Post by Queen Susan the Gentle on Nov 10, 2008 17:43:50 GMT -4
True darkness had fallen.
The moon did not grace the land with her presence on this dark and grim night and what little light the stars could give was blocked by the thick clouds that promised rain and the ceiling of borad leaves that coated the skyline. Not a single animal, save for the two that came to the darkened land could be found for the very purpose of it’s emptiness.
The two that came were woman and child. The woman, being hardly old enough to claim the title bestowed upon her, held her child, her only daughter, in her arms tightly as tears streaked the faces of both of them. The young mother’s hair was red as flame and her eyes a deeper violet than any flower could claim. Both of these traits she passed down to her daughter who had aged no more than a few months. During their journey the daughter had refused to be silent, using every ounce of her strength to let her voice echo through the surrounding forest. She had a strong cry; there was no doubt to that.
“Hush, Agrona, hush,” The mother coaxed wrapping the cloth tighter around the babe in yet another failed attempt to silence her. For what seemed like hours she wailed endlessly and her mother knelt on the soil beside the largest of trees slowly rocking the child in her arms. At long last she calmed and her eyes closed, concealing their uncommon beauty. From far away she could hear the bark of a dog and she knew Agrona’s cries had been heard. Agrona was carefully placed between the roots of the tree she knelt beside. It was a place that the roots were close together so the child could be placed between them and yet she would have no fear of her prying herself out. She brushed away a thin and wispy strand of Agrona’s hair as she spoke.
“Please, my daughter, live well in the life I give you. Forgive me of the sin against my conscience I commit to you now. May you understand one day that I do it for your own safety, your own protection. Do not hate me, do not seek me, and do long pursue your destiny.” And with these words she kissed the child’s brow and fled, leaving her to the mercy of the darkness. No one could know how long little Agrona was alone, watching the sky with silence unnatural for any child.
At last the dog found her pressing his wet, saliva coated nose against her. Agrona squealed but made no other sound. Both the eyes and fur of the dog was dark, nearly as much as the sky, though on his throat and underbelly there were shades of deep brown and a single speck of white on the tip of his curled tail. At his find he raised his head and let lose a cry for his masters to find.
The two master’s came as he called. Only the mutt had heard Agrona and they had come to believe that he had caught the sent of some predator or a rare catch in the traps set randomly throught the forest. One of them nearly matched the canine’s appearance, with his dark and barely kept hair. Only his eyes, blue as the ocean, could be matched differently. His body was strong and powerful, hardened with years of work and suffering that few could match, unlike the other
The other man attached the leash to the collar around the dog’s neck and stepped back cautiously as if waiting for some unseen monster to spring from the shadows. He was thin and incredibly weak in comparison to the first, but he at least had kept himself presentable. His fair hair was short and
his face cleanly shaven.
“Demc,” Said the second master, “See there, a child.”
“Left there by her mother, perhaps an unwed girl afraid to raise it or bear the shame of it.” Demc answered.
“Then we shall leave it as well.” The second master responded “We have no purpose for anymore children.”
“No!” Demc stopped him, but only just, as he turned to leave. “Mimo you can’t just leave a child to die.”
“I can.”
“You can’t”
“Then what do you propose we do?” Mimo argued, not willing to give in, “Our people can’t afford to feed her, much less clothe and house her.”
“Let her work for her keep when she’s old enough. My wife, Anira, lost our child in the moment of her birth only a night ago. We could raise her.”
For a moment Mimo was silent as he thought over his words. “I should have thought your loss would have clouded your judgment. You know that if you take possession of the child she will live your life.”
“I know this, but it is better life than death. If anything you have always been a kind master. It would not be like you to spare your grace on an innocent child.”
“Very well,” the master said at last though he looked away as if ashamed of the loss. “Take he as your daughter.”
“Thank you my lord.” Demc wasted no time as he took the child in his arms wondering why it still had not made a sound since the dog’s touch. Her violet eyes met with his for a moment and he marveled at them for a moment having seen none like them. But as he watched a strange, fog-like covering coated them and concealed their color. After a moment it faded giving him nothing to fear of it, yet leaving him lost in confusion. But her eyes no longer were green, but now a deep and pure shade of a flawless emerald.
“You have strange, dark magic within you, child,” He observed quietly knowing the master had not seen her display of her ability, “For them I shall call you Kami.”
“Take your Kami to the village and show her to your wife and pray she dose not hate for what you’ve done, no matter if it replaces your lost son. Raise her well and she will grow to be a good slave.”
The moon did not grace the land with her presence on this dark and grim night and what little light the stars could give was blocked by the thick clouds that promised rain and the ceiling of borad leaves that coated the skyline. Not a single animal, save for the two that came to the darkened land could be found for the very purpose of it’s emptiness.
The two that came were woman and child. The woman, being hardly old enough to claim the title bestowed upon her, held her child, her only daughter, in her arms tightly as tears streaked the faces of both of them. The young mother’s hair was red as flame and her eyes a deeper violet than any flower could claim. Both of these traits she passed down to her daughter who had aged no more than a few months. During their journey the daughter had refused to be silent, using every ounce of her strength to let her voice echo through the surrounding forest. She had a strong cry; there was no doubt to that.
“Hush, Agrona, hush,” The mother coaxed wrapping the cloth tighter around the babe in yet another failed attempt to silence her. For what seemed like hours she wailed endlessly and her mother knelt on the soil beside the largest of trees slowly rocking the child in her arms. At long last she calmed and her eyes closed, concealing their uncommon beauty. From far away she could hear the bark of a dog and she knew Agrona’s cries had been heard. Agrona was carefully placed between the roots of the tree she knelt beside. It was a place that the roots were close together so the child could be placed between them and yet she would have no fear of her prying herself out. She brushed away a thin and wispy strand of Agrona’s hair as she spoke.
“Please, my daughter, live well in the life I give you. Forgive me of the sin against my conscience I commit to you now. May you understand one day that I do it for your own safety, your own protection. Do not hate me, do not seek me, and do long pursue your destiny.” And with these words she kissed the child’s brow and fled, leaving her to the mercy of the darkness. No one could know how long little Agrona was alone, watching the sky with silence unnatural for any child.
At last the dog found her pressing his wet, saliva coated nose against her. Agrona squealed but made no other sound. Both the eyes and fur of the dog was dark, nearly as much as the sky, though on his throat and underbelly there were shades of deep brown and a single speck of white on the tip of his curled tail. At his find he raised his head and let lose a cry for his masters to find.
The two master’s came as he called. Only the mutt had heard Agrona and they had come to believe that he had caught the sent of some predator or a rare catch in the traps set randomly throught the forest. One of them nearly matched the canine’s appearance, with his dark and barely kept hair. Only his eyes, blue as the ocean, could be matched differently. His body was strong and powerful, hardened with years of work and suffering that few could match, unlike the other
The other man attached the leash to the collar around the dog’s neck and stepped back cautiously as if waiting for some unseen monster to spring from the shadows. He was thin and incredibly weak in comparison to the first, but he at least had kept himself presentable. His fair hair was short and
his face cleanly shaven.
“Demc,” Said the second master, “See there, a child.”
“Left there by her mother, perhaps an unwed girl afraid to raise it or bear the shame of it.” Demc answered.
“Then we shall leave it as well.” The second master responded “We have no purpose for anymore children.”
“No!” Demc stopped him, but only just, as he turned to leave. “Mimo you can’t just leave a child to die.”
“I can.”
“You can’t”
“Then what do you propose we do?” Mimo argued, not willing to give in, “Our people can’t afford to feed her, much less clothe and house her.”
“Let her work for her keep when she’s old enough. My wife, Anira, lost our child in the moment of her birth only a night ago. We could raise her.”
For a moment Mimo was silent as he thought over his words. “I should have thought your loss would have clouded your judgment. You know that if you take possession of the child she will live your life.”
“I know this, but it is better life than death. If anything you have always been a kind master. It would not be like you to spare your grace on an innocent child.”
“Very well,” the master said at last though he looked away as if ashamed of the loss. “Take he as your daughter.”
“Thank you my lord.” Demc wasted no time as he took the child in his arms wondering why it still had not made a sound since the dog’s touch. Her violet eyes met with his for a moment and he marveled at them for a moment having seen none like them. But as he watched a strange, fog-like covering coated them and concealed their color. After a moment it faded giving him nothing to fear of it, yet leaving him lost in confusion. But her eyes no longer were green, but now a deep and pure shade of a flawless emerald.
“You have strange, dark magic within you, child,” He observed quietly knowing the master had not seen her display of her ability, “For them I shall call you Kami.”
“Take your Kami to the village and show her to your wife and pray she dose not hate for what you’ve done, no matter if it replaces your lost son. Raise her well and she will grow to be a good slave.”
