Fire Tenders

2

Just one more.

I would miss again and then tell myself, 'Just one more'

Until that one more became the strike that brought me my dinner. I gave a shriek of delight and picked up my prize and held it high. The fish was still moving but it was mine and it was going to feed me for the evening. I rushed back to my fire, tossing a few more sticks on to it and grabbing my little knife to gut and scale my dinner.

I was in the middle of trying to figure out how to do just that when I heard a branch snap and I stood up, spear in hand and came face to face with a man and his dog.

"Woah, woah...I just, I saw your smoke, I thought you might need help," He said and I looked him up and down. He was dressed in threadbare clothes, his hair was thinning on top and his dog was a big mangy looking. He must have been homeless before all the electricity went dead because even my clothes were in better shape and his dog was street worn and had no collar.

"I'm fine..." I said slowly and lowered my spear, "Are you?"

"I'm alright, although I wouldn't mind warming myself up by your fire there, looks like you got yourself a good catch," He said and motioned to my fish, "I heard you hollering down river, thought you might have fallen in."

"No, just hungry," I said and slowly sat down. The man moved closer and parked himself on the other side of me and I found myself awkwardly looking at him as we stared at each other from across the flames.

"Aren't we all," He said and looked at me and then to the fish, "You know how to gut that thing?"

"Not really," I said and he huffed a laugh at me, "I'm guessing you ran as soon as the power went out too, huh?"

"Sure did," I said, "There were six of us in my basement, I wasn't about to try and compete with those idiots."

"Probably the smartest thing you did, the big cities, as far as I can tell, went to shit. Looting was rampant and with no power there were no security locks so all those fancy buildings, so they had nothing protecting them. Everyone started doing what people do and fought for themselves," He sighed and held out his hand and I held my little knife closer to me.

"How do I know you won't just stab me with it," I asked and he shrugged,

"You don't," and motioned for me to hand him the blade, "Look, you hand me some of your matches and I'll teach you to gut a fish,"

"I ain't got no matches," I said to him and he looked at me,

"Well I'm not taking your lighter," He said and I shrugged, "You don't have a lighter either, how did you get a fire?"

"I made it," I said simply and watched his face fall, "I can't give you something I don't have,"

"Well I won't trade for nothing," He said and took his hand back and I looked at my fish, I could figure it out but the lesson was worth more than a few matches and I could really use the knowledge.

"I'll teach you," I said, "How to make your own fire, you teach me one way to survive, I'll teach you another."

"See now, that is how you trade," He said and held out his hand. I gave him the blade and he pulled out a wood slab from his backpack and taught me how to prepare the fish. He showed me how to scale it, cut it, gut it and then we cooked it over the fire. I offered to share and while we ate I showed him how to make a fire. He left me when he managed to make his own little flame, tossing the grass into my fire and nodding.

"Thanks," I said, tearing more meat from my fish and popping it in my mouth.

"Thank you, that's one useful little trick you got, not everyone can make a fire out of nothing, you'll make it further than most," He said and I smiled up at him.

"I'm not moving anywhere, it's a good spot here from what I can tell," I said and watched as he whittled himself a torch and dipped it into my flames. The fire licked at the wood and when the fire was good and going he held it up with a grin.

"I might come around, I might just keep walking," he shrugged, "But I'll let people know about the fire tender in the woods."

"Don't give me away to too many people, I don't want to end up dead," I said and laughed as his dog played with one of my shoes.

"You probably saved my ass with this, I won't be telling anyone dangerous where you are friend," He said and then called his dog to him and I watched the flame vanish, I didn't even ask for his name the entire time he was there, nor he mine. He was heading deeper into the woods, away from the cities and very possibly into the mountains. He was more prepared than I had been, maybe someday he would come back, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

I finished my fish and buried the bones with some coals and ash, wanting to hide the scent the best I could from bears and other predators. The night wore on and my fire lit up my little camp in the trees near the river and I felt a bit better about myself.

I would be just fine.