Chapter 1
Walking down the cobblestone streets in late June, the hot, earthy air stung my through. A slow, strong wind blew fine dust from the "forests" of the wastelands that were nothing more than petrified trees that bore no leaves. The dusty, earthen soil that was almost desert-like. I tightened my white cloak around me and pressed my white scarf closer to my nose and mouth. My long, black hair hung lazily down my back from under the thin scarf that covered my head and lower face and blew gently in the breeze. My green eyes barely dared to peer out.
That day I was stopped by a middle-aged woman who I knew very well. She was in her fourties and quite plump with her dark hair pulled back in a knot. She covered her mouth with her sleeve as she waved me into the shop where she worked.
I entered the dim shop and stood in the doorway with my back to the dazzling brightness of a desert noon. The plump woman stood in front of me and at her side stood a small, lean girl. I pulled my scarf off from my face and let it hang around my neck.
"You know you should be careful around noontime, Steel. You really shouldn't be outside before 4:30. Your skin... oh God, Steel. You must have been burnt to a crisp to have turned that color... Well, anyways... how have you been?" began the woman.
"Fine," I said. I stared at my hands for a moment. The dull bronzing my skin had taken on since the beginning of the spring months had turned me an unusual tone that any Eastern girl should not have at any point in her life. My usually translucent skin was dry and almost caramel colored at that point. "I have not been very busy lately. I stopped working for Ichogo's shop a while back... the stress there was killing me."
"I understand, Steel. Thistle used to take additional school lessons from Ame who still works there." The woman paused and looked at my expression of restrained concern. "I know she wasn't very kind to you, Steel. Thistle is loosing her liking of her as well. Thistle's going into middle school soon, you know."
I looked down and smiled at the girl. "Hey Thistle, you been keeping out of trouble?"
The girl looked a bit timidly at me. She had not seen me in months, it was to be expected. "I... look at what I drew, Steel! You can have it if you want..."
I took the worn piece of school paper and smile. "It's a very pretty pony, Thistle... did you read about them in any books?"
"Yea! Ame gave me a pretty picture book and it had a lot of ponies in it! She says that there are no more ponies in the world... is that true, Steel?"
It was one of the horrible truths of the new world we were living in. "No, Thistle. There are no ponies in these days. My grandmother migrated here from America... what was once called America, I mean. She told me when I was about your age that there used to be ponies everywhere and that every little girl dreamed of having a pony one day. Some of those little girls eventually did have ponies for pets, you know."
"I would have loved a pet pony..." The little girl looked very sad. Her blue eyes cast to the floor. Her mother placed her hand on top of Thistle's head and softly touched her sandy colored hair.
"Steel..." She began "Thistle hasn't seen you in such a long time and I have a lot of work to do today. Could you take her for the day? Maybe tonight you two can go down to the valley tonight... Angel Valley, you know which one." She quickly looked away as if she had suggested I take her precious child to the Ashen Valley, a dead, burnt meadow of charred trees and remnants of ancient battles.
"I would be more than happy too." I smiled. People said that I had a gift with children. Thistle had an unusual liking of me. "Thistle, we can leave whenever you like. Grab your cloaks, we're going to my apartment first."
The girl sped off into the back room and came back wearing a pale green cloak with a built-in hood and clap that bound the cloak's collar around the wearer's lower face. In her arms she held a heavier cloak that was deep blue in color and was thicker to keep her warm against the cool desert nights. "... I'm ready to go".
"'Kay, on y va!" I said with a great grin on my face and a dramatic gesture of pointing my hand to the ceiling.
"What does 'On u va' mean?
I couldn't help but laugh. "Haha. It means 'One goes there', it's French. On y va. Like 'let's go', only less demanding."
"I get it now..." She smiled at me and then grabbed me by the arm and ran, practically dragged me out of the shop. "Bye, Mom! I'll see you later!" The poor woman didn't even have a chance to reply before we were halfway down the street.
…
The cobblestones had turned to firm dirt and the dust storm had settled before we had reached my small apartment on the other side of the city. The building were very tall and made of large, grayish stones and stood brilliantly against the now blue skies.
Three stories up we were in my two room apartment. There was a ceiling light in either room (and the bathroom), a small kitchen in the corner of the main room, a smallish bed in the tiny bedroom, a petite table with a silver tea set and two chairs, and a large, squishy sofa.
"WOW! You have a really small house, Steel!" The girl said in amazement. She promptly kicked off her shoes and jumped on the sofa. I took my time and walked to the small refrigerator and brought out two bottles of iced tea.
"Well, I have no family, Thistle, so the people who run this city gave me this apartment and some food every month. Beggers can't be choosers, you know." I sat next to her on the couch. I handed her her iced tea which she took with exasperation.
She gulped down half her iced tea. "What does that mean, Steel?"
"What does what mean?"
"The thing you said... about the beggers"
"Oh, that means that if you are desperate enough to have something you cannot be too picky about the things people give you for free." I sipped my iced tea.
"What do you have? ...are you a begger? You're only sixteen..."
"In a metaphorical sense... I don't actually beg for money but the government is kind enough to support me."
"I see..." The girl was quiet for a moment. "I really like being with you, Steel."
I looked at the kid sitting next to me. "You're not bad yourself, squirt." I messed up her hair and she sat squirming and giggling on the couch.
Just another day in paradise.