11-03-2015, 12:43 PM
Fennick led Tabithi up the winding mountain road to his home, her home too, if she chose to stay. To some, the climb seemed long and arduous. The first time Fennick had made it he just about quit in the middle and went to a kingdom situated in the lowlands. The big stallion smiled. Thank god he hadn’t done that. What would his life have been like? He tried to think deeply on the question, but the only thing he knew for sure was that he would have significantly poorer rump muscles.
It was not the most introspective thought ever to occur to him.
Still, the mountain road was steep, but not terribly so, and the afternoon was brisk and cool. In the recent year, Fennick had come to the conclusion that this little hike served another purpose as well. People tended to be a little tired when they finally saw the fire wall. There was no way to really prepare people for their first look at the looming wall of cosmic fire that surrounded the Valley. It was better to just let them see it, and if they were tired when they did, and therefore a little less likely to use their last remaining energy to flip out, then all the better. Fennick stopped short of the wall and looked at Tabithi.
“So, welcome to the Valley, this is our firewall.” He looked up at it, smiled wryly and continued.
“Don’t worry, it won’t burn you, it keeps out raiders and others with ill intent.” At least, that was the working theory. So far, it had done just that. Fennick had yet to light one of his guests on fire. They had all passed unharmed. He tried to give Tabithi a look that inspired confidence.
“I’ll see you on the other side.” This time, his smile was slightly devilish. He realized it wasn’t going to be easy, for her to trust him and walk right through. Fennick sometimes wondered if that wasn’t part of the test as well. Do you want to come through bad enough to walk through fire? To make it easier he lingered in the fire, so she could still see him on the other side. There he waited for her, the flames dancing and licking at his legs, neck and back. He was completely unharmed, and not for the first time, he enjoyed the strange sensation of tamed fire.
It was not the most introspective thought ever to occur to him.
Still, the mountain road was steep, but not terribly so, and the afternoon was brisk and cool. In the recent year, Fennick had come to the conclusion that this little hike served another purpose as well. People tended to be a little tired when they finally saw the fire wall. There was no way to really prepare people for their first look at the looming wall of cosmic fire that surrounded the Valley. It was better to just let them see it, and if they were tired when they did, and therefore a little less likely to use their last remaining energy to flip out, then all the better. Fennick stopped short of the wall and looked at Tabithi.
“So, welcome to the Valley, this is our firewall.” He looked up at it, smiled wryly and continued.
“Don’t worry, it won’t burn you, it keeps out raiders and others with ill intent.” At least, that was the working theory. So far, it had done just that. Fennick had yet to light one of his guests on fire. They had all passed unharmed. He tried to give Tabithi a look that inspired confidence.
“I’ll see you on the other side.” This time, his smile was slightly devilish. He realized it wasn’t going to be easy, for her to trust him and walk right through. Fennick sometimes wondered if that wasn’t part of the test as well. Do you want to come through bad enough to walk through fire? To make it easier he lingered in the fire, so she could still see him on the other side. There he waited for her, the flames dancing and licking at his legs, neck and back. He was completely unharmed, and not for the first time, he enjoyed the strange sensation of tamed fire.
