Since the break to his sword is apparently harder to fix than Al thought, the pair decide to spend some more time in town while Sofronia works on the repairs.
No longer carrying around a half broken sword and a large set of horns, Al's bag is now considerably emptier. So he spends the better half of the first day buying more supplies for the road and, since Arthur is going to be doing most of the work, he uses the last of his coin to by a half dear to feed him.
Safe to say anyone thinking of robbing them was scared off as Arthur devoured the deer in the middle of the market. No point dragging it all the way round to the forge when he could just eat it then and there.
By the second day, Alfred was completely bored with nothing to do but sit around and wait. But he soon found ways to amuse himself.
He played with the few kids running around, creating a massive game of hide and seek with Arthur as the one searching. The kids, quickly catching on that Arthur could sniff them out, began to hide themselves in more and more creative ways, one boy going so far as to cover himself with the strong smelling tanning dye of his fathers shop. But even that wasn't enough to outwit Arthur.
Realising that they couldn't win, the game quickly developed into a snowball fight instead, all the children against Alfred who took to using Arthur as a shield, much to the wolf's annoyance.
But even the children soon tired, leaving Al with nothing to do again.
Bored once more, he took to thinking.
It's been two whole years since he was exiled. He's not seen or even heard from his brother since then. His younger twin, Mattie, his only family left. And he had to abandon him all because he messed up.
What's he up to now? How's he been all this time?
The last he knew, his brother was working to become an apprentice Book Keeper. It sounds boring to him, but Mattie was all over it. Records and archives of ancient knowledge, everything there is to know about the capital, or the entire kingdom.
His brother's always been the smart one, he just hopes that he was able to use that big brain of his to keep safe.
He misses him.
"Just a little longer Mattie. I'll be home soon." He promises.
His brother was always good at magic too, just like seemingly everyone else around him.
He lifts his hands out above his head as he lies back on a bench across from the forge.
He'd bet anything that Mattie would know how to use his magic. He'd have figured all this out on the first day.
He frowns, trying to remember what Sadık told him.
He has to focus, feel the energy within him, feel the connection he has with Arthur.
Regulating his breathing, he stares up at his hands as he feels the energy bubbling back up inside him. He watches as his hands start to tingle like before, ice slowly creeping around them, covering them. It's an odd sensation, the strange tingling, but his hands aren't cold, even as they freeze over.
He lets out a breath, slowly pushing the energy back down, so that it doesn't all burst out again. Once returned to the back of his mind, he studies his hands. The ice is only a few millimetres thick, and breaks when he wiggles his fingers, little shards dropping down to melt on his face.
Not much use then, is it?
But he knows he can do a lot more, the 'ice hedgehog' he made was proof of that. But how does he control that?
Just how do you control magic? Thinking back to the few times he tried to learn, he can recall a few things.
Magic is power. But that power is limited. It is in the application, the use of that power that determines it's strength. It must be given direction, it must be given form to be of any use.
But how do you give power form?
Magic use is a conscious thought, so, logically, he has to think about it right?
Just think, he can do that.
He frowns as he holds his hands out once more, concentrating on pushing the magic up and out his hands. They freeze over like before, but nothing else happens, no matter how hard he tries imagining forming more ice, focusing on making the magic form a ball of ice in his hands, nothing.
He sighs, dropping his arms and giving up.
'You'll never get anywhere like that.'
He sits up as Arthur comes in, looking pointedly at his ice covered hands.
Of course! Why didn't he think of asking Arthur sooner?
"Hey, you could teach me then? Show me how to control my magic."
The wolf frowns, thinking it over as he lies down by the fire.
'I suppose I could. Better than seeing you waste your time and energy pointlessly failing.'
"Yeah, Yeah!" Al agrees, nodding rapidly.
Even though he's pretty sure that was some kind of dig at him, he doesn't care. He'll do anything to finally learn how to use magic.
Arthur raises his head as he lies facing him, looking oddly regal as he begins his lesson.
'Firstly, assume everything that half faced human told you was wrong.'
"Half faced? You mean Sadık's mask?"
Arthur glares, 'I don't care for his name, just know that he was wrong.'
"Okay, Okay."
'Good. Now just do as I tell you. Don't ask questions, and don't think.' He warns.
When Al nods he continues, 'Magic is not some external force, it is a part of you, like an invisible limb. And using it is no different. Focus not on the magic itself, but on the function you wish it to preform. Like moving a leg, you do not think on the leg, but where you want to walk. Your power is your own, and you must bend it to your will. Breathe, and it shall breathe. Move, and it shall move. Fight, and it shall fight. You and it are one and the same. Own it, as you own yourself.' He dips his head, narrowing his eyes at the knight, 'Now breathe.' He commands.
Al does, and watches as despite the warm air in here, his breath comes out in a mist.
Arthur narrows his eyes more, raising himself up.
'Now, freeze.'
Al watches amazed as ice creeps out from all around him, freezing over the bench and crawling over the ground. But he's not doing anything, just sitting. He doesn't feel the tingling from before, or the cold of the ice, nothing seems different at all.
And when his mind questions this, that's when he suddenly loses the control he didn't know he had. The slowly creeping ice stops as waves of magic roll out of him, creating icicles all over the room.
He begins to panic as he can't bring it back under control, when Arthur tackles him, knocking him over the back of the bench and the ice stops.
He blinks up at the wolf standing over him, green eyes glowing.
'I told you not to question it.' He glares, while Alfred's mind suddenly feels very sluggish.
'You have the control of a pup.' Arthur snaps, green eyes returning to normal.
It takes a good minute for Al's mind to catch up and realise he's been insulted.
Arthur purposely breathes warm air in his face as he turns, going back to his place by the forge.
This is going to be a lot harder than he thought.
Authors notes: Alfred's learning, slowly, but surely. And Arthur makes for one strict teacher.
Okay so I'm not sure how well I managed to explain what's going on, so I'll try to clarify.
Basically, you can think of it as there are two schools of thought on how to use magic. The first, the way that Alfred was remembering, and what Sadık told him, can be seen as 'direct control'. Were the user directly thinks on the magic itself, and what form they want it to take. The second way, the way Arthur is trying to teach Al, is 'indirect control.' Were the user thinks not about the magic, but solely on what they want the magic to do.
Like the example Arthur uses: direct control would be thinking about all the muscles you need to use, and how, in order to move your legs as you walk. Whereas Arthur's way is to simply think about where your going to walk, not about how.
So because Alfred started to question how he was doing it and not what he was going to do with the magic, he lost control and Arthur had to stop him.
Hope that makes sense, cause it sure as Hell melted my brain coming up with it.
This'll all be important later.
And, on that unrelate note from before, since some of you are interested, look out for a short fluff one-shot: Just another Christmas. Coming soon to a website near you this holiday season!
R & R people.
Until next time, stay awesome!