Sleep is wondrous, when not haunted by dreams of drowning in black water or being swallowed up by your own plan to escape the world around you. Naomi wakes in a cold sweat with Lo looming over her, hand out stretched ready to wake her. “You were having a nightmare.” She offers.

“Oh, did I wake you?” Naomi manages through the sleep, Lo shakes her head.

“I was already awake, come we must pack and be gone. A fire is coming this way and we need to leave before we’re lost.” Naomi goes to answer but Lo walks away, packing away more things. Naomi rises and stretches before being ushered out of the way so her bed may be packed up, unable to help she leaves the hut and walks through the village, everyone is rushing around, packing up everything they can as to out run the fire coming for them. Curious Naomi leaves the village, looking for the fire, only to find a thin, purple whisp of flame moving forward slowly, confused she approaches it, the closer she gets the more intense the heat is. Even ten yards away the heat is incredible and she quickly backs away before rushing to the village so as not to get left behind.

The village is nearly packed when she returned, Anu takes a last look over the spot that has acted as their home base for a few months before sighing and motioning everyone to follow. Those that are packed followed while the others rush to get their things in order, hesitantly Naomi follows, wondering if there is a way for her to help with the move. No one seems to pay her any mind as they trudge forward, working to out run the all consuming fire that burns day and night since it all came to a bloody end so long ago. The oldest among the clans can recall the day but most of the Ashen living now only know of this suffering for past greed and war, know that no one helped them because of the violence of their people, only know how to run and out run one another and the fire that threatens to consume everything they hold near and dear.

Slowly Anu leads them away from the coast and the fire that is slowly consuming where they were just hours before. Finally they rest, setting up camp on a hill side over looking a crumbling town devoid of life; they set up their homes, ready for this to become the base camp for a few months at least. As everyone busies themselves Naomi and some of the children go into the crumbling city, the children with a list of things to look for and Naomi just poking around for fun. The children run back and fourth with the things they have found while Naomi peers into empty buildings and homes searching for nothing really, sometimes picking up a small smooth rock or little trinket but ultimately returning to the slowly forming village empty handed.

She sits upon the ash covered ground and watches the village go up slowly and quietly, she watches as short words are exchanged in hushed tones like the people fear being heard. On a whim she stands up and walks to Uran as he finishes his home. “Why is everyone-”

“Hush.” He corrects harshly, glaring at her.

“Sorry.” She whispers “Why is everyone whispering?”

“This village was destroyed by the dragon that may or may not slumber. We do not wish to wake it should it still live.” Naomi looks back at the village.

“Why are we here if it was destroyed?”

“Anu-yan does what he feels is best, it has been long since the dragon was seen I’m sure he sees no threat being here.” She nods and walks away as he steps into his hut, heading toward Lo and the chief who are just finishing their home.

“Why are we stopping here?” Naomi whispers softly to Lo.

“Father commands us to.” Lo whispers back shooting her father a concerned glance. “The dragon weighs on him, even after all this time it bothers him.”

“Lo;” He pauses as he turns, hair still covering the left side of his face “Go make sure the people are all here.”

“Yes father.” She nods and walks away, leaving Naomi with the chief who just stares at her, his solitary eye boring into her own making her shift and look away at long last.

“My daughter has invited you into my home, and I have invited you into my clan. Will you accept my rules, our god, and our ways?” She looks back and nods mutely. “If you disobey me I will not hesitate to cast you out, understand?”

“Yes sir.” Her voice is hoarse and soft, shaking some.

“Good, you are free to leave me.” He turns away, looking at the village again. Recognizing she has been dismissed she turns and leaves. She wanders the village where she is stopped by a large hand falling onto her shoulder, startling her and making her whip around with a soft gasp.

“Food.” The one word confuses her and she pulls away.

“I don’t have any food.” She offers, the man shakes his head.

“Food.” Its firmer this time, but offers no more guidance. She huffs and looks around.

“There is no food.” She says loudly, crossing her arms. Again the man shakes his head this time sighing out of exasperation as he grabs her shoulders and turns her around, pushing her through the village as she protests.

“Food.” He says again, pointing out across the barren where many others are bent over rooting in the ash and earth looking for things to eat.

“Oh…” She sighs and goes out as the man seemingly instructed but not knowing what she is looking for. She moves slowly, looking at the surface of ash, oddly still and undisturbed as she makes her way to one of the many women who give her a questioning look before going back to the task at hand.

Glancing in the woman’s basket from time to time Naomi manages to find somethings that appear to eatable though occasionally the woman glares and tosses out a few things. They manage to find enough food, the only indication of this is when the women straighten up and begin walking back to the village followed by a hesitant Naomi. They begin to prepare what was found while Naomi shifted from foot to foot watching them closely, slowly a meal takes form and then is served out in small, warm portions.

Everyone eats, its a quiet affair that ends with Naomi and the children getting stuck with washing the wooden bowls and utensils while the adults go into the town to scavenge the heavier items left behind when it was destroyed. The dishes do not take long and soon everyone has gone their own way, the children run and play, keeping the noise level down while Naomi finds Lo laying in the ashes with Uran. She joins them as they wait for the adults to return, above them the gray clouds swirl and move, rarely showing off the blue sky or warm sun that beats down.