Love Among Slavery
Chapter Two: Fate's Dollar
* * *
The cloaked female figure had just removed herself from the large crowd and was in a dark alleyway. Her soft footsteps seemed to echo in that alleyway as she traveled with a cautious mind. Her eyes suddenly looked upwards and saw the full moon staring back at her, and she knew that full moons signalled a beginning of a new destiny.
Once her eyes were taken off of the moon she started to travel onto a street with people walking about. She quickly faced downward to avoid eye contact; people couldn't be trusted here. By a habit and memory she turned into her house quickly and closed the door.
"Trouble again my Firefly?" the loving voice asked.
"Firefly" turned around and gave a forced smile towards her father, "No father, not trouble."
Her father was getting old, though he looked really young and healthy. His already white hair almost gave his age out if not for his strong body. He also had glasses on over blue eyes.
"Then why such a hurry Hotaru?" he asked, concerned for his fourteen-year-old daughter.
Hotaru slowly came up to her father and sat beside him near the fireplace and said quietly, "I saw the slaves."
Her father looked at her daughter sitting on the cold floor with her arms wrapped around her legs, drawing them into her body. He was sitting in the only soft chair in their little house, not even one for his wife. He frowned and took Hotaru into his arms and held her close.
"They look terrible, don't they?" he asked silently.
Hotaru remained silent for a while and then spoke, "They captured the King."
"The king," he repeated softly.
The door then opened and in came a woman dresses in an old brown dress, all worn out. She had black hair down to her waist but some of the amount was drawn in a bun on top of her head. She had soft pink lips and maroon eyes.
"What about the king?" the woman asked when she heard her husband's last statement.
"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said.
"They've finally captured one of the kings of the elves," he answered to his wife's question.
"I see," Setsuna said, "I'll get dinner ready."
Hotaru's father nodded and then turned to his daughter, "Hotaru Tomoe, you must help your mother get dinner ready."
"Of course papa," Hotaru said cheerfully with a smile as she removed herself from her father's warm embrace and went to help her mother, leaving Mr. Tomoe to ponder over his daughter's words.
In the kitchen Hotaru went to put the bread into the oven and made sure that the fire underneath the metal didn't go out. Her mother rushed about the small kitchen to get milk, butter and the rationed meat ready.
Before long they were called for dinner and the three of them sat on each side of the small four-sided table. Hotaru pushed her chair in with a "squeak" as the legs scraped the concrete floor.
Then without much in thought they said their prayers and ate. Hotaru savoured her portion of the fresh bread as much as she could, some with butter, some plain. She only got two slices, they all did. They needed the rest of the bread to last for at least a week, even if the fresh smell of bread did tempt them. The meat had a tangy taste to it but Hotaru was used to it and even though she hated milk, she drank her portion with a smile.
This was her life. Her parents and her slept in one room together, with her parents on one old mat and she slept on one mat alone. Then in the morning, only water and only one slice of plain bread to last her daily work and then rubbed her face, arms and legs with a wetted cloth. She would then go and help the fruit market make small deliveries then get a free fruit for lunch. After that she would go home with her daily pay, one dollar, and eat dinner.
That only reminded her to dig into her pocket for the round coin and handed it to her father who only smiled and said, "How about you keep that and get a treat for yourself tomorrow."
Hotaru smiled, "Really papa?"
Mr. Tomoe looked at his wife and saw no look of disagreeing form her and answered her enthusiastic daughter, "Yes. Really you can."
Hotaru gave one more smile and declared, "I'll wash the dishes."
The next morning, after eating her breakfast and cleaned herself she went outside with the dollar in her pocket. She then kissed her father goodbye as he went to the palace to wash dishes. When he was gone and her mother gone to work as a seamstress, Hotaru walked to the man who was her boss.
Along the way she saw kids running to the candy stand with money. She looked at the sweets with anticipation in getting some for herself as she reached into her pocket and held the dollar in her palm. But then decided against it. It wasn't everyday that she got to keep a dollar, she only had that chance once every year. And every year she spent it on candy, but this year was different. She was going to save up her money.
Hotaru then ripped her eyes from the treats and went about her business. When she reached the fruit stand she was immediately given a delivery, and once she delivered the fruit she was walking back. Before she noticed the pothole in the ground she tripped and out came her dollar, rolling away from her.
Hotaru slammed her fist on the ground, got up and ran towards the dollar. When it stopped and she was about to pick it up, a person would kick it away without noticing it. The steps were repeated over and over again till it was kicked near a carriage.
It was then that pale blue eyes held its place on the dollar. He then looked around and only saw people moving about the streets. No soldiers were about since they went to their lunch duty and the king didn't want them sorted in the palace grounds so he was on the street looking at the dollar with narrowed eyes.
Hotaru came up suddenly and grabbed the dollar and said triumphantly, "Got you!"
She then got up from the ground and looked up. Legolas immediately recognized those mysterious, sharp violet eyes. Hotaru also recognized those starry pale blue eyes that took hold of her mind. He had a grasp on her mind as her dollar dropped onto the ground with a small "clang".
Hotaru went out the trance and picked up the dollar as Legolas swore in his head, it was the second time she snapped out of his spells. This girl was strong, though she might not know it.
Hotaru clasped onto the dollar once more and whispered, with her head downward, "I want to help you. But I love my home too much. Please don't force me any more."
Legolas heard her voice as he stared at him. The other elves also looked at the girl now. They saw her holding onto the dollar for her dear life and immediately knew that she was poor.
Legolas saw it too and for that exact moment he felt her kind soul full of wishes for a better life for her parents who work for hours without end. Inside her soul he felt the many treasured moments that seemed foolish to him, like keeping a dollar and chasing it among full traffic. This girl was special, he decided at last. He also decided that if he did get justice for his people, he was going to give her a better life that she deserved than what she had now.
Hotaru looked into his eyes once and then turned around. She whispered, "I'm Hotaru. Nice to meet you." And walked away.
Legolas kept silent as the elves looked at him.
"She's different," one spoke to his king.
"I know," Legolas answered.
"That dollar brought her here. This was the second time we saw her with a strong will that could release her mind from our spells," another spoke.
"This event is called Fate's dollar from now on," another said.
"She will help save us, even if she is a human," the last elder elf concluded.
* * *
Silver Author
Chapter Two: Fate's Dollar
* * *
The cloaked female figure had just removed herself from the large crowd and was in a dark alleyway. Her soft footsteps seemed to echo in that alleyway as she traveled with a cautious mind. Her eyes suddenly looked upwards and saw the full moon staring back at her, and she knew that full moons signalled a beginning of a new destiny.
Once her eyes were taken off of the moon she started to travel onto a street with people walking about. She quickly faced downward to avoid eye contact; people couldn't be trusted here. By a habit and memory she turned into her house quickly and closed the door.
"Trouble again my Firefly?" the loving voice asked.
"Firefly" turned around and gave a forced smile towards her father, "No father, not trouble."
Her father was getting old, though he looked really young and healthy. His already white hair almost gave his age out if not for his strong body. He also had glasses on over blue eyes.
"Then why such a hurry Hotaru?" he asked, concerned for his fourteen-year-old daughter.
Hotaru slowly came up to her father and sat beside him near the fireplace and said quietly, "I saw the slaves."
Her father looked at her daughter sitting on the cold floor with her arms wrapped around her legs, drawing them into her body. He was sitting in the only soft chair in their little house, not even one for his wife. He frowned and took Hotaru into his arms and held her close.
"They look terrible, don't they?" he asked silently.
Hotaru remained silent for a while and then spoke, "They captured the King."
"The king," he repeated softly.
The door then opened and in came a woman dresses in an old brown dress, all worn out. She had black hair down to her waist but some of the amount was drawn in a bun on top of her head. She had soft pink lips and maroon eyes.
"What about the king?" the woman asked when she heard her husband's last statement.
"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said.
"They've finally captured one of the kings of the elves," he answered to his wife's question.
"I see," Setsuna said, "I'll get dinner ready."
Hotaru's father nodded and then turned to his daughter, "Hotaru Tomoe, you must help your mother get dinner ready."
"Of course papa," Hotaru said cheerfully with a smile as she removed herself from her father's warm embrace and went to help her mother, leaving Mr. Tomoe to ponder over his daughter's words.
In the kitchen Hotaru went to put the bread into the oven and made sure that the fire underneath the metal didn't go out. Her mother rushed about the small kitchen to get milk, butter and the rationed meat ready.
Before long they were called for dinner and the three of them sat on each side of the small four-sided table. Hotaru pushed her chair in with a "squeak" as the legs scraped the concrete floor.
Then without much in thought they said their prayers and ate. Hotaru savoured her portion of the fresh bread as much as she could, some with butter, some plain. She only got two slices, they all did. They needed the rest of the bread to last for at least a week, even if the fresh smell of bread did tempt them. The meat had a tangy taste to it but Hotaru was used to it and even though she hated milk, she drank her portion with a smile.
This was her life. Her parents and her slept in one room together, with her parents on one old mat and she slept on one mat alone. Then in the morning, only water and only one slice of plain bread to last her daily work and then rubbed her face, arms and legs with a wetted cloth. She would then go and help the fruit market make small deliveries then get a free fruit for lunch. After that she would go home with her daily pay, one dollar, and eat dinner.
That only reminded her to dig into her pocket for the round coin and handed it to her father who only smiled and said, "How about you keep that and get a treat for yourself tomorrow."
Hotaru smiled, "Really papa?"
Mr. Tomoe looked at his wife and saw no look of disagreeing form her and answered her enthusiastic daughter, "Yes. Really you can."
Hotaru gave one more smile and declared, "I'll wash the dishes."
The next morning, after eating her breakfast and cleaned herself she went outside with the dollar in her pocket. She then kissed her father goodbye as he went to the palace to wash dishes. When he was gone and her mother gone to work as a seamstress, Hotaru walked to the man who was her boss.
Along the way she saw kids running to the candy stand with money. She looked at the sweets with anticipation in getting some for herself as she reached into her pocket and held the dollar in her palm. But then decided against it. It wasn't everyday that she got to keep a dollar, she only had that chance once every year. And every year she spent it on candy, but this year was different. She was going to save up her money.
Hotaru then ripped her eyes from the treats and went about her business. When she reached the fruit stand she was immediately given a delivery, and once she delivered the fruit she was walking back. Before she noticed the pothole in the ground she tripped and out came her dollar, rolling away from her.
Hotaru slammed her fist on the ground, got up and ran towards the dollar. When it stopped and she was about to pick it up, a person would kick it away without noticing it. The steps were repeated over and over again till it was kicked near a carriage.
It was then that pale blue eyes held its place on the dollar. He then looked around and only saw people moving about the streets. No soldiers were about since they went to their lunch duty and the king didn't want them sorted in the palace grounds so he was on the street looking at the dollar with narrowed eyes.
Hotaru came up suddenly and grabbed the dollar and said triumphantly, "Got you!"
She then got up from the ground and looked up. Legolas immediately recognized those mysterious, sharp violet eyes. Hotaru also recognized those starry pale blue eyes that took hold of her mind. He had a grasp on her mind as her dollar dropped onto the ground with a small "clang".
Hotaru went out the trance and picked up the dollar as Legolas swore in his head, it was the second time she snapped out of his spells. This girl was strong, though she might not know it.
Hotaru clasped onto the dollar once more and whispered, with her head downward, "I want to help you. But I love my home too much. Please don't force me any more."
Legolas heard her voice as he stared at him. The other elves also looked at the girl now. They saw her holding onto the dollar for her dear life and immediately knew that she was poor.
Legolas saw it too and for that exact moment he felt her kind soul full of wishes for a better life for her parents who work for hours without end. Inside her soul he felt the many treasured moments that seemed foolish to him, like keeping a dollar and chasing it among full traffic. This girl was special, he decided at last. He also decided that if he did get justice for his people, he was going to give her a better life that she deserved than what she had now.
Hotaru looked into his eyes once and then turned around. She whispered, "I'm Hotaru. Nice to meet you." And walked away.
Legolas kept silent as the elves looked at him.
"She's different," one spoke to his king.
"I know," Legolas answered.
"That dollar brought her here. This was the second time we saw her with a strong will that could release her mind from our spells," another spoke.
"This event is called Fate's dollar from now on," another said.
"She will help save us, even if she is a human," the last elder elf concluded.
* * *
Silver Author