Chapter 47: Interlude—The Forging of the Stone
It went like this:
There was a mountain cave, wide enough for the entirety of their small clan to huddle underneath the ridge, out of the way of the elements and the dark and the dangers of the sea and the land. The fact of the world was that there was danger everywhere, and it was rare to find a place that was completely safe from harm. The cave, however, was a decent choice, and the clan was grateful to have found it.
Or they had been. Now, however, the mountain was on fire.
“Aiam!” Zehn yelled, fighting through the throngs of people like salmon in a river. They were panicked, trying to get away from the spreading inferno, but Zehan could only think of Aiam. “Aiam, where are you?” He had been in the house when Zehan had last seen him, but he wasn’t there anymore, and the village was on fire, and he didn’t know where Aiam had gone.