Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Oh, not at all," Shael replied with a warm smile, motioning for Cindy to take a seat wherever she felt most comfortable. "He's only been here a few short minutes. Aragost," she added, turning to the tall, dark man, "this is -"

"Cinderella," Aragost interrupted in his usual soft but rasping voice. "Yes ..."

He turned his attention to Cindy. "I am glad to finally see you," he told her seriously. "I ... hope that you are enjoying your stay ... Rhea ... I know ... can be quite a handful ..."

Rhea pouted. "You never even met me before!" she protested.

Aragost's cowl dipped forward slightly in a faint nod. "It is good ... for one such as yourself ... to be here," he rasped. "There are ... many benefits for visitors in this area ... but for one ... who loves to learn ... as much as you do ... and especially in your areas of interest ... it is indeed ... a wonderful place ..."

He turned slightly to face Rhea, who grew still under the strength of his invisible gaze.

"And you ... little one ... must learn to be careful ... your magic is great ... and can be used both for good and for ill ... you must master your power ... before it masters you ..."

Rhea blinked. "Huh?" she said blankly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She looked over at Cindy, hoping that her teacher would have some light to shed on the matter.

"You mean so I don't hurt anybody?" Rhea asked quietly, suddenly quite serious.

"And also," Aragost put in softly, "so that you do not ... hurt yourself ... yours is a rare and powerful gift ... Rhea ... one that could save others ... or destroy them ... or yourself ... and if you cannot control your gift ... control your intake of magic ... control your output ... it will control you ... and you will find yourself ... in the most terrible of positions."

He paused silently. He could tell her what she was capable of, but he knew how it would go - one of two ways: she would either be delighted and try to help everyone she knew, and in so doing destroy herself, or she would be terrified and try to lock her magic away, and in so doing leave herself vulnerable to the worst of it.

Rhea looked at Cindy seriously, her eyes clear, her jaw set with determination.

"I want to help people with my magic," she said firmly, as if she had spent hours coming to the decision. "I don't want to hurt people, and I don't want to hurt myself. So it doesn't matter how much work I have to do or how long it takes, I have to learn how to use it right!"

Shael smiled inwardly, proud of her daughter.

Aragost knew exactly what Cindy was thinking.

"Perhaps it would be best," he told her quietly, "if I spent the day here with you ... you are here to help Rhea ... and you cannot do that without knowing what her magic is. I can help you with that ... but it will take time ... and Rhea perhaps would be better off doing her regular lessons during that time ... she would not understand what we will be talking about in any case ..."

His cowl turned towards Shael and Rhea, and Shael nodded. "Off we go," she smiled, nudging Rhea off her lap. "Come on, you're getting your lessons in the morning now instead of this afternoon."

Rhea pouted, but she slid obediently to the floor and danced across the room towards the study.

Aragost turned back to Cindy. "If you wish to dress and eat," he said quietly, "I will wait for you."

Aragost nodded slowly. He waited patiently in his seat, listening in on the lesson that was going on in the next room. He had known for a long time that this day would come ... but of course, there was no point in rushing things. He had learned over the years to let things play out as they were meant to, and not to interfere needlessly.

Aragost could hear Cindy's movements - her door closing, opening, footsteps on the stairs. But then, there was little that he could not hear. His senses were heightened above those of the other elves - which made his near the strength of the Valar.

"Welcome back," he murmured softly to Cindy, hearing her approaching from behind him.