Elora awoke in a room dimly lit by only a fire flickering vibrantly in front of her in a chimney loft. Elora looked around her. The room was decorated with paintings of shadowy images, their glowing red eyes stared at her and gave her a shiver through her body. Elora tried to stand, but her arms and legs were bound to the chair she was sitting in.

"Ugh... what the heck?" she murmured to herself. She stopped her wriggling when she heard a creek from behind her. "Hello!? Is anyone there?"

Another creek was heard, and Elora felt a presence behind her. A cold hand touched her face, running down the side of it. "Precious child." a cold voice said, a woman's voice!

"Who are you?" Elora shouted, trying to look at whom touched her. The presence walked around Elora's chair. Elora could see the back of the woman, a dark cloak floated behind her covered with long silver hair. She sat in a chair a ways in front of her, and now Elora could see her face. She was pale but she was beautiful. Elora couldn't see her eyes because they were closed.

The woman opened her eyes and looked at Elora. A cold rush fell through Elora's body. It felt she had swallowed a whole ice cube. Elora shook her head and looked at the woman.

"Hmm... So you're the Fire carrier." the woman hummed.

"Excuse me?" Elora replied to her, "I - I don't know what you mean?"

"Don't play stupid with me Girl!" the woman hissed, "You have the Fire Guard. You have the power to control fire, do you not?"

Elora didn't reply. The woman laughed to herself, "My my! Arrogant aren't you?"

"What did you say!" Elora shouted, "Don't push your luck!" Elora's hands formed fists, and fire flickered between her fingers.

The woman stared at the fire in Elora's hands, "So you are the fire carrier!"

Elora noticed the fire and it disappeared, "I don't know what you mean."

The woman laughed to herself again. She stood up and walked to the fire. "Beautiful but deadly, Elora."

"How do you know my name?" Elora said raising a brow.

"The fire is truly beautiful Elora." the woman repeated. She extended her hand to the fire. With a flash the fire was incased in ice and was extinguished.

The room fell into darkness for moment, but illuminated with an icy blue glow. The woman stood directly in front of Elora, "Child! You are the fire guardian, and because of that, you will be extinguished like fire!" And as her voice echoed through the room, Elora felt her arms turn to ice.

Elora was being incased in ice slowly.

Continued: Chapter 11 - A Forest Encounter