Daughter of the Fire
By Adaia Swordmaiden
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Children of the Red King series. But I do own Adaia and the plot.
Chapter 1: Fire in the garden
That morning a cold breeze swept through the street, colder than it should at that time of year. But no-one noticed it. Most the people who lived in the street were still asleep as it was extremely early; the stars were dim but still visible in the grey sky. The stars soon faded though and, as the sun began to rise, a boy looked out his window, staring at the point where the sun was rising. The sun had half risen when a glint of red caught his eye, like the red of a flame. He glanced down to where the glint had been and saw, to his amazement, a girl, about his age and clothed in rags, lying curled up against the front wall of his house. Her tangled, dark red hair was what had glinted in the growing sunlight and caught his eye. He stared at her for a moment and then rushed downstairs, his door banging shut. He raced outside and stood staring at the girl. She was thin and dark skinned, though there was an unhealthy tinge of white to her face. As he watched, the girl shifted and let out a soft moan but her eyes didn't open. The boy rushed back in, running into a middle-aged man.
"What is it, Charlie?" the man asked, seeing the frightened, amazed look on the boy's face.
"Uncle Paton!" Charlie said hurriedly. "Quick, there's a girl outside and I think she's sick!" Paton and Charlie hurried outside to find the girl standing up, one hand against the wall for support, her head low. She started and raised her head, crouching as if ready to fight, and they saw her eyes, large and mismatched, the left eye a wolfish yellow, the other a dark blood-red. She bared her teeth and glared at the two as they stared at her, amazed.
"Stay away!" the girl snarled and her eyes seemed to be leaping flames. Paton took a step towards her and she took a step back, snarling. Suddenly, Paton leaped back with a cry as his coat hem began to burn fiercely. He stamped it out and the two stared at the girl. Her face suddenly blanched. She stood up and turned as if to run but her legs failed her and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Paton suddenly walked towards her and picked her up, carrying her inside the house, Charlie half running to keep up with his uncle's strides. He put her on the couch just as an older woman came in, dressed in a pink dressing-gown. She gasped as she saw the girl and glanced at Charlie and Paton.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Charlie found her outside," Paton said with a strange look on his face, as if he knew something but wasn't telling. The older woman hurried forward and felt the girl's forehead.
"She's got a high fever. Paton, go and get a cold, wet towel," she instructed. Paton nodded and hurried out of the room to the kitchen. Charlie hovered around his grandmother and the girl. "Charlie, go and wake your mother. She needs to know." Charlie nodded and hurried up the stairs just as Paton returned with a wet towel.
"Here, Maisie," he said as he handed her the towel. She placed it on the girl's forehead. The girl's eyes suddenly flew open and she let out a yell when she saw Maisie and Paton staring at her. They drew back in shock and she leaped up, the unhealthy pallor in her face gone.
"Who are you?" she demanded, glancing from one to the other, her queer eyes showing fear and defiance. "Tell me or I'll burn the house down!"
"I'm Paton Yewbeam and this is Maisie Jones," Paton said hurriedly. "We aren't going to hurt you." But the girl didn't relax.
"Who was the boy who was with you before?"
"That was my grandson, Charlie Bone," Maisie said. Just then, Charlie and his mother came in. They froze when they saw the girl. Maisie ignored them. "You look hungry. Would you like some breakfast?" The girl glanced between her and the other people in the room and eventually nodded, standing up straight again.
"Ok," she said. Her voice sounded friendly but her eyes showed obvious wariness. Maisie then turned and began to lead the way towards the kitchen. After a moment's hesitation, the girl began to follow. They all went into the kitchen except Paton who went upstairs to his room. Charlie and the girl sat down at the table while Maisie and Charlie's mum began making breakfast.
"What's your name?" Charlie asked. "Mine's Charlie Bone."
"Adaia," she replied. "I don't know my last name." Charlie stared at her a moment and then lowered his gaze. Until breakfast came, they were all silent. Adaia muttered 'Thank you' when Maisie placed a large plate of bacon, eggs and sausages before her before tucking in, eating as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. Soon after she had finished, before anyone else, an old woman wearing a dark dressing gown and with long white hair came in, stopping as she saw Adaia.
"Who's this?" she demanded, staring at her.
"Grandma Bone, this is Adaia. We found her outside," Charlie said. Grandma Bone stared at Adaia a moment and then sat down at the table. Charlie quickly finished off his breakfast and got up, going out and up the stairs. A little bit later he came back downstairs. "I'm going over to Benjamin's," he said, pausing outside the kitchen before going out the front door. Adaia sat slumped in her chair, not seeming to be noticing anything but really glancing at everyone, thinking, wondering. Everyone was soon finished and Grandma Bone went back upstairs.
"Can I help?" Adaia asked, going over to the sink filled with dirty dishes. Maisie nodded and handed her a tea-towel.
"So how did you come to be outside our house?" Maisie asked.
"I don't know," Adaia replied. "The first thing I remember is waking up and seeing Paton and Charlie." Maisie saw that she didn't really want to talk about that and so was silent.
"We'll have to get you some better clothes," Maisie commented as they finished doing the dishes. "I'll see if we have some which will fit you that you can wear until we can buy you a new set."
"Thank you," Adaia said as she put away the last of the plates. She then went into the living room until Maisie came in with some clothes and took her to the bathroom where she could get washed and changed. She came out with her hair brushed and washed, so dark now that it almost looked black and wearing a clean t-shirt and pair of shorts that were slightly too big for her.
"I'm afraid you'll have to sleep on the couch," Maisie said when Adaia came out. "We don't have any other beds."
"That's ok. I think I've slept on worse," Adaia said dryly.
A/N: first Red King fanfic and I've only been able to borrow the Time Twister so please be easy on me.