WOW. Chloe, the one with excellent taste, liked my story?!?! I'm extremely flattered, but don't inflate my ego too much.
Anyway, I finished Chapter One! Hurrah for me! ^_^ Enjoy!
Chapter One
The swallowtail butterfly alighted on the daffodil with the grace it possessed and began to feed. Its delicate wings, with numerous panes of golden yellow and royal blue set in intricate ebony frames, were held erect, quivering in the light breeze.
The butterfly finished its nectar and fluttered off to land on an outstretched perch—a finger that belonged to a young girl.
The girl was tall, and all her movements were graceful. She was dressed in a simple blue shift, with a leather pouch at her waist. Her brilliant red-gold hair was held back in a blue headscarf, to keep it out of her eyes. She studied her new companion.
"You're a pretty thing," she told the creature, "and you really don't cause me any trouble. But you had best fly away now, lest I accidentally damage your wings." It didn't move.
She took the butterfly over to a foxglove and let it crawl off her hand. Then she sat down on a rock to stare out at the sunlight dancing on the surface of the nearby pool. It teased her, beckoning her into its sparkling shallows. Despite its gentle appearance, the sunlit waters concealed shadows of unfathomable depth—much like the girl's eyes, twin spots of emerald light hiding her shadowed thoughts.
Perhaps I don't belong out here at all, she mused silently.
Perhaps I belong down there, in the pool. Perhaps I am just water and light incarnate, and the shallows are welcoming me back…
She doubted the truth in this. Her mother had warned her of the pool's dangers, as all the other village women had warned their children. No one had ever measured its depth, and those who tried never came back alive. Some people believed that the pool was home to a malevolent djinni, which brought foolish humans to a watery grave.
Others maintained that the undines lived in the pool, and those mischievous little water sprites played tricks on unsuspecting humans. They would tantalize intruders until they jumped in, in order to join the undines' camaraderie, and then pull them under, never to be seen again; or so the villagers say.
There were even those who claimed that the pool had no bottom, and those who fell in sank straight to the underworld to have their deeds justly repaid.
The girl had never really believed the myths, but she hesitated to enter the water. What if the legends turned out to be true….?
In any case, she saw no reason to remain where she was. She never fit in with the villagers anyway. She was regarded with fear, suspicion, and even hatred. She remembered what had happened just yesterday afternoon…
She had been walking through the village to get water from the well. She always did this; it was the one chore her father insisted she do, for it was vital as well as easy. She walked with an air of grace and dignity few
queens could ever hope to possess, much less the daughter of an impoverished hunter. She followed the sound of talking and laughter, for the well was located in the village square, and served as a place for the citizens of Amanrath to congregate and meet. As she walked into the square, however, all the conversations and gossip ceased.
She looked up and found all eyes on her. Mothers grabbed their children and pulled them close, glaring at her. Men of the village militia tightened their grip on their swords. An unknown citizen hissed, "Witch!"
She walked through the now-silent crowd, feeling uncomfortable as she always did when in the presence of her fellow villagers. She came up to the well and slowly drew the water into her bucket. When she had finished, she turned to leave. Before she left the square, however, someone threw a ball of mud at the back of her cloak. She spun around to see who had done the deed, but whoever it was had already disappeared. She turned once more and ran back to the cottage. As soon as she was out of sight, she heard the talking return, but this time it was a mutinous muttering…
It's like that every time I encounter them, she thought miserably.
Yesterday afternoon was better than most, though. They didn't throw vegetables, or beat me, that time. Just stared at me like I was some kind of disgusting creature from the swamp, or a beetle they desperately want to squash. Why do they hate me so much? I never caused them any trouble. I was born with penetrating eyes and fiery hair, that's all. They seem to think that it's some sort of crime to be different! I don't belong in a place where people believe that!
But then, she remembered her parents. Her mother: tall, graceful, resourceful, dark-haired and brown-eyed, considered the village beauty in her day, working tirelessly to raise her only daughter. Her father: strong, sturdy, intelligent, blond-haired and blue-eyed, once set to become a scholar but losing his chance at that dream when she was born, leaving often for the mountains to capture the meat they needed to survive, but still was always there when his little girl needed him. Both of them had given up everything they wished for, had to endure the hatred and spite of the other villagers, so that they could raise her. They loved her with all their hearts, and it would be unfair of her to take that all away by departing.
For their sake, I won't leave. I love them, and I will stay here.
She sat there for a long time, staring out into space and weeping silent tears. Then, almost unconsciously, she began to sing.
It is impossible to describe the song in words, for it had none. It was nothing but a tune to those who might wish to see it written down. But when she sang, a feeling would enter the hearts of all who heard it. It was a sorrow so intense it that flowers around her would droop, the sunlight would dim to a mournful semi-darkness, the wind would sigh, and tears would stream down the faces of unfeeling rocks. It was the sorrow of an outcast, a misfit, yearning to find the one place she belonged.
"Kaeli!" She stopped and turned around to see her mother coming through the trees. "Darling, it's time for the midday meal. Is something wrong?"
"No, Mother, I'm okay," she lied. "I was just thinking."
"Well, then, you'd best come with me. Your father is waiting for you." Mirazhe looked at her daughter again with an odd look on her expressive face. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"
"Yes, Mother. I'm perfectly fine."
On the outside, she added mentally.
"All right, then. If you're sure…let's go home, Kaeli."
Kaelarin of Amanrath followed her mother through the woods and down to their cottage, where her father was waiting for them.
So, how was it?