"You know as well as I," she retorted.

"Humour me, if you will."

"Very well, candidates are typically thirteen when they first begin to manifest powers, why?"

"Natalia, here, was ten, and she may have manifested as early as six if rumours are to be believed."

"How is that even possible?" asked the Mistress of the Volstrum.

"I have no idea," said the matriarch, "but ignoring her would be a mistake. With this kind of potential, she may well become more powerful than us all." She pointed to the water, where small pieces of ice still floated. "I remind you that she is dosed with magebane, and yet look, she's not even conscious of doing it."

The door to the next room opened, letting the smoke drift in. Natalia stepped forward, foregoing the deep breath that Svetlana had taken. The two women watched as the doors closed.

"If what you say is true," said Marakhova, "then she will breed a powerful line."

"Yes," said Illiana, "but we must pair her carefully. No doubt her true father was a powerful mage, but we cannot identify who he was."

"We have time," said Marakhova, "and she must learn her spells first. She's proven to be adept at her studies, I expect she'll learn to cast quickly."

"You must take care," said the matriarch, "for when she unleashes her power, it will be strong. Might I suggest others are not present when she first casts."

Marakhova stared at the water, watching the ice slowly melt. "I think I am more than capable of deciding how her training should be conducted."

Natalia exited the smoke room, the heavy scent of incense clinging to her robes, into a short hallway where the senior students waited to guide her to her next location.

"Natalia," called out a young woman.

Moving towards the blonde-haired woman only slightly older than herself, Natalia called out, "That's me."

"Come along," her guide bid, taking her to the end of the hallway, where others stood waiting. Natalia watched Svetlana go through the doorway, disappearing into the room beyond.

"Past this door lies the great chamber,” her guide explained. “Someone will knock lightly, and then I'll open it. You'll walk towards the front of the room to take up a position by the other initiates."

Natalia nodded her head in understanding, then looked around at the others waiting here. This was, by any measure, an auspicious day for them. Each was to be admitted into the Stormwind family, given the family name for all official purposes. The others shifted nervously, but Natalia stood perfectly still. She had come to the Volstrum as a girl, and now, ten years later, she was still here, eagerly awaiting admittance into the family.

A knock at the door grabbed Natalia's attention. She waited while her guide opened the door, revealing the great chamber beyond.