An Axe in the Flames

Decisions

The sun was late in the sky above, still barely showing through the thickening gray clouds. Like stacks of sheep wool piled one on top of the other, singular rays jutting out from the sky like spears of golden rods.The day had been a wash, no Amery and no axe. This was concerning because as far as Draxx knew, Amery had never missed a deadline or not shown up with merchants. When no one had claimed to have seen him that morning, he had decided to pay his friend a visit. His gut told him something was off, there seemed to be that old familiar feel on the wind that things were just not right. That gnawing at the bottom of his stomach that made his chest feel tight.

The walk to town was enough to make Draxx's knees swell and ache, so he had decided to saddle up Nila and head to the tool smith's shop. Good thing too, the winds had picked up already and were blowing bits of snow like swirling ashes after a massive fire.

"Surely he's ok? Maybe he just drank too much last night?" Draxx said as he rubbed Nila's head.

Her ears perked up and she grunted, her hoofs kicking up small puffs of gray dust as she steadily walked forward. He adjusted himself in the saddle and reached into an over hanging bag on her left side, grabbing a bit of rabbit jerky. He reached forward and popped it into her mouth.

"You're right. He never was a drinker. Still, just not like him...but I got that feeling in my gut, sweet girl. Like before Red Sands. Remember?"

She grunted again, while loudly chewing the jerky. He popped a piece into his mouth and began chewing as he checked the map again. Crudely drawn, like by a stable hand's slow minded child. Though, it was easy enough to read and distinguish where he was by the landmarks that were drawn. He was nearly there, and could even make out the shape of a wooden building near the ledge of a steep drop off. There wasn't the type of smoke he expected from a tool smith shop, billowing from the forge chimney, but there was smoke.

"We lost your brother that day, lost Red Sands, and lost most of the children. An utter route. I knew that morning, though. Something bad was gonna happen."

Nila didn't grunt this time, but made a small whine.

"I know, big girl. That was a tough loss. You saved my hide though. Even if it turned out that who I thought was the King of the Flame Sect, wasn't. You still sucked up that grief and saved my old ass."

She whined again. It was amazing to Draxx that she always seemed to know exactly what he was saying and even sometimes, it felt like she could read his mind. They had a connection that he'd never had with another animal, but he didn't dare speak it out loud. People already were a little afraid of him because of his reputation as a fighter, best to not make them think he was bat shit crazy too.

"See it up ahead? Looks like he's done well for himself. His shop is bigger than our house!" He said with a barking laugh.

He reached down and rubbed at one of her ears, "Probably best to pull up to the row of trees beside the shop. I'm not sure he's all that comfortable around animals bigger than him."

The shop was only about twenty feet from the ledge of a cliff that dropped off a sheer two hundred feet, and heights made Draxx a little dizzy. Pulling up to the trees was going to be easier for him too, as he could use the trunks to help him down with his hips beginning to tighten up on him. Plus it was far enough from the drop off that he wouldn't have to really acknowledge it.

He climbed down, gingerly and slowly, then stood stretching his back and legs, "Now, just relax right here. I still don't feel right, so if something seems off out here...you let me know."

She gave a grunt, as he turned to the shop. There wasn't a single thing that made it stand out as anything other than a wooden house, aside from the size of it and the huge chimney. The clay shingles were brown, the wood brown, the big wooden door too. Amery must not be one for decorations, he supposed.