Hand of Fire: Book 1 of the Master of the Tane

by Thomas Rath

  “All right, Tam,” he finally said with a serious tone. “You can come along, but you must do what I tell you. You may know a few things but I am fully trained and know what I am doing.”

  Tam bit her lip trying not to laugh right in his face. “Fine then,” she managed with barely a whimper, “agreed.”

  Dor nodded once and then turned to gather his things. Tam couldn’t hold it any longer and snickered into her blanket. Dor answered back with a ‘bless you’ only making Tam laugh that much harder.

  “You’d better keep warm,” he said returning with all of his belongings. “You sound like you’re coming down with something.”

  Tam nodded, keeping her face well hidden into the blanket so as not to let Dor see the smile on her face.

  “Let’s go.”

  True to Tam’s prediction it almost immediately began to snow. They followed the tracks down the backside of the mountain that sloped slightly between two peaks on either side. There were very few trees on the mountain and none of them availed them much as far as shelter from the frequent flurries. Dor led giving Tam a slight bit of protection from the wind and snow but soon he began to shiver. The storm was getting worse.

  “We have to stop and find shelter,” Tam yelled over the gusting wind. “It won’t help Thane any if we both die out here.”

  Dor turned to speak to her, his face a mask of white flakes, “As much as I hate to admit it,” he said, “you’re right. Let’s continue down further until we can find some protection.”

  Tam nodded. “Why don’t you let me lead for awhile so you don’t freeze.”

  Dor shook his head dislodging some of the snow pack that had gathered there. “No sense in both of us being cold,” he smiled at her. “Plus, I make a better snowman than you.”

  Tam began to protest but he had already turned and began to descend.

  The snow was coming down more forcefully now making it almost impossible to see. Dor kept following the diminishing trail farther down the mountain hoping they would find their friend before they froze to death or at least find relief from the snow.

  The snow was up to their waists when the trail reached a ledge and turned to the left along a second ledge that dropped off the side to another about a hundred feet below. Dor couldn’t see much further but it appeared that the path crisscrossed down the side of the mountain. They continued on with both of them now getting blasted by the blizzard. The snow was getting deeper by the minute making it more difficult to push through and covering up what was left of the tracks in front of them. They were exhausted and cold and both began to wonder if they wouldn’t add their lives to that of their lost friend.

  Well, Dor thought with a chill, at least it will be warmer after death. I hope. It was then that he almost passed by what looked to be a crack right in the side of the mountain. He stopped and Tam bumped into him almost knocking them both over.

  Tam was about to yell at him for stopping when she looked up and also noticed the crack.

  “A cave,” Dor said through chattering teeth.

  “Do you think it’s safe?”

  He gave her a look of incredulity. “Kinpa’s bones, girl, it’s got to be better then becoming ice statues.” Dor ducked his head into the opening that was large enough for one person to pass through standing fully erect. He wanted to check for himself to make sure they wouldn’t be killed the minute they entered.

  “What are you waiting for?” Tam asked impatiently. “Let’s go in.”

  “Just a minute,” he called back, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Oh well, he thought, if there were something in here I’d probably have found out by now. With Tam right behind him, suddenly holding onto his arm, he followed the narrow cave for about fifteen feet before it curved to the right, bulging out into an area large enough for the two of them to be comfortably out of one another’s way. It then narrowed again returning to a tight corridor.

  “I guess this is it until the storm stops,” Dor announce, shaking the snow from his blanket and trying to keep his teeth from chattering. “The first thing we need to do is get dry and warm.”

  “I feel warmer already just being out of the snow and wind,” Tam replied shivering while shaking the moisture from her own blanket.

  “You will for a while but when your body cools off from all the exertion you put it through it’s going to be a different story.”

  “Why don’t we start a fire?”

  “With what,” Dor laughed, “rocks?”

  “No, troll brains,” Tam snapped, “I could go find some wood.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Well, you’re injured. You couldn’t possibly carry wood.”

  Dor felt himself warming up already with the irritation she seemed to so easily pull out of him. “My injuries have nothing to do with whether or not I can collect wood TamVen,” he hissed trying, without success, to control himself. “If you had sense at all you would have noticed that there isn’t much wood lying around. I swear to the holy Mother, the cold must have frozen your little brain.”

  “Don’t you start with me you pile of dung!” Tam huffed, getting just as heated. “Starting a fire is a good idea. It’s not my fault you lack the creativity to find a way to do it.”

  “Creativity!” Dor bellowed, unable to control himself any longer. “How creative does one have to be to realize there’s no wood to light in here and there’s a snow blizzard outside that limits searching for any. Not to forget, we’re on a barren mountain desolate of anything but rocks.”

  “Why can’t you just admit that it was a good idea!” Tam yelled.

  “Because it wasn’t! It was stupid!”

  Tam’s face softened and then she turned away plopping herself down in a corner as tears started streaming down her face.

  “Oh no, don’t start this,” Dor said suddenly less angry. “Come on Tam, that’s not fair.”

  “Why don’t you just leave me alone,” she said covering her face so her tears wouldn’t show.

  “Fine,” he replied, trying to find his anger while turning his back and returning to the cave’s entrance.

  The wind was still gusting turning the icy snow into tiny pins that pricked the flesh forcing Dor away from the entrance. He set Thane’s bow and quiver down in front of him and then sat with his back against one wall. “Why does she always make me so angry?” he mumbled pulling his blanket tighter. “Every time she opens her mouth she says something that makes me want to throttle her. How could you stand to be around her, Thane?”

  He sat for a moment remembering his friend and the childhood they had shared together. They were inseparable. And now he was an indirect cause of Thane’s possible death. Tears started forming in his eyes as he fought desperately to keep them back. “Come on now,” he said to himself, “he’s still alive. Why else would I be on this Mother forsaken mountain with Tam?” She was right about a fire he guessed although there was no way to start one. She’s still just a child.

  He looked down at the quiver. How did she learn to shoot like that? That was a perfect shot and it did save my life, he realized. He decided then that he should be friendlier to her and try to be more understanding. “After all,” he sighed, “we may be together for a while.”

  Suddenly bored, he grabbed an arrow to check it. “It’s a good thing we kept these dry.” He sat for a moment in deep thought and then suddenly, a light twinkled in his eyes and he struggled to his feet. “Tam!” he called running back into the cave.

  Tam looked up still crying. “What do you want, Dor? Come back to try and make me feel worse?”

  Dor wasn’t sure whether to feel angry or sorry while he looked down at her tear-streaked face. “No...I mean yes.” He shook his head trying again. “I know a way we can start a fire.”

  More tears started down Tam’s face. “Why do you have to be so mean?” she asked in between sudden sobs.

  “What? No, I mean it. I know how we can start a fire.

  Tam looked up wiping
the tears from her face. “You do?”

  “Yes,” Dor beamed, “with these.” He proudly held out the quiver full of arrows. “They’re dry, and although they may not make a blazing ceremonial fire, they should at least take off the chill.”

  “But what will we do for protection if we burn all of the arrows?”

  “Well,” he said scratching his head, “we’ll use only one quiver full.”

  Tam brightened quickly with the thought of a warm fire by which to thaw her frozen bones. “Can you start it though? I mean, after all, neither of us is QenChe.”

  Dor looked around and picked up a rock. “It shouldn’t be too difficult.” After breaking up the arrows he set them aside and then pulled out the moss that was used at the bottom of the quiver to protect the arrow tips. Using one of the heads, he struck it against the rock to produce sparks that he directed into the moss. After some bit of effort and a few choice words, Dor was finally able to get the moss to light as well as some of the broken arrows.

  Both of them sat close, trying to warm themselves and their blankets, which they draped over their crossed legs. Tam watched the warmth giving flames in silence as if hypnotized by their dance while Dor followed the smoke as it rose to the ceiling and then slithered along the rock before disappearing deeper into the cave.

  “I wish we had more wood to build this up a little higher,” Tam said venturing a look at Dor.

  Dor grunted with a nod and then looked around at their resources. Grabbing the empty quiver he broke it in half and placed one piece on the fire. “How’s that?”

  “Great,” Tam said but with a slight look of trepidation. “But how will you carry any arrows?”

  “Well, in case you hadn’t noticed, I won’t be able to draw a bow for quite some time so you will be carrying the arrows.”

  Tam suddenly felt a shiver of doubt as to whether she could actually perform in a crisis situation. She had, she reminded herself, shot well at the troll and had needed only one arrow but what if it was just a lucky shot? That really was the only time she had shot at anything other than a target. How did she know she could do it again? All this time, she thought, I’ve tried to prove myself good enough to be with Dor and Thane and here’s my chance to show it and I’m looking for reasons to excuse myself. I can do it, she assured herself with renewed determination, I have no choice.

  The fire grew stronger with the added fuel and began to warm their tiny cave. Pretty soon their blankets began to steam bringing smiles to their faces and thoughts of a warm, mostly dry night.

  “The only thing we need now to make this little outing a great success,” Dor said with a smile and a growl from his stomach, “is something to eat.” Looking around he added, “Now that’s going to require quite a bit of creativity.”

  Tam looked at him with a trace of agitation at the jeer he made about creativity. “Didn’t you bring something to eat?” she asked, her voice a little more accusing than she intended it to be.

  “No,” he returned, losing his smile and becoming slightly heated at her accusing tone. “I didn’t have the luxury of skipping around the village and preparing for a long journey. Time was short and I wasn’t expecting such an extended trip with an extra person.”

  “Need I remind you again...?”

  “No, you need not,” he cut her off not able to abide another minute of her whiny accusations. “You’ve told me a thousand times already how you saved my life and, I must say,” his voice rising with every word, “it is well past the point to where I wish you hadn’t.”

  Tam’s face twisted in anger but she swore to herself she wasn’t going to cry again. “Well,” she yelled back, “then next time I won’t.”

  “Good!”

  “Fine!”

  As the last echoes of Tam’s screaming voice disappeared into the surrounding rock the cave began to tremble. They looked at each other as a thunderous sound suddenly echoed through the tiny cavern and the light filtering in from the outside was abruptly snuffed out. They both held their breath as the rumbles and shaking continued for a few moments longer and then everything went still.

  Neither of them moved, staring at each other in shocked silence. Dor finally found his legs and went to the cave’s entrance to investigate. “OH NO!” he yelled in disbelief.

  Tam ran up right behind him. “What happened?”

  Dor pointed to the entrance now walled up with snow.

  “So, we’ll just dig our way out.”

  Dor looked at it and shook his head. “Don’t you understand? That was an avalanche we just experienced. There’s probably a mountain of snow covering that entrance. We won’t be getting out through there until well into summer, which also means we won’t be leaving alive.”

  “How do you know so much about it?” Tam asked not wanting to believe they were going to die there and unable to cover the slight quiver in her voice.

  “Thane and I used to watch the snow crash down the mountains all the time. They carry humongous amounts of snow with them with the power to uproot any trees in their path. There’s no way we’re getting through that.” Dor bowed his head and went back to the fire. “I’ve cheated death too many times already,” he whispered. “I only wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

  Tam’s eyes filled with tears but this time she let them run freely. “I don’t care what you say,” she yelled, “I’m not giving up without trying.” She began to dig her hands into the icy snow, trying to find a way through. It was slow, hard work because it was packed down so hard and she couldn’t get her freezing hands into it enough to dig it out. She clawed and kicked and beat the wall of ice until exhaustion and half frozen limbs forced her to stop. Looking at her progress, she discovered that she had only created a small hole that was not even large enough for her head. Her heart sank. Dor was right, they were going to die. How could all of this be happening to her? She was so young and still had so many years of life before her. But now it would all be snuffed out and no one would be any the wiser as to what had really happened to her. “Oh Thane,” she cried, “I’ve let you down.”

  Dor was just getting warm again when Tam came back. Her face was pale and her eyes seemed to be glossed over. She sat down heavily by the fire staring into space but not seeming to see anything. She reached down to the pouch that hung from her waist and after untying it tossed it across the fire to Dor. “Here. I guess it really doesn’t matter, but at least it will delay the inevitable for a little while.” Then she pulled her blanket over her and turned away from him.

  Dor opened the pouch and found some food that she had brought along. Why didn’t she just say she had some food, he thought, instead of making such a big deal about me not having any? He shook his head and took out some radishes and a tomato and began munching on them.

  “Come on Tam,” he finally offered between bites, “why don’t you have something to eat?”

  “What difference does it make?”

  “Well, none I guess, but at least if someone ever finds us they won’t find a bag of food too and think we had troll brains for not eating it.”

  Tam looked over and Dor smiled. “How can you joke at this when we are going to die in here in pain? Aren’t you afraid at all of death?”

  He studied her face for a moment before answering. “Do you remember that time when Thane and I were eight cycles and you snuck up on us while we were practicing with our bows?”

  “You mean the time the troll chased us?”

  Dor nodded. “Yes. The strangest thing happened to me that day and you might say it changed my life. After Thane and I came back to help you, uh sorry we ran away at first,” Tam cracked a little smile, “the troll started chasing me. I headed towards the mountains trying to lead it away from the village not thinking that once I got there I would be trapped. When I reached the mountain base and discovered my mistake it was too late. I stopped and turned around, knowing I had nowhere else to run, and watched as the huge troll came crashing through the last few trees right at me. I
knew I would be mashed into a bloody ball of goo in only a matter of seconds.”

  “Weren’t you terrified?” she asked, forgetting their predicament for the moment while becoming engulfed in the story.

  “That’s the strange thing. I suddenly felt completely calm. I knew he was about to kill me but I also knew that no matter how much he destroyed my body, he couldn’t change who or what I was. At that moment, I practically welcomed death. And ever since, whenever I have looked into death’s blank stare I have felt calm and have even challenged it to take me.”

  Tam’s look showed that she thought him crazy. “That’s the dumbest thing I have heard in my whole life. Everyone’s afraid of dying. It’s only natural.”

  Dor emptied the rest of the food on the floor and then got up, taking the pouch with him. “I should have known you wouldn’t understand. You’re just a dumb girl who can’t see anything past your own selfish thoughts.”

  Before she could answer, he exited back towards the cave entrance leaving Tam’s counter insult stuck in her throat.

  He looked over the covered entry and smiled at the little bit of snow Tam had managed to dig out. Using his knife he chipped away at it letting it fall into the pouch. “At least we won’t die of thirst.” When the pouch was filled he returned to the fire and placed it close enough so as to melt the snow but not burn the pouch. Tam had put the other piece of quiver on the glowing embers and the fire blazed bright once more.

  Both sat in silence staring at the hypnotic flames and not daring to look at the other. I knew she wouldn’t understand, Dor thought with a strange feeling of disappointment.

  He’s so insensitive, Tam returned in her own thoughts. Stupid girl, humph. He’s the one who’s stupid.

  This went on for quite some time until Tam’s stomach started to growl. She wanted some of the food she’d brought but she didn’t want have to speak to Dor to ask for any of it. Dor, whose temper had cooled by now, heard the noise and couldn’t help but laugh.