[Yunari] Talking With Fire
Fire sat cross-legged, watching her as she stirred the stew.
"Ya never share with us anymore."
She shrugged. "You got your part. I don't have to unless I want to now." She reached up with her left hand, feeling the prickly short hairs on the back of her neck. They would grow back, but it would take time.
He shrugged as well, mimicking her gesture. "Maybe ol' Fire thought you and I be friends, hmm?" His dark eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the pot. "Maybe I be gettin' hungry."
She nodded, scooping out a spoonful and offering it to him. Pale flames flickered over the meat and half-cooked roots, devouring them. Fire let out a crackling sigh. "Ahh, much better." He looked at her, serious now. "Why you be calling me up then, ay?"
She examined the metal spoon, then stuck it back into the stew, scraping along the bottom to loosen any burnt bits. "I got a problem."
He laughed, sparks dancing from his tusks. "What else be new?"
His good humor was infectious, and she smiled too. She'd forgotten about that. "You know me. Always something stupid." Her smile faded, turning to a frown. "This time, I want to make sure I do things right. Before I make a mistake." She tasted the stew with the tip of her tongue, then reached for a handful of spices, sprinkling them in.
"Ah... now that's a tricky thing, as we both know." He leaned forward, tilting his head to one side, red hair dipping over his face for a moment. "It's gonna cost ya."
She tested the flavor again, furrowing her brow slightly. Half a handful of salt this time. "How much?"
"We-ell..." He rocked back on his haunches again, sitting a few inches above the ground, and placed his chin on a hand. "I already got that." He pointed to her head, indicating the singed tips of her hair. "Something different this time, I be thinking. Maybe ya do something for me?"
"What?" She couldn't hide the wariness in her voice, and he rolled his eyes at her.
"Oh, come on now, I not be wanting your first-born or anything like that." He smirked. "This time, at least. No, just a little favor for ol' Fire here."
She nodded slowly, still cautious. "Tell me."
"Prove ya really want it." He held up a hand, flames splitting and twisting so that instead of three fingers there were five. "Find me the best drink, the best food, and the finest robe ya can." Three fingers folded down.
"I can do that."
He grinned, blue sparks shooting from his teeth. "'course ya can, I trust ya that much. The test comes next." He reached over the cooking pot, waving a hand. "Watch this now."
Chunks of meat rose to the top as the thick stew bubbled and hissed, and she let out a sigh. This would not end well for the meal. He hushed her, frowning slightly, then moved his hand over the pot again.
"Here." He pointed at the meat. "Ya gonna find this island. It's north, north-west. Far traveling, for one like you."
"And when I do find it?" She peered at the slowly scorching 'island', committing the shape to memory. Maybe Elfy would eat it.
"Then," and he grinned even wider, "ya seek out my brother there. Offer him the food, the drink... and then ya gotta dance for him."
"Dance?"
"Ay, dance." He half rose, flaring bright and demonstrating a series of motions that left her blinking and rubbing at her eyes. "Ya got that oil, right?"
She nodded, almost certain she knew which one he meant. He seemed satisfied by this response, and continued.
"Ya put that oil on so ya burn like we do, and ya dance for him until ya can't dance any more. Then--" he sent a spark to land on her nose so she blinked and jerked back. "Then ya come back here, and we talk."
"Alright. I'll do it." She held out a hand to shake, but he was already gone. Shaking her head instead, she looked back at the stew. Singed around the edges, with bits of blackened meat and roots. Oh well. It wasn't like anyone would be able to tell the difference from her usual cooking, anyway. Letting out a small sigh, she began spooning it into an assortment of misshapen clay bowls.
She didn't have an answer yet, but at least she knew where she was going.
"Ya never share with us anymore."
She shrugged. "You got your part. I don't have to unless I want to now." She reached up with her left hand, feeling the prickly short hairs on the back of her neck. They would grow back, but it would take time.
He shrugged as well, mimicking her gesture. "Maybe ol' Fire thought you and I be friends, hmm?" His dark eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the pot. "Maybe I be gettin' hungry."
She nodded, scooping out a spoonful and offering it to him. Pale flames flickered over the meat and half-cooked roots, devouring them. Fire let out a crackling sigh. "Ahh, much better." He looked at her, serious now. "Why you be calling me up then, ay?"
She examined the metal spoon, then stuck it back into the stew, scraping along the bottom to loosen any burnt bits. "I got a problem."
He laughed, sparks dancing from his tusks. "What else be new?"
His good humor was infectious, and she smiled too. She'd forgotten about that. "You know me. Always something stupid." Her smile faded, turning to a frown. "This time, I want to make sure I do things right. Before I make a mistake." She tasted the stew with the tip of her tongue, then reached for a handful of spices, sprinkling them in.
"Ah... now that's a tricky thing, as we both know." He leaned forward, tilting his head to one side, red hair dipping over his face for a moment. "It's gonna cost ya."
She tested the flavor again, furrowing her brow slightly. Half a handful of salt this time. "How much?"
"We-ell..." He rocked back on his haunches again, sitting a few inches above the ground, and placed his chin on a hand. "I already got that." He pointed to her head, indicating the singed tips of her hair. "Something different this time, I be thinking. Maybe ya do something for me?"
"What?" She couldn't hide the wariness in her voice, and he rolled his eyes at her.
"Oh, come on now, I not be wanting your first-born or anything like that." He smirked. "This time, at least. No, just a little favor for ol' Fire here."
She nodded slowly, still cautious. "Tell me."
"Prove ya really want it." He held up a hand, flames splitting and twisting so that instead of three fingers there were five. "Find me the best drink, the best food, and the finest robe ya can." Three fingers folded down.
"I can do that."
He grinned, blue sparks shooting from his teeth. "'course ya can, I trust ya that much. The test comes next." He reached over the cooking pot, waving a hand. "Watch this now."
Chunks of meat rose to the top as the thick stew bubbled and hissed, and she let out a sigh. This would not end well for the meal. He hushed her, frowning slightly, then moved his hand over the pot again.
"Here." He pointed at the meat. "Ya gonna find this island. It's north, north-west. Far traveling, for one like you."
"And when I do find it?" She peered at the slowly scorching 'island', committing the shape to memory. Maybe Elfy would eat it.
"Then," and he grinned even wider, "ya seek out my brother there. Offer him the food, the drink... and then ya gotta dance for him."
"Dance?"
"Ay, dance." He half rose, flaring bright and demonstrating a series of motions that left her blinking and rubbing at her eyes. "Ya got that oil, right?"
She nodded, almost certain she knew which one he meant. He seemed satisfied by this response, and continued.
"Ya put that oil on so ya burn like we do, and ya dance for him until ya can't dance any more. Then--" he sent a spark to land on her nose so she blinked and jerked back. "Then ya come back here, and we talk."
"Alright. I'll do it." She held out a hand to shake, but he was already gone. Shaking her head instead, she looked back at the stew. Singed around the edges, with bits of blackened meat and roots. Oh well. It wasn't like anyone would be able to tell the difference from her usual cooking, anyway. Letting out a small sigh, she began spooning it into an assortment of misshapen clay bowls.
She didn't have an answer yet, but at least she knew where she was going.