Living Fire

Chapter 1 - Hule

"Hello, Candle." laughed Hule. His mother was away, still tending to the squire's food (she was an amateur cook, you see). The castle where she worked is a glorious site to behold (though small for castles of this land); however, it was beautiful, ominous. It withheld both military and homely comforts in its stony walls.

Hello. replied the flame. A beautiful morning I must agree.  Both were pleasantly happy, joyous with the summer sun. Basking in freedom for the day, Hule laughed once more, content simply to be.

"And I don't have to stand around guarding the duke all day long!"

That too. she granted.

Prancing like a five year-old, excitement was coursing through Hule. He couldn't wait for the dance that evening -  it was excruciating. However, the dance never came. Fear came instead: horror, like King Baxler's outrage; death, like the plague's forceful ending and pain, a loved one dead. All in one not-so cheerful night.

His tasks today were purely for his own comfort, rather than a rich person's safety. He went and collected herbs from Laura for the scent of his house and clothes.

Hule couldn't stop chattering to Candle. He'd asked Kayla, his love, out to the dance. She replied,"Why not?" making him  happier than he'd been in a while (at the moment she's going through the same ritual, except nagging her servants, unbeknown by Hule).

Hule and Kayla have known each other since they were six:

On a summers day Hule was charging through the wood outside his cottage - looking for his dog (Domer). When he came across a clearing; he'd never seen this clearing despite his relentless scouring of the woods. In the patch of land was a girl, giggling while chasing a butterfly, Hule found she was fun to spend the hours with. He spent more and more time with her and both met each day - whistling away the hours - playing merrily. Kayla and Hule loved it. Near dinner it took a while to part each other - all were late for their dinners.

Only work halted their enjoyment. Hule's work. One day - when they were about fifteen a piece - Hule told Kayla he had to start work, although they still met and enjoyed one anothers company when Hule wasn't working.

However, work is constant - never halting. So recently, as they grew, their relationship became less vast; that didn't stop their budding attraction, though. Hule was a guard at the castle; although this career is useless (because peace held the land and there was no threat apparent to the situation). The squire still provided it to prevent poverty in the population of the village he withheld.