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I developed my powers really young, so I was no older than 8 when this happened. I had recently been told that I was advanced for my age (which I was, seeeing as how most people don't even develop their powers until they are at least 10-12). I was also told that I was showing promise in fire-related skills. So I was super over-confident that day.
Well, I was sent to ask one of the enchanters (people in charge underneath the Templars and first enchanter) if the person who was teaching me could borrow a specific book, so I walked through the halls of the tower, and on my walk through the second floor, I saw a bored mage do this thing with fire. I can do it now, but at the time it seemed so cool, because it looked like they were juggling fire with one hand. Well, my over-confident, 8-year-old, self thought, "I can do that, so I tried it. Needless to say, it did not go as expected.
Just as I was forming the fire, First Enchanter Irving happened to pass by. Now, I don't know if you've tried juggling before, but it takes a lot of practice, and this spell was no different., especially as a young apprentice who has little control over her magic, compared to some of the older mages. So, I attempted to make balls of fire the correct size, but just as I was doing so, I saw him passing by and got all excited to make him see my above average skills.
Now, one thing you may not know is that fire-magic reacts to the caster's emotions. For example, I once saw a guy start to panic while trying to light a camp fire, and he ended up setting himself aflame, instead of the kindling. So, in my excitement, the ball of fire became larger than I intended, and I couldn't figure out how to make it smaller (I wasn't as good at ice as I was at fire), but I decided to use it anyway, and as I attempted to send it flying, it went straight instead of curved, and went flying across the room.
Lucky for me it wasn't too huge, but unluckily, the ball of fire landed right in the center of the First Enchanter's beard, setting it ablaze. This caught him by surprise, so he screamed and jumped backwards like an Orlesian noblewoman who had just seen a mouse, and my fear at the repercussions of my actions just made it flame up even more. So, by now, everyone is staring at this fire in the center of the room.
Eventually, Irving, or someone else, had the sense to put it out, but by then, a lot of his beard lay on the floor in a pile of ashes. And because of that, some people started calling me ash, and it kind of stuck. Not as much as "Oswald" did, of course, but there was always someone who called me that. Anders often did when we would talk.