Chapter 17
Fire of Comfort

“So, what are you, then?” Tilly kicked a little stick into the pile. The campfire spluttered, as if a little offended, and some sparks whirled up to see the stars. She looked sideways at the large woman, leaning against her pack. 

“Well, that’s a rather rude question to ask of someone, isn’t it?” Bea answered. Melamira looked between the two of them. The Kobold was dwarfed by the woman, but somehow the picture just kinda… worked, the two women laughing as they passed goatskin back and forth. 

“Her question does stand though, Bea,” Melamira said. “I don’t know of many people who can turn into an animal at will, and the ones who can, mages and whatnot, certainly can’t do so on a whim.”

“It wasn’t a whim, dearie,” Bea said, “but aye, well spotted. Don’t know a lick of magic, me.” She took another swig of the bota bag. “For your question… I don’t rightly know what I am. Not really. No forest spirit that’s been wandering for generations, didn’t wake up fully formed one spring morning. Born to Brem and Mea, from Norcopse, by the long river, three dozen winters ago. Just a normal girl. Well, a bit tall,” she said with a grin, crossing her arms, “but I reckon that just added to my charm.”

“So what about the whole… rawr?” Tilly asked, clawing at Bea performatively. 

“Some fifteen years ago, a storm hit our village. Usually, what weather’s not blocked by the Redwood dies in the mountains. But this one, a nasty bastard, came rolling down the Spines out of nowhere. Not many lived. My parents were not among the lucky. I got scared. Ran into the Redwood, and didn’t stop.” She put her hands behind her head and looked up at the night sky. “There’s some old spirits in those woods, and not all of them evil.”

“We know,” Tilly said. “We saw a really big deer there once. It had fireflies.”

“That’s… well, not inaccurate,” Mellie said, “but a slight mischaracterization of what happened in there.” She chuckled. “But yes, we crossed the deepwood too. I’m surprised a child survived.”

“To an old bear, anything small and crying can look like a cub,” Bea said with a smile.  She fished into her backpack and grabbed some dried fish, offering it to Tilly and Mellie. Tilly accepted gratefully. Mellie declined. 

“I wouldn’t want to take your rations,” she said. 

“They’re not rations,” Bea said. “Private stash.” Immediately, that got her frowns from the other two. Melamira looked around. Everyone was huddled around little campfires, those that weren’t asleep yet. It didn’t look like anyone had heard Bea, but still. “Oh, dinnae give me that look. If I ate as little as you lot did, I would’ve fallen by the wayside two days ago.” She chewed on the jerky. “I might still be mostly Human, but it takes a lot to feed a bear. Besides,” she added, “I’ve been handing out what I can spare. I didn’t steal this, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Mellie looked at her with suspicion. 

“Trust is a rare commodity in long nights, Bea.”

“I know,” Bea said. “And I’m sure that if I’d said something, there would have been a very heartfelt plea about letting big strong Bea have a bit more rations, and then there would’ve been an argument about giving less to the weaker, on account of them not helping out as much, and that’s no path I’m content walking down.”

“That’s not what I…” Melamira said, and sighed. “You require more food to live, right?” Bea just nodded as she stared upwards. “Everyone gets what they need, Bea. This isn’t about merit, or strength, or might.” She shook her head. “What’s done is done. Bringing it up now would cause more problems. Besides,” she said, looking up, “we should be only a few days from the castle.”

“I certainly hope so,” Tilly said, “I haven’t slept in a decent bed for what feels like a month.” Something caught her eye and she waved. Alexander, who had been sort of aimlessly wandering between the campfires, wrapped in a cloak, joined them. “Why’re you still up, goatboy?”

“I’m not a—” Alexander said, and then sat down grumpily in front of the fire. “I couldn’t sleep, alright? And then I couldn’t find y’all, so I went for a walk. And I’m not a goat, people keep telling me these are Dragon horns.”

“Whatever you say,” Tilly lied with a grin. “Bèhèhè.”

“Did you just—”

“That’s just how I laugh,” Tilly said, turning up her nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright, well, up yours then,” Alexander said as he stood up again. 

“Sit down, Alexander,” Melamira said. “And behave, Tilly. He’s out of his element. We all are. The last thing we need is infighting.” Tilly opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal, but Bea was faster, holding it closed with two fingers. Melamira smiled at the large woman, as she offered a quick voiceless thanks. Bea winked back. 

“So what about you then, little man?” Bea asked. “How’d you come to be here, stuck with them? I picked up some of your travels, but how’d you end up in a hole in the ground by the river in the first place, eh?”

“Okay, first off, I’m not… Not that little! You’re just really tall!”

“She is,” Mellie sighed to herself, and then realized that had been out loud. If anyone had heard, they didn’t show it. 

“Second… I don’t… wanna talk about it. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, anyway.” He scooted a little closer to the fire. It was hard to be cool and detached while actually being cold, and he looked a lot more vulnerable as he held his hands out to warm himself. The fire reflected off his horns. “None of this is even remotely real,” he whispered. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m with you there,” Bea said. “It certainly doesn’t.” She sat up. Whenever she moved, it was hard for Melamira to look away. She was a mountain of muscle, but she moved with a kind of effortless grace. 

“I think you’ll find,” Tilly said, “that we understand better than you think you do. But I’m sure Liz will be a much better help than we are. She knows stuff about stuff.”

“I’m curious what sort of woman this Dragon Demon Queen is,” Bea said. “I’ve heard rumours, of course, especially with everything changing five years ago and it being her fault, but surely she cannae be as mythical as you make her out to be.”

“She is,” Mellie said, “and she isn’t. She’s about as mythical as you get, and she’s also completely ordinary. It’s really hard to put into words.”

“Why would she help someone like me?” Alexander asked, pulling his cloak a little tighter. “I’m nobody.”

“Alexander,” Melamira said, “you are what appears to be a white-golden dragon-kin of some sorts, who fell out of the sky at the same time as the whole world started falling apart and monsters of all kinds started appearing. On top of that, you seem miserable. You couldn’t keep her from helping you if you had an army.”

“Why?” Alexander asked. Mellie looked at him. He was thin, in a wiry sort of way, yet still tall. But here, next to the fire, he looked very, very small. 

“Righteousness?” Bea offered. “People with conviction and with one God or another in their hearts are known to be driven to acts like that, aren’t they?”

“Nah,” Tilly said, “I’ve never known her to mention any gods or anything. Besides, I don’t think she can help it,” Tilly said. “She’s just like that.”

“I think,” Melamira said, “she just can’t stand seeing someone hurt. I think she feels guilty when she sees someone in pain when she isn’t.” 

“Speaking of zeal and conviction,” Bea said, “your paladin friend, is she well?” They looked over at the head of the camp. Nearest to the wagons was the light of a single white lantern. “You treat her like an old friend, but…”

“She’s going through some stuff,” Tilly said as she stood up and stretched. “It’ll be fine. Save the world, she’ll be right as rain.” 

“I hope so, at least,” Melamira said. “I’ve never seen her so… adrift. Though I suppose those in straw houses should not spit fire; I have spent my own time wandering the world, looking for purpose.”

“Not with a moth that big, though, I’d think,” Bea chuckled. “I’ve never seen one outside the Deepwood.” Melamira looked up at her as she sat a little closer, holding out her hand for — and receiving — the wineskin. “They live high up in the treetops. No idea what they feed on. Moonlight, maybe.”

“Creeps me out,” Alexander said. “Can’t do bugs.”

“At that size, it’s practically a hound,” Bea said. “And it’ll do you no harm. If it could, it would have already. Best to think of it as an omen. Resist it or accept it, it’s there regardless.”

“Mm-hmm,” Melamira said. “And as omens go, this one’s cute.”

“An omen of what, though?” Tilly asked. 

“Don’t know,” Bea said, shrugging. “All of this, maybe?”

“Bit late for that, isn’t it?” Tilly chuckled. “Like ringing the dinner-bell after everyone’s sat down.” She yawned. “I think I’m gonna get some rest.” With that, she scurried off in the dark, to wherever she’d set her tent. 

“Tilly, right?” Alexander asked. Mellie nodded. “She’s a weird one.”

“But a faithful traveling companion. Has been for years now.” She gave Alexander a sideways glance. “Besides, you’re not one to talk. You’re plenty strange yourself.”

He shrugged. “I suppose. To me, all of you are strange. Giant women who can turn into bears, demon queens or whatever, you look like the cover-art for some fantasy novel, Tilly looks like an excitable skink, and I don’t even know what to think of some of the other creatures running around.”

“What in Mother’s name is a skink?” Bea asked. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Alexander said. “It’s just… a lot to deal with. I’m just trying to survive. If this Liz can really help, I hope she makes more sense than the rest of this. Things have never felt right, but all of this is… something else.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The world’s kinda fucked, isn’t it? I mean, like where I come from. It’s shitty, all the time, and you can either agonize over it or numb yourself to it, but even then it’s always gonna be there, like a splinter in your mind.”

Melamira stirred a bit as she leaned against Bea’s pack. “And it’s worse here?”

“Sort of,” Alexander said. “It’s almost like all of this is a dream and that world is far away, but on the other hand, it’s still there. That wrongness. But now it’s weirder and I guess that just makes it all worse.”

“That sounds hard,” Mellie said as she relaxed a little. “I hope things will get better when we get to Whitehallow.”

“I too am sorry for that,” Bea said. “Also, Melamira, while I certainly don’t mind the company, I’m afraid your shoulder is nudging into my ribs a bit.” Mellie shot upright. If she hadn’t been sitting so close to the fire, she would have been worried about her face being flushed and hot for all the wrong reasons. 

“I am so sorry, Bea,” she mumbled hastily, “I thought I was leaning against your backpack.”

“Think nothing of it,” Bea chuckled. “I believe Tilly had the right of it, though, I think I’ll get some sleep. Have a good night, everyone.” She stood up and grabbed her roll, then crawled into her large makeshift tent.

“Maybe a good idea,” Melamira said. “You should too, Alexander. We’ve a few days marching ahead of us still.” She considered kicking out the fire, but didn’t want to deprive the boy of warmth just like that.

“I know,” Alexander said, unmoving as his golden eyes reflected the flames. “Goodnight.”