Chapter 4: Shining Blue Eyes
PHM: Heyla 'gain guys! I've finally updated! Tehehe. This is one of my favorite chapters, and I bet you guys already know why. –coughTitlecough-
Loor: Oh, and guess what? We have a guest! And he's cute! –Innocent smile-
Yami Yuugi: Hello.
-Girls sigh dramatically and surround Yami as PHM and Loor, along with Nomara try to drag him out-
PHM: -sighs- Yea. Yami, everyone, everyone, Yami. He's gunna be in my next story…-coughSlashcough- -innocent smile-
Nomara: Just let them read…-.-
PHM: Yami, dearheart, you go ahead!
Yami Yuugi: -big breath- Pearhead does not own Mrs. Lackey's stories and characters though she wished she did. But she does own: Mina, A special guest, and Mina's relatives. –Sage nod-
PHM: Ok! Read!!
/blah, blah\ indicates memories
Blah, blah indicates thoughts
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Dawn light broke through its invisible container of glass and floated through the seemingly deserted cottage. Quietly, it floated around, demanding that everyone and everything be woken to gasp at its presence. Closer stars to the Earth still remained in the semi-dark, yet ever growing, sky. Movements outside told a young girl that some people already started their chores, yet she knew more would begin soon. A harsh breeze swept through the now open window and Mina Fallon stood breathing in its silent glory.
Today, yet again, dawned Mina's birthday. Great… the young blonde thought, twirling her hair around her finger subconsciously. Still she was afraid that maybe, just maybe, her Father would come to truly finish her off for once. Yet, a dawning hope in Mina brightened as she remembered, and gasped out, what would soon come to order. The city Mina now lived in, a small town called Errold's Grove, which was a very, very long way from her home, had decided to throw Mina a Birthing Day Party. A party. In Mina's honor. She couldn't believe it. It is for the upcoming Midwinter though too… she thought, trying not to be selfish. Mina did not like thinking things were only for her, call it training, call it whatever you want.
:I call it a good heart…: It was that voice again. That voice that Mina thought was Cira. It couldn't be though…Cira died…A hand rubbed against Mina—
"AHHHHH!!!!" She screamed into the wooden cottage, thinking it was her Father.
:'Na. How could you NOT know I was not here?: Another voice, sounding extremely cocky and masculine, rather than the sweet and smooth feminine. A cat purred happily as it licked at Mina's fingers and swatted at her hair.
"Niko!! What have I told you? DO NOT EVER SNEAK UP ON ME!!!" Mina chided, though gently, as she petted the cat. "But it is good to know I'm not alone…" She said, picking the cat up and placing him near the open window. "Did you say something before?" Mina asked, returning to her chores about the house: cleaning dishes, cleaning the already clean floor, lighting another fire.
:Not a word. I did hafta sneak up on you, ya know.: The cat replied, lapping at fresh goat milk Mina fed him.
Mina just sighed, petting Niko one more time before returning to what she had previously been doing. She stuttered, cocking her head to the right, thinking of what she had just been doing. Pondering…a voice inside her head said, though this time she knew it was her own voice. Sighing and shaking her head just a tad, Mina decided to go outside and hunt perhaps for the festival, or pick berries. Anything.
As Mina walked outside, humming a little tune, she thought about who that voice could be. It wasn't Niko. He said he didn't say anything. Could it really be…Cira? Or, am I going insane? For once, Mina truly looked aghast at the thought of herself going insane. It felt odd. No, she chided to herself, the ones who don't know they are insane go insane. Not the ones who think they are. Another side of her mind still seemed a tad iffy about it, but the thought got pushed to the back as she started out into the Pelagris Forest.
Mina knew it was safe, as the village often traded with the Vale inside the forest, yet Mina knew of the dangers and she cared not. Her thoughts returned, though back further, delving into long passed memories:
/"Child! Will you go away already? 'ss been three suns! Why do you stay?" A guardsman yelled down to a still sobbing Mina. Three days she had been there, pounding on the door, barely moving, and only doing so to relieve herself. Her blonde hair was matted in too many places to count, hair falling out from sorrow and her pulling at it. Her blue eyes were almost swollen shut from tears, as she only cried herself to sleep, and during the day. The blue had grown, darkening until it seemed she had no pupil, no iris, just a black hole of nothing, and even then they were red. She truly looked demon possessed.
Mina looked up at him, her eyes looking past him to some point over his left shoulder, considering his words. He is right. Go away. Leave. No one wants you here. No matter how much Mina knew what she thought was true, the words stung. The guardsman who stood now seemed to be one of the nicer, for he did not throw stones at her like the others did. Yet, Mina was so numb; she could not feel the pain they gave her. Even when people went in and out of the village Dayton, trading with the nearby town of SensHolding, they hit her and she did not move. She sat there, her legs folded under her, her pack and bow at her side, and cried.
She cried for everything. Her Cira, Her dead pets, the animals around the forest who could not comfort her. She even cried for her Father. The bastard he was. Traders looked at her with pity, and she did not care. She did not understand. The only thing she knew was: She was alone.
Slowly, she looked down, salty tears of pain and agony rolling down her face, and touched the bow lying within her grasp. It was soft, craftily cut to be precisely the bow she learned to use so long ago. It was beautiful, though it represented horror and pain. Mina picked it up, bringing the wood to her nose and breathing in the perfume of the wood. It smelled sweet. Almost like cinnamon, or icing….More unwanted tears rolled into her eyes and Mina knew she had to leave, had to get out of Dayton…forever.
Mina looked at the guard one more time before she shot herself up, startling the guard above and ran away, holding only her bow and pack.
She did not want Dayton and Dayton did not want her.
"Good luck, child Mina." The guard whispered, silently praying for the Shunned girl.\
Tears blinded Mina's eyes once more, and a hand lifted automatically to her cheek and drew back wet fingers. She ran faster into the forest, not caring what happened next. She would never forget that moment, nor the year that went by next.
/It seemed like forever to the small girl. And it truly had been. A year exactly had passed since Mina had been cast off from Dayton holding. Today was another birthday. She was twelve and still alone.
Small towns had passed, each Holding turning her back because they had heard of The-child-who-was-Shunned. They did not want her, and she did not want them.
She killed rarely, for she befriended many animals, and it is hard to kill friends. But, the old ones came to her, and mean ones, and willingly gave themselves up to her, and allowed her to eat them. She cried as she ate though and often did not even taste the food that she devoured. She picked berries, and remembered her teachings of herbal and tasty plants. The young child had lost a lot of hair and a lot of weight. She weighed barely fifty pounds. The Animals feared for her and protected her. They were truly her friends.
:Child human, you are almost there: A passing hawk said from above. It had been following her for some time, guiding her towards no where. Well, no where she knew of. Obviously, it knew where it was. One screech filled the air around her and Mina did not even flinch, for she knew that it was coming. She had felt the tension of the hawk's throat, the working of its voice and tongue, and as it screamed, she did as well.
And people came.
A lot of people actually. They had long, flowing silver and chestnut hair. Beautiful was the only word to describe them as. Their strong blue and green and brown eyes held hers, carrying her towards them. One of them, camouflaged to blend with the Forest, knelt down and she ran towards him and into his arms.
He stroked her matted hair, cooing to her and rocking her gently. Mina did not know who these people were or why they helped her, but somehow she knew they could help her. A few minutes later, she backed away a bit reluctantly, and looked at them all for the first time.
"We are here to guide you, Mina. We will always be watching you. Go, now, into the town called Errold's Grove and live happily. You will always be able to find us." The man said, holding her hand and pressing something into it. Whatever it was felt smooth and seemed to have some designs on it. Mina looked down, catching a glimpse of the shiny, silver object. It was a medallion, a Hawkbrother medallin. His voice was strong and confident and Mina found herself not wishing for him to go.
"We will visit you again sometime." A woman said this time. She had blonde hair, different from the rest, and the scout –that Mina knew now- seemed to be her husband, for they stood very close and something between them Mina could feel. They all smiled to her once more before the scout said one last thing.
"You are in the Pelagris Forest now. A very long way from your home. Travel careful, for will not always be able to help you."
With that they turned and left, leaving Mina to stare after them before moving on to what would be her new home. \
Mina was deep in the Forest now, the smell of wet leaves traveled to her nose –as it had been a very rainy year- and trees covered the cold, blue sky. Mina tired now, her basket and bow dropping beside her as she settled down for a moments rest. Flowers bloomed under her feet, and she made sure not to crush them. Hawks flew above, a basket in their talons. They were trading between the city and the Vale.
Mina sighed, dropping her eyes to the ground, and as she did so, she heard a rustle behind her. "Niko, come out. I can Sense you there, so you can't trick me this time." She stood up, picking her bow up and basket, and backed up a bit. It was true, she Sensed something there, whether it was him or not. But, another "glance" at whatever it was told Mina it definitely was not her cat friend. Gasping silently and cursing in Karsite, Mina began to run away, dropping her basket filled with berries behind her. A growling noise and a high pitched cry pierced the sky.
Something leaped out of the bushes and Mina knew she was in trouble. She would die, here, on her Birthing Day, in the Pelagris. Instinctively, her hand went to the medallion on her chest and she prayed to any Deity above to help her. The screams followed, and Mina could Feel the presence of animals around her. Yet, the "animals" were not animals at all. They were Mage-Crafted beings and Mina knew what they were. Wyrsa.
She could see in her minds eye as she ran what they looked like. She had seen them in books, their glowing yellow eyes and sulfurous poison leaking from their mouths. And Mina could now smell the sulfur as she ran, and she could see their demented bodies running behind her…two feet….three…one….She could see them leap on her and bite her and drag her off. Seeing this, Mina ran harder, nearing the edge of the Pelagris Forest and Errold's Grove. Daring a look behind her, Mina notched an arrow in her bow and turned, shooting off and hitting a wyrsa in the middle of the forehead. It screamed, falling down with a cry before the others bounded on. She could see them fully now as she turned to hide behind a giant rock. There were at least twelve of them. She would die.
With another scream, Mina began to fire off, one arrow after another. It seemed that some of the creatures had stopped at their dead friend and only three remained to follow. Mina hit all three, killing them off. She was safe for a moment. The memory of them leaked into her mind, making tears of horror well in her eyes. Their black, shiny bodies slithered in a way of both snake and dog, a mixture of reptile and canine. Their bites were almost always fatal, and even their movements were hypnotizing. Mina breathed in and out slowly, thinking of anyway to get out.
Daring another look, Mina looked over the boulder and stared into the Queen's eyes. The leader of the wyrsa pack cried out in a charging and Mina knew this was it. Mina was frozen in place.
The Queen Wyrsa was feet from her and suddenly, a white streak of something flashed out, hitting and stomping it until it died. Mina looked up, but the being was gone, off to hit another wyrsa and kill. Mina's paralysis came undone and she ran out…and was bit.
Pain welled in her arm and it felt as though the world crumpled before her. She was dying…it hurt…but it could be worse…
Another scream….and Mina could feel the Wyrsa crumple next to her. Nothing else moved.
Her blue eyes blurred in and out, focusing and un-focusing, and for a mere moment she thought she saw Shandi ,the resident Herald, in front of her.
"Sha…" She began before falling onto Pellia.
Pellia. That was who this was.
:I am not Shandi. I am yours. I love you Mina, and I always have. I love you and I Choose you to be mine as well:
Stunning blue eyes filled her eyes, her mind, her heart, her soul, filled every inch of her body until she drowned in love. She knew she would never be alone again.
Darkness decided then to devour her for a time.
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PHM: -Claps and smiles- Yes!! My favorite chapter of all! Mina has been saved!! –Dances-
Nomara: Yea….whoopie…
PHM: You're just jealous…
Nomara: -evil glare- Shut…up….
PHM: Go review please! Tell me what you think!!! –Claps and dances the night away in honor of Mina-
