"Ready?"
"Yes," I said confidently.
There was a small bowl with hot water in front of me.
"Put your hand over the bowl and close your eyes," Amou instructed me.
I did as he said. I could feel the warm steam rising on my hand.
"Have you, eh..." he searched for the right word, "worked with water before?" He asked.
"No," I lied.
"Then concentrate on the water."
After a brief pause, he went on, "feel it, feel the steam coming from it."
In my mind, I tried shutting out everything except the water and Amou's voice.
"There is a terrible cold," he said, "and the water has turned into snow and the snow has turned into ice. Do you feel the cold?"
An unnatural chill went over my body.
My hair stood on edge and goosebumps covered my body.
"In this kind of cold, there is no steam. No heat or warmth."
No warmth.
No heat.
Just the numbing cold, the ice, and the snow.
Even with closed eyes, I saw water, water that in mere moments was ice.
I opened my eyes again.
There was no steam anymore, but the water had not turned into ice.
Disappointed I looked at Amou but after he put his hand into the water he looked rather proud.
"Feel it for yourself," he pointed at the bowl.
I felt the water and it was cold, not icy, not lukewarm but definitely at a temperature that was unnatural for hot water to have a minute after it has been boiled.
"For what I assume was the first time, this is a great result. After some practice, it will turn into ice, no worries there, or do you want to go for something else? You could try lighting a candle without touching it."