Of Witches And Wolves | M. Helvar ✐

14 | A Summoner

Rowan's favorite food growing up was this layered flatbread her headmistress would make. It was a Yolivian staple breakfast food. And Rowan missed it desperately in Ravka. Breakfast would be their favorite time when everyone would run into the dining space onto their designated spots and sit on the floor and indulge.

Yolivia's government was kind to the unfortunate and made sure no child went hungry. Especially those in orphanages.

They lived in an orphanage until the age of six when they were adopted by their parents, Brevna and Juris Yulianov(a). Two Ravkan commanders with no time for the labor of pregnancy. Rowan was the second child adopted by the couple, they had one of their own; Jensin, and the first little girl they adopted from the icy country of Fjerda; Hellana.

Rowan remembers the day they were adopted so clearly. The headmistress brought Rowan alone and told them to "Be a good girl, you're lucky they came all this way to adopt you." The memory was one of the moments when Rowan realized how much they hated being called a girl.

Surprisingly, their new parents were very careful...

"Hello darling," Brevna spoke softly toward the child. "My name is Brevna and this is my husband, Juris."

Rowan stared up at the woman, confused by her expression, "Hi." She said, "I'm... Rowan." Their Ravkan wasn't the best, luckily the couple apparently understood Yolivian.

The man smiled at Rowan, "We're going to be taking you home with us, but we want to get to know you a little first, Rowan." He crouched down to Rowan's height. "You're tall for a six-year-old."

"I am?" Rowan asked, her voice high.

He nodded, "Yes, much taller than our seven-year-old."

"You have children?"

"Two," Brevna held up two fingers, "A boy and a girl. Where do you fall on that scale?" She asked.

Rowan looked away, shrugging. "Girl? I think."

The couple shared a glance before nodding, "Hm, that's alright, little one. Are you hungry? The headmistress said you liked chicken."

Her face lit up, "Yes, I am. I haven't eaten yet."

"Why's that?"

"Nervous."

They laughed, "We're nervous too, Rowan, don't feel alone." Brevna's smile was kind. Rowan liked her. She nodded at the older woman. "Would you like to join us for lunch?" The child nodded, "Alright, we will make arrangements with your headmistress."

"Ok."

Jensin stayed back with Rowan, offering her an apple. "Is it alright if I ask you a question, Rowan?" When she nodded, he continued. "Do you know what a Grisha is?"

"Yes? I think I do."

He smiled, "I think you might be Grisha, little one. So does your headmistress, it's why she reached out to us. So we can help your abilities bloom."

"Abilities?" Rowan asked.

"The way we test if someone has Grisha abilities is... odd." He admitted, "It's a brief bit of pain to see if any abilities manifest. Shock typically brings any hidden skills to the surface."

Rowan shook her head, "I don't have any abilities though. I am just a child."

"Would you be willing to be tested? It's the most efficient way to see."

"Ok."

Jensin grinned and explained the process, "It will be brief pain, my wife can heal your wound."

Rowan nodded as he showed her the small blade, "Heal my wound? How?"

"She is a heartrender, a part of the order of the living and the dead. Shall we see which order you fit into?"

The pain was indeed brief but Rowan winced regardless. Upon slicing a small line into her palm, the glass of ice water in front of Rowan melted into pure water and Jensin exclaimed. "A summoner? How interesting!"

"What's a summoner?" Rowan asked.

"Someone who can summon various elements in the world, there are many summoners in this world."

Rowan looked down at the cut in her hand, "Which am I?"

Jensin smiled, "A tidemaker I believe. We will see more once in Ravka."

Rowan was infinitely thankful for their kindness and openness toward Rowan's gender expression. They let Rowan cut their hair short when they got to Ravka and Rowan's personality exploded.

It was like cutting their hair off opened them up completely. Jensin took to Rowan immediately, taking the mantle of their pseudo-father figure. Usually, when adopting someone, the parents are required to be present consistently for the first six months but due to special circumstances, Jensin became somewhat of Rowan's guardian.

Having military parents wasn't the greatest but when they were home, they devoted their attention to their kids. But there were obvious perks that came alongside them being in the military.

Rowan met all kinds of higher-ups in the world of the Grisha. Ravkan politics weren't something ignored in the Yulianova household. It was a constant to be worried about a war or rising tensions since their parents would be right at the front lines fighting.

Expectations were higher for Rowan and their siblings, they were the children of two high-ranking commanders, and that much was to be expected. Rowan found this to be quite literal when everyone would gasp in surprise when they learned of Rowan's incompetence when it came to tidemaking.

Who would suspect the child of Juris Yulianov; master tidemaker was terrible at it?

Jensin did try his hardest to help Rowan hone their skills but to no avail. He was the one who told his younger sibling that they should become a good fighter and to become smarter. It would benefit them more in the end considering even with their best efforts, summoning didn't seem like something they were proficient in.

Their older brother really did a good job too. Rowan had a nurturing and happy childhood because of him. Hellana was naturally talented and a Squaller so there was no overlap to compare. Jensin lived up to his father's name and rivaled that of Zoya Nazyalensky. He truly was the best tidemaker Rowan knew.