Elemental

Chapter2 :The Escape

I have been crouched on the pyre for the best part of the day now, my joints have stiffened and the simple action of breaking the remainder of the chard leather restraints sends my shoulders into instant protest. This small action causes a ripple in the flame, it strengthens for a few seconds then returns to the dwindling form it has used for the last hour, my worst fear now would be to alert attention before I have a chance to get away, this village have already tried to burn me, I would hate to see what they would do if they caught me swaying with the trees the very next day.
I shudder and push the image to the back of my head, I work on the straps attaching my ankles to what remins of the wooden post, this breaks with a satisfying crack, allowing me to ever so slowly slide my feet from under my bum, left first then right. All though painful at first the relief is instant, like the banks of a river after the first snow melt, relief floods over my whole body, I sit there intoxicated in my own joy and slowly move my joints. The fire has stolen all of the mosture from my skin, if I move to fast it will tear like old parchment making escape almost impossible.
The hard bit now, moving from fire to ice, there really is no way to describe this kind of transaction, it's like sitting in front of the fire for hours on end then getting pushed into the snow but at least ten times worse. There is only so much you can do to mentally prepared yourself, the difference this time is, usually when being burnt I'm thrown on the pyre as I am, cloths, boots and my weapons, these people on the other hand took the time to strip me and lace me in what I can only describe as a long white sheet with a belt. At this point, I'm naked. The sheet had burnt of long ago, where as my specially treated leather trousers and slim boots would have survived the blaze, leaving me only to find a top to 'find'.
This would make it all the more harder to leave the blaze as I wouldn't have the heat of the leather to keep the most of me warm, I hated the aspect but it was unavoidable, i have to do it quick. I contemplate the best way to do this, stand up and go head first, or slid out feet first. Instead I roll out, not a graceful head down roll, my skin wouldn't allow that, I roll on my side and instantly regret my decision as soon as I'm face to face with the freshly lain snow.
I lie in shock, sure I have disappeared into the white of the snow as my skin must look how I feel. I don't want to move for fear of shattering, but I know I'm only causing more damage by lying here, I get up, wrap my arms around myself and shuffle over to the small table where food had been lain for the spectators, my boots and trousers are frozen solid and I am shivering so hard my teeth are in risk of cracking, I quickly throw then in the fire and put them on, they are to big, but only because of the my skin has shrunk without the water in it. I pull a giant blue top from a tree and slide it on, unable to put that in the fire I have to grit my teeth as the cold once again grabs me, my next task is to find water that isn't frozen to revitalise my skin.
I run my hand over my bald hair as I try to recall the direction of the closest stream, it would grow back soon enough, until then I can pass unnoticed through the villages until I reach the next town.
At least I hope I can.