Kyma huffs. Nothing is happening. Lyss had taught her how to make a fire and she thought she had figured it out, but no matter how many times she's hit the two rocks together, nothing happens. She sighs.

"Fine. You can try now, Astrila."

Astrila stands from her crouch and takes the stones from Kyma. She turns them over in her hands and frowns before she lifts the smaller gray one.

"The problem is that you're using the same type of stone. You have a nice chunk for your hand stone, let's keep that. But you're using a stone with the exact same properties for your striker. That won't work. You need something harder. A stone with iron in it would work, as would a piece of quartz or granite. Can you help me find one of those?"

Kyma shrugs and moves down to the riverbank. A lot of the stones in the area are the same. She didn't know you had to use two different types. She had just grabbed two stones that were the right shape. There is a flash of white half-buried in the sand and Kyma crouches, picking it up. It's a chunk of quartz, but it isn't the right shape. She sighs. She has to keep looking then. Despite that, she doesn't let go of the stone.

It may not be the right shape for the way Lyss taught her, but maybe Astrila can get it to work. There is a speckled gray stone further ahead, small and with a pointed end. Could it be granite? Kyma picks it up and grins. It is granite, and this one is the right shape. She picks her way back up the riverbank and returns to the fire. She hands the chunk of granite to Astrila and as an afterthought, the quartz as well.

Astrila turns both of them over in her hands, frowning thoughtfully. She lowers the quartz stone, placing it on the ground beside Kyma's sad little pile of tinder. Then Kyma blinks. There is more material there than there was when she left, did Astrila add more tinder? She must have made a noise, because her older cousin looks up at her.

"What is it?"

"Did you get more tinder while I was looking for rocks?"

Astrila blinks. "Yes, I did get more kindling. Why?"

Kyma shrugs. "I just knew that I hadn't collected some of it. How did you find so much of it in the short time I was gone?"

Astrila laughs. "You're forgetting that I've been living like this my whole life. Perhaps not in as warm of a climate, but I am well versed in what a fire needs." Kyma flushes and Astrila backtracks. "Don't misinterpret my words, you did a commendable job. It just becomes easier to find what you need when you are more used to this."

Kyma nods. "So, can you show me how to start a fire with the stones again?"

Astrila smiles. "Of course. Come, kneel beside me."

Kyma watches as Astrila strikes the two rocks together, hard and quick. A white spark flies out from between them, but it doesn't catch on the tinder. Astrila strikes again. Another spark. This one too doesn't catch. The next spark does catch and she carefully fans it to life with her hand. The tiny flame grows, quickly spreading over the rest of the kindling. Astrila steps over to her bag and stows the stones. She smiles at Kyma when she returns.

"They work well and we may be on land for a while, so we might as well keep them with us."

Kyma nods. "That makes sense."

Astrila grabs one of the fish and places it close to the flames to cook. She places the next one beside it and they wait. The first fish's scales quickly start to char, but that won't affect the meat inside. Kyma watches the crackling flame, shifting every so often to avoid the smoke. She looks over at Astrila.

"What do you think we'll find up the river?"

"I don't know. The wind told me that is where we must go and my magic isn't warning me of anything. So at a guess, I don't think we'll be in danger. But Kyma, I don't know anything more than you do. But even if I knew without a doubt that it was dangerous, I don't think I would hesitate. The prophecy told us to go, Atka told us to go. We don't really have a choice. I just wish I knew what we needed to do."

Kyma bumps her cousin's shoulder with her own. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. How long do you think it will take us to travel upriver?"

"It depends on where specifically upriver the wind wants us to go. Could be a day, it could be a week."

Kyma laughs. "You think it could take a week?"

Astrila shrugs. "We may swim fast, but the currents can be strong. You know that as much as I."

Kyma shudders at the memory of the storm they passed through halfway across the sea. It took them days to escape its pull and the currents created by the storm's winds were horrible. They used most of their strength trying not to be dragged backward. She shakes her head and reaches down to flip one of the fish over. Astrila flips the other one. While they wait, Kyma peels open one of the hazelnuts and pops it into her mouth.

The crunch of it feels lovely between her teeth and she savors the smoothness of the nut. She consumes maybe five more of the nuts before Astrila pulls the fish away from the fire, replacing them with the other two. They'll eat two of the fish today and the rest will probably be for tomorrow. Astrila takes her knife from the pouch and begins to prepare the fish for consumption.

She makes quick work of them, wrapping their pale flesh in some large leaves to set aside. When the other two are done she does the same, leaving two chunks of the fish to eat now. She hands one of the pieces to Kyma, who balances it on her lap. She tears a strip of meat off of the fish and pops it in her mouth, chewing slowly.
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I had to do an insane amount of research for the fire with striking rocks. It's often not a feasible way of doing it. But it works here. What do you think? How far up the river will they need to go? What's going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.