The Apprentice's Trial

Setting off

Gasping for air, I sat up, covered in sweat. It was still dark outside, but tinges of grey were beginning to streak the sky, early signs of dawn. I drew a long, shuddering breath, trying to still my trembling, but the image of plummeting towards the rocks played in my minds eye. It had seemed so real, so scary, it wasn't like a dream.

It was like a premonition.

A shudder passed through me. When I was younger, I frequently had premonitions, but it was of menial things, like conversations or a page of a book that I would read the next day. Never had I dreamed of my death. My premonitions had stopped when I started practicing magic, and hadn't troubled me since, so why had they resurfaced now?

Sky often had premonitions, he would know what to do. I stood, untangling myself from the sheets I'd gotten wrapped up in. Going back to sleep was pointless, but I wasn't sure if I should wake up Sky or not. My thoughts were disjointed and muddled, nothing made sense.

Stumbling from the room, I decided to get a drink of water from the mini kitchen in the corner.
"Gabby? Why are you awake?" I yelped at the voice, flinching away from the speaker.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I forget how jumpy you are." Sky said with a smile in his voice. Shakily I smiled at him, going to sit opposite him on the cream leather couch.

His eyes flicked over my face, reading my expression, and his forehead crinkled with worry.
"What's wrong?" He asked, able to read me like a book. Slowly, I started running my thumb nail up and down my pointer finger on both hands, a nervous habit I had developed when I came to the Academy.
"I had a dream. Well, no. Not a dream, a premonition."

"Is this the first time?" I shook my head.
"I had them a lot when I was young, but they stopped when I started practising magic." Sky nodded, though a spark of dread had lit in his eyes.
"What was it about? Was it a symbolic premonition, or was it a vision premonition?" I blinked in confusion, I didn't know the difference.

"A symbolic premonition is full of disjointed things, it doesn't really make sense and leaves you feeling confused. The symbols must be interpreted in order to understand what the premonition means, whereas visions are in chronological order and tends to make more sense." Sky explained, seeing my confusion.
"I, I think it was a vision? But I'm not certain?"

"Tell me about it. Premonitions are somewhat frequent with me, so I may be able to decipher it." Slowly, with trembling breaths, I recounted my dream to him, telling him every single detail. When I was finished, there was a moment of silence.
"Am I going to die?" I blurted out a tad too loud. Sky raised a finger to his lips, gesturing towards the two closed doors that Matilda and Alex were behind. I nodded, blushing.

"Not necessarily." He said slowly.
"Comforting." I replied in a snarky voice, raising my eyebrows at him. A ghost of a smile flickered on his face.
"Premonitions are given for a reason. When you know the future, you can take steps to ensure it or change it. People seem to think as destiny as a play, pre written, and us as actors that must read out our lines and accept our fates. However, the future is far more flexible than that. To avoid your premonition from being realised, we'll simply stop you being alone in the mountains. I'd advise you to inform Matilda and Alex, and if you trust our mission companions, them too."

I nodded, but I must have looked dubious because Sky laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Really, Gabby, it's nothing to worry about. So long as you tell me or Matilda when you have a premonition, you will be just fine, ok?" He reassured me. Nodding, I stood, mumbling about getting ready.

My room had an ensuite with a rainfall shower, and I made use of it. After I'd finished and wrapped my hair in a towel, I picked out my outfit. Mission clothes had to be non de script, practical and suitable for different climates, So I picked out some cargo pants, a t shirt and some trainers. In America, I shouldn't stand out too much.