Ch.2 Teacher is Found
It was morning now and the snow had cleared out over night. The dirt road was covered with the remains of the storm and it was hard for a car to get trough. However, on foot it was easy. A dark complexioned woman walked in the deep snow toward Annelxle's camp sight. Her right leg clanked as it hit the ground which gave away that it was automail. She wore a long cape over her Ishbalen like clothes and her red eyes closely examined the shelter and smoldering fire.
"This is the product of alchemy…" she said as she knelt down and ran her hands over the smooth dirt covered stick fort.
"However, very young alchemy at that. There must be a child nearby…" The woman said again under her breath and once more rising to her feet.
Her name was Harmony and she was a striking 23 years old Ishbalen alchemist. Her long blackish brown hair engulfed her eyes as she looked at the ground to find small tracks and a bit of blood. Paniced her walk turned into a jog as she trudged through the snow looking for the young child who made the small tracks. . Finally after about an hour of following the tracks and blood stained snow Harmony found the poor girl.
"There she is…she seemed much smaller by her tracks." she said as she came up to Annexle and knelt by her side.
"DON'T CALL ME SMALL!" Annexle shouted as bit of blood ran over her mouth from a deep cut on her right cheek.
"I'm sorry honey…but you seem so badly injured. What happened?" Harmony asked.
Annexle's eyes filled with some tears.
"I was attacked by some wild dogs…no one came to help me." she said.
Annexle examined the women and was reminded of a Ishbalen's picture from a book she had read on the war.
"Who are you anyway miss?" she asked reaching up to wipe the blood away from her lip.
"Oh, my name is Harmony. I'm an alchemist just like you are training to be. What is your name child?" she asked.
Annexle smiled and sat up brushing off the light dusting of snow from her body.
"My name is Annexle Terada and I'm seven years old. My father died while I was back in Altimar, and so I am in search of a teacher that will teach me all they know about alchemy." she said suddenly wincing and clutching her leg where blood gushed from a dog bite.
From behind the pair came another sharp growl, like the night before, and a dog pounced on Harmoy. She rolled over on the ground trying to get the beast off, but it wouldn't let go and it tugged at her cape to reach her flesh. Annexle watched in terror fearing that the wild mutt would kill her. As the fight between the dog and Harmony drug on, Harmony suddenly stopped. She smirked and clapped her hands together. She then thrust them down on the ground and held perfectly still as the light from her alchemy shot up and stabbed the dog in the back. It limply hit the ground as the smoke cleared to reveal a gaint blood covered spike.
Forgetting her pain Annexle jumped to her feet with excitement. She smiled a bright smile and looked up into Harmony's eyes.
"You can use alchemy without transmutation circles! HOW DID YOU DO THAT!" Annexle squealed.
Blood gushed from her leg, and she obviously was reminded of her pain and crumpled back down to the ground holding her leg.
"Will you please teach me how to do that?" Annexle asked softly.
"Sorry kid….I'm a loner." Harmony said pulling out some cloth from a bag hanging from her side to dress Annexle's wounds.
"Please make me your apprentice!" Annexle cried.
"NO!"
"But I have nowhere to go!"
"I said NO!"
Annexle cupped her hands into a begging plea form…
"Please! My father is dead….I already know a little alchemy!" She cried out making her sad eyes widen.
"Well…." Harmony began.
"YES?" Annexle begged….
"….huh…uhm….ummmm….alright." Harmony said looking at the child's sad face turn to a bright smile.
"Yay!" Annexle cheered.
"But first we have to get you well again. My home is not to far from here. We'll go there, and I guess I'll carry you since your leg is injured." Harmoy said sweetly reaching out to take Annexle.
Annexle carefully climbed on her back and they started off toward Harmony's house and town. They made it by night fall. In the twilight Annexle could just read the sign at the entrance to the city. It read "Siam", and as Haromy walked along she seemed happy to be home. Carefully she unlocked the door and turned on the lights as they entered. She laid Annexle down on the couch and ran upstairs to prepair the guest bed room for her. During this time Annexle to the chance to look around and familiarize herself with her new home.
The house seemed to be cozy and warm with the nice colors on the walls. The living room, which Annexle was in, was a rich yellow with a tanish rug and a dark brown couch. On the walls hung beautiful painting of roses which made Annexle smile. The lamps in the room gave off a dim sort of light and made her feel a sort of tiredness, and in the corner was a greatly detailed grandfather clock. The kitchen was a deep caramel with beautiful cabinets of wood, stone flooring, pots and pans hang form the cealing and there was one window covered by checkered curtains. To Annexle's right there was a room the seemed to be endlessly filled with alchemy text and thick research journals.
There was also a room she could not see into, for the door was closed and chained off. Annexle smiled and looked over to the grandfather clock. She watched as an hour slowly passed and Harmony returned for her. She carefully picked the child up and walked with her up the dark satirs and down the hall to a room with the light on under the door. She smiled and opened up the door to a dark green room. There was a chestnut dresser in the righthand corner that was to tall for Annexle to reach, A bed with the same type of wood frame as the dressed sat in the middle of the room against the back wall, beside the bed was a night stand with another one of those lamps from down stairs , and in the left side of the room was a huge closet.
"Wlcome to your new room Annexle! I think it will suit you." Harmony said proudly to the seven year old.
"It is great Harmony…or…I …mean…teacher." Annexle said.
"No, no, you may call me Harmony." she said walking over to the bed and tucking Annexle into its fresh sheets and covers.
She carefully took Annexle's bag from her side and placed it on a chair in the corner. Then she walked to the doorway.
"I'll bring you some soup. Do you want milk?" Harmony asked kindly.
"BLEH! NO! Milk tastes like barf! What's worse is it comes from a cow utter!" Annexle screamed.
"Ok, ok….just wait here…" Harmony said turning and leaveing the room.
Annexle sighed and stared up at the cealing. She felt gross in her current clothing and jumped out of her clean bed. She hobbled over to her bag on the chair and unzipped it. Carefully she pulled out a pair of clean pajamas and stripped off her own dress. Crumpling it is the floor she made sure to be careful of the bandage and got dressed in her fresh night clothes. She hobbled back over to her bed and climbed in. Silently she thought about Harmony's kindness toward her. (I wonder….is this what it feels like to have a mom?)
"Wow another clock!" Annexle said in a whisper as she stared at yet another grandfather clock.
It was 7:30pm….
"I'm back! I just had to reheat this soup…..Oh, and here is some water." Harmony said handing Annexle a tray with a bowl of broth in it and nice cold glass of water.
Steam came off of the soup as Harmony saw the dress and walked over to fold it. Annexle gobbled down the broth in no time and drank all of her water.
"That was great teacher! What did it have in it?" Annexle asked cheerfully.
"Some herbs to make your wounds heal faster. As well as some stuff to help infection…" Harmoy said tacking the tray.
"I'll also take your dress to wash it…. Night Annexle!" she said smiling and shutting the door to Annexle's room.
Slowly Annexle driffted off to sleep hoping tomorrow would be a better day….
