Fire Heart

Featuring Serroya and Doristay (NPC)

Spring, Year 757 of the New Age

Silver Vale, Silverthorne

    “Serroya.”

    The gentle voice made her flick her ear up curiously.  Was this the golden doe of her dream?

    “Serroya, love…”

    No…this was a stag.  Where?

    “Open your eyes.  It’s morning.”

    Slowly, the fawn blinked awake, raising her head groggily.  The morning sunshine filtered through the tree tops, caressing her flame colored fur with its brilliant warmth.  Yawning, she gave a bleary eyed glance towards the fawnling who had pulled her from her dreams.  The golden stag beamed down at her rewardingly.

    “Hello little one.”

    Surprised at his presence, the filly’s head whipped up in sudden alarm.  Ears pricked in high alert, she looked around in confusion.  Where was mama? Where did she go?  She had to follow!

    Hurriedly scrambling to her feet, Serroya tripped over herself in her hurry, falling back to the dew covered grass.  She bleated in bewilderment, appalled that her legs would betray her at such an important time.  Mama!  She had to find mama!

    “Whoa there,” her father rumbled in his deep chest, snaking out his tail to help her up, “You’re mother is having some much needed alone time.”

    Alone time?  Serroya tilted her head at him curiously.  Why would she need that?  All you need is play!  Play and food!

    Shivering, the fawn glanced down at her dew-soaked chest, sniffing at the cold droplets clinging to her.  Play, food, and warmth!  That was what she needed!

    Eyeing her with undisguised mirth, Doristay chuckled, “Cold from our fall, huh? Here now…hold still.”

    Without warning, a brilliant flash of something bright burst towards her, blasting her with sudden heat.  She jumped in fear and scrambled backward, looking around her in concern.  Where had that thing come from?  Where did it go?  Behind that bush?

    Serroya snuffled her little brown nose in the direction she thought it had fled, desperate to pick up a trace of it.  At her father’s laughter, she turned a quizzical gaze on him.

    “I forgot,” he chuckled, sides quivering with his merriment, “You’ve never seen fire have you?”

    Fire?  She leaned closer in awe.  What was…fire?

    Noticing her expectant look, he grinned, “Oh, very well.  I’ll show you some more.”

    Closing his eyes, the golden stag slowly exhaled as he conjured a ball of flame between his antlers.  Carefully, he lowered the glowing sphere before his eyes for inspection, before smiling and floating it over to his daughter.  Eyes wide with wonder, the little filly sniffed cautiously at the wavering creation.  It giggled at her shy greeting, flickering out a tongue of flame.

   Hello, child of the sun…

    She blinked, glancing up at her father as it spoke.

    “You hear it?  It said ‘hello’,” Doristay stated, delighted at his daughter’s wonder.

    Serroya turned her attention back to the fireball, and bleated a greeting back.  The flames giggled, jumping around her in the air playfully.  Suddenly, the flame leaped at her chest and disappeared into the chestnut fur, causing the filly to make a confused sound.  Serroya could feel a warmth in her chest, shifting and dancing like the flame had, and it made her feel befuddled as to the cause.

    “Did you see that?” her father asked, nuzzling the little fawn, “The fire went to join your inner flame.”

    Inner flame?

    “We all have a flame inside of us,” he explained, looking out over the grazing fawnlings, “All Silverthornes bear Grian’s gift of fire in our souls.  As we grow in strength and wisdom, our flame grows with us.  One day, you may very well come to wield fire, both to help friends and frighten foes.”

    The golden stag paused in his lecture, “Of course…you’re a little too young to understand all that, aren’t you?”