Wet Fire

The Promise (E1)

Petronel

"Help! Someone help us!" Tyrek screamed. As he ran by each tent, he whacked at the curtains, waking whoever was inside. Soon the villagers shuffled out of their tents, drowsy.

The medic's tent was towards the center of the encampment. Petra weaved her way through the tents, slapping the curtains as Tyrek had done. Her boots clopped against the uneven ground and several times she stumbled on a stray mound of rock.

Petra remembered when she was younger and her parents had warned her against running. The smoke of the Volcanic Flats only allowed minimal visibility, and often times you would forget to look where you were stepping. They had even told her that her uncle had fallen into a pit of wet fire after he ran back to the village after a scaling mission. There was no evidence that had even happened. Now that she was older, Petra could run free. She thoroughly enjoyed running, with the wind in her wild hair and her legs moving in sync.

Not far ahead, was the medic's tent. Tyrek and Jelen reached the curtain at the same time and entered together, yelling for Meu, the chief medic. Petra slowed down and stopped just before the entrance, gaining her breath. There was a strange feeling in the air that night, Petra could not identify with it.

Out from the tent, came a boy, only a few years older than Petra. His long black hair hung in front of his eyes, which glanced down at Petra's fingers. The boy grabbed Petra by her shoulder and brought her inside.

The room was large and circular. The walls and floors were both made of a thick brown hide, perfect for insulation during the hot hours of the day. Several drywood cots, equipped with soft fur blankets were arranged in a circle around a lit brazier. In the far corner of the room was a sturdy looking table, where Jelen was placing Keiko. Around the table were many bins, varying in size, containing liquids and powders in the colors red, green and ivory. Hung on the walls were more furs and an arrangement of surgical saws, each sharpened finely. The hide on the walls gave the whole atmosphere a yellowish tint. Spices and eycalyptus scents filled the muggy air.

It was in the medic's tent where she broke down. Tears streamed down off of her cheeks and on onto her fur cloak. The boy sat her down on one of the cots and examined her finger. After a few minutes he gathered bandages and dabbed at specks of blood with a clear liquid. Then he wound a roll of dressing around her hands. The boy was surprisingly gentle, despite his look.

"What happened?" His voice was soft.

Petra wanted to answer him, but her voice had been extinguished by her sobs. She was afraid of everything. Vynce was gone, but what scared her the most was Keiko. If she ever woke up again, how would she react when she found out about Vynce? There was never a moment when Vynce and Keiko fought over something. They were so close for siblings.

Meu was tending to Keiko, with Tyrek and some others at her side. Meu had many apprentices, some were scalers and other were not. They all helped her this time. Some ground leaves with a motar and pestle and others helped her examine Keiko's condition.

Petra saw Jelen approach. He stood there for a second and then led her out of the tent. Together they walked through the crowd that surrounded the medic's tent. They could probably tell what had happened already.

The air away from the medic's tent was drastically cooler. Wind dried Petra's tears and left her slightly chilled. It was there where she settled down. Jelen's arms around her made her feel comforted.

He led her towards the edge of the encampment into a small single-roomed tent. The tent was not much of a home. On the floor there was a heap of furs, each a different shade of brown. A single chest made of dry wood was open in the corner and overflowing with garments. Scrolls lay strewn across the floor. "Do you write? Is that why you asked me to--" asked Petra.