A Kindling Flame

Chapter 1

Espen stumbled down the stairs, landing with a loud grunt at the bottom. Lilith stood at the rail, a smug smile on her face. 

"I win!" she told her older brother as he staggered to his feet.

 "I know, I know," Espen grumbled,  brushing off the cuffs of his dress shirt. 

"You owe me a coin," Lilith swatted at Espen's shoulder as she continued down the hall. 

"I know, I know," Espen called after her, hurrying to follow. His little sister grinned up at him. Despite only being at the tender age of ten, Lilith had experienced more than Espen had at her age. It pained him to think of all his little sister had experienced in her short lifespan.

Lilith plopped down in her chair, sending up a cloud of dust. Epsen coughed, swatting in front of his face to clear the particles away. 

"What's there for breakfast?" she asked, swinging her feet back and forth. 

"Uh, some bread, I think," he answered, pulling a cupboard door open. He pulled out a brown paper package, and unwrapped the last piece of bread. "Here." He held out the package to his sister. "Eat up. You've got a long day," he urged as Lilith took the rumpled package. 

"Thanks," she unwrapped the package, and bit into the dough. She scrunched up her nose, and without her saying so, Espen could tell the bread was stale. 

"Sorry, little dove. I'll pick something up after work," he apologized, ruffling her ginger hair.

Lilith looked up at him, chewing her bread. "That's alright," she said through a mouthful of dough. "Be careful out there."

" I will. Be good at school." Espen smiled down at her, before leaving the room.

He walked to the door, and pulled on his worn trench coat. It was a tad bit small, and had a few holes in each cuff, but Espen couldn't even dream of buying a new one. Why spend money on a coat, when food was more important? He was having a hard time making enough to get by as it is. Even working two jobs, he could barely scrape up enough to buy food for a week. And it was just him and Lilith. They were lucky that Espen only had to pay rent at the end of the year. He scowled, pulling open the front door. 

"Go. Scat," he said to the pigeons at the door, kicking them away. He yanked the door closed, and started walking down the empty cobblestone street. 

Espen's morning job was at a small herb shop about ten minutes from him and Lilith's small home. He pulled the shop door open, the bell at the top of the door twinkling to announce his arrival.

 "Dovelock! Finally, what took you so long?" bellowed Mr. Pembertion from behind the front desk. 

"Sorry Mr. Pembertion," Espen called, stepping behind the counter. "I had a late start." He shrugged off his coat, and laid it over the back of a nearby chair. 

"That's the fourth time this season, Espen. Do it again and I'm laying you off," Mr. Pembertion grumbled, looking up at Espen from under bushy eyebrows. 

"I know, I know. It won't happen again," He answered, glancing out the window.

"Busy morning?" he asked his boss, looking away from the window and leaning on the counter. The old shopkeeper shook his head. 

"Naw. It's been real quiet. Too quiet. A sign, of some sort." 

Espen bit his lower lip. Mr. Pembertion had a thing with theories. He was always getting too deep, always coming up with wild ideas. He thought the Plague was a punishment for the people from the gods, that it was a sign of the world ending. Espen had advised on multiple occasions that Mr. Pembertion should really stop with the theories, that it was going to rot his mind, but he was determined to continue his ways. Finally, Espen had just given up hope that Mr. Pembertion would ever stop. Why fight something that couldn't be controlled?

"Well boy, I got a few errands to run. Keep watch over the shop. I'll be back this afternoon." Mr. Pembertion fished the keys to the shop out of his pocket and tossed them to Espen, who caught them mid-air with ease.

"Have a good outing," he chirped as Mr. Pembertion opened the door. 

"Mhm," he grumbled in return, letting the door swing shut behind him. 

Espen looked around the small, crowded shop with a soft sigh. No doubt, Mr. Pembertion had gotten drunk last night. Vials of herbs were strewn about the room, some broken, with their contents littering the floor. Espen walked out from behind the counter and stooped to the ground, gathering the bits of broken glass in his hands. Blasted man. He was a good shopkeeper, most of the time. Too often, when Espen came in for his morning shift, the remains of a party were scattered across the shop floor. Chairs were toppled over, vials of plants smashed. Drink cups sitting half empty on tabletops. He shook his head, a frown coming over his face. At least the job paid. Had pay been next to nothing, as most jobs where, he would have left six months ago. 

The shop door jingled, and Espen looked up from the floor. "Oh, great," he murmured to himself as a woman, his age, with wavy blond hair stepped inside. 

"Hello, Espen," she greeted, her bright blue eyes tracking him across the room. 

"Hello, Eloise," he grumbled, sweeping the glass out of his hand and into the garbage can. "How can I help you?" he asked, turning back towards the counter. 

Eloise batted her eyelashes, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "I don't need anything," she said. Espen narrowed his eyes as Eloise continued. "I can't stop by to see my favorite neighbor?" she asked, laying her hand on the counter by Espen's elbow. He shifted his weight, leaning away from her hand. 

Espen despised Eloise. She was the daughter of his landlord, and had been flirting with him since seventh grade. She and her father lived next door, and she always found a way to interfere with Espen's day. 

"I'm busy right now," he told her, taking a step back.

 "Well maybe I can help," she offered, leaning over the counter. "Wouldn't you like some...company?" she tilted her head.

 He shook his head, a frown trying to tug its way onto his face. "No. Now, I'm quite busy today," Espen insisted. Eloise's hopeful expression left her face.

 "Alright..." she let out a wishful sigh, and backed away from the counter. "See you later, Espen," she called over her shoulder, stalking to the door. 

"Bye, Eloise," he called half-heartedly, looking away from the door as it swung closed. 

He sighed heavily, shaking his head. Why couldn't Eloise just leave him alone? A growl bubbled up in his throat. He was worried that she'd try and get to him through Lilith. Although his little sister had experienced much, the duo's smitten next-door neighbor shouldn't be any of her worries. Lilith was too trusting. No doubt, if Eloise came to the door, Lilith would invite her in, and make a batch of cookies to hope and please her. The thought made him shiver. Poor, little Lilith.

Espen shook his head, running his hand through the mop of rusty brown hair on his head. He looked back across the shop, and sighed heavily. "Well, the shop isn't going to clean itself." He grumbled, before setting to work.