Xia - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

To begin my life story, let me just say, I'm not normal. What I mean is (I'm not explaining this well), more like I'm...different. That is I grew up away from my own kind. My own kind? Well, I'll paraphrase it. I live among a people called Cerenthicarians, who took me in as a five year old girl from my drunk father, who was a blacksmith and treated me as his servant rather than his daughter. I was to become a fair maiden to be wed to a suitor of my choice and then raise my own family. I am called Aerowen, and I have always pictured living in a simple modest home, bouncing children on my knee. Waiting for the arrival of my husband to return from a days work in the fields-that is to say-something else was coming my way. I'm just confusing you, allow me to go back a ways...

*** *** ***

“Aerowen!” shouted an exhausted voice from the direction of the apple orchard.

“In here!” I replied through the open doorway. Then I returned my attention to the two girls that were presently situated on each of my knees. Jill and Bena were two sweet and innocent children. They were alike in every way except personality. Baby blue eyes and orange looks slowly began growing as the days had passed. Both had small piggy noses and small pale lips to match their light skin tone. These girls were newest members of the community. Jill playfully pulled my rough brown curls, while Bena had drifted her thoughts into a realm of sweet dreams and fantasies.

“Aerowen-” he stopped himself when he saw me rocking the children on my knees. “Why am I not surprised? Of course I would find you here with my children.” Jill cooed at her father blowing bubbles in her mouth.

I wiped her chin with a torn cloth and replied calmly, “You can not blame me. Sezera asked me to care for them while she went to bring you supper.” Jill, growing rather impatient, began squirming so I handed her over to her father. It was hard to believe that he ever became such a mature and supportive gather. Last I remembered, he was a boy, tying cows tails together and sneaking into my room at sunrise and dumping water on my head; now he was a man. And a great brother to me.

“Oh did she?” he asked teasingly, then changing the subject, he said, :Why don't you just get married, raise a family, and have children of your own rather than steal mine?”

After he said it I could tell he regretted it. I had gotten a pain in my eyes that I usually tried to hide, but his words cut me deep. I smiled trying desperately to recover and said, “I just haven't found the right one.” It was a lame response, but I had to say something, but how could I tell him exactly how I felt.

He was my brother and he had almost always been an anchor for me when I was hurt or alone, but his was different. I was afraid my real reason might offend him. We both knew that I didn't really belong to this family, let alone this people. I belonged, by blood, to a small group of people from the northwest called Perasonians. I had been brought here as a five year old because Roy, my current father, had pity on me when a large band of thieves burnt the village I grew up in. It was a topic that had rarely been discussed and I wished it to stay that way. I was saved from an awkward silence when Sezera walked into the house.

“Did you avoid me on purpose?” she asked a little more harshly than intended but Flatious played along anyways.

“I'm sorry, my dear wife, you must have camouflaged in with the apple blossoms or I would have seen you as plainly as a strawberry coloured rose among dark green leaves.: His jade green eyes searched her sky blue eyes. I'm sure they would have kissed then and there, but Jill began to pout. This roused Bena out of her slumber, so I sweetly and quietly sang to her in case, she too, decided to cry.

Sezera thanked me as she took Bena from my arms, I left her and Flatious alone, they deserved it too. Since the births of Jill and Bena were born, everyone hardly gave them room to breath. Even I may have been labelled somewhat a nuisance.

Giving them more privacy, I closed the solid mahogany door and continued to walk homeward. Walking past the rose garden that led to my brothers home, my mind drifted to into a stupor of thought.

Sezera planted the garden of the day after her wedding. She was an amazing woman of many hidden talents and obvious characteristics such as formal, pretty, smart, loving, and most importantly, she loved my brother very much. True, I was fond of her, but, I could never really bring myself to caller her sister. Even I was not related in the least bit to anyone I had known in the last fourteen or so years, yet I was accepted as a true Cerinthicarian to the family I had come to love and trust. I suppose it was jealousy. She was everything I could ever hope to be: sixteen, married, and happy, while i was nineteen, unmarried, and...I don't know...confused. I never felt like one of the family.

I ducked under a tree branch that curved in an awkward way. Where the branch made a small dip in the center, a nest had been built. But it had been abandoned for the summer. It would be far too humid for the birds that had resided in that nest. They would have gone north. Though spun wildly in my head. Supposing I should remain true to my own people. They lived in the mountains somewhere in the northeast. I'd never really left farther than the orchards and fields lining the river. My imagination swirled as I began to think as a little child would. Adventure, that was what I needed. Discover the secrets of the north and perhaps more. Find riches beyond imagination and live a life of luxury where I truly feel free and maybe, just maybe, I would belong. Like a missing piece waiting to be found. My heart soared at the possibility of such things, but this was futile. It was considered betrayal to leave your home and the people there who you live with.

I was passing our well when my mother approached me, “Aerowen?”

“Yes?” I asked, snapping back to the present.

“Would you do me a favour of getting water from the spring?”

“What's wrong with the water from our well?”

“Nothing. It just would be nice to have colder and fresher water. Your father invited someone over for dinner,” she smiled a smile that showed her wrinkled dimples.

“Very well. I'll go get Belle.” I was reluctant but still willing to a degree. I was in no hurry to meet this guest of the week. My mother was smart but not sneaky. I knew when she was playing match maker.

Smiling at her, I turned to the horse stables to get Belle, taking mother's water pail with me. When I opened the stable doors I saw Belle impatiently stomping the ground while anxiously whining as though she wanted to leave. Sheebana, Millie, and Hornet were acting in a similar pattern. Though Millie was usually very good-natured she acted most strange. She seemed much more eager to go somewhere, but where and why? Just then, Millie reared up, revealing a flame that was quickly licking a post.

“Fire!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, “Fire! Somebody help!” Instinctively she began looking every which way for water. The water trough was empty, so was the bucket of water that usually sat in the corner by Belle's cell in case of something like this. Not knowing what else to do, I opened Sheebana's cell door. Without a moment to loose she furiously stormed her way out of the stable, almost running me over. I flew out of the way, considering myself very lucky from being a second away from being crippled. Belle's cell door was next in line. I unlatched it and off she ran despite her gentle age. As she ran through the stable doors, I noticed that a flame was consuming violently at them too. It had obviously been burning for a while, preventing anyone from getting in or out without a good burn. But neither that flame nor the one by Millie were connected in any way. In a short minute I would be helplessly trapped and the price to pay to get through those doors would be more than a burn.

I hurried to unlatch Hornet, who near killed me with his monstrous hooves the size of plates as he stormed past. Luckily, I was left with nothing worse than a bad bruise on my left leg. Bearing the pain, I limped to Millie. Poor Millie, her whole cell was on fire. I heard faded voices coming from outside the stable. Quickly, I began unlatching Millie's cell.

“Ow!” I shouted into the yellow fumes and grey smoke. The metal was extremely hot and I doubted I could open it any further than I already had. Millie though, had had enough. Thanks to the fire weakening the wood, Millie easily broke free, but didn't go anywhere except in circles. We were doomed. I heard more voices. Then I had a strange sensation of being lifted up. Smoke filled my lungs and the air became unbearable, then I blacked out.

*** *** ***

I woke with a startling throb in my left leg and right hand. Trying desperately to get up, the pain pulsed more violently than before. I was forced back onto my pillows.

“Don't move,” I heard a familiar feminine voice say. But it was hard to decipher and slurred, I couldn't concentrate so I closed my tired eyes. “She's awake.”

“Thank goodness,” responded a manly second voice. I opened my eyes sorting through my mind who these people were. Coming to my senses I mouthed the words 'mother' and then 'father'.

“Areowen honey, I'm so thankful your alive,” my mother gathered me in her gentle arms without even causing me to wince. “This is all my fault.”

“Tera,” my father spoke, “You had no way of knowing that this would have happened.” With my free hand I reached over my body and held her hand. She smiled, but it was forced. There was an uneasy silence, it bothered me and thoroughly reminded me of my hunger.

“Mother,” it was barely audible, but my connection was made through, “so...hungry...” I hated making requests, but it was necessary to get well and stop worrying my mother.

Needing something to do, she complied, leaving the bedroom. My father went to comfort her. I was left alone to ponder my feelings.