Chapter V, Reading 2

When the fire had warmed her sufficiently, she took off her gloves and looked down at her hand and the eagle ring she had dreamt was named Rigga.
"Could it be true?" she thought to herself. The ring was a beautiful piece of jewelry but it didn't appear to be anything more than that. She shook her head at her reaction. All that had happened to her in the last few days told her she needed to hold fast to her faith. Why should she doubt her dream and the power of the ring?
Just as she had practiced in her dream, she closed her eyes and imagined herself suspended in purple. Slowly, the blackness behind her closed lids turned to a deep amethyst. She opened her eyes and continued to concentrate on holding the vision of the color. The power shield was clearly discernible, but unlike in her dream, the aura about herself was invisible.
She closed her eyes and continued to practice with the power shield. She wove the imaginary purple nimbus around herself into a tight, impenetrable shield. The shield would be stronger than the most durable steel and as unyielding as solid rock. Flindra knew the reality of her vision and felt the tangible power when she opened her eyes. A glance to the ring showed that Rigga glowed in violet intensity. The tarnish on the silver had disappeared, revealing the brightness of the metal.
Flindra relaxed her concentration and the protective shield vanished. Rigga, however, remained untarnished and the amethyst shone with greater clarity. The opaque shape at the center of the stone, which she'd noticed the first time she'd looked at the gem, had changed. The shape had coalesced into the image of a majestic eagle in flight. She smiled in pleasure knowing this great gift had come from King Meldh and that he had thought of her all those years ago. The ring was a visual reminder that she was never alone.
The smile stayed on her lips while she closed her eyes to exercise her concentration. Summoning the purple nimbus in her mind repeatedly made Flindra feel confident that she could call upon the protective shield when needed.