Brigitta: part I

Brigitta: part 1

It was still dark outside but Brigitta stared at the window anyway. She painted the black rectangle with her own imaginings. A swirl of colours flecked with tiny specks of gold. She wondered if she could put it on paper when she got home. “Are you trying to bewitch the window Brigitta?” She jumped up in her chair and turned to see the teacher’s yellow eyes fixed on her. “I’m just asking because if you are trying to put a spell on the glass you’re going to need a lot more snow.”

In his icy blue face framed with wavy silver hair, the eyes seemed like two searchlights. “I tried to do the spell but nothing happens. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong…” She said in a small voice. “I know it’s hard for you Brigitta but if you keep drifting off like that it’s never going to work is it?” Her shoulders sagged. A lilac flush crept into her powder blue face as she tried to hide behind her sleek white hair.

“Look, snow is a lot of tiny ice, so you find the ice and draw the power from it to make your fire. As you take the power out of the ice it will melt and your fire will grow bigger. It’s the same principle as when you’re using a block of ice.”

Brigitta focused on the bowl filled with snow sitting on the sandy coloured desk in front of her. As she searched for the ice a cold sweat broke out on her brow. She couldn’t hear the crystals the way she could in a block of ice. Instead there was a rush of noise that was unintelligible. She pushed herself until a dull ache started to spread around her skull. She gave up, looking pale and trembling.

Slowly she raised her head to face her teacher, “I can’t find the ice, master Nýr.”, she said. “I can see that.”, he replied. Master Nýr took a little bit of snow on his right fingertips. With his left he touched Brigitta’s temple. A few drops of water dripped between his fingers and her headache cleared up. “There, now try again.”

It was a slow and strenuous morning for Brigitta. Whenever she felt a new headache threatening she let her mind wander about the classroom. The hexagonal space was divided into different learning areas.

One corner featured a comfortable couch and a bookcase; along the opposite wall there was a place to set up their herb garden. Next to the raised garden bed stood a long table that took up nearly an entire section of wall. Along the table there were many pounders and drying racks for herbs. Fixed to the wall above the table there was a plank containing lots of empty bottles and vials of various shapes and sizes.  

The section beside the bookcase was given to a number of drawing tables. Across the door there was a workbench with various tools for woodcutting. The door itself was flanked by two large closets. The closet on the left held the students’ personal belongings. The one on the right, held an assortment of musical instruments.

If they wanted to play an instrument they had to take it to their desks. These were arranged in a half moon shape in the middle of the room. The teacher’s desk stood at the front with the big cold box set into the floor beneath it. There were smaller cold boxes beneath each of the students’ desks as well. It was every student’s job to make sure she had enough snow in her cold box to do the magic lessons.

Brigitta was glad to see the light of dawn as they usually got their morning break shortly after sunrise. On her way out she briefly glimpsed at the other classroom and saw it was empty. Outside, she wandered about, breathing the cold, crisp air and clearing her mind.

Her older cousin Alrún detached herself from a chattering group and came over. With their broad faces, amber eyes and white hair they looked alike. Though at seventeen Alrún had a more feminine figure than the twelve-year old Brigitta.

“Hey little one, so how do you like snow training?” “I don’t get it, it’s confusing.” “Well it’s just the first day.”, Alrún shrugged. Up close you could see her hair was more light grey than white. “I know, but everyone else made fire already and I can’t even find the ice…” Brigitta said. She tried not to sound desperate.

Alrún put a hand on Brigitta’s head and leaned over. “Look here, you’re almost as tall as I am. Your snow magic will come, don’t worry about it.” Brigitta nodded and put on her brave face. Satisfied, Alrún went back to join her friends.

The teachers were still talking to each other in the middle of the square between the three wooden cabins that made up the entire school. Each cabin held two classrooms. Brigitta searched for her friends who studied with master Lükka but saw no sign of them.  

She decided to go inside and wait for class to resume. Master Nýr saw her going by with her head hanging and her shoulders drooping. He frowned as he watched her go. Then his eye fell on her footsteps. The Ice Master stared at them for a while. They gave him an idea.

Brigitta hung up her coat and took her snow boots off in the quiet hallway. She looked through the window into the other classroom. It was still empty. A wooden sign strung with twine hung from the doorknob. It said ‘Practicing in the field’.

Well that made sense. All the advanced kids had been put in master Lükka’s class while the average and the slow had gone to master Nýr. Brigitta shuffled into her own classroom. She was greeted by the scent of pine needles, dried orange peels and moss. Brigitta dawdled trying to decide between going to the book corner or nosing through the items above the long workbench.

Curiosity drove her first to the workbench. Up close she saw that most of the tools were the same as they had been during her training to become an Ice Baby. She turned and drifted to the bookcase. Some of these titles were familiar. Her eyes widened when she spotted an entire shelf filled with books that still smelled like glue.

Footsteps filled the hall and before she had the chance to pick a book her classmates burst into the room followed by master Nýr. “Everyone pay attention! I’m going to assign you to your workstations. As always you are not allowed to use magic at the stations so you will have to work with your hands.” Having set them all to work, he collected some papers and left.

Brigitta had been assigned to the planter beds and herb pots along with a few others. While her classmates prepared the planter bed, Brigitta readied the pots and planted each with its own seeds. She enjoyed the touch of the earth and the way it smelled when she watered it. The job was done before she knew it. Hesitantly she looked over at the planter bed.

Markús, Naddur, Ylfa and Blaer were working side by side spreading seeds between squares sectioned off with twine. “I’ve finished with the pots”, she said. Markús looked at her, then pointed to a small burlap sack on the ground. “You can plant those at the far end”. Brigitta did as she was told.

While she worked she stole glances at her classmates who were talking and joking with each other. “What are you doing?! You’re not supposed to use magic!”, Markús boomed from behind her. Brigitta looked up at him, “I didn’t…” “Oh yeah and what’s that then?!” He pointed at the square she’d almost finished.

She turned her head and saw tiny green sprouts sticking up where she had just planted the seeds. The others had already gathered round and more classmates were leaving their stations. “How do you make them grow?”, Blaer said. Brigitta shook her head, “I didn’t…” “You’re cutting corners while everyone has to work hard that’s not fair!”, Naddur said.

“But I didn’t! I really didn’t…”, Brigitta sat on the floor surrounded by classmates staring at her. Some looked accusing, some curious and a few seemed to be enjoying themselves. A deep lilac flush spread across Brigitta’s face as she struggled to find words.

“What’s going on here?”, master Nýr stood in the doorway. All at once everyone started talking. “Settle down, one at a time, one at a time!”, he said while making his way over. “Now Markús, tell me what happened.” “Brigitta’s using magic to sprout the seeds.”, Markús replied.

“Is that so?”, master Nýr said. By now Brigitta had gone purple in the face and her eyes seemed watery when she spoke up: “But I didn’t DO anything!” Something popped. A gasp went through the classroom as a sweet smell started spreading. 

The St. Johnswort and Chamomile had burst into bloom inside their pots. Brigitta froze. “Everyone, I want you to check your cold boxes. See if there’s any snow missing.”, master Nýr said. “Well, don’t just stand there, go on.”

As the others rushed to check, Brigitta searched her master’s face, stammering: “But, but I don’t… I didn’t… what?” “Let me sort it out, Brigitta.”, he said. “Is anyone missing any snow?”, he asked. The students shook their heads mumbling ‘no’. “But I felt it!  I’m sure she used magic!”, Markús said.

“Yes, but we have seen that there is no snow missing, so what does that tell us?”, master Nýr said. Silence fell over the classroom. “She made… a different kind of magic?”, Blaer said. “Well done Blaer! Class today we have discovered that Brigitta has magic other than Ice Magic. I’m going to ask all of you to keep this to yourselves for a little while so I can speak with her parents first. Can I count on your discretion?”, master Nýr looked solemn.

The class mumbled their assent. “Good. Now since you’re not supposed to be using magic, Brigitta switch to the drawing table. Hrönn, you come over here.” master Nýr waited till everyone was back at work before leaving the classroom. As soon as he shut the door all eyes were on Brigitta.