Eva trudged towards the small farm cottage, where her father- Amos- was waiting outside the door. While jumping up the steps her father hissed, "Go inside, sit down, and don't cause any trouble."
Eva, confused, stepped inside-
and stopped short.
It was a representative from the king. A lesser one, according to the color of the band around his hat, but from the king! Amos pushed her in gently, and she- never taking her eyes off of the man- sat down in one of the plain wood chairs.
"This is your daughter Evaline?" asked the man briskly. Eva wanted to shrink into the floor. "Yes. Sir. Please, sir, what are you here for?" asked Eva's father, uncharacteristically formal.
"I will get to that. And what is her magical ability?" He drummed his fingers on the briefcase before him impatiently.
"She makes herbs grow. Stronger, faster." Amos was confused. He was just a farmer. He liked the simplicity of it. Now, the mystery of the visitor and his questions were wearing on his calm exterior.
"Have you ever had her formally tested?"
"No, but she has all the markings of it. We couldn't afford official testing, so we used the... well..." Amos was getting flustered.
"I see," said the official with a disapproving gaze, first on Amos, then on Eva. "We shall have to test her now. You realize the law states all citizens must be tested before their fourteenth birthday." Amos looked down. "We were planning to have her tested- well, someday, at least. She ain't- isn't yet fourteen, and we have time-"
"That is no business of mine. Mine is only to check, as all untested citizens with dubious powers must be found and assessed." He opened his briefcase with smooth, practiced motions and pulled out a rock. It was unassuming- just a gray rock with flecks of quartz in it. With his other hand, he reached out towards Eva, his hand a few feet away. A shimmering glow grew around his hand, glowing a bright yellow-white. Eva squinted, eyes watering- when would the light go away? when would it stop- and then, suddenly, it faded. The quartz in his other hand shone brightly for a second, as if it had sucked up the light. Then it too went dark.
The man dropped the stone back in his briefcase, snapped it shut, and headed for the door. He turned just as he was about to leave.
"Your daughter has failed the examination. We will be back."
And he walked out the door, leaving a stunned Eva and Amos in his wake.
Eva, confused, stepped inside-
and stopped short.
It was a representative from the king. A lesser one, according to the color of the band around his hat, but from the king! Amos pushed her in gently, and she- never taking her eyes off of the man- sat down in one of the plain wood chairs.
"This is your daughter Evaline?" asked the man briskly. Eva wanted to shrink into the floor. "Yes. Sir. Please, sir, what are you here for?" asked Eva's father, uncharacteristically formal.
"I will get to that. And what is her magical ability?" He drummed his fingers on the briefcase before him impatiently.
"She makes herbs grow. Stronger, faster." Amos was confused. He was just a farmer. He liked the simplicity of it. Now, the mystery of the visitor and his questions were wearing on his calm exterior.
"Have you ever had her formally tested?"
"No, but she has all the markings of it. We couldn't afford official testing, so we used the... well..." Amos was getting flustered.
"I see," said the official with a disapproving gaze, first on Amos, then on Eva. "We shall have to test her now. You realize the law states all citizens must be tested before their fourteenth birthday." Amos looked down. "We were planning to have her tested- well, someday, at least. She ain't- isn't yet fourteen, and we have time-"
"That is no business of mine. Mine is only to check, as all untested citizens with dubious powers must be found and assessed." He opened his briefcase with smooth, practiced motions and pulled out a rock. It was unassuming- just a gray rock with flecks of quartz in it. With his other hand, he reached out towards Eva, his hand a few feet away. A shimmering glow grew around his hand, glowing a bright yellow-white. Eva squinted, eyes watering- when would the light go away? when would it stop- and then, suddenly, it faded. The quartz in his other hand shone brightly for a second, as if it had sucked up the light. Then it too went dark.
The man dropped the stone back in his briefcase, snapped it shut, and headed for the door. He turned just as he was about to leave.
"Your daughter has failed the examination. We will be back."
And he walked out the door, leaving a stunned Eva and Amos in his wake.