Solar Bright

The Burning Bush

Ok, so I'm not going to show you every second of their life. Just know that the birch queen did not like being overruled. I think that she wanted to run things and didn't like that the king didn't listen to her in everything.

The King was pretty easy going, and, though he held the wisdom of many generations of royalty, he didn't like conflict. She pretty much got her run of the forest, but the king was very protective of his girls. He deferred to Dài in many things, but he had nursed his daughters himself, so he believed them to be wiser than most saplings. He let them have their way more than she liked.

She especially didn't like that he let them fraternize with vines and bushes, which is funny, since birch are only a step up from bushes themselves. Oh, don't scowl at me. It's true! And I like bushes. I'm friends with bushes. I mean, look at all the bushes here! I'm even talking to weeds, so you can't think... Oh well, on with the story.

So, the moon cycles pass and both saplings grow. Glow never does catch up to Solar but she does become a majestic tree in her own right. Both girls grow in grace and generosity as much in spite of Dài as because of her. For example, they helped a bush on fire once. I'll show you.

-------

"Glow did you fill your roots at the stream we just passed?" Solar asked.

"Yes, Solar, I'm not the little sapling that used to trail you anymore." Glow responded irritably.

"Ha! You still trail behind me. I just learned to walk more slowly." Solar replied cheekily.

"Oh really, I bet I could beat you to the ridge. You may be tall, but I can make those corners easier than you!" Glow boasted.

Before Solar could finish saying "You're on!" Glow was running up the winding path to the ridge overlooking the firelands. Solar raced after her, admitting silently to herself what she'd never admit to Glow, the turns were tough with her wide trunk and hard wood.

The orange of the ridge flared bright before Solar as she caught up to Glow and raced past. She heard Glow yell "Stop! Solar stop!" but she just kept going.

She shouted "Not on your life" over her shoulder as she hit the last turn. Then she stopped dead in her tracks as she realized that the orange glow was not from fire sprites far away in the firelands but coming from a burning bush jumping around wildly on the cliff. She turned to run back just as Glow caught up with her.

"It passed me as I was running." she said. The bush turned around, where Glow spoke.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!" the bush shouted, surprisingly in anger, not fear.

Both girls took a step back, but Solar whispered to Glow, "We've got to help."

"How?" Glow whispered back.

Solar thought, "umm, the stream."

"He can't move anymore. His raced past me helped the fire spread. If we tried to get him to the stream he'd be engulfed."

"Then we bring the stream to him." Glow just stared at Solar.

"Will you two stop whispering and help me!?!" the bush repeated with mounting irritation.

Solar continued, "We bring the water to him... In our leaves."

Glow cringed, "Do you have any idea how long it took to get the sparrows in my leaves at this time of the moon cycle?!"

" He'll burn if we don't. Think of mom." Solar replied.

"Oh fine, you know I would never let flora burn. Let hurry." The girls began to leave to get the water.