Chasing Sparks

Chapter 13.2

It was quite a bit later when Wren suggested they stop for the night. Quizi immediately set to skinning the two rabbits hanging around her neck. Wren never saw her set any rabbit traps and she didn't carry a bow to shoot them with, so Wren was beginning to think she just chased them and grabbed them. It was crazy to think so but she was probably quick enough.

As Quizi worked, Wren set about gathering enough firewood for a small fire and had it well underway, when Quizi brought over the skewered rabbits for roasting. Wren had also found a few herbs and edible leaves in which to wrap the meat that would enhance the flavour nicely.

It was a chilly night and the weather was definitely getting colder. Wren was grateful for the thick cape he had taken from the dead man. Quizi's light furs offered her some protection against the elements but she was shivering in the cool air. Wren thought about offering her his cape, but he knew it would only precipitate a tirade about how he thought she was weak, so he didn't bother. He just pulled his cape closer around himself.

Quizi avoided eye contact with Wren as she sat down next to the fire, as if suspecting Wren had some ulterior motive for the fire and dinner. Which he did. It was well past time they had a chat about a few things.

But he let Quizi roast the rabbits first. Eat first, talk later, Master Dirs was fond of saying and Wren tended to agree. So while waiting, he did what he often did when he had a bit of time to himself, he started fiddling with the ring the Runner had given him.

He knew it was an artifact as it was made of a similar material to the earrings and daggers. However, there appeared to be some subtle differences between artifacts.

To activate the magic in the daggers, he had needed to consciously channel a little energy into them, but with the earring, once he had established a link with it, the earring itself drew a tiny stream of Celestial energy from him, meaning that it was permanently active.

The same was true of the ring on his finger. He could feel the tiny flow of energy from him into the ring. But whereas he knew what the earring did, or least some of what it did, he had no idea what the ring on his finger was doing. It must be doing something, and likely, something important given the Runner had wanted him to have it, but what? Wren had absolutely no idea.

Quizi had left the rabbits cooking in the fire and was looking, now, at the stars. Wren found his attention switching from the ring to the beautiful Caver sitting across from him. As she gazed at the night sky, Wren would have said she looked almost like a pixie, her whole body looking quite delicate in the firelight.

The enchanting image ended however when Quizi growled, "Why you looking at me?"

Wren shook his head slightly, turning his mind back to the ring. He thought for a moment before saying, "I was wondering if you could help me?"

She turned his way, neither saying yes or no.

Wren took the ring from his finger and held it out to her. "Put this on for a minute and tell me what you feel."

Quizi's eyes widened a little as she tried on the ring. It immediately shrunk to fit her finger the way it had when Wren put it on. Magic things did that, it seemed. Wren could see she was channeling energy into it and trying to decipher what it did.

"What does it do?" She asked.

Wren shrugged. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Her face was hard in concentration now. She had one of those faces you could read as easily as a book. As Wren stared at her again, watching her expressions change in the moonlight, to say she looked endearing would be an understatement.

Then her eyebrows rose as if remembering something. She slowly moved her hand towards the fire and slowly placed her hand palm face down in the red hot ashes next to the rabbits. She held her hand there for a couple of seconds before instinctively pulling it out and letting out a long hissing noise.

She grimaced and looked at her burnt palm. It was very red. She pulled the ring off her finger and tossed it at Wren.

"Broken," she simply said.

Wren replaced the ring on his own finger. Well, we can cross fire protection off the list, he thought, suppressing a small smile.

Quizi was looking at Wren now. He knew what she wanted but he also knew she wouldn't ask him directly. She would rather suffer with a burnt palm for a week than actually ask him for healing. Asking for healing was weak, apparently. And she was not weak.

Wren pretended to ignore her for a while but he could still feel her eyes on him. So, in perfect imitation of her growling tone from earlier, he said, "Why you looking at me?"

Quizi ground her teeth together.

Wren suddenly felt very mean and childish and sidled over to where Quizi was, holding out his hand. Quizi understood the gesture and placed her hand in his.

Wren tried to make eye contact with her by way of an apology but Quizi wasn't having it and just looked at the fire. So Wren just turned his attention to her burnt palm. And it was burnt. She really hadn't needed to actually try to cook her hand in order to test the ring.

As tenderly as he could he placed his finger in the centre of the burn, whispered the three words, and channeled some of his healing power. He watched as her face relaxed and the burn gradually scarred over and disappeared.

She smiled and curled her fingers into a ball and straightened them, good as new. Wren smiled too. Helping Quizi was becoming one of his favourite things. Wren didn't move away after he'd finished though and found himself looking at her again in the moonlight.

Quizi suddenly turned to meet his stare full on. Wren wasn't quite sure what was happening but didn't have to wait long, as Quizi's freshly healed hand whipped across his face, slapping him hard on the cheek.

Wren backed away. Whatever he had expected in that moment it wasn't that.

"I vowed to protect you. Nothing more. Keep your eyes to yourself," she said, the anger in her voice plain.

Wren did the only thing he could. He looked away, embarrassed. He bowed his head and moved back to where he had been sitting and began fiddling with the ring again.

Quizi too, looked away and turned her attention to the fire. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a while after that.