ALMAR
"It won't be much longer." Tala paused and lowered her eyes.
"I'll do what I can."
Tala hurried down the corriders of the city. As she approached the alchemist's lab, she was over-come by a strange feeling. Inside, Rulim, the alchemist lay on his bed. Tala went to his side and knew there was nothing that could be done. She bid him good bye and left him in his final hour.
Back in the captives' quarters, Almar was keeping them company.
"I stongly believe in what Tala's doing. We haven't been treated fairly either, and we really do need better." I explained to the children.
"Is the way you're being treated really that bad?" Quired a young girl called Hermione. I nodded and went to the large window, next to the door, and gazed out.
"We need more space. The squid needs more food, and so do we. Here we can't grow much, and so on new moons we are granted land legs, and we grow what we can in caves. We want to keep respect in our traditions, but wizards have been getting too curious. They come into the waters and correct our ways, and change our lifestyles to fit what they think is proper. No offense to any of you. I'm just telling you the truth." I gazed only for a moment to find the young Malfoy sitting alone in a corner. I travelled over to him and sat. "Why do you seclude yourself in a corner?" He seemed furious at my question.
"You expect me to sit and congregate with that bunch of filth? I don't like them, and I don't like you!" He yelled at me. I sighed heavily.
"I may be only an apprentice, but there are somethings I will never be able to learn or experience. Remember this-you can't deny your kind, their choices, or actions. Worry more about your own because they will matter most to you." Just then Nadlie stepped into the room with a massive bag.
NADLIE
"Little wet outside isn't it?" I giggled. "Tala went to see Rulim, and he wants to see you before he goes. I was also insturcted to feed this lot."
"Very well." Almar replied, "Remember Malfoy, what I've said to you."
They look more relaxed than when I last saw them. Better get this over with.
Nadlie tossed them bread and fruit, which was taken without any complaints. Malfoy, however, never left his seat in the corner. Nadlie went to his side and sat quietly with her own food.
"I hope you know that your father's doing very well. He'll be taken to the school later, with some instructions from Tala."
"Why are you speaking to me? Don't you have some small children to terrorize or something?" I laughed at his statement and went back to my meal.
"I want to make friends with all of you. I want to know what it's like where you're from. We aren't allowed to leave the forest, so I'm terribly curious about everything."
"You should have to stay in the forest! You're barbarions! Locking us up like this!"
"I understand your point-of-view, but have you heard the whole story of mine? We've always had to live like this. When You-know-who was running around, he did this very thing to my people, and sometimes worse. And I don't blame any of you for any of that, neither does Tala. But we do have rights." I told him. "I'll stay with you as long as you're all here. I can run and get you things if you need them."
"It won't be much longer." Tala paused and lowered her eyes.
"I'll do what I can."
Tala hurried down the corriders of the city. As she approached the alchemist's lab, she was over-come by a strange feeling. Inside, Rulim, the alchemist lay on his bed. Tala went to his side and knew there was nothing that could be done. She bid him good bye and left him in his final hour.
Back in the captives' quarters, Almar was keeping them company.
"I stongly believe in what Tala's doing. We haven't been treated fairly either, and we really do need better." I explained to the children.
"Is the way you're being treated really that bad?" Quired a young girl called Hermione. I nodded and went to the large window, next to the door, and gazed out.
"We need more space. The squid needs more food, and so do we. Here we can't grow much, and so on new moons we are granted land legs, and we grow what we can in caves. We want to keep respect in our traditions, but wizards have been getting too curious. They come into the waters and correct our ways, and change our lifestyles to fit what they think is proper. No offense to any of you. I'm just telling you the truth." I gazed only for a moment to find the young Malfoy sitting alone in a corner. I travelled over to him and sat. "Why do you seclude yourself in a corner?" He seemed furious at my question.
"You expect me to sit and congregate with that bunch of filth? I don't like them, and I don't like you!" He yelled at me. I sighed heavily.
"I may be only an apprentice, but there are somethings I will never be able to learn or experience. Remember this-you can't deny your kind, their choices, or actions. Worry more about your own because they will matter most to you." Just then Nadlie stepped into the room with a massive bag.
NADLIE
"Little wet outside isn't it?" I giggled. "Tala went to see Rulim, and he wants to see you before he goes. I was also insturcted to feed this lot."
"Very well." Almar replied, "Remember Malfoy, what I've said to you."
They look more relaxed than when I last saw them. Better get this over with.
Nadlie tossed them bread and fruit, which was taken without any complaints. Malfoy, however, never left his seat in the corner. Nadlie went to his side and sat quietly with her own food.
"I hope you know that your father's doing very well. He'll be taken to the school later, with some instructions from Tala."
"Why are you speaking to me? Don't you have some small children to terrorize or something?" I laughed at his statement and went back to my meal.
"I want to make friends with all of you. I want to know what it's like where you're from. We aren't allowed to leave the forest, so I'm terribly curious about everything."
"You should have to stay in the forest! You're barbarions! Locking us up like this!"
"I understand your point-of-view, but have you heard the whole story of mine? We've always had to live like this. When You-know-who was running around, he did this very thing to my people, and sometimes worse. And I don't blame any of you for any of that, neither does Tala. But we do have rights." I told him. "I'll stay with you as long as you're all here. I can run and get you things if you need them."