The ground trembled beneath her as thunderous booms echoed through the air. Meteors were something she had only heard of in distant tales, but now, one was hurtling towards her farm with terrifying proximity. The chaos of the gathering crowd surrounded her, voices intertwining with frantic gestures, but all Ali could see were the fierce flames that erupted upon impact. Smoke billowed above the trees, obscuring the sky in the distance near her once idyllic farm. Deep in her heart, she knew that Willow was there, trapped amidst the inferno. Without hesitation, Ali untied a horse and began weaving through the sea of people. Their curious gazes and whispered conversations were inconsequential to her. She felt it again - that unmistakable surge of urgency, the unshakeable belief that her daughter was in grave danger. The feeling in her bones told her that Willow was far away, facing unimaginable peril. As she pushed through the throng, Ali finally reached an open space and mounted her horse. Coal, a sleek and powerful black gelding, was her only hope to reach the farm quickly. She scanned the crowd one last time, desperately searching for a glimpse of her daughter, though deep down she knew it was futile. Amidst the chaos, she caught sight of two other figures who had mounted horses. With a raised hand and a solemn nod, she acknowledged their shared purpose, but there was no time for introductions. Ali urged Coal into a thunderous gallop, directing him westward, towards her burning farm, towards Willow, who was undoubtedly in the gravest of danger.
As the three riders thundered towards Ali's farm, a billowing plume of smoke loomed in the distance, beckoning them closer. Ali, her heart pounding with urgency, healed her horse to push its limits. The miles between the farms seemed to stretch on endlessly, Ali worried she would exhaust her steed and eased the horse into a steady gallop, allowing Zerin and Cyan to catch up.
Zerin wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling with concealed fear as he leaned towards Ali voice raised to be heard over the pounding of hooves and the rush of the wind. "Do you think those fire balls bombarded your farm? How is that possible and where in the world did, they come from?"
Ali, her focus solely on the impending disaster, paid little attention to Zerin's inquiry. "Willow is there. The farm is ablaze." She said with cold certainty.
With her focus on the feeling of danger to her daughter she picked up the speed again and the five miles raced by. Coal was fast and strong, and they arrived fifteen minutes later, their horses lathered and blowing heavily. Fear gripped Ali's heart as she charged through the thick smoke, keeping a good distance from the flames she halted in front of her home. The horse, overcome with terror, danced nervously as flames crackled and devoured the barn. The heat was bearable as the house was a good distance from the barn. Geo had insisted he would not live in a house that smelled of manure now it saved the house from immediately burning down and Ali from boiling inside her skin.
Ali senses said she had arrived in the correct spot as her eyes scoured the space around her from horse back. It took a few minutes to see the body lying on the ground a dozen feet closer to the barn, it was Willow, Ali's daughter. Without even bothering to secure her horse, Ali leapt off and rushed to Willow's side, desperately checking for signs of life. Relief washed over her as she discovered a faint pulse and steady breath. All she could think about was that her daughter was alive.
Cradling Willow in her arms, Ali wept, her words choked with remorse. She whispered as she moved Willow further from the flames. "Willow, are you alright? Please answer me! I'm so sorry for yelling at you! I should have listened to your concerns!"
Zerin arrived moments after Ali, with Cyan trailing closely behind. Ali's horse, spooked by the raging inferno, attempted to bolt, but Zerin swiftly seized the reins. He tethered both horses on the hitching post and surveyed the scene before him. Zerin's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the devastation. A section of the barn wall smoldered, the adjacent shed still engulfed in flames, and trees behind it all toppled and still ablaze. The fire's intensity was suffocating and the heat uncomfortable, yet it seemed to be spreading at a sedate pace likely due to the lack of wind. Overwhelmed, Zerin first thought was that the fire had ravaged the barn and fence to such an extent that they would need to be rebuilt. His gaze wandered and settled on the well, he wanted to douse the flames, but he knew that extinguishing that inferno with a few meager buckets of water would be futile. Zerin spotted his twelve-year-old sister, but in that moment, he couldn't handle the weight of her presence. His own uncertainty was more than he could handle, but he knew he could not show his fear.
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Raising his voice above the chaos, he called out to Cyan, "Close your mouth before a bug flies in, and fetch a bucket of water for the horses. After they drink take the horses over there." He gestured towards a distant fence, as far from the flames as you can get yet still be within sight of the house. "They should be safe there, at least for a little while." Then, see if you can calm them down it will make our escape easier."
Cyan scowled yelling back at her brother, “You would know about swallowing bugs since your mouth is always open telling everyone what to do.” She stuck out her tongue and started walking over to the well to get water for the horses. It wasn’t that her brother was wrong she just hated being treated like a little kid.
Ali carefully lowered Willow onto the cool, mossy ground, a refuge from the scorching heat of the fire. With a sense of urgency, she unslung her bag and placed it beside her, determined to treat Willow's injuries. Rummaging through her supplies, Ali finally found the right combination of herbs, skillfully combining them in her mortar with a splash of alcohol her pestle quickly created a smooth paste. Applying the healing mixture to Willow's wounds - the scrape on her chin and the swelling on her head - Ali secured them with a strip of cloth. To her dismay, Willow remained unresponsive, despite her pupils reacting normally. The worry for her daughter knowing that head injuries could be treacherous, and her husband's unknown location weighed heavily on Ali's heart, causing her eyes to well up with tears. She quickly fought them back, refusing to succumb to despair. She had to be strong for her family. Determined to prioritize, Ali knew she had to first find a way to help Willow and then evacuate everyone from the danger zone. Just as her mind was consumed with these thoughts, she noticed Zerin standing silently nearby, his concerned gaze fixed on her. His presence refocused her mind on the task at hand.
Zerin spoke up, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Is there anything I can do to help, Ali? I can make some tea or fetch something for you."
Ali paused for a moment, appreciating Zerin's offer. "I need to go inside and gather my books, herbs, and supplies. The fire threatens to consume everything we have. Zerin, could you stay here with Willow? I am hoping she wakes before we move her again and want someone by her side in case she wakes up. I'll be as quick as I can."
Zerin nodded; his expression determined. "Yes, ma'am. I'll stay with her." His worry for Willow grew even more intense hearing Ali's serious tone and seeing her eyes moist with unshed tears, and he couldn't help but wonder what had transpired before their arrival. The chaos in the yard, with animals scattered in fear, only added to his unease. As they had approached the scene, Zerin had caught a glimpse of a peculiar mist dissipating into the surrounding woods, away from the raging fire. Willow had mentioned something about an evil mist, or so he thought he had heard. Seeking solace, Zerin decided to offer up a prayer for Willow's recovery, hoping that it would distract him from the daunting presence and the untamed inferno. Well, at least he could hope it would.
Ali was trying to be realistic as she assessed their losses, chances were all the animals in the barn were gone or dead, many were running around the farm loose. There would be no time to gather them so much on her beautiful farm would be lost the fire would see to it. Her family was what was important her daughter's condition was concerning and moving her could be fatal. There were at least three fire balls that raced through the sky and the hit her farm. She wished she had time to evacuate the farm animals and scavenge everything that could be saved before the fire consumed it. She would also like answers, what had happened here? Maybe if she had the time to look, she would find one of those meteorites. Ali ran and started packing everything she could into canvas duffle bags to load on the horses. She needed to be quick the fire would only get worse it would not be safe here long.