Note to the reader:
In this novel I will be using terms from other languages. All words and the place where I found them are listed in the Glossery below.
~~~~~
Preface:
She is a woman, much like any one of us, but without our everyday electronics. She has not even a flashlight to light her way, but carries a torch in one hand while holding her infant close with the other. Quickly, she hurries through the forest, mindless of the beating rain and the head-splitting thunder overhead. She keeps an eye on the full moon, a quickly gets to the cave without incident. After lighting a small fire, she checks her child for any signs of pnemonia. The youngling is dry and well and, surprisingly, happily babbling at the thunder and lightning. Maybe not so surprising, the woman thought with a soft smile, when you think of who the father is.
The woman knew she had to hurry. Today was the last full day in the tenure from Her. The child had to be adopted into a family or else produced for Her by noon, tomorow. She had tried to give the baby to a number of families nearby, but not one of them would adopt a Gypsywoman's girl-child born out of wedlock. The woman knew, if she gave Her the baby, She would quickly destroy the child. That left only one thing to do.
The woman took a few herbs from her pouch and tossed them in the fire. With all her power she sent out a spell. A spell to protect the child, to send the child not only over the great ocean, but also through time, to a place where other greek gypsies were, to where the girl-child could grow up safely without the threat from Her. She touched the gray dragon around the child's neck, simaler to the green one around her own neck, and murrmered to the pewter pendant, "Keep her safe, Mirth.". Then the spell was complete. A rogue wind doused the fire and swirled dry leaves around the cave. When all settled down the woman breathed a sigh of relief, mixed with sorrow. The child was gone.
-*-
"Shhh..." the eldest gypsy, Tinka, whispered in Calo as she held her hand in the air. Immediently the drums stoped beating, the bells stoped ringing, and the dancing feet ceaced to pound the earth as the Romani listened to the sounds around them. After a moment, the mournful cry of a baby again floated on the wind towards them.
"Come." the Romni murmmered and left the fireside. The Roms lit torches and the rest of the gypsies followed the Romni into the woods. Following the moon-lit path they walked to the raveen and there, in the moss patch by the ledge, lay a girl babe. The youngling's cries were quickly hushed as Tinka picked up the child and held her close. Thick chestnut curls spilled out from underneith the dark green cloth she was wrapped in. Around the infant's neck was a simple black cord, on which a gray dragon charm hung with it's wings unfurled. Tinka traced three tiny moles on the child's chest, arranged like the stars in Orion's belt.
"What use do we have for this abondoned girl-child?" One of the Roms spoke. "She might be a bad omen, appearing on a full moon with a dragon around her neck." another said. "She is a gaji, not one of us." someone proclaimed. "We should toss this bad omen into the raveen." As the Gypsies caught on to this idea, one of the younger romni spoke, "Wait. Let Tinka read the girl-child's future. If the youngling is truly an evil spirit, it will not be able to hide it's true nature from her." The other gypsies agreed.
The old Romni closed her eyes as she prophesised the babe's fate. "Ahh, yes. This girl-child shall be a great traveler, roaming not only over land and sea, but also through time and space. The dragon is her symble and her guardian, Orion of the Stars. Her name shall be..." Tinka open her own eyes and gazed into the baby's mossy-brown eyes, "...Miriam."
"Shall we keep her?" One of the romni asked.
Tinka's eyes clouded with sorrow. "No." she spoke after a while. "She is half gaji. She must be given to them to be raised."
But before the child was given to a visiting couple, Marishka, a romni with a streak of selfishness in her, stole the dragon from the girl's neck and sold it to a passing trinketman.
To be Continued...
~~~~~
Glossery:
Calo: One language of the Gypsies. "Being a Green Mother" by Piers Anthony
Gaji: a female non-gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Rom: an adult male Gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Romani: Another language of the Gypsies. Sometimes used as a synonym for 'gypsy'. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Romni: An adult female Gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
~~~~~
AN: I wrote this several years ago as a beginning, hoping to expand it. Since then my muse has inconveniently forgotten the plotline I had in my head, and I haven't written anymore of it. Someday I might expand on it, but don't hold your breath. (If this beginning inspired you, you might perhaps leave a memento in the little box below, and perhaps your inpiration will inspire me... a girl can always hope...)
In this novel I will be using terms from other languages. All words and the place where I found them are listed in the Glossery below.
~~~~~
Preface:
She is a woman, much like any one of us, but without our everyday electronics. She has not even a flashlight to light her way, but carries a torch in one hand while holding her infant close with the other. Quickly, she hurries through the forest, mindless of the beating rain and the head-splitting thunder overhead. She keeps an eye on the full moon, a quickly gets to the cave without incident. After lighting a small fire, she checks her child for any signs of pnemonia. The youngling is dry and well and, surprisingly, happily babbling at the thunder and lightning. Maybe not so surprising, the woman thought with a soft smile, when you think of who the father is.
The woman knew she had to hurry. Today was the last full day in the tenure from Her. The child had to be adopted into a family or else produced for Her by noon, tomorow. She had tried to give the baby to a number of families nearby, but not one of them would adopt a Gypsywoman's girl-child born out of wedlock. The woman knew, if she gave Her the baby, She would quickly destroy the child. That left only one thing to do.
The woman took a few herbs from her pouch and tossed them in the fire. With all her power she sent out a spell. A spell to protect the child, to send the child not only over the great ocean, but also through time, to a place where other greek gypsies were, to where the girl-child could grow up safely without the threat from Her. She touched the gray dragon around the child's neck, simaler to the green one around her own neck, and murrmered to the pewter pendant, "Keep her safe, Mirth.". Then the spell was complete. A rogue wind doused the fire and swirled dry leaves around the cave. When all settled down the woman breathed a sigh of relief, mixed with sorrow. The child was gone.
-*-
"Shhh..." the eldest gypsy, Tinka, whispered in Calo as she held her hand in the air. Immediently the drums stoped beating, the bells stoped ringing, and the dancing feet ceaced to pound the earth as the Romani listened to the sounds around them. After a moment, the mournful cry of a baby again floated on the wind towards them.
"Come." the Romni murmmered and left the fireside. The Roms lit torches and the rest of the gypsies followed the Romni into the woods. Following the moon-lit path they walked to the raveen and there, in the moss patch by the ledge, lay a girl babe. The youngling's cries were quickly hushed as Tinka picked up the child and held her close. Thick chestnut curls spilled out from underneith the dark green cloth she was wrapped in. Around the infant's neck was a simple black cord, on which a gray dragon charm hung with it's wings unfurled. Tinka traced three tiny moles on the child's chest, arranged like the stars in Orion's belt.
"What use do we have for this abondoned girl-child?" One of the Roms spoke. "She might be a bad omen, appearing on a full moon with a dragon around her neck." another said. "She is a gaji, not one of us." someone proclaimed. "We should toss this bad omen into the raveen." As the Gypsies caught on to this idea, one of the younger romni spoke, "Wait. Let Tinka read the girl-child's future. If the youngling is truly an evil spirit, it will not be able to hide it's true nature from her." The other gypsies agreed.
The old Romni closed her eyes as she prophesised the babe's fate. "Ahh, yes. This girl-child shall be a great traveler, roaming not only over land and sea, but also through time and space. The dragon is her symble and her guardian, Orion of the Stars. Her name shall be..." Tinka open her own eyes and gazed into the baby's mossy-brown eyes, "...Miriam."
"Shall we keep her?" One of the romni asked.
Tinka's eyes clouded with sorrow. "No." she spoke after a while. "She is half gaji. She must be given to them to be raised."
But before the child was given to a visiting couple, Marishka, a romni with a streak of selfishness in her, stole the dragon from the girl's neck and sold it to a passing trinketman.
To be Continued...
~~~~~
Glossery:
Calo: One language of the Gypsies. "Being a Green Mother" by Piers Anthony
Gaji: a female non-gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Rom: an adult male Gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Romani: Another language of the Gypsies. Sometimes used as a synonym for 'gypsy'. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
Romni: An adult female Gypsy. "Gypsy Folk Tales" by Diane Tong
~~~~~
AN: I wrote this several years ago as a beginning, hoping to expand it. Since then my muse has inconveniently forgotten the plotline I had in my head, and I haven't written anymore of it. Someday I might expand on it, but don't hold your breath. (If this beginning inspired you, you might perhaps leave a memento in the little box below, and perhaps your inpiration will inspire me... a girl can always hope...)