When it gets hot

The feeling was like hearing a story read to you and the images were just bursting before your eyes, in your mind, and it was like you could just truly feel this phantom of forms before you as each word would fill into your ears and filter out in your own imagination like colorful figures instead of simple shadows at the change of light against the wall of the wagon's canvas.

But this was real.

Fire, its smell was all around us. I was unchained quickly, I didn't need to be told anything, instinct kicked in. Not as powerful as those I saw around me, but I remember as a child, when our Hall caught on fire. We were attacked by a nights fleet that hit the shores in such mass amounts we had no time to truly respect the sound of alarm from horns and ringing of the shore bell tower. It was a bloody battle, we were maybe six, and blushes rushed us, women and children, of the Hall, to the underground cave towards the hills outside the farm. Here, I saw young boys and girls near that age rushing to pile wagons, release animals, no one could run and hide out here, there was only save and survive. I felt my back prickle at the heat gaining towards the wagons even though they were starting to roll out. I remember the bosk starting to move as I was still pulling locks of chains and tethers tight, throwing water across their backs to keep the metal chains cool that was rubbing on them and heating up quickly with the air. It was hard to see, the instant sky of black and raining ash from wagons already being victim. Screaming was all over, I kept swallowing my heart down over and over. I have never experienced this before. Nothing like this. People were running around wagons that were already on the path were being handed up children, and elders. We had many even on His wagon, climbing to the platform, and I clung to the post there of the railing. I was so afraid. Even when a little girl was placed in my lap for me to hold as the wagon filled with caged sleens covered with blankets and leather to keep them calm and filter out the smoke , was filling up quickly with people also. There was so many tears, not just my own. I held to the child as my heart again seemed to ache watching the scene we were rolling away from. Men on kaiila's just being swallowed whole, back wagons finally getting out, not making it as people ran out of flaming Canvases and Bosk were released still in chains to save themselves. Screaming women trying to run back in the fire being dragged away by others. It was nothing but a wall of fire, like a huge avalanche of nightmares spilling like a damn just broken. I wanted to squeeze my eyes tight, I didn't want to see anymore, but for some reason I watched. I was moved by so much emotion, how much strength and love showed. It was like the feeling I got when me and red ran out once the men started towards the cave. Even in the far distance we could see bodies and blood staining ground and frosted hills under the stars and moons. It was the joy felt, and tears of praise and thanks when we both ran into Father's bloody warm chest, as he was even still holding his Ax, looking over the three of us, as Von was in Blush's arms as she kept up with our small running feet. That was the feeling that kept rolling over me as I would see any familiar face passing by, or working to fight the fire back.

I stay huddled next to the child in my arms, giving her water from a bota that was passed around to the group on the platform. Only once she had warmed to a quiet breath of slumber and the trembling stopped against my chest in my soft rocking of her tiny figure did I dare close my own burning eyes. I spread a blanket of protection for the child as I held her, I was a brace for a woman that rested her weary cheek against my shoulder, a thigh for a toddler who was across his grandmothers lap, and helped prop his red sore looking feet up, as I felt a tear run down my cheek again thinking of him running through the burning ground into her arms. There was still the sounds of fire, the sounds of wagons, crying, sniffles, coughing, whimpering and just the sound of rolling wooden wheels being lead by bosk rocking us to our own thoughts.


Me, I was so happy to be alive, and well, considering. I was happy to be where I was. It brought a feeling I hadn't had in a long time, I didn't dwell much on it, but just let it be my cushion as I found some sleep while I could. I had no doubt, it would be worse before better, once people could see..truly what was lost.