Chapter 8 – The Warning
The next day, despite my fears, I decided to see for myself the damage Vivia did to Annon.
Just as I was walking towards the door, fraechramM came down the stairs.
"Aireia child, please be careful. I had a vision that there's going to be trouble." She called after me.
"Okay, I will. Thanks." I hastily ran out the door.
Some gnomes were given the gift to tell the future. They couldn't see in detail, but it could be very useful. FraechramM could see the future and I'd known better than to ignore her warning.
I went to Harry who was working in the garden for once and borrowed his hat. I tucked my hair in the cap and pulled it low to cover my eyes. Then I set off into the forest.
I walked towards the market in the centre of the village that bordered the forest. When I got there, I was shocked at the state of the village. Everywhere I looked, I saw poverty. The houses were in need of repair: the roofs were leaking, the doors were hanging off their hinges, and the windows were boarded up because most windows lost their wooden panes. There were too many people sleeping on the streets on torn blankets, some were outside their own houses. The children were dirty and thin, their clothes were just dirty rags. The scene brought tears to my eyes.
The stalls in the market were makeshift ones and the fruits and vegetable were of the lowest quality. I heard from one merchant that all the best crops were given to the queen as taxes. When I asked people's opinions of the queen, they spat out her name as if it were vile. They said she was more bloodthirsty than a million mosquitoes.
I browsed around the market to see what they sold. Most merchants sold vegetables; there was little meat because few people could afford it. The jewellery and trinkets that I enjoyed to look at when I was young weren't available because no one in the village can afford them.
I suddenly realized my hat was gone! It must've fell of when I was squeezing my way around. I covered up my face and looked for the hat, hoping that no one recognized me. Luckily everyone was too busy to notice.
As I passed a stall, a frail voiced called out to me: "Come here pretty lass, I got something you might want to see." Despite my fear of being recognized, I was curious. I stopped to see a frail old woman behind a stall. She was selling many things, including fruits and even some trinkets.
"Look here lass," she held up a pretty red ribbon, "How about some ribbon to tie up that beautiful dark hair of yours."
I took the ribbon gingerly; it was made of silk and was beautiful. But I gave it back, "I couldn't afford this."
"That's alright lass, you can have it for free." Said the old lady. Then seeing my skeptical expression, she added: "All I want in return is the happiness of a young lass. Here, it matches your lips perfectly." She handed it back to me. I took it hesitantly and thanked her.
I did not put it on right away because it was too crowded. I waited until I got home.
I braided my hair and was about to tie the ribbon to my hair when fraechramM came inside.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just tying my hair back." I answered. I accidentally let go and my braid fell apart. I sighed and started re-braiding.
"Can I see that ribbon?" fraechramM asked, I handed the ribbon to her. She examined it, "Where did you get this?" she eyed my suspiciously.
"From the market. A nice old lady gave it to me." I said casually.
"She gave it to you and you took it?" fraechramM huffed, "Didn't I tell you to be careful? And what are you doing in the market?"
"I, I just wanted to explore and see what Annon became because Vivia." The adults of my gnome family already know my hidden identity. I did not tell them, fraechramM just know by looking at me. The children didn't know because we were afraid they would blurt it out.
I held out my hand for the ribbon, but fraechramM wouldn't give it to me.
"Don't you know what this is?" I shook my head. "This is an enchanted ribbon." I laughed at this, whoever heard of an enchanted ribbon. I stopped laughing however when I saw fraechramM's serious expression.
"This ribbon has powerful magic on it, see the unusual shimmer on its surface?" she showed it to me, "If you were to wear it, it would strangle you in less than a minute."
I gulped. That taught me to take things from strangers. I thanked fraechramM wholeheartedly.
"You better not go out to the village any more. In fact, I don't think you should even leave the cabin." She sighed "But knowing you, that's asking the impossible. Just be really careful from now on, someone's after you. No matter what, don't take anything from strangers."
I didn't need a warning; I'd learned my lesson.
~*~
Thanks for reviewing!! Now I need more!! I read in one version that the stepmother tried to use a ribbon to kill her so I decided to add that as a prelude to the apple. I still need to know whether you want Robin to have a hand in the apple thing.
Click on that convenient blue button below and REVIEW!!!!! please!!!!!!!!!
The next day, despite my fears, I decided to see for myself the damage Vivia did to Annon.
Just as I was walking towards the door, fraechramM came down the stairs.
"Aireia child, please be careful. I had a vision that there's going to be trouble." She called after me.
"Okay, I will. Thanks." I hastily ran out the door.
Some gnomes were given the gift to tell the future. They couldn't see in detail, but it could be very useful. FraechramM could see the future and I'd known better than to ignore her warning.
I went to Harry who was working in the garden for once and borrowed his hat. I tucked my hair in the cap and pulled it low to cover my eyes. Then I set off into the forest.
I walked towards the market in the centre of the village that bordered the forest. When I got there, I was shocked at the state of the village. Everywhere I looked, I saw poverty. The houses were in need of repair: the roofs were leaking, the doors were hanging off their hinges, and the windows were boarded up because most windows lost their wooden panes. There were too many people sleeping on the streets on torn blankets, some were outside their own houses. The children were dirty and thin, their clothes were just dirty rags. The scene brought tears to my eyes.
The stalls in the market were makeshift ones and the fruits and vegetable were of the lowest quality. I heard from one merchant that all the best crops were given to the queen as taxes. When I asked people's opinions of the queen, they spat out her name as if it were vile. They said she was more bloodthirsty than a million mosquitoes.
I browsed around the market to see what they sold. Most merchants sold vegetables; there was little meat because few people could afford it. The jewellery and trinkets that I enjoyed to look at when I was young weren't available because no one in the village can afford them.
I suddenly realized my hat was gone! It must've fell of when I was squeezing my way around. I covered up my face and looked for the hat, hoping that no one recognized me. Luckily everyone was too busy to notice.
As I passed a stall, a frail voiced called out to me: "Come here pretty lass, I got something you might want to see." Despite my fear of being recognized, I was curious. I stopped to see a frail old woman behind a stall. She was selling many things, including fruits and even some trinkets.
"Look here lass," she held up a pretty red ribbon, "How about some ribbon to tie up that beautiful dark hair of yours."
I took the ribbon gingerly; it was made of silk and was beautiful. But I gave it back, "I couldn't afford this."
"That's alright lass, you can have it for free." Said the old lady. Then seeing my skeptical expression, she added: "All I want in return is the happiness of a young lass. Here, it matches your lips perfectly." She handed it back to me. I took it hesitantly and thanked her.
I did not put it on right away because it was too crowded. I waited until I got home.
I braided my hair and was about to tie the ribbon to my hair when fraechramM came inside.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Just tying my hair back." I answered. I accidentally let go and my braid fell apart. I sighed and started re-braiding.
"Can I see that ribbon?" fraechramM asked, I handed the ribbon to her. She examined it, "Where did you get this?" she eyed my suspiciously.
"From the market. A nice old lady gave it to me." I said casually.
"She gave it to you and you took it?" fraechramM huffed, "Didn't I tell you to be careful? And what are you doing in the market?"
"I, I just wanted to explore and see what Annon became because Vivia." The adults of my gnome family already know my hidden identity. I did not tell them, fraechramM just know by looking at me. The children didn't know because we were afraid they would blurt it out.
I held out my hand for the ribbon, but fraechramM wouldn't give it to me.
"Don't you know what this is?" I shook my head. "This is an enchanted ribbon." I laughed at this, whoever heard of an enchanted ribbon. I stopped laughing however when I saw fraechramM's serious expression.
"This ribbon has powerful magic on it, see the unusual shimmer on its surface?" she showed it to me, "If you were to wear it, it would strangle you in less than a minute."
I gulped. That taught me to take things from strangers. I thanked fraechramM wholeheartedly.
"You better not go out to the village any more. In fact, I don't think you should even leave the cabin." She sighed "But knowing you, that's asking the impossible. Just be really careful from now on, someone's after you. No matter what, don't take anything from strangers."
I didn't need a warning; I'd learned my lesson.
~*~
Thanks for reviewing!! Now I need more!! I read in one version that the stepmother tried to use a ribbon to kill her so I decided to add that as a prelude to the apple. I still need to know whether you want Robin to have a hand in the apple thing.
Click on that convenient blue button below and REVIEW!!!!! please!!!!!!!!!