Catalyst(11)

“Your father got it in the Burning Sands and gave it to me before he died. He would have given it to you in time. The ancient inscription says ‘I will be with you, always.’ You never knew your father, but I’m sure he’s watching us from heaven. Keep the dagger close. It will protect you in your time of need, as it has protected me many times.”

Why would she have needed protection? I stared at my mother, seeing a completely different person from the one I'd known my entire life. She wasn't just my mother and someone who took care of me. She was a woman with a past.

She handed me the dagger. I slid it into its scabbard and squeezed it inside my girdle. The dagger felt like it had an unexplainable energy to it—as if it completed me in some way.

“Goodbye, Mother,” I said, and embraced her one last time. I made sure to hug her longer than usual, not only because I was going to miss her and it might be a while before I saw her again, but also to slip some money into her pocket. “I’ll miss you and I love you.”

“I love you too, son. Remember what I’ve taught you, and please be careful.”

I sniffled back some tears. “I will.” I let her go and grabbed my belongings. I stopped at the doorway and took one last look. I wondered if she’d be all right without me. What would happen to me before I next saw her? I had to find out why I had power over fire and learn to control it. I couldn’t stay and hurt my mother again.

I went into Sedah, buying the necessary supplies while people were just opening their shops. I was grateful for the money the princess had given me. My mother and I could never have afforded all the things I bought. I got plenty of strange looks from people, more so than usual. They thought it was a bit peculiar to be buying winter gear in the middle of spring, but I didn’t care.

I bought a cloak, leather gloves, and, most importantly, a fur coat. I also needed a pair of leather boots and some sheepskin blankets. After the clothes, I bought some food, preserved meat, and a backpack to carry everything in.

The shop owners tried to make conversation with me. I was careful to bring out the exact money I needed, and not show them my pouch, but it was as if they knew I had money. Some even tried to raise their prices on me. When the items I bought started to pile up, I had to start lying. I told everyone I was buying things for Farmer Andrick, the man my mother and I worked for. It would be common knowledge that I was gone soon enough. No need for the gossip to start now.

My biggest expense was an aging horse. We had never been able to afford one before. Even after that, I still had quite a bit of money left. I wished I could say goodbye to what few friends I had, but if I saw them, I might never have the courage to leave. I loaded my supplies on my horse and walked her northwest, towards the White Mountain and my strange, unknown destiny.

Before I reached the edge of town, I saw the one person I didn't want to see. The only thing in my favor was that he was alone. Normally I would have cut through the woods, but because of the horse and the direction I needed to go, I had to stick to the road. I avoided looking at him and tried to use the horse as a barrier. It didn’t work.

“Going somewhere, Hellsfire?” Nathan asked, sauntering up to me.

“No.”

“Then what's with all this? Did you steal it? Where could you have gotten the money from?”

“That's none of your business.”

“I'm making it my business.” Nathan said, blocking my path.

I met his eyes. “I don't want any trouble. Not today.”

“That's too bad.”

Nathan grabbed the reins from my hands and shoved me hard. I fell to the ground, landing on a rock. My cloak shielded me from the worst of it, but I was still going to have a bruise on my back.

Nathan loomed over me and laughed. “At least it wasn't mud.” From the look in his eyes, he wished it was.

He started walking off with my horse. I scrambled to my feet. “Stop!”

He turned around and gave me a quizzical look.

“It ends here,” I said.

“It does, does it? It ends when I say it ends.”

Nathan stormed over to me. I balled my fist, but he was too big, strong, and fast for me. I was knocked to the ground again, grunting in pain.

My hand went to the dagger secured at my waist. I wanted to get revenge for all the pain Nathan had caused me over the years. For a moment I thought about drawing, but then I let go of the hilt. That wasn't why my mother had given me the dagger. I wasn't going to let her down. All I wanted was my horse and supplies. I wasn't leaving without them, and he wasn't taking them.

I tried to get up again, but he yelled and hit me as hard as he could. I fell to the ground once more, breathing dirt instead of air.