Kingdom of Ash

the light flared, just as Bronwen declared,
loud and clear as the breaking day around
them, “Your queen summons you to war. The
Vanora fly with her. Will you?”
The hearth leader only said, “The Redbriar
will fly,” and ignited her own torch before
hurrying to the next clan’s fire.
Hearth to hearth. Until all seven in the
camp had accepted and ignited the fire.
Then, and only then, did the young scout
from the final clan take her burning torch,
grab her broom, and leap into the skies. To
find the next clan, to tell them the call had
gone out.
Manon and the Thirteen, the Crochans
around them, watched until the scout was
nothing but a smoldering speck against the
sky, then nothing at all.
Manon offered a silent prayer on the wind
that the sacred flame the young scout bore