May embers turn into flames

"May embers turn to flames," he wished the girl as they walked inside.

Natalia looked around the room. In one corner, there was a bed, and in the center of the room, there was a table. Cabins lined the walls, some having scrolls and others having jars, bottles, and baskets. His goods were meager, but for someone like Natalia, it was rather plenty.

"What do you mean?" Natalia gave a puzzled look.

"What?" Cartern said. "I just said the words of fire."

Pacificia tapped his shoulder. "She doesn't know any of that."

"Wait," Cartern gave a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means what I said, Cartern. She doesn't know anything. Three days ago, her village was attacked and now, her mother is dead. Give her some break."

Natalia didn't know why Pacificia was covering for her, but still, it made her happy. Carter kept on a close watch over Black. He looked at his red shirt again and again, as if to make sure that it wasn't an illusion. He checked the outsides again and closed the door.

"Now then," he rubbed his hands. "What do y'all need?"

Pacificia tapped her cane. "Weapons, and horses. Food too."

"

Cartern froze in place, then he cusped his jaw – and then he laughed. "You do realize that we are in Rubarea, right? Even in good times, this place was filled with ores and mines. There are no horses for sale in this place."

"You are a merchant right?" Pacificia pressed on. "There should be someone that you know."

Cartern raised his brow. "And you think that they will just give them away?"

"When they see him, they will," Pacificia said looking at Black.

Cartern tapped his fingers on his thigh. "I have to go and see him, so you can come with me on the way. The rest is up to you. Leaving aside the horses –"

"Wait," Pacificia interrupted. "Does that mean that you have one of your own? Why don't you just give that to us? Don't you want to help us in saving the world?"

Cartern walked searching in his cabins. "The world won't be saved in one day, and in the meantime, I need to feed myself. There is this smith that I know, if he helps, well then all is good and well. Now, where were we? Ah yes."

He picked up a scroll and a couple of jars from around. "You'll need to know the way, and so," he walked to the center of the room and placed everything on the center table. "Here's a map of Astrea. You don't need to pay for it."

Natalia peered over the table. It was a rather old and moldy parchment, and the corners of it were cut off. In it, she saw drawings made of thick black lines, specifically they were two large shapes. "If this is how the world is supposed to look," Natalia thought. "Then Pacificia is terrible at drawing."

When she looked closely, she saw that the larger shape was divided into parts; six to be exact. They were all in different shades of grey. "What do those mean?" she asked, pointing.

"Those are the states he just said," Pacificia replied. "We are in Rubarea now."

Natalia leaned on and checked for the place where she lived. Pacificia glanced at her. "It's there," she touched the village that was no more.

Cartern too checked where her finger was placed. "Huh, it should be an old hunting village. But I guess not much of it is going on now, right?" he said.

"Was," Natalia thought. "The village is no more."

"What else you got?" Pacificia brushed away the question.

Cartern shrugged his shoulders. "Some salted meat, though I don't know how old they are." His eyes went to the canteen hanging on Pacificia's waist. "I have some clear sand if you want to filter water."

"What about weapons and armor?"

"I just said that we will be going to a smith, right?"

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Pacificia pointed to the door. "Let's go."

"You do realize that it's past midday? We will leave tomorrow morning."

"We can't stay here for long," Pacificia raised her concern. "Those things might find us."

"Well, if we leave now, we might need to camp outside and those things would still find us. I would rather die in my home than outside."

And so, they slept there with Pacificia by the corner near the door and Natalia straight across her. A candle shone in white and black flames near Cartern's bed. It seemed that he like to have light during his sleep. She looked around and in a cabin, she saw something; a book.

Cartern was fast asleep by then. She pulled the book out, curious. On the front cover, there was a shape and strange symbols; letters. It was no surprise that she didn't know how to read.

"Don't go touching on other's stuff," Pacificia warned her. She was sitting in the corner, hugging her staff.

"I was just– looking," she replied sorrily.

"Well, girl. Do you know how to read?" Pacificia wanted to sleep, and the conversation was dragging on.

"Well, I could learn," she didn't want to admit it outright.

"Thought so," she said and laid back. "Keep it back where it was and go to sleep."

But its surface was smooth and Natalia didn't want to keep it back. She looked over at Pacificia and made sure her eyes were shut. Then, she tucked that book under her shirt. A window was open above where Pacificia slept, and through it, she saw the moon staring down at her between the pine trees. "Nobody would want this," she told herself.

Come morning, Cartern was the first to wake up. "Well, come on," he poked her with his shoe. "We ain't got the whole day."

There was nothing more for her to do. She got up and checked the book under her shirt. Pacificia packed everything that was needed into a sack. "Hey girl," she shouted. "Make yourself useful and carry this back."

Carrying that bag while hiding the book was awkward. She walked out with one hand over the bag and the other hugging her chest. She even wondered why she was taking it with her; she didn't even know how to read. But perhaps that was the reason, perhaps it was because Pacificia mocked her. Perhaps it was because she wanted to prove to herself that she was not stupid and useless.