Report From The Tending Grounds
Fir
Metadata
Reference Number: BICI/SSP/CRJ1004/019
Title: Report From Stonesworth
Author: Fir
Date: Written approximately in the second month of year 5607 A.o.W.
Extent: One report, four pages long
Notes: Was originally found burnt nearly beyond recognition. A version has been recreated above.
To His Eternal Warmth, my god-king above all:
I’m back at the Tending Grounds. What can I say? I missed Spica too much. I bet she was lonely without me. She wasn’t in the mood to make friends when I left. I doubt she’s any friendlier now.
I wanted to keep my arrival a surprise, so I had Ash summon her discreetly, which… yes. I know. A large ask for someone as loudmouthed as him.
News of my arrival is bound to get out eventually. The longer I can delay it, the better. I’m here for quality time with Spica. I’ll meet the Trainee Embers later, once Spica and I are more used to each other.
Spica came to me late at night, scampering into the room as if she expected me to extinguish her life. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw me. Looking back, maybe I should have allowed Ash to tell her just who had summoned her. I thought the surprise would be fun, but it wasn’t. It only made me feel sad for her.
At first, she did nothing but stammer. But she didn’t stammer my name. “F-F-Flame Fee-Feeder.” Trust me, my liege. That’s an exact transcription of what she sounded like.
Either way, I welcomed her in. I told her to take a seat and enjoy a meal with me. She perched at the edge of her seat like a frightened little bird. I told her that the distance was no good. I asked the cooks to prepare us a feast. How could she reach anything on the table if she sat so far away?
“I c-could never presume, Flame-Feeder,” she said. I thought about what to tell her in response. Surprisingly enough, she continued to speak before I could. “I apologize for my previous conduct. I didn’t realize who you were. Please for-forgive me for being so ignorant.”
I’m starting to think maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I should have let her father tell her who I was. That way, she would have been happy and starstruck. Not… this. Sad and shameful.
Ah. I want that first evening back so badly. That was all I could think about.
I told her to stop speaking such nonsense. I may be the Flame-Feeder, but she is my protege. She should call me Fir. Really, who did she think I even was?
“Just some high ranking Ember,” she squeaked out.
And isn’t that funny? I certainly laughed at it. That only seemed to embarrass Spica further. I told her not to worry, but my words backfired, and the poor thing worried even more.. She shifted in her seat constantly, refusing to touch our food even as I heaped slices of roast duck and curried vegetables onto my plate, and then heaped the same onto hers.
I told her to share with me what was on her mind. It took some coaxing, but eventually she did.
Why did I pick her? That one was simple. Because You gave her to me.
Why did You pick her as my protege? Also simple. Because You see all, and You know exactly what I needed in a protege. And what I need is nestled deep within her potential.
Then she asked about the day we left. She was distraught over it. I knew she would be upset. Who wouldn’t be? But I didn’t realize how little solace she took knowing it was part of Your plan. She also asked why I insisted on testing her. Why wasn’t her Spark enough?
That’s the thing. I didn’t test her. I will say, Your Most Faithful Disciple is not Your Most Patient Disciple, though You are well-aware of that fact. I should have gotten her the day after, I admit. But eventually, she’ll have to make difficult decisions.
The forge is a violent place. We strike molten metal to make new weapons. She must be reforged into something stronger. No experience with me is a bad experience, no matter how it may feel in the moment. She simply has to accept that.
She was silent for a long time after that. I told her to eat to keep her strength up. She picked at her food. She didn’t eat nearly enough to sustain herself, but I wasn’t about to force it down her throat.
I told her she should banish these sad thoughts. There’s so much in her future to look forward to if she’d only open her eyes. She seemed to take my words to heart, or at least as much as she could.
We were silent for a while. Normally I love it when people don’t talk to me, but I don’t like Spica’s silence. I want her to tell me everything!
So when she said my name, without a single stutter, I looked at her. There was something in her eyes. I can’t name what it was, but I couldn’t stop looking. It was like… like a piece of what I had first seen in her on that very first day. It was something astoundingly bright.
“I’m not going to leave,” she told me. “I can’t change the past. If this is my destiny, then I will accept it. Please… teach me everything you can.”
Oh, my liege, my heart SOARED at those words. It was exactly what I wanted to hear! I darted forward and grabbed her hands. They were so cold in my grip, but I knew that would soon change. This girl is going to blaze so brightly.
I told her that after the Branding Ceremony, we would go up north to the Hall of Kindling and Charcoal. She was excited to hear that. She’s always wanted to see her birthplace.
I told her we’d take our time heading up there. We had no reason to rush. I’m unconcerned with seeing all of Scritta’s little show. Especially one made to prove a stupid point to me.
I can’t wait for our future together. May it be long, and may Spica grow into the flame You know she will become.
-Fir