Zerin grew restless watching Willow lying motionless and that strange fellow sitting, hand on Willow, staring at nothing. It felt like hours had passed, though he knew it was likely only a quarter of an hour at most. Realizing there still had bags to pack on the horses, Ali had packed more than he thought sensible, Zerin decided to get it done.

He found his sister and they ventured out to find the horses in the pasture, careful to avoid the burning barn. He wasn't foolish enough go anywhere near that smoldering mass of debris, no matter what his father claimed after discovering one of his many screw ups. Using a rope, he managed to calm the horses and lead them back. With skill and haste, Zerin constructed frames to secure the bags to the horses using some planks he found then padding them with cloth from one of the bags.

Feeling proud of himself as he secured the last bags to the pack frames, he took his last length of rope to create halters for the three horse he was able to catch and strung them together. They were ready to go as soon as Willow was up, or the wind changed and made waiting no longer a choice. As it was, he could feel the heat despite his distance from the fire and being on the far side of the house which blocked his view of the barn. As that thought crossed his mind, As Zerin finished his tasks, he noticed a sudden wave of heat and turned to see flames once again engulfing the sky. Realizing the wind had changed, he ordered his sister to stay with the horses and hurried back to the house, his heart pounding.

Willow slowly lowered herself to the floor to stand and her mom used a cloth to wipe her sweaty dirt covered face. Ali introduced Willow to Atrum and quickly explained their urgency to leave.

Just as Ali went to retrieve a change of clothes for her daughter, a crackling roar filled the air, and a wave of scorching heat rushed through the open front door. Zerin stumbled in and collapsed to the floor. Before anything could leave her lips, she saw the wizard wave one hand and grab Zerin's arm with the other. Immediately everything seemed to freeze. The air grew stilled, the heat lessened, and Zerin regained consciousness, leaping to his feet. Ali stood in shock, by the implications of what she just witnessed.

In a panicked voice, Zerin exclaimed, his throat hoars from the heat, "Leave, now, fire, wind changed." He moved quickly to Willows side to support her wavering form.

Artum straining to speak, urging them on " Let's go! I can hold this for a few minutes. To the horses we need to move quickly"

Ali watched Atrum walk slowly out the door, hands held high in front of him straining as if pushing something enormous ahead of him. Ali looked around, saw the bags by the door gone, grabbed her daughter's clothes and hurried them out the door following Atrum's lead. Zerin motioned them to where he had tied the horses and within minutes, they were all mounted and racing away from their burning home.

Atrum mentally communicated with Taupa, I will be riding stay close enough to keep watch but far enough not to spook the horses.

Taupa responded with a bit of annoyance,” Really horses, can’t we just fly everyone from here. This is so tedious.”

Atrum laughed, “I wish it was that easy, be patient. Remember what happened the last time? I am working on it.”

As they rode, Atrum could feel the strain of using his magic. He released the spell that protected them from the heat, allowing the temperature to rise. However, he continued to channel power, redirecting the wind to the south. He knew he was growing tired, but it was necessary to keep them safe.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

As Atrum caught up to Ali, he shouted to be heard over the wind and the pounding hooves, "Where are we headed?"

When Ali only glanced at him, Atrum felt a pang of frustration but held on, determined to keep up with the group. Despite being accustomed to leading, he understood that Ali knew the area and hope she had a plan. All he could do was hold his spell and try not to fall off. This would be so much easier on his dragon.

Tasapa answered, "Everything is easier with a dragon!"

Knowing that the White River lay to the north, Ali contemplated crossing it as a means of finding refuge from the encroaching fire. However, this detour would take them further from their intended destination of Rolly's place, where they needed to warn everyone and gather supplies. Ali couldn't help but blame Atrum for starting the fire, even though his actions had potentially saved her daughter. She couldn't shake the feeling of distrust towards him, even as they hurried through the thick forest.

Once they had almost reached the river the dense forest, roots, branches and uneven ground forced them to slow and eventually dismount after their horses stumbled repeatedly. Its difficulty was frustrating as everyone felt no little panic slowing to carefully navigating their way down the bank. As Ali stared out across the river ready to cross, Atrum, who had almost fallen off his horse, caught up with her and urgently waved his arms to get her attention.

Atrum, frustrated and filled with anxiety, addressed Ali, "Is this the best place to cross?" he motioned towards the river, "Maybe we should head southeast along the river to find a safer spot."

Ali observed Atrum, wondering if he possessed knowledge that she didn't. She decided to directly ask him, "Do your powers allow you to see a better crossing point? And what about the fire? Are you working on extinguishing it?"

Atrum ran his fingers through his unkempt, curly brown hair, his eyes reflecting weariness but also a glimmer of something else. He explained, "I am working on slowing down the fire by manipulating the wind's direction, causing it to loop back and deprive the flames of fuel. There is a spot downstream, about a mile away, where you can safely cross. I'll rest here." Atrum handed Ali the reins of his horse and slumped to the ground. "I can't go any further with you right now. I need to rest and then continue north to deal with the fire."

Ali stood there, captivated yet unsettled by this enigmatic man. He hadn't asked for anything in return for his assistance. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she should accompany him. Observing him searching his pockets, she noticed his attire—loose brown pants tucked into knee-high boots, a roughly woven shirt tied with a light blue sash. It was unlike anything she had seen in this era; it resembled clothing from centuries ago, perhaps the Elizabethan era. Despite his strained appearance, his amber eyes still held a glimmer, almost shimmering. Ali wanted to ask him questions, but she could see that he was concentrating on his magic and breathing heavily. She resolved not to leave him until he could stand on his own and depart. She couldn't bear to leave him sitting there, seemingly on the verge of collapsing.

Ali's voice resonated above the rushing water, ensuring everyone heard her, "Take a quick break and let the horses drink, but stay close. The fire is nearing, and the horses are rightfully spooked."

Willow, obedient as always, dismounted her horse. However, the others remained on their horses, their expressions reflecting doubt about the safety of their current location. They anxiously glanced back towards the fire and then ahead, away from it. The horses were visibly distressed, with froth lathering their sides, and the group's clothes clung to their sweaty bodies, their hair damp and tangled. Willow understood their concerns because she shared them. This was definitely not a good place to stop; the fire was too close and the heat too intense. None of them had anticipated that their day would take such a dramatic turn. Willow had already learned her lesson the hard way earlier that morning, realizing that her strange waking dreams were just the beginning of a terrifying nightmare. As she stood by her horse, gently coaxing it towards the water, Willow couldn't help but reflect on how her life had been upended in an instant.