to me.
I waited, wondering if he knew I’d noticed it was missing his flint box.
“Go on,” he said.
I took the belt, and his focus went back to the flames. He didn’t know.
I pulled the belt as tight as I could, and the sting forced a hiss from behind my teeth. At least it was covered now.
The fire popped and cracked, dulling the creature sounds of the Baublenotts. Staring directly into the flames, I could almost trick myself into believing I was in the A-Frame.
“We should build one for Digger,” Av said, his eyes glowing in the firelight. “Send him off to Rawley proper.”
I shivered and rubbed my arms. Av was right. We’d just left him, with no way for Rawley to find his fire. The Brothers say there’s a fire, a flame that belongs to the Pit, burning inside each of us. When Cole died, we all took him outside and laid his body on the ground. Crow lifted his head back gently and opened his mouth wide, so Rawley could see his flame, so Rawley could find him and take care of him. That’s how it is for all Brothers. Except for Digger. We’d left him, not making sure Rawley could see his flame.
Av was on his feet, and headed for the Bauble Weeper Blaze had stripped. Fiver sighed and stood up to help.
Blaze began pulling at the moss behind him, gathering it up for Av, when Av hurled a stick that connected with Blaze’s hand.
“Don’t!” he snapped. “His
real
Brothers will do it.”
Blaze gritted his teeth, massaging his hand where thestick had struck it. I watched Av and Fiver in the darkness, their backs to me and Blaze alone by the fire.
I held out my hand to him. “We’ll need Av’s knife.”
Blaze tossed it to me, focused on the damage to his hand.
“And your flint.”
He slapped it down in my palm and leaned his head back against the dark moss-covered stones.
I lowered my voice. “What happened to your flint box, Blaze?”
He stayed leaning against the stone, but I could see him tense, see his jaw lock. His eyes shifted over to me. “I lost it, I guess.”
I stared at him, daring him to make me believe that.
“Probably when your friend jumped me,” he said.
I kept on staring and he stared right back. He didn’t have the flint box when Av attacked him. He didn’t have it in Abish Village, even. He was lying.
He sat up, waiting for me to ask more, his eyes locked onto mine.
“Urgle.” It was Av. I looked up and he and Fiver stood in front of me with arms full of Bauble Weeper. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” I said, and Av and Fiver made their way across the rocks to find a spot to say goodbye to Digger. I took off Blaze’s heavy hide and handed it to him with one last narrowed glare. This conversation wasn’t over, and I wanted to make sure he knew that.
“Take some of the moss,” Blaze said. “Squeeze it out, it’ll make a proper flame.”
I knew Av wouldn’t want me to, not if it was Blaze’s idea. But he’d used it on his fire and it was crackling and glowing nicely. We needed a nice flame for Digger.
Without acknowledging Blaze, I pulled away enough moss from the stones at his back to fill my arms, and left him to sit alone by the fire.
I could see Av and Fiver, shadows in the dark, setting up far from Blaze. As I walked over, I could feel the weight of the flint and Av’s dagger in my hand. Poor Fingers. The dagger I’d made him would never find its way to his Big Brother’s hand now. I’d have to give it to him when we got home.
And then I’d finish Cubby’s.
I handed the flint to Av, and after a few unsuccessful attempts Digger’s fire lit up our faces and burned warm and bright.
“Think Rawley will find him?” asked Fiver.
Av didn’t say anything, just wiped at his face with the back of his wrist and I could see his eyes were wet. I hoped so. The thought of Digger alone in the Baublenotts made my throat start to swell, and I swallowed hard. But that was Rawley’s job. He came for all of us, took care of all of us when the time came.
I waited, wondering if he knew I’d noticed it was missing his flint box.
“Go on,” he said.
I took the belt, and his focus went back to the flames. He didn’t know.
I pulled the belt as tight as I could, and the sting forced a hiss from behind my teeth. At least it was covered now.
The fire popped and cracked, dulling the creature sounds of the Baublenotts. Staring directly into the flames, I could almost trick myself into believing I was in the A-Frame.
“We should build one for Digger,” Av said, his eyes glowing in the firelight. “Send him off to Rawley proper.”
I shivered and rubbed my arms. Av was right. We’d just left him, with no way for Rawley to find his fire. The Brothers say there’s a fire, a flame that belongs to the Pit, burning inside each of us. When Cole died, we all took him outside and laid his body on the ground. Crow lifted his head back gently and opened his mouth wide, so Rawley could see his flame, so Rawley could find him and take care of him. That’s how it is for all Brothers. Except for Digger. We’d left him, not making sure Rawley could see his flame.
Av was on his feet, and headed for the Bauble Weeper Blaze had stripped. Fiver sighed and stood up to help.
Blaze began pulling at the moss behind him, gathering it up for Av, when Av hurled a stick that connected with Blaze’s hand.
“Don’t!” he snapped. “His
real
Brothers will do it.”
Blaze gritted his teeth, massaging his hand where thestick had struck it. I watched Av and Fiver in the darkness, their backs to me and Blaze alone by the fire.
I held out my hand to him. “We’ll need Av’s knife.”
Blaze tossed it to me, focused on the damage to his hand.
“And your flint.”
He slapped it down in my palm and leaned his head back against the dark moss-covered stones.
I lowered my voice. “What happened to your flint box, Blaze?”
He stayed leaning against the stone, but I could see him tense, see his jaw lock. His eyes shifted over to me. “I lost it, I guess.”
I stared at him, daring him to make me believe that.
“Probably when your friend jumped me,” he said.
I kept on staring and he stared right back. He didn’t have the flint box when Av attacked him. He didn’t have it in Abish Village, even. He was lying.
He sat up, waiting for me to ask more, his eyes locked onto mine.
“Urgle.” It was Av. I looked up and he and Fiver stood in front of me with arms full of Bauble Weeper. “Are you coming?”
“Yeah,” I said, and Av and Fiver made their way across the rocks to find a spot to say goodbye to Digger. I took off Blaze’s heavy hide and handed it to him with one last narrowed glare. This conversation wasn’t over, and I wanted to make sure he knew that.
“Take some of the moss,” Blaze said. “Squeeze it out, it’ll make a proper flame.”
I knew Av wouldn’t want me to, not if it was Blaze’s idea. But he’d used it on his fire and it was crackling and glowing nicely. We needed a nice flame for Digger.
Without acknowledging Blaze, I pulled away enough moss from the stones at his back to fill my arms, and left him to sit alone by the fire.
I could see Av and Fiver, shadows in the dark, setting up far from Blaze. As I walked over, I could feel the weight of the flint and Av’s dagger in my hand. Poor Fingers. The dagger I’d made him would never find its way to his Big Brother’s hand now. I’d have to give it to him when we got home.
And then I’d finish Cubby’s.
I handed the flint to Av, and after a few unsuccessful attempts Digger’s fire lit up our faces and burned warm and bright.
“Think Rawley will find him?” asked Fiver.
Av didn’t say anything, just wiped at his face with the back of his wrist and I could see his eyes were wet. I hoped so. The thought of Digger alone in the Baublenotts made my throat start to swell, and I swallowed hard. But that was Rawley’s job. He came for all of us, took care of all of us when the time came.
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