Today was the second time in my life I thought I was going to die, and the first time, I actually did die. Honestly, if I hadn't experienced it myself, I don't think I would even believe my own story. Now that the camp is settled and Val is asleep by my side, I can take a moment and write about my unbelievable experience.
Let me start with this morning. I slept peacefully after my dream from Marat and awoke feeling hopeful, confident, and rested. I fell right into the routine of camp life and hummed while I packed up. Raenlyn even commented on my behavior.
All I could do was smile and tell her, "I must just be falling into the routine of things."
We didn't have time to say more because Wilavor runs a very tight ship. She doesn't allow for "idle dilly-dallying" like stopping to talk. Her caravan operates like clockwork, getting us on the road in no time.
The miles had seemed endless and the day dragged on. There was a dry heat in the air, and the only relief was the occasional breeze coming across the grassland which went on for as far as the eye can see. Watching the winds push and swirl the grass around was almost hypnotic. The crack of lightning and the rumble of thunder in the distance pulled me out of my daze. I sat up, startled. When I looked around I saw others snap their heads up all around me, they looked toward the sound of the crack.
I could feel the heat before I ever saw the horrific, unstoppable, massive blaze coming toward us, consuming the dried grass.
I felt the panic rise!
And all I could do was pray to Kelemvor.
As I froze up, images from the day I died flashed through my mind. The blaze sizzled all around me, cracking and popping. A burning beam fell, and I was trapped in place by my right leg and hip. I could feel the heat against my skin when my clothes caught fire. And to this day, I still don't know if the burns on my hands came from trying to push the beam off myself or trying to protect my face from the flames. Either way, I came away from the event scarred for life, and not just physically.
Crack!
Another beam from the building falls nearby, barely missing me.
My mind was pulled from the nightmare when I landed on the ground. HARD. I looked around to get my bearings. Reytyn was trying and failing to control the panicked animals, which must be why I fell. The fire was still running rampant through the grass, burning bright and hot. And I knew I should move, but I couldn't make my body work. So I just sat there looking dumbfounded.
Val rode up, jumped off his horse, and grabbed the reins Reytyn had lost. I watched as he moved in close with his hand outstretched and calmed the terrified animals. He returned the lost reins and turned my way.
"Zira, come on we need to move! Now!"
But I couldn't move or speak or think. I was frozen watching…
I felt Val pull me up, "Come on Zira. We need to get to the water." His arm went around me, half supporting half pulling me along toward the coast. I stumbled along with him desperately willing my legs to work.
"That's it. One foot in front of the other… I've got you. Just keep moving… We're almost there. I've got you, Zira." I used Val's voice to bring me back and anchor me.
Somehow we made it off the road and onto the sand. Everyone just stood there and watched as the flames overwhelmed the rest of the grass and died off when it ran out of grass to consume. I leaned into Val's protective embrace and took several deep breaths. For the first time since I felt the heat on my skin, I was able to breathe deeply. Although I didn't feel calm, I was at least beginning to relax.
Other than assuring himself that I would be ok if he left me, Val asked no questions of me, again.
Most of the rest of the afternoon and evening were a blur. I helped retrieve fallen items that littered the roadway. Wilavor had us set up camp on the coast side of the road. The animals needed to be looked over and gear assessed. But mostly, people needed the routine to help them get through the shock.
Throughout it all, Val never moved out of my sight. Or I suppose it was, he made sure I never left his sight.
Eventually, we were both free of our responsibilities. We grabbed dinner and joined a group sitting around already eating. The night started quiet. People sat in small groups here and there quietly talking. But as the food helped comfort us and the mead and ale helped everyone relax, people began to talk more and shared stories of their other near-death experiences or memories of good times to help us forget.
I don't know how he knew I couldn't be alone tonight, but Val offered to stay the night nearby. My tent, surprisingly, isn't full, so I helped him fix up the space next to me. We sat and talked before Val dozed off, I told him most of my story; the fire, Kelemvor, the church. I felt like he would understand, but I wasn't ready to talk about my dreams. Or reveal Marat.
Z