Of Ashes and Wind

Hope

When Phoenix awoken, she took note that it was cold.

And the air was thin.

Her hands were bound together, the same with her legs, and Tristan's hunting knife at her waist was gone. She was kept in a cage and she immediately noticed the half dozen men looking right at her. At the center of the group was a boiling pot over a raging fire. The sky was grey despite it being light out and Phoenix tried to take a deep breath to steady herself.

But the thin air caused her lungs to burn and the child began a coughing fit.

"Oh, she's got pretty eyes." One commented.

"She'll fetch a high enough price, Jacob and his group should be coming back through here soon."

"Think I could – "

"No, she's worth more untouched."

Phoenix went wide-eyed.

"Oh, what a naughty brat. She knew exactly what I was talking about." The dirty man licked his lips together.

"Knock it off, you touch her and I'll ship your balls to the Beastmen." Another man growled while hitting the back of his head. The same man went to the pot and grabbed a dirty cup, he filled it with a steaming pile of slop and roughly shoved the cup between the bars.

Phoenix looked down at the gruel.

"It's either this or you eat your own shit, brat." The bandit growled out.

Phoenix quickly took the cup from the bandit's hands.

"You're not to be on the rotation to keep watch." The bandit that fed her snapped at the man who made the lewd comment, "Jacob won't take damaged goods, gods above know we need all the money we can get out of the brat since the rest of them got away."

Phoenix stopped, she fought down the urge to cry, to smile, to yell, and simply stared at the questionable contents of the cup.

They managed to get away. But what about herself? Were they going to come back for her?

"I can see it all over your face kid." The bandit snickered, "You think mommy and daddy are gonna come rescue you?" Phoenix recognized the man as the second mage, "They killed off half our crew and Tai... they have to find you first." The mage motioned around them.

Phoenix Stroud took note of how high up the mountain range they were, far below was a misty valley.

Phoenix knew that she was looking below at Werenluna Forest.

"I made sure we're as far as we can get, not to mention we'll know if anyone comes sniffing around long before they get close." The earth mage leaned in close, "These mountains are our home, after all."

Phoenix grit her teeth.

And promptly splashed the hot gruel at the earth mage's face.

With a snarl, that wasn't as effective with bits of gruel dripping down his nose, the earth mage flicked his wrist.

Phoenix felt a painful crack at the back of her skull.

And fell into darkness once more.

The next time Phoenix woke up she learned that the earth mage's name was Hiram. Hiram loathed Phoenix and modified her cage, which was made from stone, to turn into a box that blocked out all sunlight and muffled conversation. It was difficult to discern time.

And her confines began to reek of her own excrement and urine.

Phoenix made sure to hide her extra appendage the best she could, it helped that she aggravated Hiram enough to cut her off from the prying eyes of the outside. There was a slotted opening that was used to deliver food. Sometimes it was the questionable porridge, other times it would be scraps from an animal.

Water was even more scarce. Phoenix's lips were caked and dry, her throat felt like sand paper every time she swallowed, and she the tears wouldn't leak out no matter how much her chest welled up.

"Mama... Papa..." Phoenix muttered while curled up in the opposite corner from where she used the bathroom.

She missed the village, even if the adults were big idiots.

She wondered how Tristan and Penelope were doing, hopefully well fed and in a warm home. Phoenix's toes felt stiff and they began to hurt.

She missed the forest. She remembered all the lessons her father would give her – how important it was to keep your core warm in the cold, how long a body could without nourishment, how to give thanks to the land after every animal you take in order to feed, how to only take what is necessary – the lessons went on.

She thought back to Orion, her baby brother with tears streaking down his face every time they would get into a confrontation on their journey. Phoenix thanked the gods above that it was her that gotten tossed from the cart and not her baby brother.

She thought about her mother. The lullabies she would hum, how gentle her hand was to take Phoenix's while the danced across the forest glade, her mesmerizing voice while telling great tales of her time as a reputable apprentice mage within the Brilux Castle.

Phoenix balled her hands into a fist, but it hurt to clench her fingers together.

I'm dying.

The thought echoed throughout Phoenix's head.

Her eyes closed and she tried to imagine the warm countryside and babbling rivers of her home town.

Instead, it was emptiness that greeted her. A hollow feeling bloomed where her heartbeat, slowly but sure the sensation spread down to her numbed toes and fingers. She tried with all she could to continue fueling the little bit of hope she had left that she would be rescued.