Home Sweet Nowhere

Window panes come crashing down

Amidst the tears and pain

Vanishing hopes have flown away

Out within the flames

Shadows cast across the floor

Reflections of the past

A mystical sense of reality

Sulks within the ruin

All in bewilderment

Everything slows in stillness

What is this I see?

by Justbleu

Minutes passed into hours as Gleed talked to Safire. He was fascinated by the way she thought. He had never talked to anyone like her before. As Gleed sat at the edge of the large cliff he looked at mountains and fields. Having never been this high up before it seemed like he could see the whole world from where he sat. The mountains waved on in a rhythmic pattern until they slowly flattened out into miles of forest, so thick that he couldn't see the edges.

Look over there! Said Safire, pointing with her head into the distance, Smoke!

Gleed looked up quickly. She was right. Far off into the distance there was smoke rising from behind a hill. It wasn't just a little campfire smoke; it was as if the whole forest on the other side of that hill was on fire.

Quickly Gleed mounted Safire. "Let's head back to the cabin, fast! We must tell Jay!"

Safire was off in an instant. She dove straight down off the cliff to gain speed. Gleed felt his stomach lurch as they fell, gaining speed. Then Safire leveled out and soared high above the trees. Gleed still felt very unbalanced so he gripped onto her neck for support.

Every second they were in the air the smoke in the distance seemed to gain. "Faster!" Gleed yelled above the sound of air rushing by his ears.

Gleed sensed her panic as Safire flapped her wings faster. What was going on? He hoped no one was hurt wherever that fire was. Every minuet seemed like an hour as they flew back. Soon they could see flames inching their way over the hilltop. It would only be minuets until the fire spread dangerously close to the cabin.

Finally Gleed could see a small open patch where the cabin was and Safire dived down so steep that Gleed though he was going to fall off. She landed at an angle and galloped right up to the house. Gleed hopped off as quick as he could and ran into the cabin.

Something's not right! He heard Safire say in the back of his mind.

Gleed yelled into the house for Jay.

No one answered.

Gleed yelled again.

Still no answer.

Gleed get out here now!

Gleed ran outside and coughed as smoke embedded his lungs. He felt Safire run to him and he mounted her with his eyes squeezed shut. She took off instantly flying opposite the fire. As soon as they got out of range from the smoke, Gleed breathed in deep and opened his eyes. He gathered up his will power and looked back. Half the Cabin was already on fire. All the trees around it rose in red flames.

"What are we going to do?" Yelled Gleed to Safire.

Get away. She answered quickly and swooped close down to the trees. This must be the work of Tnoksiver.

When Gleed asked her who that was she refused to answer and kept flying close to the trees. We are heading back to the cliff. That is the safest place that's close to here. The fire can't make its way up rock.

Gleed silently agreed and kept quiet. When the cliff was in sight Safire caught an updraft and soared to the top. Gleed's hopes were diminished when he saw that the hollow was empty. There was no sighn of anyone. Dismounting he looked back at the fire. It had spread far over the cabin and was only a few miles away from where they stood.

Gleed's head was buzzing. What happened to Jason and Jay? Are they okay? Are they hurt...or even worse, killed?

Safire's sorrowful eyes met Gleed's. This is a terrible day. You mustn't forget this. Millions of wooddwellers died today.

How could Safire think that Gleed would forget this? It was terrible. He had never seen so much destruction in his life.

"What are we going to do?"

Wait.

"That's it? What about Jason! He's my brother! We can't just leave him out there!" He yelled to her in anger.

Gleed could sence Safire's anger as she glared at him. And where do you expect us to look? He could be anywhere. I tried to contact him but he is too far away. There is nothing we can do! We must wait this one out. There will come a time, little one, where we will fight back, but now is not it.

"Fight back? Fight who? You mean noklesiser or whatever his name is?

Tnoksiver. Learn it. One day you will fear it.

"Who is Tnoksiver? And why would he set a giant forest on fire?"

Tnoksiver is leader of the dark riders. We have been at war with them for generations. Today he tried to kill Jay, for Jay is our only ringgiver. And as far as we know he sucseeded.

Gleed shook his head, unwilling to accept the fact that Jay and Jason could be dead. It was impossible.

Pronunciations:

Tnoksiver: nock-si-ver

This chapter was really fun to write. I hope you all found it as exciting as I did!