The Iron Butterfly Read Online Free PDF

turning black and going up in flames, the fire hungry for fuel. I stared until the smoke made my eyes water and sting but I refused to turn away until nothing remained but the gray ash. Feeling a sense of freedom I turned my back on the remains of my past.
    Breakfast consisted of day old bread and cheese, things that did not require a fire to warm. I bit into the bread and longed for the day when I would be eating something else. The cheese had a nice smoky flavor to it so I savored it taking small bites. The camp was already broken down and packed away with last night’s ashes spread into the trees, dirt and leaves covering where our campfire was previously. All signs of a camp were erased.
    Riding behind Darren on his beautiful white mare Gypsy, I was able to rest my cheek against his back and doze a bit while we rode. Joss and Darren had a total of three horses. I was all for riding solo, but I didn’t have the physical strength to keep the pace that Darren had set.
    The tension in the air was suffocating and no one spoke for most of the morning. We stopped to rest the horses and give ourselves a break and then we were on the road again. The farther we got from Sinnendor’s border the more relaxed Darren became, and soon he was back to his jovial state again and even ribbing Joss by telling childhood stories.
    “And then there was the time Joss decided he was dead set on courting a girl in town so he cut all of the rare Zythan flowers out of his grandmother’s herb garden. He gave them to the girl and they both had a bad case of hives for the next two weeks. Little did he know that they were a medicinal flower that if prepared right can be a great salve, but when cut fresh and handled with bare hands causes an unbearable rash. She never would talk to him again after that, and to this day she turns white at the sight of Joss and avoids him to all heaven!”
    Joss’ ears turned bright red, and he defended himself bravely, “I was eight years old and how was I supposed to know? They were a light blue. I thought that anything medicinal or dangerous would look like a weed!”
    Darren’s loud guffaws made Joss kick his horse to trot ahead of us, so he wouldn’t be privy to any more embarrassing childhood stories.
    “So have you known Joss long?” I asked.
    “Only forever and a day,” Darren sighed and his eyes took on a faraway look as he began to recall his days of youth. “His father and I were the best of friends. You should have seen us, we used to get into all kinds of trouble growing up. I try to visit every year during the warm seasons and in the fall, and I never miss the Wind Festival.”
    Darren’s smile faltered a bit. “Joss’ father decided to give up on the life of adventure and settle down to have a family. I’ve tried to settle down and stay in one place, I really have but I can’t. The open skies and the road calls to me like a beautiful woman. I never know what’s around the next bend, and life on the road is like a story that never ends. But despite my roving lifestyle, I’ve been named Joss’ godfather and I take it pretty seriously.” Darren looked toward Joss who turned around in his saddle and rolled his eyes at his godfather.
    I smirked at the friendly banter between the two. “So there isn’t anyone that you’ve loved enough to settle down and marry?” I felt ashamed as soon as the question left my mouth.
    “Ah, Melani,” Darren sighed. “I hold her heart but the road holds mine. I’ve tried to stay and do right, but the longer I stay in one place the moodier I become and the harder I am to live with, or so I’ve been told. Until one day, Melani will get fed up and start throwing dishes at me. She’s a passionate one and a beauty when she’s angry; which is why I love her. She’ll be hollerin’ for me to get out of the house with a demand to not come back until I have ridden off my restlessness.” He shrugged good-naturedly. “So I try and find jobs along the way,