This is Dragon Country

Chapter six

Months passed, Kim's cheek has healed although it is slightly sharper than before giving her face an elvish look. After the surprise of finding the remains of Levi we were able to pull it out of the hole and bury his body in amongst the roots of a large fig tree. Kim and I sparred every morning, each week I got stronger my shoulders became broader and I was no longer scrawny. Eventually I was able walk silently through the undergrowth while hunting.

Winter had passed and spring has arrived, the last bits of snow melting away into the ground. Kimberly disappeared into the bushes up ahead, she was hunting down a wild pig that had just come out of hiding. I stayed behind to collect some leaves and other fruits that were around. There was a high pitched squeal in the direction that Kim went, I guess she had caught the pig. There was the sudden smell of smoke. Then Kim came bursting through the trees and grabbed my arm as she ran. I had no idea what had happened but I knew that if Kim was running away from something it was probably best not to wait to see what she was running from. She dragged me through the trees and into the back of the cave, she pushed me as far as she could into the corner. "What is it?" I asked trying to get comfortable

"It's him," she puffed, "it's the beast. He has set fire to the forest." She had just unfurled her wings and kneeled in front of me.

"Shouldn't we try and get out of here?" I asked

"No," she said in a very serious tone, which was unusual for her. "If we were to go out there we would be like a bit of hair on a windy day."

"What?"

"We would be dead." She chided gently, "see, look" there was a gust of wind through the cave, hot from the raging fire outside. She reached both hands up to his head and broke apart a strand of my hair which was still being whipped around by the wind. "Yep, your hair is definitely dead." She giggled, the familiar light tone returning to her voice.

The heat from the fire was intense, the flames licked at the entrance of the cave. After about half an hour Kim stood up from where the was sitting in front of me and went to look outside. I stood up as well, stretching my cramped legs and walked to the mouth of the cave. The cave mouth was blackened, I took one step onto the charred rock. I jumped away, letting out a cry, there was a searing pain in my foot, the rock had absorbed the heat of the fire. "Don't step on the black bits." Kimberly called after hearing my cry.

"You could have told me that before I stepped on the black bit." I called back to her. I retreated back into the cave and waited for Kim to return.

***

I walked gingerly along the blackened ground, feeling the heat beneath my bare feet. The fire had destroyed the beautiful trees surrounding the cave, some of those trees were hundreds of years old. I heard a squeal from the cave entrance and instantly knew that it was Arwel learning about the aftermath of fire on stone, it was hot. "Don't step on the black bits." I called out biting back a grin

"You could have told me that before I stepped on the black bit." He replied, his voice a few notches higher than normal. I heard Arwel drag his feet across the ground as he walked back into the safety of the cave. I turned to face what used to be an old tree, it was now just a ghost of its former glory. It's large arrow-head shaped leaves now turned to dust underneath my feet, the smooth bark now a smouldering piece of charcoal. I reached out towards the tree placing my hand on its black surface, large pieces broke off and crumbled underneath my palm.

This place wasn't safe anymore, there would be no way to get food with all of the plants burnt to a crisp and the animals either perished in the flame or moved to a more suitable location. We would have to leave, there was no other way. This will most likely be the most dangerous part of their journey so far, but it was crucial that we left as soon as possible. The ground was still too hot for Arwel to walk on, by nightfall the heat should have subsided.

***

It was awhile before Kim returned to the cave. "We have to leave." She stated while gathering up our belongings and stuffing them into our packs.

"Why?" I grumbled. Kim shot me a 'stop sulking it's only a burn look' then continued packing.

"Take a wild guess." She said harshly.

"Because you said so?" I huffed, we were both getting into a bad mood and that is not a good thing.

"Yeah, but there has also been a forest fire, if you hadn't noticed and there is no longer a forest." Kim snapped, waving her hands to try and get her point across better.

"Yes, I did notice the fire." I threw back at her "I actually notice a lot more than you realise." Kim straightened up her hair blazing like the fire that had just ravished the forest.

"You notice things?" She replied, her voice dripping with a mixture of sarcasm and venom. "Wow, I'm impressed, who would of thought, Arwel, the beloved son of the mighty Magdolin, noticed things."

"Don't you dare say her name like that." I spat at her, I was furious at this point, anger bubbled and boiled within me. I stood so I could come face to face with Kim, her eyes were blazing as well as her hair. I reached for the sword I carried at my hip, Kim had the same idea but she was faster and had one of her fighting knives at my throat before my sword was unsheathed.

"I think this conversation is over." She said, Kim let the blade of her knife dig into the flesh on my neck, I felt the warm trickle of blood down my neck and into my shirt. Kimberly was quite capable of killing, but I knew she wouldn't kill me, not today at least. Kim took away her knife from my throat, and made sure to clean it on my sleeve before sheathing it.