Chapter 1: Flamefade

The crowd of children sits upon the ground, the glow from the fire flickers on their faces. Adults gather behind them in a semi-circle; all are enrapt in the tale. Some smile, some stare open-mouthed. Thalen weaves his story, one he has told many times. His cloak whips as he uses his hands and arms to accentuate his point.

Long was the war, through fire and ash and broken stone.
At last the Dragon-King fell upon the mountain slopes,
his vast body sprawled where rivers would one day run.
His bones became the hills, his blood the fertile soil,
yet still we sing of him, and remember his fury-drenched cry.

Thalen waits a pause, hands uplifted, allowing the end of the story to hang upon the air before taking his bows. He smiles at the children as they thank him and shakes hands with some of their parents before sliding out of the firelight and walking over to Harl, Ophira, and Thea. Always a good time to talk to the curmudgeonly blacksmith.

Gaelen had intended for Beric to accompany him over to see his father... to have some support, a familiar crutch to lean on if the conversation turned awkward--as it surely would. He couldn't blame the man for bolting, though, and it was with a bit of envy that the big, broad-shouldered youth watched his friend go.

He catches Theda's look briefly before his father starts in, and Gaelen can't quite sort out the feelings that surge in his chest, the butterflies that loop in his belly. Is it fear? Excitement? Attraction? Pure terror as the rest of his life looks back at him?

Aidan's avalanche of worried words buries all that. As surely as the man blocks Gaelan's view of the girl he is somehow supposed to marry, so too do his words pelt and unbalance his son. Gael loves his father, but the elder Weir is on edge, off his game. There is much at stake from his perspective, which of course is whole reason why his son is so quiet, so pensive.

As the fisherman speaks, Gaelan can't help but look around at the festivities. There's joy and comfort in Arras tonight, from the cheers over Thalen's storytelling to the quiet conversation Beric and Lirann are having. Then there's Ophira and Thea laughing, and that sets the tall man's mind reeling. Unresolved feelings swirl and leave Gaelan a bit lost as he father looks to him, expecting him to respond.

"Why is... Rolf so against it?" he hears himself say. "Does he think so little of fisherfolk? Does... does Theda think that way, too?"

Thea & Thalen

Harl nods towards Thalen as he approaches. "Ah, thought I heard your voice, lad. Keeping the little ones happy and out of my shop, I trust? Speaking of, smithy's a real mess these days." For someone like Harl, that's about as close to a warm invitation as anyone has ever gotten.

---

Gaelan

Aidan grimaces at the question, and when he speaks, it is with a stubborn sense of pride that Gaelan knows well. "Maybe. Perhaps that is part of it. I know we don't have much, not compared to someone like him. But our roots here go back far. And I think..." Aidan looks around, cautiously lowering his voice, though nobody seems to pay them much mind. "The kids are all he has left after Ida. Your mother and he, you know, they're old friends, they go far back, since they were younger than you. I think that's the reason she was able to persuade him, when nobody else succeeded. He's just... protective. He needs to see that you're a good match for his girl."

Aidan stands a little straighter, his voice grows steadier. "And I know you can do this. You're going to go far, much farther than I ever could. Show them both what I see. The boy who impressed Sir Vanion enough to take him under his wing. The boy who, when the need was great, grabbed his axe and headed into the wilds, heedless of danger." It looks like there's more he wants to say, but instead his eyes are drawn towards the center of the crowd, where a few farmhands are arranging a makeshift stage. "Blight take me, I thought we'd have more time."

---

Everyone


Once Thalen has concluded his song, and attention once again begins to drift, Caitrina takes to the stage hastily assembled near the largest bonfire. Flanked by the other two council members, she spreads her arms wide and ensures as many eyes are on her as possible before she begins to speak.

"Arras! Dearest friends, young and old, whether born here or by a fortuitous road lead here. Come closer, hear my words. I bid you welcome to this years Flamefade." The speech is a familiar one, given every year with only some variation. While some adults draw close, others, mainly the younger ones, take the opportunity to slink away, blessedly free of parental oversight. Caitrina extols the virtues of the farmers, praises the bountiful harvest of the past year, but also cautions everyone to look out for each other. She makes mention of the brigands that have been sighted in the wilds, though Thea and Thalen notice that she never mentions anything of Sigwald's Red Men.

The speech is quite a long one, and as it reaches some sort of midpoint, Gaelan feels his father give him a firm nudge. Rolf is already leading Theda towards Caitrina. "And on a lighter note, I have the privilege of announcing some happy news." The councilwoman waves a hand towards Gaelan, bidding him to come up to join her.

Thea carefully removes the finely crafted axe from its harness and holds it before her. "It is a marvel, Harl! The balance is perfect, and its edge is razor-sharp! It is a fine companion to the sturdiest shield in the village! Thank you again."

She grabs another sweet cake and munches on it as she stands towards the back of the ground and listens to the elder's speech.

"Yes I did." Lirann responds to Beric with a heavy sigh. "I will deal with that later." She says, not clarifying what she means with that.

She looks on to the crowd gathering for the speech, having no inclination to join them though. "Let us check up on those animals."

Thalen smiles at Harl and gives him a playful punch. "Ah, you old softy." He looks at Thea as she walks away and grabs a sweet cake. "I would be happy to come visit, and I bet I could convince Thea to stop by with me. You know I am not as useful when it comes to physical labor, but I am always happy to chat with a friend." He looks towards the crowd gathering around Elder Caitrina, readying themselves for her speech. "Just say the word, and you know we would both be there." Thalen places a hand on Harl's shoulder. "We love you, Harl, like family. I'd best get closer so I can listen to the speech. Happy Flamefade, Harl." Thalen approaches the group and wraps his cloak around to protect against the wind.

Ophira quickly grows bored of the honeyed words and hot air and finds her way to the edge of the crowd, where she can acquire a cider and enjoy it in relative peace. She sits on a raised stone fence, giving her a view over the crowd, her legs crossed in front of her. She surveys the crowd, the beautiful evening, and the stars above. She finds herself entranced by the night sky.

The nudge sends Gaelan into motion. He feels sick to his stomach and wishes he had even a single friend nearby who might offer up a reassuring nod, but lacking that--he heads for the platform. Instead, he risks a look at Theda, uncertain if it will feel worse if he's looking right at him... or if she isn't!

As Thalen and Thea heads away from Harl, the blacksmith gives a—possibly quite embarrassed—grunt that seems to say that yes, he would like a friendly visit sometime soon. Then he looks around, makes sure nobody saw that moment of weakness, and blends into the crowd to hear the speech.


Caitrina welcomes the two youths to stand next to her. As Theda Miller takes her place, she keeps throwing glances towards her father. Her face is guardedly neutral, but grows flushed with red as her and Gaelan's eyes meet past the elder between them. She nods and mouths something vaguely like 'hi' towards him, but then her face is obscured by Caitrina's flowing cloak as the councilwoman raises her hands skywards.

"In trying times such as these, the delicate threads that tie our community together are more important than ever." The wind picks up, whipping and tugging at the hem of Caitrina's cloak as she speaks. "And so tonight, I have been given the privilege of announcing..."

As Lirann and Beric move away from the crowd, the wind shifts. Through the heavy wood-smoke of the bonfire it is hard to detect, but now they pick up a different scent, sharp and acrid, coming not from the open fires, but from Galthic's inn next to them.
Thalen glances aside from the speech, and his gaze fall on an open window of the inn. At first his eyes tell him it is merely a candle flickering in the breeze, but then he sees tongues of yellow flame dancing hungrily, spreading quickly over the walls and ceiling.

Before anyone can react, a scream cuts through the chill evening air, from somewhere within the inn. Then more screams, spreading out into the crowd as more and more heads turn from the elder's speech. "Fire!" someone shouts. "Galthic's is burning!" cries another. "There's people in there!"
Panic breaks out among the assembled masses, parents shouting for their children, people being knocked over in the frenzy to get away from the inn. A few level heads try—valiantly, but in vain—to organize a group to fetch water from the river and the well. Elder Caitrina's voice, like the other councilor's, are lost in the cacophony.

Thalen jumps up on the stage, flourishes his cloak, and raises his hands high in the air. "Good people of Arras! We have an emergency." He points at Harl. "Harl, could you please round up the children and take them to a safe distance?" He then points to several parents of the children who were listening to his story. "We need buckets, and we need to create a line from the well to the inn. If we all work together, we can put out this fire."

As soon as she notices the fire, Lirann rushes towards the open window and peeks inside.

"Is there anyone in here? Come quickly!" She shouts, ready to assist anyone who tries to exit the building through the window.

"Nok! Go fetch the witch, Beric shouts to the crow, hoping the witch may have magic that can help.

Then Beric runs to the door of the inn and flings it open if it isn't already. He surveys the situation, looking for anyone that he might be able to help and listening for any responses to Lirann's call.

Gaelan’s world, already swirling around him in stomach-churning fashion, tilts further when the flames—and cries—go up from the inn! He holds Theda’s gaze just for a moment, then rather absurdly says, "I have to go!" before he takes off, racing towards the burning building.

Upon reaching it, the man will not hesitate. He intends to burst inside and search for anyone needing help, following the screams.

With a flutter of wings and a loud caw, Nok takes off into the sky. As Beric pulls the door open, a gust of hot air flows over him as bright orange light spills out onto the village square, melding with the light cast by the bonfire.

Chaos spreads among the villagers. Children cry, clinging tight to their parents. Those who have fallen to the ground are in danger of being trampled by those trying to put distance between themselves and the fire.

But Thalen's steady words cuts through the din. The storyteller's familiar voice causes people to stop mid-step. In the brief pause that occurs, Harl is the first to speak. "Aye!" The smith motions towards a group of children and begins leading them away. "You lot, to the Stone Hall with you!"

Several adults and youths look uncertainly between Harl and Thalen, then hurry towards the well, grabbing others along the way. Though fear still reigns, small pockets of organization starts forming in the crowd, following Thalen's lead.

Lirann peers inside, squinting through the heat and smoke to try and get a good view. The bar where Galthic usually stands serving his drinks is fully ablaze, trails of fire snaking from the stairs leading into the cellar and up over the railing and stairs to the second floor.

As if in response to her call, there's a crash as a dark shape comes tumbling down the stairs from the second floor. A man, draped in bedding, crashes to the floor and looks around wildly. When he sees the open door, he struggles out of the now burning bedcloth and stumbles unsteadily forward. Beric grasps his hand and pulls him through the door just as Gaelan barrels past, heading into the inferno.

Once he's out, they quickly recognize him as Holt Birkner. One of the farmers with a house on the outskirts of the village, neighboring Lirann's family's farm. Burn marks glisten on his arms and face. Every desperate gasp for air triggers horrible coughing. But he is out of the fire at least. "...others!" he croaks out between strained breaths.

Thalen continues to organize the water brigade, calling for some adults to grab buckets and bowls, and lining up the villagers in two lines from the well to around the inn.

In the few moments where he isn't directing, he scans the area for anyone who may have started the blaze.

The shouts and alarm interrupts Ophira’s stellar reverie. She looks over, see the fire, and jumps off her perch on the wall and runs toward the fire, alarmed.

As she approaches, she shouts out, "Bring any who are hurt to me! Quickly!" She slides to her knees and clears a space in the ground. She reaches into her pack and pulls out bandages and a skin of fresh water, as well as a soft leather pouch that contain her Goodberries.

She looks up and sees Thalen trying to manage the crowd, which sets her mind at ease. But then she looks back toward the fire and sees Beric and Gaelan risking their lives. She calls out, "Be careful! Don’t… " she trails off, not wanting to think of the worst case scenario here. Her berries can heal, and she knows the ways of magic that provide her with the healing touch, but she can only do so much, after all.

She shouts at Beric and Gaelan, and Lirann as well, saying, "Bring me anyone injured! And be careful!"

"Don't be stupid!" She yells at Gaelan as he rushes in. "At least cover your face before you breathe in all that smoke!"

Thea swears colorfully as she rushes to the burning inn, a few paces behind her swifter companions. Like Gaelan, she doesn't hesitate, plunging into the inferno to try to help anybody still trapped within!