerous colours, stuffed horses, and dogs, and the piles of blocks. Natalie reached high above her head and brought down a doll. Brown hair tumbled past shoulders draped in a long dark green gown. Her face was made from delicate porcelain with green eyes and long lashes. A button nose lead down to a small, red mouth. Ilori looked in wonder and the craftsmanship that had gone into this doll. Natalie held out the doll to Aaralyn who looked at it for a moment.

"A young lady like you could always use a new dolly, hmm?" She questioned. But Ari had tilted her head back trying to see the top shelf. She held up her arms as though she were catching an invisible ball. "There aren't any balls up there love." Aaralyn did not acknowledge that someone had spoken to her, only continued to stare. There was a scraping noise and another doll flew down off the shelf. Ari caught it and smiled.

"Dolly!" She told her mother. Ilori looked at her daughter in awe. And then looked at the doll. Her light hair was cut at shoulder length and she was wearing breeches and a shirt. A royal blue cloak was draped across her shoulders and she was holding a piece of metal in her hand. For a moment Ilori was puzzled until she realized it must be a seeing crystal and that the doll was in fact a mage.

"Oh my!" Natalie murmured, trying to restore the room to its normal noise level. "So it's this doll you want is it? Its yours."

Ari didn't repeat the performance and her parents were beginning to believe that the doll had just fallen into her hands. It was Ari's third winter when, seated before the fire one evening as her father read aloud Ari produced the third sign. In the fire appeared an image of white towers surrounded by tall trees, and a sprawling city.

Aden knew Ari had never seen it before. He had never seen it before. But he knew what it was right away. Reading about Corus in books was nothing like seeing it in all its glory. As they sat staring horses moved in and out of the gates as knights travelled from the palace to the city. He could see the lawns of the practice courts where pages and squires trained to be knights. He could see the barracks where the men of the Own and the Queen's riders slept.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared the image vanished. For a while they all sat staring at the flames. "We should tell Zalika." Aden murmured, still in shock.

Zalika, who was the strongest mage in the village, agreed to teach Aaralyn the ways of magic though Ari was still far too young. When, in a few years, she was old enough Zalika would help her to discover what magic she was best suited for and then train her to use it.

Ilori began to teach Aaralyn to spin wool, and to make cloth. Aden taught her to hunt, and fish as well as basic carpentry. And when she celebrated the fifth anniversary of her birth she began to study magic with Zalika.

Life went on pleasantly as it usually did. Until the day that Zalika gave them all a very unexpected surprise. "I have no more to teach Aaralyn. It took me decades to gain all the knowledge and power she absorbed in a few years. For the past three I have taught her merely out of books." It had been known that Ari learned quickly. She could walk at eight months and spoke in sentences by a year. She did her first real bit of magic half a year later. But no one had expected that she would learn all Zalika could teach by the time she turned sixteen. "You should start discussing what to do next. She could attend the University, or travel to the City of the Gods and study from the priests."

"We have no money for that." Aden whispered. His carpentry had taken off and he was selling to people as far away as Port Cayan. The University was just so expensive. "What alternatives are there?" Zalika shook her head slightly, thinking.

"You could get another mage to take her on as a student. But there aren't any other mages around here with her power, her skill." She was silent for a while. "Rethink the University." She said encouragingly as she headed out the door.

There was no rethinking the University. But he did think of a man who he had taught some slight of hand to. It had been years and years ago but he hoped that the man remembered him. He had not other option. So grabbing a quill and sheet of parchment began to write:

Greetings Numair...

A/N: The time period is somewhere between In the Realms of the Gods and First test. As always reviews are most appreciated.