Hey everybody!
For some reason, lately I've had the urge to write about Princess Yue. What has resulted is as follows. (Her mother's name is never mentioned, so I took the liberty of naming her Kora. Also, aalummi is the phonetic spelling of darling in Inuktitut.)
Yeah I'll stop talking now.
Enjoy!
Inkwarrior
Kora held her newborn daughter and smiled sadly. "She's so tiny." Arnook took his wife's hand.
"The healers are doing everything they can."
"I know," she said. The words left unspoken hung heavily between them. I know, but it won't be enough.
Arnook stood up and kissed his wife's cheek. "I'll be back soon."
Kora stroked her daughter's dark hair. Her daughter, the child she had hoped and prayed for for so long. She didn't even have a name. The healers had all but told her not to bother. "She probably won't make it through the night," Yugoda had said softly.
Open your eyes aalummi, she silently begged. Open your eyes.
"Yue? What are you doing here?" asked Yugoda kindly. The little girl was crouching outside of the healing building, tracing lines in the snow with her finger. She looked up from her scratches.
"I'm here for the healing lesson" she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Yue, aalummi, only water benders can be healers. You know that, right?"
"I know. I just want to watch."
"Okay, but only if you sit at the back and be very quiet." Yue nodded, her blue eyes serious. Yugoda smiled and took her hand. She led her to the back of the room, where she sat quietly for the entire lesson, absorbing every word. When the class came to a close, Yugoda walked to the back of the room and sat down next to Yue. "Now tell me aalummi, why are you so interested in healing all of a sudden?"
"Because, I want to be able to help someone someday, like the way you and Tui helped me."
"Oh aalummi," she took Yue's face in her hands, "you'll help someone someday, I know it. You don't need to try and learn healing. You have a good heart, and that's the important part. Now, shouldn't you be getting back to your Mama?"
The little girl nodded, and scampered off, her white pigtails flying behind her. Oh aalummi, you'll help someone, thought Yugoda sadly, sooner than you think.
"You wanted to see me father?" asked Yue softly. Normally when her father wanted to speak with her he would not summon her to his council, not with all his advisors present. This must be a matter of utmost importance.
"Yes, Yue, my beautiful daughter. I have arranged this meeting to speak to you on a matter of extreme importance." he paused, mulling over his word choice, "As you know, you will be sixteen years of age in six moons time. And as much as it pains me to say this, I will not always be around to protect you. We must begin a search for a suitable for husband you. Once you are sixteen years of age you will be able to marry."
"Thank you father. As much as I hate to imagine the day you are not here by my side, it is true, no one lives forever. I am curious though, is there a suitor you have in mind?"
"My dear daughter, it seems as though most of the young men of the tribe are after your hand!" he smiled as he said this. His councillors chuckled. "However, only one has summoned the courage, or perhaps the arrogance, to ask to court you before you were of marrying age. His name is Hahn, and he is one of our most promising young warriors."
