Page 9 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
“Yeah, well, I don’t think even the Flames know how,” I joked back.
Her eyes sparked for a moment with her old joy, and she sat me down and dumped out the small little satchel she’d given me onto the stones. One by one, she pointed at the strange objects littering the ground, starting with a curious metal hook.
“This is your striker. You use it with your flint.” She indicated a flat bit of rock, holding them up together with one in each hand. “To build a flame, you take a small piece of this charcoal—” She picked up a thin shaving of black rock, and folded it over the small rock (or flint, as she called it). Taking the hook (striker, she said), she hit it against the rock and charcoal over and over again, creating vibrant red sparks.
My eyes widened with interest. After about the tenth strike, a small glow emanated from the charcoal shaving. I bent down close over it, both our heads nearly touching.
“You see? Now we have an ember.”
Shava picked up a small bundle of dried grass and put the charcoal piece deep inside, then blew ever so gently on it.
My jaw dropped as the entire thing burst into flames.
“Now quickly, open your large bag and pull out the torch.”
Not wanting to mess it up, I fumbled a bit at untying the strings before I pulled out a long torch made from a log, the top wrapped in cloth. Shava used one hand to unravel the cloth, revealing a sticky tar underneath.
“I won’t do it now and waste your torch, but then you simply add this flame to the torch, and there you have it!”
She blew out the flames in her hand, letting the burned remains drop to the ground. “Oh, I guess I used your materials. Here, switch with me, and I’ll get more in the morning.”
She dug out her own satchel and replaced my dried grass with hers, grinning widely. I was still a bit in shock at this new, very important skill she’d so freely taught me. For just a split second, it felt like old times. Shava was teaching me, and protecting me.
A few tents down, a sick Noble coughed, shattering the illusion. I glanced back up. Zephyr had disappeared, no doubt to the back of his tent behind the privacy curtain.
“Did Zephyr teach you this?” That was the only thing I could come up with.
Her smile turned wistful and dreamy. “Yeah. He’s great, right? So smart. He knows how to do everything.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to argue it was because we’d been stuck in the mud quarter most of our lives and he was brought up in the Seat, but I choked it back. Shava and I were both very different people than we were as girls. I had to at least try.
“That’s … great. I better get to sleep,” I said rather dully.
Shava gave me a wave and a quick hug. Oleria offered to show me to my tent, which I accepted. Outside and away from the mysterious bastard prince, I was able to focus on my more recent friend. “Did the prince save you as well?”
Her burned face twisted with a grimace, which was her new smile. “Yes. Wisteria is around here somewhere. He tries to save as many girls as he can. Said it’s a meager penance, but it’s the only thing that lets him sleep at night.”
Oleria guided me down three tents, stopping at an empty one. “I’m right next to you on the right.”
“And Shava?” I asked.
Oleria’s scarred face twitched. “She bunks with Zephyr.”
Of course she did.
“Thanks.” Exhaustion settled into my bones.
Oleria turned to move away, but something in me didn’t want her to go. “Wait,” I said suddenly, reaching out with one hand.
She turned, an expectant look in her eyes.
“Can we just … how have you been?” I asked desperately. “None of us saw you after your injury, and we assumed the worst. Now you’re here, and …” I trailed off, not sure what else to say.
Her lips thinned in a ghost of what might have been a grin weeks ago, but now was only twisted flesh. She gestured to a log outside of my tent and we both sat down.
Silence descended between us.
“I’m … sorry we didn’t check on you. After the …” I gestured vaguely at my face, then blushed when I realized how inconsiderate I was being.
