He was supposed to ride through fire for her.

That had been his promise to her, long before he had even met her.

~~~~~

As a child, Arne Gervas did not listen.

'Ears stuffed with cotton, ' his mother would mumble in jest to their neighbor, the pink of embarrassment high across her cheeks as she tried for the third time to call Arne away from his friend.

But with joyous laughter in his throat and a body thrumming with gaiety, Arne would barely register the sound of his mother 's exasperated voice. After all, chasing and wrestling his friend took precedence over anything she could have to say.

Even with the threat of no supper, Arne did not listen.