Fina

Chapter Ten Watching the Fire Erupt

It’s been a few months since the Raya and her family took me in. Hey guess what? Mazin is a “Wind” as they call the gifters. He didn’t make a big deal about it, I like that. Well, winter really has hit the White nation. It does look white now. Snow has fallen in a light feathery powder that glistens like sugar. I didn’t know it could be this cold! I really had no clothes appropriate for this weather.

The whole village has been so nice. They made me clothes to wear in the winter, but I am still not use to the cold.

            “This sure has been a long winter.” Aitor is looking out the window at the snow that has started falling again. It has been snowing a lot lately.

            “Dad? What if we run out of wood? Can we got cut more down?” Raya asks scooting closer to the fire. I grab a blanket and wrap it around her.

            “We could, but it would take a long time to dry it out enough to burn.” Aitor looks at the wood pile that has been slowly dwindling. “But don’t worry. We have never run out of wood. The winter weather could stop any time sweetheart.” Aitor smiles reassuringly.

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            Well the weather didn’t stop and the long winter persisted. The threat of running out of wood suddenly became very, very possible.

            “Well we have come to a decision.” Aitor said coming home from an elder’s meeting about the crisis. “We are consolidating houses. Each family will be pairing up in houses. More people, more body heat, less wood. We are moving in with Verni and Lakor’s family. Gather your things we are moving in with them as soon as possible. Mazin, help me move the wood over.” Aitor began gathering the chopped wood in his arms. Mazin sighed and stood to go gather up the wood.

            I help Moa and Raya roll up blankets and get things together.

By the end of the night we were moved in with the other family.

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Desperate times call for desperate measures. The wood was still depleting faster than the weather was lessening. We moved in with a third family and then a fourth. By the end of the month thought the entire village was moved into the big meeting hall in the center of the village. Some men were sent out to cut more wood and start drying it, hopefully it would be in time.

We should have enough wood for a week, but we all knew it wouldn’t last that long. Desperate times call for me to break my own rules.

I lay by the fire with Raya and stare into the licking flames. The red heat emanates to my face and warms it. I have to do it. I reach out my hand towards the fire and watch as it grows a little. The fire was about to die but I kept it growing and the wood stayed in place. It’s not that hard to keep it going. I just have to concentrate. I can’t sleep, I have to keep it going. I keep a steady stream of energy going into the fire keeping it alive.

The next morning I was still awake. I had stayed awake all night keeping the fire going.

Moa brings me over something warm to drink. It’s tastes sweet and wakes me up a little. That’s good, I need to stay awake. I keep focused on the fire, staring at it keeping it alive.

“You look tired.” Moa says to me, she sits down next to me near the fire.

“I didn’t sleep.” I said quietly, still trying to focus on the fire.

“Why not?” Moa sounds concerned.

“Just didn’t.” I still stare at the fire.

“Are…you okay?” She puts a hand on my shoulder.