Lockon let out a breath and placed his hands behind his back. "Focus."
"I am."
"Harder then."
The cold winter air blew across the snowy Hillsbrad foothills, but it do not cool the heat that was flowing between the two elves. Standing at a safe distance, his eyes on the lake, Lockon stood with his cloak billowing in the wind as he remained ever watchful over his wife. Alekstraya remained stationary, her feet places firmly on the ground and her hands together in a sort of prayer.
"Do you feel it?" Lockon said softly. "The feel of the earth beneath your feet?"
Alekstraya focused and held her hands together, giving off the look of severe concentration. "I feel, the rumble of the ground. I can hear the wind, the birds singing."
"There are seven birds." said Lockon simply. "Three in the trees, the rest will pass us in a few moments. " Sure enough after he said that a flock of four birds flew overheard. "Rangers." he continued. "We are trained to become one with the earth. With it we can sense what it senses, we can close our minds and open our bodies to the world, see and sense things that people can only observe through sight and sound."
Alekstraya relaxed and looked up at him. "This sounds, like what the shamans do."
"It is similar." explained her husband. "Though we do not have a direct connection with the land. Rangers base their powers on pure instinct and feeling. We have no spirits to talk to, no elements to worship. We simply surrender ourselves to the very soul of instinct and thought."
"But what does this have to do with becoming an Archmage?" Alekstraya asked.
"You cannot fight, or walk in the world if you do not understand it Alekstraya." explained Lockon and his tone was serious, though it sounded like he was speaking kindly to a child. "You can learn all the techniques and secrets in the world, but if you do not understand the world, do not walk with it, then you cannot protect anything."
Lockon pointed to her and continued. "I know little of scrolls, formulas and magic, that is true. Yet Alekstraya, if you are able to sense and feel the world around you. You will be able to use your magics to greater effect. Consider my lessons to be fine tuning your already impressive skill."
Alekstraya blinked at him and shuffled her feet. It felt strange to be lectured by her husband, none the less be given advice about becoming an Archmage from someone so against the very idea of magic. However she loved him enough to take his words for wisdom. Sure enough, she had been able to feel the birds, the waves, the direction the wind was going.
"I..I understand." she said softly.
"Good, now you can continue with your own exercises."
As Alekstraya did so, going from meditation to her usual battle practice, Lockon watched his wife dance with the flames so easily bent to her will. Amid the flashing orange and yellow lights, the great flames, the ranger kept a solemn expression.
"She has more skill then anyone I've ever seen before. Such untapped potential, such power. How could something like this be hidden in a simple commoner?"
