Solum Mistero, the Story of a Changer
My story starts off in a place I used to call home, Amorous. I was just a young lass of 16 summers and was ready for an adventure, although not marriage as my mother hoped. The day was bright and warm, perfect for a ride through the woods on my trusty pony, Volatilis Tempestas, which was Latin for swift storm. Of course, mother wanted me inside, sewing because a good seamstress will get a good husband.
"Ardor" she would scold, "How will we ever find you a good husband if you get any browner and refuse to learn to manage a household?"
Then she would smile and say, "You know, I met your father at a market when I was searching for fabric..." and would dive deep in her memories, leaving me with a chance to escape.
Only Father understood my need for freedom, to mount Temp and ride till I was lost. What he didn't know was I also needed to be alone to work on mastering my gifts. No one knows of them but Bendi and me. Bendi is my closest friend and the daughter of our shaman. She has some gifts but not all that I have. I can create fire, water and wind with the flick of my wrist. I can make the earth move with a few whispered words and speak with all the animals of the forest. Bendi says my gifts are rare because I alone can do all of them. She says I am a Changer, one who can bend the elements to their will but that I am different from them. Usually Changers can master only one element not all four, but once long ago there was a Changer, one who could master all four. I am that Changer, and I will have my adventure.
After escaping Mother, I immediately dashed into the woods. I had felt weird all day; kind of forbidding feeling, like something bad was going to happen. Finally I reached a clearing in the woods and slowed Temp to a halt. Sliding off of her, I wondered out loud about this feeling I had. Suddenly a voice from above said, "Me too, Ardor. Maybe it's our gifts telling us something".
"I don't know, Bendi, maybe." I answered as she slid down the tree trunk to sit beside me.
We sat in silence for a while, contemplating our gifts, when suddenly the ground began to shake. Temp, my normally calm and indifferent pony's head shot up and she began to dance in circles around where I had ground tied her. "Easy, Temp, easy" I said placing a calming hand against her neck, "What's the matter?"
"I smell evil, Ad. Something evil is coming our way" she neighed in response.
"What does she sense Ardor?" Bendi asked, used to my ability to communicate with animals.
"Evil, I better go home and check on the rest of our horses. If Temp is this scared, I can only imagine how the rest will be" I said, swinging in to the saddle, with Temp still prancing. By this time the ground had stopped shaking and the forest was eerily quiet.
"I'll go home too, and see if Apoi has any idea of what is going on. I'll talk to you later" she whispered across my mind as she disappeared.
"I hate it when she does that, can we go?" Temp neighed nervously and stomped her hoof, "It's growing closer".
"Yeah, lets go" I answered back, giving her rein and crouching down to avoid tree branches. As we neared my house, that feeling of dread grew stronger, and Temp for the first time refused to go further. I dismounted and blew all twigs, leaves etc. from our path so we could creep quietly.
At the edge of the path, I left Temp "If anything happens to me, you are to go to Bendi and bring her to this place. If I don't survive then you are to be her pony and serve her well, understood?"
"Yes" Temp nodded her head.
"Good, you have been a great pony and a great friend, I will miss you" I gave her a last hug and pulled out my bow and arrow. Walking slowly and quietly toward my house, I saw Father out trying to calm the horses and Mother standing next to him, looking for me. I almost called out to them but then the ground started shaking and I quickly climbed up the tree and looked for the source of the shaking. Mother saw them first, a unit of Calvary from the King's army thundering down our bridle path, then halting before Mother and Father. The leader's voice boomed out and I could feel the evil oozing off of him, "We seek your daughter Ardor, Farmer. Do you know of her whereabouts?"
"I am here" I answered gliding down from the tree on a wind I had summoned, "What dost thou want from me?"
He stared for a few seconds and then found his voice, "Tis true! There lives a Changer". A whisper passed through the men, awe filled stares where soon directed at my presence. The leader silenced his men and continued on "My lady, your presence is requested by the King in his throne room". My mother gasped then fainted with a thud, I however was intrigued by this summons, "Kind Sire, does thoust know reason for this summons?"
"Nay, fair Lady. Perhaps you might tend to your mother before interrogating the guests" he answered with a twinkle in his eye. I immediately distrusted him and turned to help with mother who by then was awake and was ashamed at her poor show of hospitality.
"Kind Sir, I apologize for my episode, it seems a little shocking to me that the King would wish to see a poor farmers daughter, Changer or not." She boldly stated, "Now if you will hand over your horses to Ardor and my husband, you are welcome inside for some refreshment and rest".
"That would be wonderful, my lady" he accepted, "Men, hand over your horses to the young lass and her father and follow me for some refreshment".
The men all dismounted and lead their horses into our corral. "Father, there isn't enough room for all of them, let me turn out our horses to our pasture" I asked, snapping Father out of his daze.
"Yes, my dear do that and find your pony please" he instructed me, "I shall be chopping wood for a spell". With that he left, leaving me with a bunch of unfed, unwatered, and untacked horses. I finished all of them and called Temp back to me, leaving her to watch the horses and make sure they didn't wander. After that, I washed my hands and face, trying to make my self look presentable. I wound my waist long blonde hair in to an intricate knot with random strands framing my face. Sneaking into my room, I found my best dress and put it on, knowing that the green fabric made my bright green eyes stand out. Catching a glimpse of myself in my mirror, I started. I looked well beyond my 16 summers and more like a woman. Descending down the stairs, I felt every eye in the room on me. At the bottom, the leader whose name was Diablillo, I soon learned escorted me to my seat at our dinner table. My mother beamed at me from across the table and we commenced eating. When dinner was over, Mother had some of the soldiers clear furniture from the living area for a dance. Since Mother and I were the only ladies there, we were spun around the dance floor all night. Finally at midnight, I announced that I was exhausted and was going to bed. I could hear the groans of dismay as I climbed the stairs, it was an exhausting day and according to Diablillo we would start our journey to the city tomorrow.