Keeper of the Flames 1.2

-Two-

Oh how she coveted the birds and their wings.

To fly, to be free of the earth and the heavy weights of the world, to soar into the clouds and the stars. It was her one great wish, as childish as it may seem. But, she could not suddenly sprout such feathers, and banished the thought from her mind.

Dropping down from the tree, she removed a few stray leaves from her hair, which was a dark red. Not like fire, not like crimson, or even ruby.

Red like blood.

Many times had she tried to wash it out, but it was a permanent stain to her name, one she could not so easily be rid of. It was the reason she was out here, sleeping in the trees. And then she laughed at herself.

Here I am, referring to my hair as It, as if It was a live. She thought to herself.

‘Perhaps.’ Another voice echoed in her head.

‘Servus, where are you?’ She asked through her thoughts. ‘It is about time we started off again.’

‘Oh, you know, a little here, there, and every where.’

‘Well, your hind end best be over here soon, or I am going to kick it over there, however far it happens to be.’ She rebutted, a bit forceful, but sarcasm nonetheless.

‘Tsk, tsk,’ Servus said. ‘Do not be so hasty. When have I ever been a problem, running off to find some food. I need to eat, you know.’

‘First, I can think of a lot of instances. StrondHeim and Barrow to name a few.’

‘Bah, you survived, did you not?’

‘Hardly.’ She joked. ‘I would not say hanging from the edge of an endless precipice is much to you, but I was scared, to say the least.’

‘You always do.’

‘Funny.’ She sat down on her haunches and gathered a handful of bright red berries from the bushes, popping a few into her mouth and shutting her eyes in ecstasy as the sweet liquid ran down her throat.

‘What was the second thing?’ Servus asked. ‘Or was there a second thing?’

‘Oh, right, I forgot. I was just going to say that you could eat plants like me, then you would not need to go tramping off at all hours.’ She answered.

‘Bleh. Plants.’ Servus said in absolute disgust. ‘If it is green, lean, and not a fighting machine, I will not like it.’

‘How do you know? Have you ever tried to ear vegetation? There are a lot of different kinds.’

‘I do not want to eat anything that does not run when I chase it.’

‘Eidell Blooms run, so I guess you can eat those.’

‘Ha…ha…ha….’ Servus said somewhat playfully. ‘Come over here, I think you can see my kidney though the hole in my side. Or maybe that is my spleen? Not exactly sure.’

‘Nice, what a wonderfully beautiful picture that brings to mind.’ She mocked, rising to her feet. A cat-like creature with intricate markings on its blue tinted coat of fur bounded through the berry patch towards her. ‘Glad you could make it.’

‘Thanks. What happens to be the occasion?’

‘Since I have been waiting so long, I thought that we would have my funeral here and now. Get it over with, you know.’

The cat hissed lightly, then puffed out its fur and purred. She scratched behind its ears and the quiet undulations grew in intensity.

‘Thanks for letting me sleep the whole night.’ She said aloud as Servus tilted his head to the side, just so she could get a better angle to scratch. ‘I really needed that.’

‘You know me, I never was much of a night sleeper, to many things to explore.’

‘You and all of your exploring. I say it will get us in trouble one of these days.’ She paused, shutting her eyes and pressing forefingers to her temple. ‘Oh, it already has!’ She announced. Servus bumped against her leg and began to prance off in a Westerly direction.

‘Come on Nina, we should get going.’

‘Look who is the one talking.’ She rushed to catch up with him. ‘How far until we hit Breton, do you think?’

‘A day’s walk, I suppose. It has been awhile since I traveled this way, though, so I am not exactly sure.’ Servus answered. ‘Why?’

‘We just have not seen any civilization for awhile. I thought it would me nice to…observe it again.’

‘I like how you phrase that.’ Servus laughed. ‘I want to ‘observe’ some civilization. One would think you have never met other people before.’

‘Well, it has been awhile. And it is not as if I get to interact with them very much.’ Nina countered. Servus had to agree. ‘The last time we tried, it was a disaster.’ They both remembered Barrow all to well. Nina took a thick lock of her red hair and rolled it in between her fingers. ‘Suppose I just cut if off?’ She asked aloud. Servus stopped walking and looked up at her.

‘Never.’ He said to her kindly. ‘I like it.’

Nina shrugged. In the end, his opinion was probably the only one that mattered.