Aresan Clan pt 10

Salles’ room was practically unfurnished, just a bed and a writing desk, low to the ground at which he worked sitting cross-legged upon the stone floor. A large window looked outside and he’d left open the wooden shutters to let in some moonlight. Through this window he saw the glow on the trees.

Curious, Salles extinguished his lamp, despite that he didn’t have any way to re-ignite it and had wanted to finish his lettering tonight. He stood up from his seat upon the floor and moved silently towards the door. He listened for the sound of movement in the hall. He was supposed to be sleeping at this time, and not out wandering about. He peaked his head out of he room and could hear some noise in the direction of the watermill. He threw on his brown raiment and walk towards the sound.

The noise was leading him outside to their compound’s courtyard where he could see the glow of a bright light. When he emerged into the courtyard he was dazzled by what he should have heard earlier and now stood agape before: their watermill was engulfed in flames.

He was about to turn around and fetch as many people as he could wake to put out the fire, when he noticed someone inside the watermill. Instead he shouted loudly, “Fire! Fire! In the watermill! Wake up everyone!” as he ran towards the watermill.

As he got close to the door, the heat began to overwhelm him, and sweat started to bead on his forehead. He crouched down to avoid the spray of fire that spewed from out of the door and climbed up the walls. He crawled towards the body that he could see sprawled on the floor. The stone floor was hot to the touch and he used his sleeves to protect his hands. As he got closer, he recognized the face, it was Eloh, the second oldest of the sages and his advisor and instructor. He guessed that it was Eloh’s steps that he’d heard in the hall earlier. There was a metal bucket lying next to him, and when he tried to push it aside, he burned his hand. He then grabbed Eloh and dragged him body from the mouth of the flames.

By the time he had dragged Eloh out into the cool grass by the stream that fed the watermill, crowds had started to gather. People were running to find buckets, and those few with buckets already, were filling them from the stream and tossing them at the fire. Salles was coughing heavily and his throat felt hot and ragged, but he was more worried about Eloh. He put his ear to Eloh’s chest, and could hear the sound of breathing and a heartbeat and was relieved, lying back and relaxing after his ordeal.

The Eldest, Noone soon arrived and her voice could be heard with orders being thrown in all directions. There were soon people on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the mill who assiduously tossed water onto the mill from above and forestalled any spreading of that fire to the neighboring buildings as buckets were being handed up to them. Once the full force of the Sage’s cloister was assembled, the fire was on the decrease and with considerable further labor and not too much patience the fire was extinguished.

Noone approached Eloh and Salles and looked at Salles with what he thought to be a disapproving look in her calm blue eyes, asking, “What happened?”

“The watermill was on fire when I arrived,” Salles explained, “I found Eloh inside and dragged him out. He appears to be alive, but hasn’t regained consciousness.”

Noone grabbed a bucket and directly dumped the water onto Eloh, like one waking up some oversleeping servant. Eloh’s body suddenly came to life, his arms flailing about as he abruptly sat up. Before he could say a word, he began to cough excessively. Salles could only imagine what his throat felt like. Salles’ own felt ragged, like he’d spent the whole day shouting at the top of his voice, and he’d only breathed in the smoke for a few seconds.

Eloh must have been in there for minutes. It would only be after some long coughing before Eloh could finally speak and recount to Salles and Noone his part of the story.

<-- Go to Part 9         Go to Part 11 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Salles’ room was practically unfurnished, just a bed and a writing desk, low to the ground at which he worked sitting cross-legged upon the stone floor. A large window looked outside and he’d left open the wooden shutters to let in some moonlight. Through this window he saw the glow on the trees.

Curious, Salles extinguished his lamp, despite that he didn’t have any way to re-ignite it and had wanted to finish his lettering tonight. He stood up from his seat upon the floor and moved silently towards the door. He listened for the sound of movement in the hall. He was supposed to be sleeping at this time, and not out wandering about. He peaked his head out of he room and could hear some noise in the direction of the watermill. He threw on his brown raiment and walk towards the sound.

The noise was leading him outside to their compound’s courtyard where he could see the glow of a bright light. When he emerged into the courtyard he was dazzled by what he should have heard earlier and now stood agape before: their watermill was engulfed in flames.

He was about to turn around and fetch as many people as he could wake to put out the fire, when he noticed someone inside the watermill. Instead he shouted loudly, “Fire! Fire! In the watermill! Wake up everyone!” as he ran towards the watermill.

As he got close to the door, the heat began to overwhelm him, and sweat started to bead on his forehead. He crouched down to avoid the spray of fire that spewed from out of the door and climbed up the walls. He crawled towards the body that he could see sprawled on the floor. The stone floor was hot to the touch and he used his sleeves to protect his hands. As he got closer, he recognized the face, it was Eloh, the second oldest of the sages and his advisor and instructor. He guessed that it was Eloh’s steps that he’d heard in the hall earlier. There was a metal bucket lying next to him, and when he tried to push it aside, he burned his hand. He then grabbed Eloh and dragged him body from the mouth of the flames.

By the time he had dragged Eloh out into the cool grass by the stream that fed the watermill, crowds had started to gather. People were running to find buckets, and those few with buckets already, were filling them from the stream and tossing them at the fire. Salles was coughing heavily and his throat felt hot and ragged, but he was more worried about Eloh. He put his ear to Eloh’s chest, and could hear the sound of breathing and a heartbeat and was relieved, lying back and relaxing after his ordeal.

The Eldest, Noone soon arrived and her voice could be heard with orders being thrown in all directions. There were soon people on the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the mill who assiduously tossed water onto the mill from above and forestalled any spreading of that fire to the neighboring buildings as buckets were being handed up to them. Once the full force of the Sage’s cloister was assembled, the fire was on the decrease and with considerable further labor and not too much patience the fire was extinguished.

Noone approached Eloh and Salles and looked at Salles with what he thought to be a disapproving look in her calm blue eyes, asking, “What happened?”

“The watermill was on fire when I arrived,” Salles explained, “I found Eloh inside and dragged him out. He appears to be alive, but hasn’t regained consciousness.”

Noone grabbed a bucket and directly dumped the water onto Eloh, like one waking up some oversleeping servant. Eloh’s body suddenly came to life, his arms flailing about as he abruptly sat up. Before he could say a word, he began to cough excessively. Salles could only imagine what his throat felt like. Salles’ own felt ragged, like he’d spent the whole day shouting at the top of his voice, and he’d only breathed in the smoke for a few seconds.

Eloh must have been in there for minutes. It would only be after some long coughing before Eloh could finally speak and recount to Salles and Noone his part of the story.

<-- Go to Part 9         Go to Part 11 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Aresan Clan pt 10