Arian woke up exhausted.

Her eyes were swollen red as she glanced around the dark room and realised she was on her bed. Her pillow was soaked with tears and her heart had a dull ache. She stared at the ceiling, wondering if everything her parents had said was a horrid nightmare and when she would wake up from it. She had collapsed in her fathers’ arms when she had heard them tell her the truth. Her small mind was unwilling to comprehend the truth. Even now, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark, thinking it was a lie.

“I can't be a girl,” she whispered, remembering the words of her parents. “I can't be. They must have been mistaken!” she tried to convince herself but tears fell from her swollen eyes.

You're a girl.

The words echoed in the dark room, stabbing the truth into her heart.

“It’s a lie!” she cried weakly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “It’s a lie, I can't be a girl! I’m a Silversmith –I am the heir of the Forge! A boy –I can't be a girl! I'm meant to be a Blacksmith! I’m meant to take over the Silversmith Forge –it's grandfather’s dream. It’s my dream!”

You're a girl.

The words silently echoed again.

“No!” cried Arian, protesting at the truth. “I’m not a girl! How can I be a girl when I am meant to be a Master Blacksmith? How can I be a girl?” She covered her eyes, whimpering. “I studied so many books, night and day of the Art of Blacksmithery… I know about the different temperatures for heating and cooling for the perfect metal – I know so much and I’m going to be ten years old next week to start my training and finally be in the Forge! I have to be a boy! I just have to be a boy.”

You're a girl.

The words sliced through the echo and all of Arian’s protests, forcing the reality deep into her soul.

“Why is this happening? Why give me hope of a dream before it can truly begin?” she cried out in the dark. “Why… why am I not a boy?” She whispered as she drifted off into a weeping slumber.

“Arian, Arian,” a voice like a gentle whisper tickled Arian’s ears.

She rubbed her ears, trying to get the annoying itch away whilst her eyes were shut.

“Arian, Arian,” came the gentle whisper again.

She sluggishly opened her eyes and found herself lying in an open field of white lilies. There was a large ladder in front of her that seemed to reach into the nights’ sky.

“Where am I?” she asked, standing up in the lily field. “This isn't my room. Where is this place?”

“Arian, Arian,” the voice whispered again.

She looked around the lily field and saw no one. “Hello?” she asked, looking up at the ladder. “Is someone here?”

She heard the whisper again, but this time there was a bright fire that suddenly shot up from the ground of the ladder to the top of the ladder. It looked like an arrow, calling her to go up.

Arian gasped, glancing curiously at the ladder and the flame that recently ignited then disappeared. “If you want me to follow you, you could have just asked,” she cried out loud in the nights’ air and began climbing the ladder. She climbed and climbed, waiting to reach the top but it seemed there was no end to the ladder.

“What kind of dream is this?” she panted, glancing down. The white lilies were replaced with darkness. She had climbed so far up that the lily field could no longer be seen. “Maybe, it's time to go back down,” she gulped, feeling nervous of the height.

Before, she could take a step down, a flame ignited in the dark air, shooting straight up into the sky like an arrow calling her to continue upward on the ladder. “Uh… I don't think I want to go up –I don't think I can,” she said, weary and frightened as a cold breeze past through.

The flame shot up again.

“I don't know what you want,” she screamed, cowering when she felt the wind unsteady the ladder.

“Come and see,” the voice whispered, gently on her ears.

Arian gulped, quite unsure if she should follow the words of the whisper. The wind kept blowing, freezing her body and forcing the ladder to tremble. It was so much safer in the lily field, she thought as her foot considered stepping down.

“But…” she glanced up, remembering the whisper. Something was burning within her chest in the midst of her fear. She did not know what it was but it forced her body to take large and rushed strides upward.

“I don't know what you want me to see but I’m coming,” she said, and climbed the ladder. The cold wind made the ladder tremble and chilled her bones but she continued her climb, and just when she thought she could not bear the wind and the wobbling of the ladder any longer. She saw something she had never seen in her life.

It was a magnificent Forge.

The Forge was a few steps above her. It was made of turquoise, lapis luzuli, rubies and other precious jewels. It was bright, glorious and filled with brilliant metals. Her eyes grew big with wonder and she gained enough strength to climb the remaining steps of the ladder, and reach the floor of the jewelled Forge.

“This is amazing,” stated Arian, forgetting all her fear of climbing the ladder. “How is a Forge made of all these jewels? The walls are all gemstones, even the floors and the tools!” she exclaimed, bewildered. She began walking around, gazing in amazement at the structure of the Forge.

“Are you here?” asked the gentle whisper. “I've heard your pleas.”

Arian turned to the voice and found a figure wearing a bright white robe. The figure’s face was not revealed but its’ eyes were made of glistening fire.

“Who are you?” asked Arian, immediately looking down when she saw the flaming eyes.

“I am the First Law of Blacksmiths and your creator. I formed you before you were a thought in your parents’ minds,” said The Figure. “I have called you to do the impossible.”

“What?” questioned Arian. “I don't know what you are talking about…”

“Do you know where The Law of Traditional Blacksmiths is from?” asked The Figure, folding his arms.

“The founders of the Blacksmiths,” said Arian, remembering her grandfather’s lessons. “The founders had risked their lives, venturing off into the black caves of the Pesha and brought out the Law of Traditional Blacksmiths.”

“That is true,” stated The Figure, with an impressed smile. “Those were the caves where men created laws that promoted their powers known as The Law of Traditional Blacksmiths. They erased the First Law of Blacksmiths and formed their own laws for power –little sub-laws to increase their riches and authority. I have come to declare it has come to an end –they must be reminded of the First Law.”

“What do you mean? How can The Law of Traditional Blacksmith come to an end?” asked Arian, confused. “It's the foundation of The Art of Blacksmithery!”

“I am the Foundation of the Art of Blacksmithery,” said The Figure, his gentle voice, slightly hoarse. “It is time for the Foundational Era to be remembered and you will make it happen.”

“Foundational Era?” exclaimed Arian. “I will… I don't –“

“All you have to do is become a Blacksmith,” interrupted The Figure.

“But I'm a girl!” exclaimed Arian. “There is no way I can become a Blacksmith! The Law of Traditional Blacksmith Section –“

“Go,” commanded The Figure, ignoring Arian’s protests. The Figure flicked his fingers on her forehead and Arian fell back. She screamed as she wooshed down, passing the ladder she had climbed and landing back into the open field of lilies; before she could finish her scream, she woke up to a knock on her bedroom door.

“Arian!” screamed Martha. “It’s your birthday!”

“My birthday?” questioned Arian, opening her eyes widely as her mother rushed into her room. “How can it be my birthday? I still have seven days left.”

“Have you lost your mind?” asked Martha, feeling Arian’s head. “You can't be sick on your birthday! We have to outdo those Goldsmiths –you know they are going to come to your birthday party to snub and criticise us.”

“But Mom I –“

“Arian!” exclaimed Rodger, barging through Arian’s bedroom door. “Congratulations on becoming ten-years-old.” He lifted her tiny body in his arms and swung her around. “Today is the official day you can begin your training as a Blacksmith.”

“Uh…” began Arian, trying to speak as her father dangled her in the air. “But… I'm a girl… I can't train as a Blacksmith… the Law of Traditional Blacksmith forbids it.”

“SSSHHH!” hissed her parents.

Rodger stopped swinging her and covered her mouth. “Don't say that out loud! Your grandfather might hear then we will have a huge problem –bigger than taxes,” he told Arian.

“But –“ she tried to speak through her father’s hand but she heard another hissing of SSSHHH.

“Enough of the Law of Traditional Blacksmiths,” said Martha, “You’re a Silversmith –the heir of the Forge!”

“Who cares about the Law of Traditional Blacksmiths –sure it might be alive but it can't really see,” said Rodger, cheerfully. “All you have to do is work hard and it will easily accept you.”

Arian raised a peculiar brow as she thought of the words of her parents and The Figure. Could she really become a Blacksmith despite the Law of Traditional Blacksmiths forbidding it? Could she fool the world that she was a boy? As she thought about it, she smiled, concluding that if her parents and the Figure she had dreamt of believed she could, then she would.