The fire was alive.

Marie laughed and struck out with it, a bright red pillar of burning magic stretching up to the endless expanse of blue-gray sky.

Here in the dark woods, no one could find her. No one could penetrate the wall of magic she had danced up around her.

Marie laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Tortallan palace, a squire named Keladry of Mindelan was trying very hard not to scream at the training master Lord Wyldon.

"What?" she asked in as calm a voice as she could possibly manage at that moment. You are a still lake, she told herself in Yamani, soothing her nerves.

"I said," Lord Wyldon replied, "to aim at the mark."

"But, milord, look at the mark!"

"I am looking, squire. I see a mark. What about it?"

"It's so tiny!"

"Well observed, squire. Now, here's an idea: Aim for it."

"But—"

"Do you really want punishment work?" Lord Wyldon asked, turning away. "Aim! It's not that hard."

A green-eyed youth rode up next to Kel with a grin that was mischief in its essence.

"What's got his goat today?" the young man inquired, watching Lord Wyldon go.

"He doesn't have a goat," remarked Kel mildly. "He has dogs."

"Mindelan, you are just too odd for your own good."

"And you, Nealan, are too sarcastic to survive the remainder of the day."

"Come on, Kel, six – or is it seven now – years and I'm still going strong!"

With this Nealan threw out his arms and promptly landed in the dust. When he looked up, a spark of laughter was glowing in Kel's dreamy hazel eyes.

"Well said, Neal," she told him with a smile, riding off. He groaned and re-mounted his horse.

* * *

Marie sat down. The magic wall was still holding… and it would for a long time.

Marie was tired, but not sweating—which was odd, because there was fire burning around her, flames reaching around her body and the log she was sitting on.

But even though she was sitting, Marie did not end the dance. Her feet were moving of their own accord, jumping around and tapping the ground.

Marie stood.

She had to finish the dance.

* * *

Kel was dismounting her horse when a deep voice interrupted her.

"Don't do that now, Kel," Raoul of Goldenlake said. "We have to go, anyhow."

"Where?"

"Someone's burning a forest. Alanna's getting her squire, and Numair's coming, so I assume it must be serious."

"Yes, milord."

Kel instantly remounted and smiled at the black-haired, big man in front of her.

"Let's go."

* * *

Marie let the dance swallow her up until she was nothing but a particle in it, swaying to the silent rhythm and jumping the flames of magic. She couldn't think, didn't have time to, could only tell her feet the next steps.

Her thick, dark, auburn hair came tumbling out of its braid to swirl around her like scarves on a gypsy, rippling in the molten red fire like metal in the forge.

She leaped into the air and spun, landing on the balls of her feet like a cat.

She jumped into the burning fire.

But there was no pain.

She was immune.

Marie giggled and danced up another pillar of red fire.

* * *

"Kel," Neal said, "what's the difference between a spidren and a dragon?"

Kel sighed, passing a hand over her face.

"I don't know."

"Neither do I," Neal told her, breaking into hysterical chuckles. Kel looked at him oddly.

"What was that?"

"Never mind."

The two squires were bored out of their wits—bored enough that Neal had resorted to telling jokes that made no sense whatsoever.

"Neal, if you don't shut up soon, I shall kill you," threatened Kel, reaching out to pinch him. He edged away quickly.

"Ah, but then I'd be without a squire," said a woman riding behind them. "So, Keladry, please don't kill him… on second thought, I don't mind. There's a boy in first-year squires who's a lot better at staffwork. You can kill Neal."

"Fantastic," muttered Neal, "the two powerful woman warriors gang up on me of all people."

"Powerful?" asked Kel, looking around. "Who's powerful?"

"Me," said the woman.

"Oh, yes. You. And Numair. And Raoul. But somehow, I don't find them women…"

"Do shut up," Neal told her. "Besides, you're not a knight."

"And you are?" Kel laughed.

"Actually…"

"Quiet," Raoul said softly. "Look."

In front of them a red cloud was hovering over the woods.

"Come on."

* * *

Marie twisted, reinforcing the barrier spell.

Good, she thought with relish, no one could get through that.

A sparkling black light filled the clearing. Marie turned and her stomach plummeted.

Except the most powerful mage in Tortall.

* * *

Numair Salamin looked at the girl in front of him. She was heartbreakingly thin, he realized—she didn't look like she had had food for a week or so.

"Hello," he greeted her pleasantly. "Are you having fun, burning up the forest?

The girl was speechless.

"I'm not burning them up," she protested. "I'm dancing."

"That would be apparent. Did you nail matches to the bottom of your shoe?"

The girl held up her foot.

It was bare.

"I haven't a bottom of a shoe to nail them onto," was her reply.

"Then did you light the sticks on fire and then dance around them like a savage?"

The girl bristled.

"I'm not a savage," she informed him, "and it's not fire."

"That I do not seem to believe."

The girl took his hand and thrust it into the fire.

A tingling sensation that made his hair stand on end and his skin prickle met his fingertips. But no fire.

"It's the dance," the girl said helpfully. "It needs fire. So I made fire."

"Why don't you come with me?"

* * *

Kel watched as Numair emerged from the forest, pulling a girl alongside him.

"Did you put out the fire?" Kel asked.

"She did."

"Did she start it?"

The girl started to protest, but Numair glared at her and replied, "Yes."

"I did not! I just—"

Numair shook his head.

"Can you ride?" he asked.

"I don't need to. I'm not coming with you anywhere."

"Oh yes you are. Or I'll tell my wife to sic a wolf on you."

"Numair, two things: One, Daine wouldn't do that, and two, I didn't know you were married. How dare you not invite me to your wedding!"

"Oh, be quiet Alanna," Numair said sullenly.

"I'll take over this situation, thank you. Now, young lady, what's your name?"

"It most certainly is not young lady," retorted the girl. "My name is Marie."

"What's your surname?"

"I don't have one."

"Fief?"

"I don't have one."

"Then where's your home?"

A dreamy look came over Marie's face.

"With the wolves," she replied. Then her face hardened again. "And Mr.-I-can-do-everything-and-control-you-thank-you-very-much, I'll sic MY wolves on you."

Numair groaned.

"I'm being threatened by a child," he said in a mourning sort of way, "my life has officially ended. Wait 'til Daine hears about this."

"She'll laugh her head off," Alanna replied. "As will George and Jon and—"

"Can we get back to the matter of discussion here?" Neal asked.

"Good idea," mumbled Kel.

Marie shrugged and started to walk away.

"Oh, no you don't," Numair said, ceasing his bickering with Alanna long enough to pull her back. "Climb onto Darkmoon. Alanna will ride with you."

"For the last time I do not need a horse!" Marie shouted.

"Ah. Well, since you're coming back with us anyway, how are you going to get back there?"

"Like this," Marie said proudly, shape-shifting to a horse. Numair stared at her with wide eyes.

"Threatened by a child, eh, Numair?" Alanna asked with a wink, mounting her horse. "I daresay that child is a wildmage."

~Thank you,~ Marie said with a self-satisfied grin (which looked quite funny on a horse). ~At least somebody here recognizes magic when they see it.~

Numair rolled his eyes.

Marie galloped away.

"Follow the horse!" Neal said valiantly, raising his sword into the air.

"Get that down before you kill yourself," Kel told him absently, kicking Peachblossom into a trot. "Though it was probably good advice…"

"Ha!" came Neal's triumphant laugh. "So Kel finally decides to compliment me!"

"…it'll probably be your last bit of good advice," finished Kel.

Nela chased her back to the palace.

He he. Didja like? Huh? Huh? Not that good, but I like Marie, I guess.

Disclaimer: No one except Marie belongs to me. They all belong to that wonderful, wonderful person named Tamora Pierce.

Please please please please PLEASE review!!!!! Unless you want me to sic the Green Tangerine Machine on you (yes, I named my dog that)!!! Review!!!

~FireLily the Not-So-Great and Completely and Totally Insane