Words on Fire

After walking for a few kilometers, Audra hides in a thicket of trees and dozes fitfully until sunrise. In the morning, she crafts a makeshift brace for her ankle and is about to open her parents’ package, but a nearby sound scares her, and she flees.

After walking for most of the morning, Audra realizes she is lost. While attempting to traverse some slippery rocks at a second river crossing, she falls into the water. A boy downriver helps her out of the river and then introduces himself as Lukas. He confirms that she has passed Venska but is reluctant to help her. Audra bargains for his help by performing a card trick, and Lukas agrees to bring her to Milda.

Audra rides Lukas’s donkey without a saddle, adding to her discomfort. The children make conversation, but Audra is reluctant to share details of her life with Lukas, fearing that he is a spy. To pass the time and distract Audra from her worries, Lukas tells Audra a story of a girl named Rue, who uses her cleverness to save her father’s life. He then shares that he is not welcome in his family and works for someone named Ben in exchange for food.