Maude sat at the banks of the Similyan and watched as its quick waters rushed southward. The cool water lapped over rocks and spun in tiny whirlpools at the banks. Sunlight sparkled off the water like starlight as the endless river carried onwards. Old willows sat upon the banks, shielding Maude only slightly from the ever-present midday sun. Their branches danced as a cool wind blew across the wide river.

  The sun was high in the sky. Harvest Season was nearing an end. The once-lush trees along the riverbanks were now fading with color. Most of the aspens, birches, and oaks around her cottage had already lost their leaves. It wouldn’t be long before Dark Season arrived and with it, the threat of snow.

  Maude knew that the warm days would soon be coming to an end. So, she soaked up the sun while she could with a book laid across her lap. It was a collection of stories Finlay had bought for her a while ago, which she had already read and reread countless times. Despite this, she never stopped enjoying the worlds within the pages.

  Maude might have gone on to enjoy the rest of her day if a set of footsteps had not approached her. She turned to see her brother marching irritably through the tall grass.

  “Caris,” she said with a small smile, “how did your hunt go?”

  He stopped walking as he drew closer to her and gave her a blank expression, “does it look like it went well?”

  Maude wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question.

  “If it had gone well, I’d be carrying a stag or rabbits or…something,” he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t suppose you’ve done what you’re supposed to do?”

  She did her best to ignore her brother’s anger. “I swept out the cottage and brought water in from the river. We should have enough for a few days. And the clothing is out on the line.”

  “Next time, you go hunt and I’ll sit around by the water,” he said.

  Maude hated hunting, she looked away from Caris and towards the undulating water.

  “Finlay will be back soon, you should probably make dinner,” Caris said. It was his way of telling her that he wasn’t going to help with cooking.

  “Sure,” she stood up and placed her book into her satchel.

  “And don’t make anything more with radishes, I’m so sick of those.”

  Maude walked past her brother and away from the river’s edge towards the little cottage. She hadn’t planned on making anything with radishes but now she felt a sudden craving for them.

  Later that evening, as dinner was just finishing, Maude stepped outside the old cottage for a bit of fresh air. The cool night air drifted off the river and brought a chill down her spine. It was hot in the cottage from making a warm meal but the night air had a chilly bite to it.

  For a moment, Maude stood in silence, gazing up at the heavens above. Stars twinkled in the endless black abyss. She smiled back at them.

  As she watched the stars, Maude heard the familiar sound of footsteps approaching. She turned to find her uncle, Finlay, returning from his day out on the water. Caris walked behind him carrying some of his fishing supplies.

  Unlike her, Caris shared many of Finlay’s physical characteristics. They had the same blue eyes, light hair, and wide shoulders. While Finlay’s hair was beginning to turn silver in some spots, Caris’s hair remained the color of barley.

  “Maude,” Finlay beamed at his niece. “I could smell your cooking from down by the river.”

  She smiled in return. “It’s only stew,” she explained. “I’m afraid we are running low on meat again.”

  Finlay glanced back toward Caris who narrowed his eyes at Maude.

  “There’s been nothing to hunt. It’s like the animals have all headed south,” he said.

  “Perhaps Maude and I will go out on a hunt tomorrow,” Finlay replied diplomatically. “And perhaps you can try your hand at netting us some fish?”

  Caris only shrugged dismissively, “Fine.”

  Just before Maude turned to go back into the cottage, a strange flash of light from the north distracted her. She turned to face the distant northern landscape.

  “Did you see that?” She asked her uncle and brother.

  Before either of them could answer another flash light shot through the skies. It shot southward, crackling through the atmosphere like lightning. Only, it wasn’t lightning. The vein-like pulses of light were a vivid shade of red.

  “Fin,” Maude stepped closer to her uncle.

  “What is that?” Caris asked.

  “I don’t know,” Finlay said so quietly that Maude had a hard time hearing him.

  She gazed up at the cloudless skies. It wasn’t lightning or anything else that she could easily explain. Maude shivered for a moment. Something about the strange sight made her stomach churn.

  “Maybe it’s just a storm that’s approaching,” Finlay said calmly. “Let’s all go inside and eat our supper.”

  Caris followed Finlay’s lead and walked into the cottage. Maude, however, was left frozen in place, staring at the dark skies. She couldn’t help but stare at where the strange red light had been. Surely it had been more than just a storm.

  Dinner was a quiet affair. None of them spoke about what they had seen outside. Caris appeared to be displeased with the stew–after all there was radishes in it. Finlay ate in silence. The fire raged in its hearth, filling the cottage with the sound of crackling embers. Maude desperately wanted to ask about what just happened, but Finlay’s stony silence kept her question at bay.

  After they ate, Finlay offered to clean up while Maude and Caris went outside to gather more wood for the night.

  Outside, the air was crisp and Maude marched across the front lawn towards the little woodshed. Caris followed her.

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  “What do you think that was?” Maude asked as she collected several logs from the stack.

  “Fin’s probably right. I’m sure it’s just a storm,” he grabbed a collection of firewood.

  “I’ve never seen lightning like that,” she insisted.

  Her brother hesitated before replying. “No,” he said slowly. “I suppose I haven’t either.”

  “Didn’t it feel…weird?”

  “I didn’t feel anything,” Caris retorted. “But I…it was strange.” He turned quickly and left the woodshed.

  That evening Maude fell asleep quickly. Her night was filled with images that felt more like an omen than a dream. Nightmares about giant serpents and talking trees plagued her mind. She dreamed of a giant volcano and a monster made of pure darkness.

  It was early the next morning when Maude woke to the sound of Finlay boiling water for his tea. He was never particularly quiet in the morning. Since the cottage was small, it was often his morning routine that roused her.

  Maude rose slowly from her sleeping mat and walked into the hearth room of the old cottage. It was still dark outside. The only light was from the fire. It illuminated the room in a soft golden glow. Despite the warmth, she couldn’t shake the strange dreams from her mind.

  “Good morning,” Finlay said as he poured himself a cup of tea. “How does a hunt sound?”

  Finlay was always in a good mood in the morning. He smiled as he sipped his tea, waiting for a response.

  Maude nodded as she took a seat by the fire. “It sounds lovely,” she yawned. “But Caris did say that there hadn't been any animals.”

  “Well,” Finlay let out a sigh. “I suppose we’ll have to see for ourselves.”

  The hint of a rising sun was just beginning to glow on the horizon. Maude walked silently through the tall, golden grass as Finlay led the way into the scattered forest. Despite trying to focus, Maude’s mind drifted back to her dreams.

  “Fin?” Maude said quietly. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course, but you know the rules about hunting. We must be quiet if we want something other than vegetable stew tonight.”

  “Right,” she nodded. “I just…I feel like I should mention my dreams. They were…strange. I dreamed of a volcano erupting and a terrible monster.”

  Finlay only turned and smirked at her. “Maude,” he said calmly. “You must stop reading those wild stories. At least not before bed.”

  “No,” she stopped walking. “It wasn’t like a story. It was real.”

  “I’m sure it felt that way. Dreams are quite fantastical things,” he said. “Let’s keep moving, I’d like to make it up to the southern ridge so we have a better view of the prairie.”

  Maude reluctantly followed. She cursed herself silently for sounding too much like a child. She wanted Finlay to believe her but dreams were just that, dreams. Despite this, Maude knew there was something different about the one she had last night. It had something to do with the red skies.

  As Maude walked through the grass and up towards the hilltop, the sun was beginning to rise ever so slowly in the east. The horizon was aglow with soft pinks and purples. The fears that nighttime brought were chased away as the sun began to show its face.

  At a clearing, atop the ridgeline, Maude began to hear a chorus of quiet voices. At first, she was sure it was just her imagination, but soon it became impossible to ignore.

  “Fin,” she said. “Do you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  “The talking.”

  “Talking? All I hear is you.”

  Maude rolled her eyes. “No, listen.”

  “The light is coming,” said one voice.

  “Good, I was worried it would be gone,” said another.

  “Gone? Nothing can destroy the light.”

  “Dria Thal might.” After that, there were too many voices at once for Maude to make much out.

  “Don’t you hear them?” Maude frantically asked Finlay.

  “Maude,” Finlay said with a tired sigh. “If you don’t want to hunt, that is fine, but I need to get us some meat. Alright?”

  “No, Fin,” she said. “Can’t you hear those voices? They are talking about the light? Do they mean the sun?” She squinted out at the horizon.

  “No, I don’t hear anything,” he turned and took a long look at Maude.

  The sun was just rising above the horizon, casting a bright new light onto the prairie. The tall grass turned gold in the sunshine. The distant edge of forest could finally be seen as something more than just an ominous cluster of darkness. Despite the beauty of dawn, Maude’s eyes were drawn to her hands. She clutched her quiver, feeling foolish for insisting that something strange had happened.

  Why couldn't Fin hear the voices?

  “Are you feeling alright?” Finlay asked.

  In the background of the conversation, Maude could still hear voices talking. “I’m fine,” she said unsure. “I just…” she trailed off as her eyes looked northwards.

  Just above the horizon was a giant cloud of dark smoke. It was so large that it appeared to be blocking out the sun from the northern lands. Maude stared in awe and shock.

  “Is…is that a wildfire?” Maude asked, recalling a time when the prairies around the Similyan had caught fire after a lightning storm.

  Finlay looked in the direction that Maude had been looking. His face paled at the sight.

  “Maybe the alpine forest caught fire during whatever that was last night,” Maude said.

  “That doesn’t look like a wildfire.” It was the first time Finlay admitted to something being off.

  Maude and Finlay returned to their cottage mid-morning. Finlay had practically run most of the way back, leaving Maude to feel out of breath by the time they made it. Caris was outside, readying the fishing raft.

  He looked up as they approached. A knowing smile crossed his face as he placed his hands on his hips.

  “What did I tell you about the game? They’ve all headed south.”

  “Have you looked north?” Finlay asked his nephew.

  “What? For stag?”

  “No, right now.”

  Caris turned his head northward. For a moment all three of them stared at the blossoming cloud of smoke.

  “Is it a wildfire?” Caris asked.

  “That’s what I thought,” Maude admitted. However, paired with the strange voices and the dark dreams, she had a feeling it wasn’t a wildfire.

  “I’m not sure,” said Finlay. “But it doesn’t look like any wildfire that I’ve seen before.”

  “Did you come all the way back to the cottage to have me look at some clouds?” Caris looked between Maude and Finlay.

  “I don’t have a very good feeling about that,” Finlay explained. “I’m going to go into town to speak to someone who knows about that sort of thing.”

  “Wildfires?”

  “Messages from the sky.”

  Caris rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going back to that Bard woman?”

  Finlay nodded. “Tisha knows the sky like no one else. Bards understand things that Meiren like us don’t. Why not use her wisdom?”

  “I can think of a few reasons,” Caris said under his breath.

  “It could be a wildfire,” Finlay said calmly. “Even so, wildfires can be dangerous. I want to know what Tisha and other members of Henoble think is happening.”

  Maude nodded. She wanted to know as well. She also wanted to know why she was hearing voices.

  As Finlay readied himself for a trip to town, Caris and Maude sat together on the banks of the river. Fishing and hunting had been seemingly called off for the day. With both Maude and Finlay worried about the smoke, they felt it was more important to go to town.

  “So, if it’s not a wildfire, then what is it?” Caris asked Maude.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I had these dreams last night that felt…”

  “Dreams? You’re basing your fear of this wildfire off of some dreams?”

  “I dreamed that a volcano erupted. There was war and...monsters,” she thought of the giant serpents she had seen.

  Caris rolled his eyes. Maude wanted to tell him about the weird voices she had heard as well, but she didn’t. He had an easy enough time teasing her about simple things. She didn’t want to give his insults more ammunition.

  “You know that Finlay is only worried because you’re worried.”

  Maude looked over at him. “No, he said it was strange, too.”

  “Only after you did.”

  Maude said nothing.

  “And let me guess, you just happened to see that smoke after you failed to track down a stag?” He looked over at her with ice in his eyes. “I told you that there was no game, but neither of you believed me. You had to use a distant wildfire as an excuse to get out of it.”

  Maude wasn’t sure what to say to that. “No,” she said. “I...I saw it and I thought of my dreams...and I…”

  Caris stood up and walked towards the cottage. “Fin,” he shouted. “Are we leaving or not?”