Author's Note: In Rose Madder, the insane woman? How did she get that disease? Hmm…. Please R&R!!!

Chapter One: Rose Madder

"Rose Madder is such a beautiful color, isn't it, Dorcas?" She asked, carefully dying the color of her zat into rose madder. She looked up and smiled at Dorcas.

"Meaning no disrespect, miss, it is legend that rose madder is the color of Eryines…" Dorcas said quietly, almost apologetically.

Tisa laughed. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Dorcas merely looked as if she was fighting an inner battle.

Tisa shrugged, and went back to her work. She carefully wove the color in, loving the feel of the dewed grass under her long legs. Her fingers were numb from the fruit, but this fruit was edible. It wasn't the fruit that grew in Eryines' temple…this fruit was quite delicious.

She began to hum, a sound that quickly relaxed the tense Dorcas. After a minute, Dorcas joined her.

"I want to where this tomorrow." Tisa said, a note of finality in her voice.

Dorcas chose to ignore it as she said, "Miss! No! Do you know what people will think? What they'll say?"

"I don't give a damn. They don't appreciate the color, and that's not MY problem." Dorcas opened her mouth to protest, but Tisa continued, "Unless you wish to find help elsewhere, you need not attempt to convince me."

Tisa laid out her zat to dry under the moon's full glow.

~*~*~*~

People didn't like the color. Eryines was insane, and she obviously wished to taunt him. He would kill the village and all of its splendor because of her foolishness.

"Take it off! Now, you beast spawn!"

"How DARE you! You'll kill us all!"

"If you're so powerful, why don't you fight Eryines yourself? Coward!"

It went on and on for what seemed like forever. Tisa held her head high, and Dorcas stayed by her side, wearing her traditional white zat.

No one would sell Tisa anything, and finally someone called the guards.

Two strong women in golden zats came forward. Tisa ignored them.

"We have come to tell you to remove that zat." One of them said in a husky voice.

"I will not." Tisa said over her shoulder, continuing to walk away.

The guards looked at each other, nodded, then followed Tisa and Dorcas. Without so much as a pause, they raised clubs and brought them down on the two ladies, knocking them unconscious instantly.

Author's Note: More to come. I'll explain about Eryines (hope I spelled that right) in the next few chapters. If you didn't read the book, you'll need to know what a zat is, right?

Zat = a toga/chiton (you know, like the Greeks wore)

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