"Okay," Quen said. She touched the log, finding where she wanted to aim. Then she pulled her hands back a safe distance, took one deep breath, and closed her eyes in concentration.
For several seconds, nothing happened at all. Then, suddenly, the log burst into flames with a loud POP! Flames filled the entire fireplace and licked back toward Quen, who covered her face out of habit. Almost immediately, though, they settled into a gentle crackle.
Quen let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding and calmly put out the tiny fires that burned at the ends of her hair.