sip253

Flame

By Eden Winters

Many thanks to Meg, Nina, Lynda, Jared, Mara, my editor, Michelle, and the proofers. You make it all possible.

Lying safe in his lover's arms, Kai tried not to think about the coming dawn and what it would
bring. This was the first time he'd accompanied Rayken into battle, and if the whisperings of the
women in his old village were any indication, it could be the last. The raiders were a ruthless
enemy and cared for naught but gold and slaves. They were a deadly force and fast approaching
the encampment; tomorrow they'd attack.

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When Kai shivered, Rayken pulled him closer, cutting off his troubled thoughts. "Shh... my
mate, all will be well." The confident words did little to dispel Kai's fears. Their foes were
vicious fighters and far outnumbered their rag-tag band of warriors. Furthermore, the enemy only
claimed women, children, and youths for slaves; if the battle went badly, none of their lives
would be spared.

Warm lips nuzzled his neck, a pleasant distraction that sent a shiver of anticipation up his spine.
He knew the gesture well: his lover asking permission. Turning in the comforting embrace of
Rayken’s arms, Kai gazed deeply into his mate’s eyes, glittering gold in the campfire's light that
filtered through their tent from outside. Those eyes studied him as a slow, steady smile played
across his mate's mouth, easing Kai's worries. With Rayken, he wouldn't be afraid; with Rayken,
he was safe.

He brushed his lips against the warrior's, marveling at how such a solid mass of scarred muscle
could be so tender. The kiss turned heated and the callused hands that so skillfully wielded a
broadsword gently caressed his back, warming his skin as they traveled down to his buttocks,
one finger sliding between to tease his hole. Normally, they took their time with lovemaking.
Now, however, with only a few short hours until dawn, time was a luxury they didn't have.

Outside their tent, soldiers snored, the occasional rustling of a bedroll signifying that others were
doing as they were, or were merely tossing restlessly, anticipating the coming battle. Few of their
number would sleep well this night.

Kisses rained on his shoulder and neck while Rayken's large hands turned Kai on his side. There
was little need for preparation -- they'd already made love once, and just might again if sleep
continued to be elusive. His lover spooned against his back and the nudging at his opening met
little resistance. Kai moaned and welcomed the invasion, pushing back in encouragement.
Rayken's lips brushed his ear with murmured love words.

This position allowed his lover to take him in hand, the external and internal strokes creating a
steady rhythm. The passion they'd shared earlier had satisfied their lust, this was about closeness
and the promise that tomorrow wouldn't be the end.

Rayken sensed Kai's troubled thoughts, as he so often did, and offered reassurances. "I will come
back to you; I'll always come back to you," he said, hot breath caressing Kai's bare shoulder.

A strong arm wrapped around Kai and he reached up to lace their fingers. Rayken gripped
tightly, thrusts becoming more frantic. Knowing his lover was close, Kai bucked against him,
urging Rayken on. Teeth clamped down firmly on his skin, his shoulder muffling the moans as
his warrior stilled, filling Kai's body.

His hand joined Rayken's on his own flesh as he hurried to follow his lover into ecstasy. A few
hard strokes and he was there, screaming out his passion.

They curled together in a sated mass, and Rayken chuckled, murmuring, "You woke the men

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again," against Kai's neck.

Though he'd be teased unmercifully once they defeated the foe, Kai couldn't find it in him to care
now. What he did care about was every moment spent with his lover, for each and every one was
precious.

When the big warrior now holding him so securely had first found him, Kai’d pledged to follow
the man anywhere, even unto death. Now, it looked like he might get that chance.

They slept fitfully, waking to the sound of faraway hoof beats drawing ever nearer.

***

The clang of steel on steel wakened Kai and for a moment he was disoriented, unsure of his
surroundings. It was dark and cool with a distant sound of trickling water. The cave they found
last night, then. Movements sluggish, Kai staggered to his feet. The bitter taste filling his mouth
sparked anger, bright and hot. Rayken had drugged him! He wasn't some weakling who needed
protecting! Hobbling to the mouth of the damp sanctuary, he peered out into the daylight, eyes
squinting while they adjusted. The sun hung low in the sky. He'd been asleep for hours!

Keeping to the underbrush, he crept ever closer to the sounds of battle. Flattening himself against
a boulder, he looked down from a cliff into the valley, frantically searching for the familiar
armor and silvery braid of his lover by the light of the afternoon sun.

Flashes of bright color flitted across the field, and it took a moment for him to realize what they
were. They looked like birds, but with flames instead of feathers! Colorfully plumed birds, fully
the size of a man, swooped at the enemies, driving them back, while surprisingly few of their
soldiers fought with axe and sword. There! Right before his eyes, a suit of chainmail dropped to
the ground, another bird rising, shrieking to the skies. As he watched the magnificent creatures,
his blood ran cold. Many years ago, Gran had told him of the Devic warriors, a band of soldiers
so fierce that none could oppose them. Virtually indestructible, if in mortal peril, they assumed
their avian form. He'd thought the stories were just fables. Now, it seemed not only were they
real, they were his people, for his mate was one of them.

Kai watched, spellbound, as one after another of the soldiers turned. Finally, he saw what he’d so
desperately sought: Rayken, long silver braid trailing down his back. With sword in one great
hand and axe in the other, covered in the blood of the raiders, the fearsome fighter was the vision
of all the Devic warriors were supposed to be. How had Kai missed the signs? For months now,
he'd been under Rayken's protection; for the past three as his mate, huddled close to the big
man’s side every night. How had Kai not understood? The flames are my friends, Rayken had
said often enough. Now that Kai thought on it, he'd seen the tell-tale outline of a bird branded
into the skin at the base of his lover's neck, and hadn't thought twice about it. Then there were
times when Rayken muttered about flying while sleeping.

So the legends were true and the fabled band of warriors who existed to help the weak and
defenseless was real. Kai staggered as realization slammed into him. Not only was he bound to

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one of them, but to their leader!

He continued watching his lover single-handedly fell three of the enemy, fascination turning to
horror. While his mate fought, two raiders crept up from behind. Without thinking Kai rose from
his hiding place, screaming, "Rayken! Behind you!"

Rayken turned quickly, cutting down the two in one blow. Another appeared from the brush and
swung a sword, slashing Rayken across the chest. Kai held his breath, heart shuddering in his
breast as his lover bellowed and fell to the ground. A moment later, a stunning red, blue, and
gold bird darted for the sky, only to drop like a stone a moment later, flaming talons outstretched,
to dispatch the offending raider. The shrill cry sent cold chills up Kai's spine.

A rustling sounded behind him and Kai turned to find two filthy, leering men, both armed with

blood-stained swords. "Ah, what have we here?" the first asked, reaching out to catch Kai's
shoulder before he could turn away. "He's too pretty to be of the bird men. Perhaps what we've
captured is a pet."

Kai struggled, but the grip on his shoulder was like iron. He screamed and fought, though
knowing it was useless. Descended from a long line of peaceful farmers, he had neither the
stature nor the bulk of the mountain-bred raiders.

"Hold him! Don't let him get away!" the second man warned. "We'll use him as bait. If he's the
mate of one of those creatures, it will come for him!"

Suddenly, there was a mighty rush of wind and the sound of huge, beating wings. Kai looked up
at an entire flock of the massive firebirds, throwing himself to the ground as they fell on his
attackers in a shower of sparks. From out of nowhere came a "Thwock!" A bird fell, a feathered
shaft sticking from its breast -- blood staining its red, blue, and gold flame-feathers. Kai
screamed his horror, rushing to the side of the stricken creature. Pulling the massive head into his
lap, not sparing a thought for the flames, his tears fell unchecked as the light in the magnificent
beast's eyes dimmed, then went out. Rayken! Kai threw back his head and howled.

Two birds took to the air. The archer screamed and then fell silent.

"No!" Kai held onto the dying creature, refusing to let go. The flames flickered and died, the
feathers now just that -- the feathers of a great bird. They slowly fell, to be blown away by the
wind as the avian resumed human form. Only the naked body of Kai’s dead lover remained.
With tear-blurred vision he fought the battle-roughened hands that caught his arms and forced
him up, pulling him away from his beloved. It didn't matter that this was a shape shifter, a
creature of myth -- this was Rayken, to whom Kai had given his heart.

"Come away now, lad," someone said, voice too caring to be one of the attackers. "All will be
well."

No, it won't be well, Kai thought, nothing will ever be well again. Not without Rayken.

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Ceasing his struggles, he looked up and saw, not a flock of birds, but the warriors he'd camped
with the night before, his friends, his mate's people -- all were naked. His attackers lay dead on
the ground. The warriors begin chanting and, while he watched, Rayken's body went up in
flames. The arms holding Kai were like steel bands, preventing him from throwing himself upon
the makeshift pyre and joining his beloved in death.

Time lost all meaning; he couldn't say how long they stood there as the sun sank lower in the
sky. After a while, most of the warriors left to roust the remaining raiders. Only Kai and his
comforter remained. How could he go on living now that Rayken was gone? The one who'd once
saved him had died saving him again.

"You must keep watch this night," his self-appointed guardian said, sinking to the ground and
pulling Kai with him. When the sounds of battle ended, the others joined them, fully dressed
once more. They sat silently, only the sound of breathing and odd glimpses caught by firelight
letting him know he wasn't alone on that dark, moonless night. Toward dawn, a warrior started
singing, quickly joined by the others. The song started mournful and low, but as it continued, it
became more hopeful, speaking of new beginnings and promises fulfilled. The notes they sang
could not have been made by human throats.

As he stared into the smoldering embers of his lover's funeral pyre, listening as the eerie tune
faded, Kai was taken back in time to the summer before when he'd yet to become a man.

Too scrawny to be of much help with the harvest, he'd been sent by his grandmother to the
stream. The laborers would be hungry and a nice bit of fish would be most welcome in their stew.

He was halfway to the village with a stringer of trout when the screaming began. His
contribution to the evening meal fell forgotten to the ground and he ran as fast as he could
toward his grandmother's cottage, only to find it engulfed in flames.

"Gran!" he screamed, rushing toward the burning building with no thought for his own safety.
Suddenly the big, black body of a horse blocked his path, and he looked up into the cold eyes of a
raider, come to enslave Kai's people and steal anything of value.

Kai turned and ran in the other direction, his small stature making him surprisingly agile. "Get
him!" the raider yelled. Another horse reared before him, hooves flailing just inches from his
face. He turned again but they had him corralled, urging him toward the center of the village. All
around him people screamed, the men cut down as they defended their families, the women
herded like cattle toward the tavern. Apparently his size had them fooled; they thought him a
mere lad. It wouldn't save his life once the truth was known, but it might buy him some time.

Suddenly, he spotted an opening and he took off running toward the central barn. There were
hay forks and scythes there; surely he could find some form of weapon to join the fight. Once
inside, however, he saw the empty racks where the tools had once stood and remembered that it
was harvest, they were all in the field.

Casting frightened eyes toward the hastily barred door, even now splintering under the raiders'

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assault, he clumsily climbed the ladder to the loft, slipping and falling once in his haste.
Frantically seeking something useful with which to defend himself, he heard the words that froze
his blood, "Burn it! He'll come out or he'll die, makes no difference to me. He's too puny to bring
much of a price."

With horrified eyes, he watched the flash of a flaming arrow streaking through the open shutters
of the loft. The new hay had yet to be hauled, what occupied the barn was old and burst into
flames instantly, effectively cutting off the only exits. He huddled as far as he could toward the
back of the wooden structure, kicking the walls helplessly with bare feet. It was useless; the
building was sturdily built, not that it would stop fire.

His tunic was still wet from a dip in the stream, and he hastily tore a piece loose to cover his
mouth and nose. The fire roared beneath the loft, heating the boards upon which he sat. The
smoke stung his eyes and lungs, and his body convulsed with hacking coughs. All he could see
were flames. Tears trickling from his eyes, he realized that never again would he fish in the
stream or share a quiet meal with his grandmother. He said a quick prayer that the smoke would
take him before the flames did.

Resigned now, he removed the cloth from his mouth, closed his eyes, and prepared to take a deep
breath of the acrid smoke, hoping for a relatively painless end before the fire reached him. Then,
like a vision, a man's head topped the loft, hair aflame, though the man seemed oblivious to the
fire. The stranger stepped calmly from the ladder, naked save for the flames that danced around
his body. Far from burning, however, the tendrils of red, blue, and gold caressed his skin like
Kai's grandmother would her pet cat. A hand extended, reaching for Kai.

"Come," the stranger said. "Do not be afraid, the flames are my friends. They'll not harm you if
you're with me."

Though terrified, the man offered his only hope, so Kai placed his hand in the outstretched palm
that was easily twice the size of his own. He didn't remember walking through the fiery inferno,
only that he was suddenly outside, lungs filling with fresh, cool air. Riderless horses stood
grazing in the communal paddock, and the women, so recently imprisoned in the tavern, were
tending the wounded. The children, apparently unhurt, were huddled together under the watchful
eyes of a toothless old granny.

The bodies of the raiders were stacked like cord wood at the very edge of the village by a group
of heavily muscled men, much like the one who'd rescued him. When the stranger led Kai to the
tavern, the women averted their eyes respectfully from the man’s naked form. "Stay here," he
said. "I shall return."

When Kai looked again, his rescuer was gone. Not knowing what else to do, he busied himself
helping the women find the fallen villagers. Many had died, but the fortuitous arrival of the
strange warriors saved many lives that day. Kai wondered about them, in particular the man
with the golden eyes and silver hair who'd saved him from a horrific death. Who were they?
Where had they come from? And where was the one who'd saved him now?

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The sun began to set and he stood gazing forlornly at the charred beams and ashes that had once
been his home. He didn't need to see the body to know that his grandmother, and only living
relative, was dead. While the rest of the villagers were huddled with their remaining loved ones,
he was utterly alone. None would take him in. Oh, he'd heard them whispering behind his back,
sniggering and then howling like the wolves who came down from the mountains in winter. His
grandmother had been a formidable woman, and well-respected. Who'd protect him from the
gossips now that she was gone? With a heavy heart, Kai found himself wishing he'd died in the
barn. At least then he wouldn't be alone.

While he stared wistfully at the dying flames that had destroyed his life, a huge, warm hand
dropped to his shoulder. "Do you have family, lad? Someone to care for you?"

The voice was rugged and held a lilt, marking Kai's savior as a man of the mountains, as if his
stature wasn't hint enough. The highland tribes were a rugged folk of dark complexions and
sturdy bodies, whereas the lowlanders were more slight of build and fair of skin. Kai looked up
into a kindly face smeared with ash. A silvery braid hung over one shoulder, adorned with a
golden band.

"Nay," Kai replied softly, failing to hide the sorrow in his voice.

"Are you promised?"

He shook his head sadly. Soon he would be of age for the elders to find a match for him. Not that
they would, for his desires didn’t lie with the young women he’d been presented to. Besides, he
no longer had a family member to negotiate the match. His heart filled with sorrow once more
for his grandmother's passing. An elder might have filled the role in her absence, but most of the
elders had been killed by the raiders. Kai didn't know what would happen to him now.

After a few moments of silence, the golden-eyed warrior said, "I have no home like you're
accustomed to, my people are nomads, but you may have a place with us." The highlander’s
voice was deep and rumbled pleasantly in Kai's ears. "When you come of age, a match will be
found. Until then, you'll be my ward."

"When the snows fall, I'll be of age," Kai replied.

The stranger looked at him skeptically, and then those strange, flame-colored eyes roamed over
the remaining villagers. "Ah," the man said, understanding showing in his eyes. "Forgive me; it's
been many a harvest since I've been among lowlanders."

He dropped to one knee and gazed up into Kai's face. One callused hand cupped Kai's cheek.
"Such as I have I share with you. You have no kin, so you must speak for yourself."

Though the words were not as formally spoken as the bonds he'd heard before, they were close
enough. "You'd bind yourself to a penniless stranger?" Kai asked.

There was a moment of silence and then that deep voice answered, "I have gold enough for this

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whole village, and no use for lands. I need nothing from you that you cannot provide, for I
merely desire your companionship."

Kai looked up as the stranger stood. The man was tall, his hair the color of the silvery moonlight
that danced through the shutters of Kai's attic room late at night. His face was dark and
weathered by the sun, though he appeared to be a young man. Bright, clear eyes studied Kai
while he made up his mind, the skin crinkling at the corners when the man smiled at Kai's nod of
acceptance.

"When you are a man, I will speak to our elders of your future. I am Rayken, leader of my
people."

The old warrior cleared his throat, breaking into Kai's thoughts. Weathered hands held out a plate
and a cup. Kai gratefully drank the water, but had no appetite for the fish. Placing it aside, he
resumed his vigil. The warriors had built up the pyre and he stared into the blaze, recalling other
moments of his life, shared with Rayken.

After the wounded had been tended, the warriors set out for the mountains, seeking out the
highlands before winter closed the passes. That night, they bedded down among the trees, the
wind playing a lullaby through the topmost branches.

This unnerved Kai, who was unused to sleeping out of doors, though it didn't seem to bother the
men who huddled on their sides by the small campfire. Out of sight in the forest, guards were
posted.

Even though he knew he was safe, sleep evaded Kai as he thought of his grandmother, now gone,
and the parents and siblings he'd lost to the fever years ago. Fighting tears, he vowed to be
strong. He was among warriors now, he was no weak farmsteader. A rustling in the underbrush
caused his heart to slam against his ribs, but in the low light of the fire, he saw that it was
Rayken, coming off his turn at watch. Kai breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know why, but he
felt so safe when the big warrior was near. The mountain of a man was the leader of these men,
and they deferred to him, but he acted no differently and took no privileges above them, even
insisting upon taking first watch.

Eyes that glittered amber in the near darkness studied Kai. He stared back, but remained silent
while Rayken spread his bedroll and climbed inside. A chill raced over Kai and he shivered. No
words were spoken, none were needed. Rayken merely looked at him, lips turned up at the
corners in an amused smile, and lifted one arm. Kai darted beneath, snuggling into the warrior's
warmth. That was their first night together.

Every night thereafter, he'd fight sleep, waiting until Rayken retired. One look and that arm
would rise in invitation, though it was merely comfort and warmth they shared, never more.

***

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"You seem unhappy, Kai, did none please you?" Rayken asked once the group of young women
left their tent. Only Kai and Rayken remained, along with the village wise-woman, who was there
as chaperone.

Kai looked down, anywhere but at his guardian. His coming of age was fast approaching and no
suitable mate had been found, nor would one if all the candidates were female, though he dared
not voice it. In his village, men who desired other men were run off to fend for themselves in the
hills. The villagers called it "feeding the wolves." Had he remained there, he probably would
have been banished, too, spared a death by flames only to freeze to death or be eaten.

"Why do I have to have a mate?" Kai finally asked. "You have none."

When he looked up, he noticed Rayken exchanging a look with the old woman. "I've not yet found
the mate I seek," he replied simply.

"How do you know?" Kai persisted, grasping any opportunity to escape the fate they intended.
"You never look for one."

Rayken smiled, stretching his long frame out on the mound of blankets that served as his bed.
Kai had one like it across the tent, one that had never once been slept in.

"When the time is right, my mate will find me," the warrior said. In a teasing tone, he added,
"Besides, how can I share my tent with a mate if I have a ward living here? Perhaps after you're
mated, I'll find one of my own."

Kai pondered the words, a sudden spark of jealousy flaring to life in his heart. "I do not want a
mate, then," he said, defiance blazing in his eyes. He'd always worked so hard to please Rayken,
living for the warrior's smile and approval, but if his leaving meant Rayken would belong to
another, well then, he wasn't going anywhere! "I want to stay with you," he stated flatly.

Once again, Rayken and the wise-woman shared a glance. Finally, Rayken asked, "Is there a
reason you don't want any of the village women? Would you rather have a man?"

Kai's faced flushed hotly and he looked up with wide eyes. Surely Rayken couldn't know! If death
from a wolf's hunger was his fate in the village, what would it be here in the highlands where
more vicious foe lurked just out of sight in the dense, snow covered forests? "No!" he lied,
though he couldn't hide his panic. "I am not like that!"

The big warrior sighed, shaking his head. "Surely you've slept among the men enough to have
noticed that some sleep in pairs?" He raised an eyebrow in question. "I forget that the
lowlanders still have such strange ideas about mating."

He rose from where he'd been lying, never looking away from Kai when he said, "Leave us."

Mesmerized by what lurked in the warrior’s eyes, Kai hardly noticed when the old woman left
their tent.

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Rayken sank to his knees, cupping Kai's face surprisingly gently in a huge, callused hand. "My
people do not share those beliefs, Kai. We believe that a soul finds its mate regardless of whether
it is male or female. If you prefer a man, there is no shame in it. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for the
unmated men of the village to visit. Perhaps you'll find a mate among them."

Kai tore his eyes away from Rayken's mesmerizing stare, missing the warmth of that hand
immediately when it released his cheek. "I told you, I don't want a mate," he mumbled
stubbornly. Though relieved that he wasn't about to be cast out, he still had no desire to leave
Rayken's tent -- ever. Or to see Rayken with another.

Rayken seemed genuinely surprised, and he sat down beside Kai, hands folded together in his
lap. "You wish to live a solitary life and never know the joy of loving another?"

Kai'd always been taught to hide what he truly felt and to tell others what they wanted to hear.
For the first time in his life, when his mouth opened, out came the truth. "I want you, Rayken," he
said, eyes trained on the floor.

Bracing himself, he expected to hear laughter or reasons why he couldn't have what he wanted.
After what seemed an endless wait, a soft rustling caused him to look up. There sat Rayken, arm
raised. As he did each and every night, Kai slid underneath that arm, where he belonged.

***

The flames shot high into the night and Kai’s new tribe danced around the encampment,
laughing and singing. The darkness hid the mountains and their mantle of snow, and here in the
clearing, he was warm, safe, and protected. When the sun had dipped below the peaks, he'd left
childhood behind. He was now a man, and despite Rayken's earlier concerns over finding him a
suitable mate, that, too, had been obtained, to his immense satisfaction.

Kai stood alone by the fire, watching and waiting in his new finery, lovingly sewn by his soon-to-
be-mate's clanswomen. Though he was not born of their tribe, they fawned over him and treated
him well, never resisting a chance to fondle his blond curls or run fingers over his pale skin, so
unlike their own. Tonight, they dressed him with care in leathers dyed to match his blue eyes,
and then left him alone to join the dancing. From out of the flames stepped Rayken, clothed in
fire, which slowly dwindled to nothing. At first, witnessing such a feat had alarmed Kai, now it
was just Rayken and his friends, the flames.

Rayken smiled and held out his hand. There was no hesitation when Kai took it. The elders
approached then, throwing a pale cloak over their leader's shoulders before leading the two of
them to the center of the winter encampment. One by one, the members of the tribe approached,
placing one hand on each of them and offering their blessings.

When the last had murmured their kind words to the couple, then stepped away to prepare the
joining feast, the elders encircled them, adding their own words of praise and wisdom. Then all
assembled sat on the ground to eat the lavish meal that had taken the entire day to prepare.

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When the feasting ended, Rayken took Kai to their tent. But instead of tucking him into his
blankets with a brush of lips against his forehead, even though he wouldn’t stay there long, Kai
had been led straight to Rayken’s pallet.

There, amidst of a mound of herb-scent blankets, Rayken entered Kai's body for the very first
time.

Kai fell asleep dreaming of his joining, the old scarred warrior holding him near. The sun was
high in the sky when he awoke, and the elder said, "Look, lad," pointing to the ground.

Scorched grass marred the earth where Rayken's body had lain, the only sign that his love had
ever existed at all. His heart gave a lurch at the reminder that the great man was gone and he was
once more alone in the world. The old warrior smiled and pointed again. Kai looked to the spot
indicated. There, in the middle of the darkened char, a tiny bit of green peeked through -- the
delicate seedling of an oak.

Callused fingers gently dug it from the ground, and the man placed it reverently in Kai's hand.

"You know what to do -- you've heard the tales."

Kai nodded. Hope soared through him as he recalled those stories told by the fire late at night. At
first, he’d thought they were just tall tales, told to wile away the hours. It was only now that he
realized that he had been instructed. Yes, he knew exactly what to do.

***

Afforded all the privileges of a warrior's widow, Kai was escorted back to the camp and treated
as an equal. When the snows began to melt, his tribe moved, as they normally did, to the edge of
a vast forest. Every day Kai nourished the little seedling, watering and caring for it until, at last,
it was big enough to transplant.

His adoptive people saw him as far as the stream, but the rest he had to do on his own. After a
lengthy search, he found a sunny spot near the water, shielded from the wind. Perfect. He dug a
hole with his bare hands and placed the slender slip of oak into it. Reverently, he patted earth
around the little seedling, uttering the words he'd practiced so many times with the elders of his
new tribe, terrified of getting them wrong. He ended the incantation with, "Good night."

The seedling grew far faster than a normal tree and every day he returned to check its progress,
watering it and telling it about his day and bits of gossip about the warriors. When the sun set, he
patted the trunk affectionately, promising, "Soon."

Three months later, a mighty oak towered over its mundane counterparts. Kai smiled. It wouldn't
be long now.

On the night of the full moon, he returned just before dark, barely able to contain his excitement.
He bathed himself carefully in the stream, leaving his clothes by the bank. He walked naked into

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the forest, having little trouble locating the massive oak he'd planted. Cupping his hands, he
called energy from deep inside, the same energy that the warriors commanded and that
incinerated them when they died. Apparently, some of Rayken's magic had been transferred to
him in their mating, for Kai's golden hair was now streaked with the silver of the Devic warriors,
his blue eyes tinged with gold, and the flames his mate claimed as friends now embraced Kai, as
well.

Sparks flared to life from his fingertips and he watched, fascinated, as they wound playfully
around his fingers. Lowering his hand, he brushed his fingers against the oak's trunk. Blue fire
lapped at the bark before igniting the tree like kindling. Flames shot high into the night sky. In
the distance, he could hear the strange, inhuman sounds of his people singing.

Kai sat and waited patiently. When at last the tree burned itself out, he watched as the charred
husk disintegrated, leaving only a smoking hole in the ground. From within, he saw the
flickering of a tiny blue flame. He grinned. Reaching inside, he held out his hand, and the fire
licked upon his skin without burning, like the warm caress of a lover. He placed it gently on the
ground.

He rose to his feet, watching the blaze expand until a full grown firebird appeared, its flaming
feathers red, blue, and gold. Then, slowly at first, the avian body blurred and changed, reforming
itself until a handsome, silver-haired man stood before him, naked. "Welcome back, my love,"
Kai said, leaning in for a kiss. "I missed you."

A Torquere Press Sip - 12

Flame

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Torquere Press, Inc.: Sips electronic edition / March 2010

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A Torquere Press Sip - 13