Enar's Vacation - Open Beta

Chapter 47

8102 Words

This is a beta version of Enar's Vacation. Changes can - and probably will - be made as a result of reader feedback. I hope you'll enjoy it and I hope you'll take the time to give me some feedback. It will help me make this story the best it can be.

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The pot sat on the stove. Faint fumes rose out of it, but it had not yet begun to simmer. They sat on their stools, right next to each other, just in front of the stove; Enar wrapped up in his blanket, and Amanda still only in her red sweater.

Warmth radiated from the stove, but it would be a while yet before it drove the chill from the room. Enar rubbed his feet against each other and pulled the blanket tighter around himself.

He'd placed candles on the counter and on the little coffee-table by the couch. Their soft light filled the room. Over in the corner by the door, raindrops pattered against the little window, and now and then they could hear the wind howl, but other than that the only sound came from the crackling fire in the stove.

Amanda leaned forward and stirred the cider with a wooden spoon.

"Does it hurt? The hand?" said Enar.

"No. Only a little. It's much better now."

"Good, good... It looked painful."

"Well, it was, but it's not super-bad." She looked at her hand and flexed her fingers. "I'll be fine, really."

Enar nodded. He didn't see any scars or burn marks on her, but it might just be the light. Through the hatch in the stove he saw flames dancing across the firewood. She'd created that, in her own hand, from nothing.

Without turning his head, he glanced sideways to steal a look at her. She stirred the cider again, focusing on the pot.

No one said anything.

The seconds dragged.

Enar cleared his throat. "Have you done that a lot? Magic I mean."

"No." Amanda stopped stirring the cider and clasped her hands in her laps. "I got the basic control training in school, but I'm too weak to do anything useful." She sighed, reached out her hand as if to stir the cider some more but stopped herself for some reason.

"Well..." Enar grinned. "I'd say lighting the fire was pretty useful."

"Heh, yeah." She sighed again, but this time with a little smile on her lips. "But how often do you get to do that these days? I can light a candle with the snap of a finger. It's a nice party trick, but that's about it."

"Wow! Can you show me? We have candles here." He looked around to see which candle was closest, probably the one on the counter.

"No. I'm all spent now. It wouldn't work."

"Oh..." Enar's shoulders slumped.

He shouldn't be pestering her like this. She'd said she wasn't very good at it. She probably didn't like having to show it off more than necessary. Still, it really was very cool.

Enar pulled the blanket closer around himself and rubbed his feet together.

Amanda leaned forward, and, stirring the cider, she sniffed at the brew.

"It smells good," said Enar.

"It does." She nodded. "I love mulled cider."

"Me too. What did you put in it?"

"Oh, the usual stuff: cloves, cinnamon, sugar."

Enar hummed and nodded. By the book. "Nutmeg?"

"No..." Amanda blushed. "I didn't find any, but I got bay leaf and cardamom instead."