The sun had already claimed its spot in the mid-afternoon sky. Bright rays filling the grove with warmth that burned the frost off. Pyra herself found herself working on at a loom. The movements felt comfortable, familiar, she lost herself in the rhythm and the clicking of wood as she wove. Softly she hummed a tune to herself while she watched the purple and white thread slowly but surely turn into a pattern that she could be proud of. If she was to be heading to town soon she may as well be bringing things that were going to be sold at market. The sneaking anxiety that she was going to have to sell the items for less than what even she usually accepts for them hung in the back of her mind.

She set down the thread, looking at the loom as she sighed deeply. Rubbing at her face as the worry took her mind. She didn’t have time to even gather everything did she? She looked around the room. At all her fabric she’d made over the years, and even at some of the nicer dresses that she still had on her table that she still needed to put the finishing touches on. There was no saving all of this. She would be lucky if she could save even a fraction of this. Maybe if she had a cart, maybe if she had a horse, maybe maybe maybe. Taking a deep shuddering breath Pyra tried to hold back tears.

It wasn’t supposed to happen here, that’s why she was living here. The smoke may choke the sky, the heavens themselves burning, but she had always been safe here. The fact that the council saw fit to send her a letter specifically meant that in their opinion, she was at risk. If not of the fires but of that which always came with it. Monsters.

Monsters chased out of their dens by the blaze, ones woken up by it and thrive, ones that writhe in the ash and take advantage of those who return to pick through the remains of their lives. Scaled beasts, dragonkin taking the first flight, all the horrid serpents that lived and breathed the fires. And all Pyra had to defend herself with was a few kitchen knives, maybe her skinning knife would of done something. Nothing that would actually do anything would be in her home. At best they would grow soft under the heat of their bodies and bend. Defense was largely out of the question, there wasn’t a hope in hell that in the time she had that she could come up with something that would hold off the monsters and then she would be able to withstand the fires that came after. Presuming that they themselves didn’t just set everything ablaze all on their lonesome.

Sighing deeply Pyra picked up the shuttle once again to begin working. It wasn’t going to be the end of the world she decided, it was going to be so because she had far far too much to worry about that she wasn’t willing to lose. This house wasn’t going to go, she sunk far too much time, effort, and money into it for it to simply become ash. The rhythmic clacking of the loom helped bring her some semblance of calm. She was going to find a way to save her home, protect it from the creatures that called the flames home and more importantly protect it from those who would take everything that it was worth.

Stolen novel; please report.

While she worked there was a sudden crash of noise, chickens furiously clucking and the ruffle of feathers. Getting up to check outside the window to see what had riled them up so much she at first saw nothing. The birds however had all made a mad dash for their coop, the ones too far from that were hiding under various items that Pyra had originally put out there for enrichment. Brow furrowed she turned her gaze up. There was only so many things that would cause them to shatter like that in such a way. Moving quickly and quietly she went to the door and picked up the crossbow she had hanging on the wall next to the door frame and marched outside. A hawk had taken up residence in a branch, and it had its sights on her chickens.

I think not. She thought as she took aim, slowing her breathing while she steadied the crossbow. Those are my suppers, not yours.

Loosing the arrow she listened as it whistled through the air, watching the hawk in that split second waiting for it to plummet to the earth. Only to be disappointed watching it fly away when the arrow lodged itself into the the branch it had been resting on. Groaning with frustration she put the crossbow back where it belonged, though it wasn’t as if she was going to leave the body where it was if she had hit it. Retrieving the arrow was a annoying matter but the hawk was gone at least. There will always be another one, but she was not about to lose a chicken and especially not to a god forsaken hawk.

Pyra dropped back into a chair near her loom, rubbing at her brow while she sighed deeply. She did not have the energy for any of this, the mere sight of the loom exhausted her after all that. Technically speaking she could do much more, she still had the rest of the day to get everything ready for tomorrow’s chores. Emotionally however that was an entirely different story. Everything chooses now to fall apart, she just now put the last finishing touches on her home that would ensure that she didn’t need to be bothered by anyone she didn’t choose be bothered by.

They’re hiding something, there’s a catch, there always is. She took a breath to calm herself, holding onto the bolt that should have been buried in the hawk’s breast. She looked at it for a little while, idly twirling it in her hand. Though the only way that I will find out, is to go to town to investigate.

So that was that. She set the arrow on the table to inspect another day, see if it was still usable or if it was best turned into kindling. She started snuffing the fire in the kitchen stove, no sense in letting it burn while she was gone. All the little tasks that were unavoidable, like putting away the now dry dishes from her earlier meal. Getting dressed she found her tunic, letting the long saffron material fall the to the floor as she smoothed it out. Trying to get the kinks out of the fresh chemise she now wore so that it would lay flat on her body. Her jacket was easily laced up, pulled up over onto her so that she could tied it off and it rested comfortably on her breast. She gave it a little twirl to make sure that all was good and found her belt. The brat may not be totally needed for this time of year, but it would be nice to prevent others from looking too deeply at her for a little while. Resting it over her shoulders and affixing it to her with the belt she sighed deeply

This was going to be a bit of a walk, so might as well figure out what she can bring to sell while she’s there.