This is the story of how Hamal meets Cally the flamemaker and goes with her to live with the flamemakers in South Barrow. I love this story because it shows what Hamal looks like from someone else's perspective…and it also shows how cool he is! Did you know he has a lot of experience delivering babies?! Neither did I!

— Lauren

As she mopped the sweat from her sister’s brow, Cally eyed the healer standing on the other side of the bed and tried to think positively. It wasn’t the boy’s fault he was young. Nor was it his fault that the healer they had carefully saved for—taking extra jobs, going without sleep and food and repaired boots to pay for—was nowhere to be found the night they needed him.

Ruby had gone into labor last night, but when they sent for the healer they had “purchased” to come as agreed, no one had been able to find him. After a desperate search, Essek had sprinted to the mission for another healer and found only one: this child. Was he a talented healer? No, he was a boy who wasn’t trusted with the hard cases—he had actually volunteered that information on the way to the public birthing house. He did only small healings at the mission, like broken fingers. Scrapes and bruises.

His name was Hamal. And he barely looked capable of putting on his boots...

To read the rest of the story, head over to our store!