Fire pulled on the reins, bringing her horse Small to a stop. She stared ahead at the blackened rubble that had once been Cutter's house. It was the grave of Archer, her dear friend. Fire dipped her head in remembrance, her eyes tearing up. A gentle, familiar voice spoke softly in her mind.
Fire.
Fire looked over her shoulder, her tension fading to see Brigan ride up next to her on Big. Musa and Margo waited on their mounts a few yards away. In the distance, Fire could feel the many minds of the Third, who rode with them on their way to Roen. A band of thieves was attacking villages along the Little Grays, pillaging them and leaving them to burn in the night. Brigan was leading the Third to Mila's fort.
Brigan touched Fire's shoulder gently, and she sighed. An icy silence hung in the air until Fire finally spoke.
"It's been almost two years." He did not need to continue. Fire looked past the destroyed stable, where she had seen Archer's body before burning down the entire area. She looked at Brigan wearily. An ache was forming, in her back, her throat, in the pit of her stomach.
"The memories are still there, Brigan. No matter how hard I try to forget, it comes back to me, haunting me. Even after the funeral, I still feel a sense of… of debt, as though I owe him more."
Brigan was silent for a moment. He spoke softly, "You don't need to forget, my love. Just…. Forgive." Fire thought over his words, until she began to ease into gentle calmness.
Thank you, Brigan. I can tell one of the Third is coming to retrieve you. I'm surprised they
Brigan laughed softly. "They still remember how you saved Nash's life, oh monster life giver." He smiled, and Fire laughed.
"I still hate that ridiculous name. The healers saved his life, not me. Well, the healers and Mila." Hoof steps clattered behind them, becoming louder as it came closer. Brigan turned Big to meet a youthful man, riding towards them. He raised a hand.
"No need, I'm coming." The man stopped, waiting. Brigan sighed and glanced at Fire. "Come with me, Fire?"
Fire took one last look at the burnt rubble, and then nodded, pulling the reins lightly. Small turned and trotted towards the Third. Brigan followed on Big.
In two days the Third had made it to the warm rocks. From the ending of winter, the warm rocks were a relief from the days of cold riding. The tents were set up as far from the crevices as possible. Fire sat on Small's back, looking across the rock at another hole in the ground. The certain spot tugged at her memory. Where had she seen it? The memory hit her boldly. She could still see the boy staggering, clutching his eye, and falling into the hole, a bottomless pit. The boy, who had ordered Fire's capture, killed Archer, hurt Hanna, and had spoken of strange people and countries across the western mountains.
Brigan walked next to her, rubbing Small's side slowly. He stared at the crevice, thinking.
"This is where you ran into him, isn't it?" Fire nodded slowly.
"It's hard to tell, from the many cracks and crevices, but I can just feel it here." She froze, feeling another mind crawling from under a nearby rock. It was a monster viper, surviving the harsh winter through the warm rocks. Fire reached to Small's mind, trying to calm him, but she was too late. Small kicked backward at the snake, galloping wildly forward. Brigan drew his sword quickly, cutting off the head of the snake.
Fire pulled hard on the reins, something she never had to do before, only scaring Small further. He galloped towards the crevice, and a terrifying image came to Fire's mind; falling through, endlessly, splattering against the walls, her head spilling open on the warm rock walls. She jerked Small to the right, swerving them. Fire fell back towards the crack, her right ankle exploding in pain as it twisted in the stirrup. She fell against the walls of the pit. She glanced down at the blackness, and then forced her previous fear out of her mind, looking up at the slipping saddle.
Brigan ran, pulling Small's reins. Fire screamed at him. "Stop, stop it Brigan!" Brigan released the reins, and Small craned to look back at Fire. "Help me; my ankle's caught in the stirrup." Brigan ran to the saddle, grabbing it and releasing the billet strap, holding it carefully. Fire could see what would happen and called out. "No, it will-" She screamed as the saddle was released, Fire falling downward, pulling Brigan with her. Brigan grabbed out on the walls as they fell, finding a small crack. Fire felt increasing pain in her ankle. She waved her arms out, and was surprised to feel ice and rock. "There's ground! Release your hold on the walls!" Brigan stared down at her incredulously, but seeing her determined face, her let his fingers slide slowly.
Fire landed on her side, the saddle falling from her foot and hitting the ice covered ground. Brigan landed on it, arching his back in recoil. Fire lied on the ground, waiting until the pain in her side was numb. Brigan rose faster, leaning over her worriedly. Brigan… my ankle.
Brigan hooked his arms under her back and knee, gently lifting her. Fire looked around, searching for a mind, seeking life. She heard voices far above, soft, then one booming down.
"My Lady, are you there?" Fire was relieved to hear Musa calling.
"Yes, Brigan is also here. Fetch some rope! We're stuck down here… Brigan, what are you staring at?" Brigan gazed into an open part of the pit, what looked like to be a tunnel. He was stony faced, his mind a wall. It felt like minutes before he spoke.
"Do you feel that? There's a breeze." Fire looked past him at the tunnel. He was right; a gentle breeze came from the tunnel's direction. How could there be wind down here, unless…
A rope smacked the walls, and Musa called out again.
"We got the longest ropes we could find, My Lady. We also fetched a healer." Brigan looked at the rope and pulled on it, then looked back to Fire.
"I'll fashion you a seat from the saddle." He tied the rope to the saddle horn and cut a hole in the back with a knife, looping the rope in it and tying it. He lifted Fire onto it and looked up. "Pull her up! You can bring it back down for me after her." Fire looked at him.
I will not leave you here. Brigan shook his head. The saddle shook and started to rise, jerking at first, but in a few minutes going up smoothly. It was almost half an hour before she was up at the edge. Neel and Musa pulled her and the saddle onto the ground, then pulled the saddle from under her and threw it back down. A big brown horse slowly walked backward. The rope attatched to the saddle was tied to the saddle horn of the large horse. She could just barely hear shuffling in the crevice. The rope went taut. Musa led the horse across the warm rock, pulling Brigan up on the saddle.
Fire watched his head appear, then his chest, and finally all of him. She ran and hugged him. Brigan held her tightly. He released her, looking her over. "How is your ankle?" Fire grimaced.
"It's only a sprain. It should heal in about four weeks, according to the healer." Fire reached out to Small's mind, calming him. He trotted up to her, snorting into her hair. Her headscarf had slipped when Small panicked. Musa handed Fire her scarf, and Fire quickly covered her hair. A raptor monster above was shot by one of the Third's archers.
Fire recalled the tunnel, glancing at Brigan. "We should speak to Garan and Nash about it when we return." Brigan nodded and turned as a man, this one garbed in the blue uniform of the Fourth, rode towards them hastily. He reined his horse to a stop by them, his face stern. Fire studied him and saw a gleam in his eye: what was he hiding?
"Captain Brigan, sir, King Nash sends word to come at once to King City to celebrate the birth of his new son." Fire could see a hint of a smile. Brigan stopped, his eyes widening. He nodded.
"Stay here for the night. We shall leave at dawn." He turned and entered his tent. Fire could feel him radiating joy. She smiled and left to her own tent to pack her things.
Brigan, Fire, a dozen of the Third, the man from the Fourth, and Fire's guard accompanied them to King City. Two of Brigan's captains stayed behind and led the rest of the Third onward to Roen. On the twilight of the first day of the third week, King City came into view. The green bridge was lit up by the setting sun. Brigan sat on a rock with Fire, watching it. Fire tilted her head onto his shoulder.
"You know, it really does look like fire." Brigan laughed and kissed her brow. Fire looked up into his eyes. "Mila's been a good queen, don't you think?" Mila had married Nash a year ago, after great patience on Nash's part. She had taken the role of queen well, raising her child and overseeing the servants of the castle with great kindness and care. Roen had given her free use of her fort, though the queen mother still assisted her with her many duties. Mila and Roen had moved into King City five months into the pregnancy, leaving Roen's head servant and guard in charge.
Brigan kissed Fire again. "She's a wonderful sister in law, that I know for sure. She is still learning from Roen, but I am glad to see my brother happy with her." He rose, pulling her gently up. "Good night, my dear." With one last kiss on the nose, he left into his tent. Fire gazed longingly at the flaming bridge, then went into her own tent and went to sleep.
