On the Winds of Change

by Legendary Swordsman

FE AU Female!Soren. As a little girl, Rin was abandoned at birth and left in an orphanage. By fortuitous chance, a man named Ike, appears and sees to it that she has a better home and a fresh start. With her adoptive father, she follows the winds of change and grows into a young woman. Peer into the life of Rin through a serious of vignettes, a few chapters of her lifestory.

1. Chapter 1: Branded

Author's note: This is a collection of vignettes written for an old English project. I altered names and locations (if there were any) to protect against copyright issues. So, one of the biggest changes was that I made Soren a girl named "Rin." Also, each chapter is based on a certain theme and stylized accordingly.

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and nothing else. The characters and their likeness belong to their respective owners.

Kudos to my bro, Renaissance7, for being my editor (back in the day when this was written - and still is 3).

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Branded

Gawain . The last name I was given, something I gladly accepted for once. It makes me smile. Gawain . The name of the man who saved my life. It's something I can carry by my side, regardless of where I go. It's like my Father standing there beside me when he himself is not present. Gawain . It's my guardian that makes me proud to know I belong somewhere. Gawain , I belong to Ike Gawain, my Father.

And everything from Father is a gift. But what I don't understand is "Annabelle", my middle name – the one he personally chose for me. He says it means "love", something he hopes I will always receive, something I'll want. To me, Annabelle is just Annabelle as a stone is simply a stone. "In time, you'll understand." he says, always patting my head with a chuckle. But as the years go by, I still question Father about "Annabelle". What could be so special about it? Why, when it just means Annabelle.

As for my name? It's nothing more than a label if you ask me. It's simply a word; no more, no less. It means "nothing", it means "worthless". It isn't me. It doesn't belong to me. I'm not the only person to call it mine. It's something hollered, like some obscenity, used to get my attention. The same sound you'd hear when the wind bellows its muffled cries. The soft, silent, slither of one syllable released into the air just to be drowned by Mother Nature and her booming voice. It means a person abandoned, left for dead at the hands of the street. Cold. Alone. Sorrowful. That is the weight that lies on my shoulders. Something I will forever bear. Rin. A name branded. Unheard. Disregarded. Without purpose.