Bat

Why?

My father was no where in sight; nor was his body. Did he burn in the fire? Iris, who stood next to me as I stood in horror at the house, couldn't take her eyes off of me. She obviously knew something was up with how I was acting.

"Is something wrong?" Iris asked.

"Can you keep a secret?" My blue eyes wouldn't - couldn't - look away from the house; I looked closely for any sign of life.

"Uh, well yeah, but you're freaking me out. Can you tell me what's going on?" Iris hassled.

I quickly glanced around me, made sure I was out of way from passing eavesdroppers and any guards when I went to whisper to Iris. "That was my house that just burned down..." I finally managed to pry my eyes from the ashes of it and set my eyes to look at Iris. And I think my father was in it, I didn't say it even though I wanted to.

"I thought you were from Cambreia." Iris says.

"I lied, but only to keep papa safe." As I say this, I notice a body scorched to the bone. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my horror. Iris, who is babbling a heap of words in the same minute, now sees the body with the burns and I only know this because she shuts up.

I run through the ashes and the ruins of the house. I gracefully touch the body's wrist; which I could hardly find because it's completely black and it still feels hot to the touch. I feel a faint pulse on the body and begin crying. He's still alive. I hold papa's sweltering body to mine in a very careful hug. I knew I was hurting him, but I didn't... I didn't want to let go. I hear my dad speak in a muted voice, "run." He practically breathes out the word, with an added cough that sounded like he was dying. My dad was dying.

This is the end.

I pull away from his body and look into his deep blue eyes with my teary eyes. "Who did this to you?" I demanded and cried.

"...Cass...i...us..." He coughs again, rolls his head over and very quietly says. "It burns." He grips onto me tightly, I feel him lose the grip and he falls back... Then I lose him.

I feel for a pulse, but a pulse is no longer there.

My father is dead... And I have no idea why. I stay at my dad's side until Iris comes to me with Patch, Nash, Blaine and Nissa flowering her. I explain to them quietly what happened, who I am, everything. They help me bury what is left of my dad. Then we go back to Iris and pretend that it never happened; which I'm thankful for. We're spending the night at Iris's apparently.

At Iris's, Meliora draws me a bath and I slip into the lukewarm, thankful that it's not freezing like at my house and that it's not dirty as the lake I made the choice to bathe in as I stayed in the cave. I wash my body and finish drying. I am redressed into a night gown that Meliora has laid out for me. Patch goes to bathe next. The water is a short supply in Easton, okay, it's short in all the cities; unless you can afford it. So being the only one to bathe in your own bath water or to shower is a luxury not many have, and hot water is a luxury too. So most people share the water they bathe in and bathe in whatever temperature the water is because they need to get clean.

Me and Iris sit on her bed, we braid our hair to go down our back in a fishtail braid.

"Kit you have the prettiest hair." Iris giggles, admiring my long brown hair, trying to lighten the mood as we sat on her floor.

"Thanks, but I don't think so." I blushed a deep red.

Nissa and Patch march into the room, arms linked together as they sit on the floor beside us.

"Oh, please. Kit you do have the prettiest hair that I've ever seen... And coming from me, that says something because I have pretty amazing hair." Nissa blurts out.