A world lit only by fire

It was late afternoon and Cesare Alderisi was on the road from D’Auvignon to Sundarin per the request of a client. He had left the shop in the hands of a trusted assistant, along with a score of maps he received requests for most frequently, so that any other customers could still be served while Cesare was away. The trip would take him about a month, there and back, depending on the weather and the conditions of the mountain range that separated Navarre and Valyria. At the moment, he was looking for a place to set up camp for the night in the forest in the very south of Navarre, so that he could work on the rough outline of his map while there was still a little light out. He would fill in the details once he returned to D’Auvignon.

He came across a clearing just large enough to set up his equipment, start a fire, and let his horse rest comfortably. There was a small body of flowing water to his right that would be safe enough to drink from. Decision made, Cesare dismounted and led his horse over to one of the trees. He tied off the reins and set to taking off the mare’s saddle, which he set on the ground close to his bag. He would keep it close to him, in case he needed to saddle up in a hurry. Once he was finished, he set off to find wood for the fire. He wouldn’t be able to make too large a fire, in case of wild animals, but he would like the heat. After he had crossed the mountains, the desert would be warm enough on its own, but for now, he was left with the cold wind of late autumn and would need the fire to make it through the night.

After he had managed to get a small fire burning and had eaten a light meal, he settled against a tree and pulled up his knees. He placed a board of polished wood against his knees so that he could use it as an improvised drawing table. Even though he was only pencilling in the rough outline, he wanted to get it done as neatly as possible, so he didn’t have to spend hours correcting it later. He set to work, head turned slightly sideways and the tip of his tongue poking out between his teeth in concentration.

He worked until the light became too poor to properly see the paper. He stretched, groaning softly at the crick in his neck and back from not changing his position for over an hour, and straightened. Just as he reached for his bag to tuck away the wooden board and his papers, he heard a noise behind him, coming from somewhere in the density of the trees. He listened closely; the noise continued, moving closer to camp, but it didn’t sound like a wild animal, if only because its pace was too slow. Regardless, Cesare inched closer to the sword he had put beside him on the ground. He put his sketching equipment away while keeping one eye on his surroundings. If it was anything that meant him harm, he would be able to react quickly enough.

&Adeline