Vengeance of the Phoenix (?)

The autumn-chilled air lay heavy around the sleeping village. Mist still clung to the ground, unwilling to be melted away by the new morning sun. Alexa shivered beneath her hood, but relished the chill all the same. It woke her up, and smelled pleasantly of fallen leaves.

She picked her way up to the bakery, empty sack in hand and her purse strung around her neck. It appeared that Gordon and Melina were the only people awake. Smoke puffed cheerily from their little shop. Alexa hurried through the door, eager for the warmth emanating from the ovens.

"Good morning, lass." Melina grinned at Alexa, a stocky woman dusted in flour. "I'm amazed to see any young person up and goin' at this hour." Alexa smiled as Melina disappeared to tend the back ovens. "Gordon'll be with ya in a moment."

Alexa inhaled the smells of baking bread with relish, and removed her hood. "Christ, girlie, what'd you do to yerself?" Gordon appeared, red faced and just as floury as his wife. Alexa blushed, fingering the large bruise on her cheek. "Does it really look that bad?"

The big baker came over to her, concern on his ruddy face. "Did one of the phoenixes...?" Alexa nodded ruefully. "It was an accident, one of the young ones. They're all so restless... One of the harness buckles hit me." She smiled. "Guess I shoulda been quicker getting it fastened." Gordon shook his head. "I wonder what's the problem with those birds. They've been jumpy all month."

Alexa shrugged. "Father's been worrying about that, too. We've sent a messenger to Peakesword, to see if they're having the same problem. One or even a couple phoenixes is understandable, but the whole crowd? Anyway, we're expecting the messenger back this evening."

Melina reappeared, carrying two fresh, still steaming loaves. "I suppose you'll want an extra, then?" She wrapped up the bread and came from behind the counter to slide them in to Alexa's pack. Suddenly, Melina wrapped her arms around Alexa, hugging her tight. "Be careful with those birds, sweetheart. Don't want anythin' worse than a bruise, now do you?" Then she let go, and giving Alexa's blonde braid an affectionate tug, she again vanished to the back.

Gordon looked down at Alexa, who was utterly bewildered by the emotion in Melina's voice. "She mistrusts the phoenixes sometimes..." He spoke in an undertone. "Her father was killed, when he fell from his phoenix." Alexa shook her head. "How did that happen? Wouldn't the phoenix have caught him?" Gordon shrugged. "We don't know. The phoenix never returned, must've died years ago. Anyways." The big man shook himself mentally. "I bet your da's awake and wonderin' where you got off to. Tell Roland to haul his arse over and say good mornin' sometime."

Alexa paid for the bread, and started the long walk home, her mind reeling with the thought of a phoenix who mightn't have protected his rider. How did that happen? She'd thought it was impossible.

A phoenix is brought in to the world by their rider's hand, bonding them for the rider's lifetime. What could make a phoenix unable... Or, unwilling, Alexa thought with a shiver, to save the life of it's rider? She'd always had complete trust in the majestic creatures, but... She shook her head, turning to look at the gargantuan form of the Hatchery, its sloping roof towering over the other buildings. No one had said the bird hadn't tried to save Melina's father. It was just lately, somehow their inattention made her uneasy.

Alexa shrugged off her thoughts for the day, and turned again towards the forest path that led to the house. Her father would undoubtedly be expecting her back before now.

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The sunlight was warming the earth in earnest by the time she had reached her front door. The Phoenix Master's house sat in a large clearing amongst the trees; a sizeable, heavy looking cabin that he'd made before Alexa was born.

Walking in to the big, cavernous front room that served as both sitting room and kitchen, Alexa was struck, not for the first time, at how temporary it looked. Sparsely furnished, even after seventeen years of habitation... Alexa shook her head. If she carried on like this, it would turn out to be a very gloomy morning.

"Da? Gordon says good morning, and to come round when you've got the chance." Alexa shouted to the house in general, not sure where her father was. A deep laugh issued from the second floor, and Roland appeared on the stairs, his tawny hair damp from a bath.

"Good morning to yourself, child."

He smiled, and Alexa felt relieved to see him in such good spirits. He'd been increasingly solemn, ever since the phoenixes had started acting so strangely.

"Give me your pack, Alexa, and go start with your chores." She groaned at this; she'd just started to look forward to falling back to bed for another hour. Apparently the Phoenix Lord wasn't in that good a mood.

"Alright, father." Roland nodded, his smile faded in to his regular formal expression. "I want you to finish early today, we're to have company later this evening, and I wish your prescence."

Abruptly, he turned and set the pack on the table, to vanish to his study. Alexa was left to mumble her distaste to no one as she, again, laced up her cloak.

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After gathering wood for the stove, and sweeping out the shed, Alexa began the bothersome walk back towards the town. I wonder who's coming... she thought. Possibly members of the Valley council? Who else would be interested in our phoenix problem..?

"Everybody." She answered herself.

Phoenixes were highly important to the town. In fact, they were the very reason Valley Blue and Peakesword existed. Not many others knew this, however. Certainly none of the younger kids. Even Alexa didn't know the details... "I'll have to ask Cayda." Before she could visit the storyteller, however, Rotalía would need feeding.

The Hatchery stood near the village center, an imposing structure of iron and stone near the size of a large cathedral. Gigantic windows opened up from every height. Alexa had probably spent half of the time she was in the village proper inside this building, so it wasn't frightening to her now. Yet, she still remembered how she shook when her father first carried her through the huge iron gates. Only phoenix riders and riders-to-be were allowed inside.

(break time.. bbs)