Episode 196 There Must Be Wood
There Must Be Wood
“How big is this fire supposed to be?” Elowyn asks as she extends her palms, clearly ready to create it herself.
Cerian lays a hand against a nearby tree trunk. The touch soothes his restless plant magic.
“It’s not just fire out of nothing,” Rominy says. “You’re supposed to burn firewood.”
“And this matters?” Elowyn asks.
“Yes, actually. The woodsmoke. The cracking, hissing logs as they burn. The long stick to poke at them.”
Elowyn tilts her head. “Poke at them? Why would you poke at burning wood?”
“You just do. Help me out, Sanna.”
Arisanna laughs. “I don’t usually poke the wood, but Rominy’s right. If you want to experience a human campfire, this is generally how it’s done.”
Elowyn looks at Cerian, and he shrugs. It seems like a lot of fuss when he and Elowyn can create and manage the fire, but they might as well humor their humans.
“I suppose I’ll grow the firewood,” Cerian offers.
“It’s better if it isn’t green. It should be dry wood, or it will smoke too much.” Rominy glances sheepishly at Cerian. “You probably already know that.”
Cerian offers him a smile. He’s very familiar with the burning properties of wood, but he keeps that to himself.
“We also need stumps to sit on,” Sanna says. “And rocks to surround the fire pit.”
“Rocks?” Cerian asks. “You mean to contain the fire? Elowyn and I can do that without rocks.”
“There must be rocks,” Sanna says.
Cerian glances around. Are there even rocks in here?
“The creek bed,” Elowyn says. “Rominy and I will gather these rocks while you grow the wood.”
It will be green wood, as Rominy put it, if Cerian grows it. He eyes the trees around them. All the wood in here is alive.
He might need Elowyn to draw the moisture from anything he grows.
Or Taliel. She could age the wood. And she’s right outside the door.
He frowns. Why didn’t they invite Taliel and Jonas to join them?
Not that he desires a crowd, but they’re supposed to be supporting Taliel and Jonas. Helping them adjust.
Grandmera would box his ears for leaving them in the hallway.
“I may require Taliel’s assistance,” Cerian says. “Any objections to expanding our party?”
Elowyn and Rominy look sheepishly at each other as if they feel guilty for not thinking of it first, and Rominy jogs toward the door.
“Get in here,” he says. “Unless you have other dinner plans.”
Taliel happily steps into the arena.
Jonas is more circumspect as he takes in the tiny forest. “Are you sure you want us to join you?”
“I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t.”
“We’re building a human campfire,” Elowyn informs them. “They will not allow us to create the fire out of nothing. There must be wood involved.”
Taliel grins at Jonas before turning back to Elowyn. “Wood, you say?”
“Yes. Cerian requires your assistance.”
“Jonas can help us haul rocks for the fire pit,” Rominy says.
Jonas nods. “Of course. Where are we getting these rocks?”
“From the creek,” Elowyn says. “Come on.”
Taliel approaches Cerian and Arisanna as she watches Jonas follow Elowyn and Rominy. “How may I be of assistance?”
“I can grow the wood, but it will burn better if you age it first.”
“Ah, yes. I can do that.”
“And we apparently need stumps to sit on.”
Taliel nods.
“Where do you desire this campfire?” Cerian asks Arisanna.
“Right here is fine, but you’re the fire expert.”
Cerian glances at the nearby trees. “Why don’t we move a little closer to the creek?”
Not that the fire will get away from them. Not with both him and Elowyn to monitor it. He’ll worry less if it’s nearer the creek, though.
Sanna offers no argument, and he reaches for the roots spanning the ground beneath the arena floor.
Then he pauses. “If I turn into—”
“I’ll make sure you get fed and ignore anything ridiculous you say,” Arisanna offers. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Hopefully, a few stumps and some firewood won’t take too much out of him.
Reaching for the roots again, he sprouts six seedlings in a wide circle near the creek. They quickly transform into saplings and squat trees as he coaxes them to grow.
It feels good. This is exactly what he needed.
“Cerian?” Sanna says, and he glances her way.
“What? Did I do it wrong?”
“No. No, this is fine. I just think perhaps I misspoke when I said stumps. They don’t have to be actual stumps. Just...stools made of logs? But stumps are good. This is good. Perfect, even. Are you planning to cut off the trees?”
He slows the tree growth as he struggles not to laugh.
At least he’s not turning into the bear. Yet.
“Are you trying to tell me I didn’t need to grow six trees to get six stumps? We could have just cut one into six stools?”
Arisanna tilts her head from side to side. “We’ll have plenty of firewood.”
Taliel laughs beside them, and he grins.
“It’s more pleasant to look at this way,” Arisanna says. “Stumps are much more attractive than wobbly log stools.”
Cerian lets go of his magic and pulls her against him. “Shall I put you out of your misery and tell you it’s all right?”
Sanna nods. “Please do.”
He presses his forehead against hers. “It’s fine.”
“Thank you. If you kiss me, I’m going to turn bright red.”
“Is this supposed to deter me?”
She lightly smacks his chest, and he steals a simple kiss before letting her go.
Taliel smiles nearby. “Shall I dismantle the trees now?”
“Please.” Cerian steps aside. Thank the fates he’s just a little hungry.
“You make it sound like you’re going to disassemble a piece of furniture,” Jonas says to Taliel as he hefts two large stones into the middle of their circle of trees.
Taliel shrugs. “Catch.”
Jonas frowns, and a small branch almost falls on his head before he fumbles for it. “Taliel! A little warning next time.”
“I said, ‘Catch.’” She turns to Cerian. “Did you not hear me?”
“I heard you,” Cerian says as he tries not to smile.
“Catch?” Jonas sets the branch aside and crosses his arms as he shakes his head at Taliel. “To a human, ‘Catch’ and ‘Watch out because I’m about to drop a branch on your head’ are two very different things.”
“Understood, Captain. Watch out because I’m about to drop a branch on your head.”
Jonas scrambles out of the way this time, and Rominy freezes outside the tree circle with two more rocks.
“I think I’ll wait until you’re done dropping branches on people’s heads,” Rominy says.
“Wise choice,” Cerian whispers to him.
Taliel quickly shears the rest of the branches from the small, squat trees Cerian grew, and then she slices through the trunks at regular intervals.
Jonas watches with wide eyes as she wields her magic. He seems impressed now that branches aren’t falling on his head.
Cerian helps Rominy and Jonas pull down the trunk segments, and Taliel makes quick work of aging the wood and splitting it into properly sized chunks for burning.
That would have taken him a lot longer to do with only his plant and fire magic.
A few trunk rounds remain when the arena door opens, and Tharios steps inside with Viala on one arm and a picnic basket in the other.
“I come bearing food! I hope that means we get to stay. I can’t believe you didn’t invite us to your—” Tharios cocks his head as he takes in their partially constructed fire pit.
“Please tell me this isn’t some bizarre human ritual where we chant nonsensical things as we dance around a fire.
Because I’m considering rescinding my offer to join you. ”
Elowyn bursts into laughter. “Is that a thing?”
Rominy clears his throat. “Perhaps. That’s not what this is, though. Stars above.”
“It’s a campfire,” Arisanna says. “Or it will be.” She turns to Taliel. “Leave those last two logs so we’ll have enough seats. We have plenty of firewood.”
“A campfire,” Tharios says. “Sounds amazing. I suppose we’ll stay.”
Cerian shakes his head and grins. “I love that you waited until all the work was done to show up.”
“Hey, I carried this very heavy basket all the way from the kitchen.” Tharios smirks as his air magic swirls around Cerian, and Cerian snags Tharios’s foot with a root, knocking him off his feet.
Tharios’s grin grows. “Well done, Cer. I think that’s the first time you’ve ever done that.”
“Done what?” Cerian offers Tharios a hand up. He’s knocked Tharios off his feet before in the arena. Plenty of times.
“Usually, when I tease you with my air magic, you glare at me and threaten to singe my eyebrows.”
Cerian stills as he meets Tharios’s eyes. Tharios is right. Cerian didn’t even stop to think. He just...did it.
Tharios pulls him into a hug. “Thank you for having my back today. It meant a lot.”
Cerian nods when Tharios lets him go. “I...yeah.” He clears his throat before meeting Tharios’s eyes again.
Tharios knows. Perhaps he’s always known. Always understood Cerian better than Cerian realized.
Tharios pats his shoulder before turning to say something to Taliel, and Arisanna’s arms slide around Cerian from the side.
“I adore you, my elven prince.” She lifts onto her toes to kiss his cheek, and he wraps an arm around her.
“Is it time to light the fire?” Elowyn asks.
Jonas props another log on the stack in the firepit before brushing off his hands. “I think we’re ready.”
“Does anyone have a match?” Rominy asks, and Cerian looks at Elowyn, whose confused face mirrors his own.
“A match?” Elowyn asks.
“To light the fire.” Rominy sounds completely serious.
“I don’t know what that is,” Elowyn says.
“It’s a small piece of wood with a reactive tip that catches fire when you strike it on a special surface,” Rominy says.
Cerian frowns. Is he in earnest?
“Rominy,” Elowyn says. “Please tell me I can just light the fire with my magic.”
Rominy’s serious face morphs into a smile, and he laughs as he pulls her close. “I’m teasing, love. Of course you can just light it with your magic.”
“Whistling wind, Rominy. I thought you were serious.” Elowyn barely holds back a smile as she gazes up at him, and then she gives way to laughter.
It’s contagious, and even Cerian smiles along with the others.
After kissing Elowyn’s forehead, Rominy lets her go and gestures to the firepit. “Show me your fire, love.”