CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ascending From Cinder
Over breakfast, which consisted of loaves of bread and different shades of blueberry jam, we discussed our route, and by nine in the morning Sirethiel time we were off. We thanked Raven for her hospitality and started walking towards a set of ridges on the other side of the palm trees. At a spot near the crest we stopped. I gazed down and saw a tiny river that looked like a blue thread weaving its way through a grayish-green smudge in the distance. "Aiden," Emma asked, pointing, "is that a forest?" "I think so, but it 's kind of hard to tell from here." Cotton raised his hand to shield his eyes from the rays of the sun. "Where?" "Over there. That splotch of tall trees?" "Yes, now that the sun 's …show more content…
"It 's weird. As soon as we stepped in through the trees the temperature dropped drastically." "Wow," I said, gazing around in disbelief. "I can 't believe it." "What?" I rested against a tree for a moment and then finally I couldn 't stand it anymore. "Everything! I mean, just look at this place. It 's changed so much. You have no idea! I wish you could have seen it before. It was so beautiful. No, it was beyond beautiful," I said and paused to think of a word that were be powerful enough to describe its splendor. "It was— "Enchanted?" Emma shrugged. "Marvelous, breathtaking, idyllic?" "Yeah, all of that and so much more. I had walked through the trees and the ground was completely covered with giant blue orchids; and everything was green. I stood next to the narrow stream and could hear the water rushing over the river rocks." I pointed at a mound of dirt. "There even used to be a steep waterfall right over there." "I 'm sorry," she replied, gazing around, "but it 's kind of hard to …show more content…
"I 'll gather some wood," Emma said. "Great!" I said. "Who has matches?" "We don 't need matches," Cotton replied, pulling a tinderbox from his pants pocket. "I have this." "What is it?" "It 's a piece of flint. You strike it to create a spark." "Can I try it?" "Sure," Cotton said. Emma heaped some twigs into a pit. Cotton crinkled up a few leaves and placed them underneath the sticks. Then he showed me how to use the stone to start a fire. After it was blazing we sat around staring at the flickering red and yellow flames. "I 'm hungry." Emma sighed. "Me too." "Me three," Cotton said, and we giggled. "Hey, what 's that thing in the sky?" I looked up. "I think it 's a shooting star," I said, watching a bright spot of light fly across the dark, starry sky. "I don 't think so. It 's orange like a flame and it 's heading straight towards us." I thought about running and hiding, but there wasn 't time. All I could do was shriek, duck, and dive to the ground for cover. We huddled together on the ground and then after a while Emma asked, Everybody okay?" I raised my head a little and looked over at her. She was lying on the ground with her arms thrown over her
Ascending From Cinder
Over breakfast, which consisted of loaves of bread and different shades of blueberry jam, we discussed our route, and by nine in the morning Sirethiel time we were off. We thanked Raven for her hospitality and started walking towards a set of ridges on the other side of the palm trees. At a spot near the crest we stopped. I gazed down and saw a tiny river that looked like a blue thread weaving its way through a grayish-green smudge in the distance. "Aiden," Emma asked, pointing, "is that a forest?" "I think so, but it 's kind of hard to tell from here." Cotton raised his hand to shield his eyes from the rays of the sun. "Where?" "Over there. That splotch of tall trees?" "Yes, now that the sun 's …show more content…
"It 's weird. As soon as we stepped in through the trees the temperature dropped drastically." "Wow," I said, gazing around in disbelief. "I can 't believe it." "What?" I rested against a tree for a moment and then finally I couldn 't stand it anymore. "Everything! I mean, just look at this place. It 's changed so much. You have no idea! I wish you could have seen it before. It was so beautiful. No, it was beyond beautiful," I said and paused to think of a word that were be powerful enough to describe its splendor. "It was— "Enchanted?" Emma shrugged. "Marvelous, breathtaking, idyllic?" "Yeah, all of that and so much more. I had walked through the trees and the ground was completely covered with giant blue orchids; and everything was green. I stood next to the narrow stream and could hear the water rushing over the river rocks." I pointed at a mound of dirt. "There even used to be a steep waterfall right over there." "I 'm sorry," she replied, gazing around, "but it 's kind of hard to …show more content…
"I 'll gather some wood," Emma said. "Great!" I said. "Who has matches?" "We don 't need matches," Cotton replied, pulling a tinderbox from his pants pocket. "I have this." "What is it?" "It 's a piece of flint. You strike it to create a spark." "Can I try it?" "Sure," Cotton said. Emma heaped some twigs into a pit. Cotton crinkled up a few leaves and placed them underneath the sticks. Then he showed me how to use the stone to start a fire. After it was blazing we sat around staring at the flickering red and yellow flames. "I 'm hungry." Emma sighed. "Me too." "Me three," Cotton said, and we giggled. "Hey, what 's that thing in the sky?" I looked up. "I think it 's a shooting star," I said, watching a bright spot of light fly across the dark, starry sky. "I don 't think so. It 's orange like a flame and it 's heading straight towards us." I thought about running and hiding, but there wasn 't time. All I could do was shriek, duck, and dive to the ground for cover. We huddled together on the ground and then after a while Emma asked, Everybody okay?" I raised my head a little and looked over at her. She was lying on the ground with her arms thrown over her