I was born on a crisp spring morning. The fog of the highlands, and the
cool mountain breeze welcomed my very first cries. My mother looked down
upon me, she smiled, as a tear trickled down her face. When my father
entered the chamber, he walked over to my mother's side, and took me in his
strong, and safe arms. "My love, she is here, finally the daughter we have
longed for. I am so very happy." was what my father said that very first
hour of my life. In reply my mother simply set her head upon her pillow,
and drifted off to sleep. There was a contented smile upon her face.
Two days later, she passed away. Leaving my father to take care of my two
brothers, and of course myself. I was named Rowena after her, though
everyone called me Edana, which meant little fire in ancient Gaelic. I
received the nickname from my childhood nurse, whom I gave a lot of trouble
the first day she took care of me. When my father asked her about my
behavior, she said with a slight chuckle, and fake exasperation in her
voice "She is an Edana, there will be trouble from her." and for the first
time since my mother died, my father had laughed. Thus, they called me
Edana, at first because it hurt too much to call me Rowena, but in time it
became a habit and eventually Edana had practically become my name.
My childhood was a very happy one... I spent much of my time playing by
myself, because my two brothers Cyan and Casey were much older than me, and
although they loved me unconditionally, spending their free time with a
four year old was not really their idea of leisure. I would often go to the
forest, which sprung up suddenly behind my father's large estate. Following
a secret path, far into the heart of the woods, I would hunt for the
creatures from my nursery fairy tales. Sometimes, I would catch glimpses of
a wing, or a tip of a golden horn, or once I was sure that I saw a
beautiful lady turn into a tree. The forest was my world, an entrance to a
magical realm. After an hour of "faery hunting" I would reach a small
clearing, full of wild flowers, tall grasses, and enormous, crystal
encrusted boulders. To the right of the clearing there was a waterfall. The
clear liquid would splash, and sing playfully, while rainbows formed around
it.
When I reached this place, I would sit down on one of the rocks, let my
hair out of its child's bonnet, and speak to my mother. She didn't answer
back of course, but when I would begin to tell her a tale, I wouldn't look
up to the sky, or close my eyes. No, I would speak to the waterfall,
possibly thinking that my mother was on the other side, I can no longer
recall.Nevertheless, if I asked a question, or waited for a reply, I would
feel it inside of myself, as if she were speaking to my heart.
