A/N: So, to get things up and running, I posted this early. Normally I'll post a new chapter every week or so. Enjoy!
End of chapter 1: Daine shook her head and looked to the sky. A single golden eagle was soaring overhead, and for a moment, Daine envied the bird's freedom. Surely a child of the sky did not have to worry about her daughter's insane dream to become a knight, mage, and wildmage at once! The beautiful creature half-turned in midair towards her, as if it had heard her desperate thoughts, and the woman dropped her gaze. Slowly, The Wildmage turned from her stroll and walked back home, where her children would be waiting for her.
"What will you become, my daughter? Who will you be?"
Magic and Fate
Long after Daine had gone inside, the golden eagle which she had so envied finally came to a rest on the branch of a large oak that was hidden from any curious eyes. The magnificent bird tossed her head, golden feathers rustling, and began to change, wings folding into tanned arms, beak shrinking into a defiantly straight nose, yellow eyes shifting, feathers fading, until at last a naked young girl sat gracefully on the branch.
Sarralyn Salmalin shook her head, her long black hair tossing about. She opened eyes that were the color of the sky after a thunderstorm and fluttered her long, dark lashes to clear her vision. Her mother's question still rang in her mind. She knew what she wanted to be, but still it wasn't good enough. Sarralyn sighed, sadness and confusion a deep ache inside of her.
"I didn't ask for this, mother" the young girl whispered aloud in a voice that was as musical as the tune of a songbird layered with the cry of an injured wolf.
She let a few tears slither down her cheeks as she opened up her senses to the People. The sounds of the wild filled her mind; the calling of one blue jay to another, a happy puppy laughing as he played with his siblings, a cat meowing hello to her tom. Sarralyn smiled as the sounds of the animal world engulfed her. She wanted so badly to get lost in that world, but just on the corner of her magical vision, a sparkling black halo held her back. Her Gift. More tears streaked down the young girl's face as she examined the two fires burning separately inside of her. Her wild magic burned copper, like Daine's did, and her Gift sparkled black with white, like Numair's. She probed at the copper that filled one half of her and the black in the other. Neither would budge. Neither was more powerful. Sarralyn stopped fussing with her magic and held her head in her hands, pressing against her burning eyes, willing herself to stop the onslaught of tears she felt coming.
The heavy-hearted girl raised her reddened eyes when she noticed the first furry body that began to nuzzle her leg, then another and another. A family of chipmunks crowded around her, squeaking concern. The largest of the animals looked up at Sarralyn, his nose flickering nervously as he attempted to look at the girl who towered above him.
A laugh wormed its way through the Salmalin girl's sadness as the chipmunk introduced himself as Terran and quietly asked what was wrong. Sarralyn tickled the small animal's belly, making it squeak, laughing uncontrollably. The younger chipmunks crowded around, begging for her to play with them as well.
Me next Sarralyn!
No! My turn!
Stop pushing!
"All is well" Sarralyn lied to the head of the clan as she played with the young creatures.
You know that is a lie, Gifted Wildmage, you are troubled because of your magic, and because of your dreams of knighthood. Terran smiled reassuringly.
Sarralyn sighed again and put the small, chattering chipmunks down. "I am half beast-People and half two-legger like my mother, but at the same time all mage like my father. I am an accident, a freak of nature, and I don't know why I am this way."
Terran nodded supportively. This is a matter of two-leggers, which I know little about. As for your People half, embrace it, because we will always be here for you. You need to be in a place that accepts you for all of you, not just your mage side or People side. I wish you luck in this matter. And with that, Terran gathered up his family and left.
Sarralyn brooded over what Terran had said until Mithros' great sun went down and the Goddess's moon shone bright overhead. She knew what she needed to be, what she had to be. She felt the palace calling at night, begging her to embrace what she was always supposed to become. But neither of her parents would ever let her become a knight. Didn't they see that knighthood was the only way she could prove that she was worth something?The young girl shuddered, knowing what she must now do in order to begin her journey.
A knock on her door awoke Sir Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau from her fitful sleep. "By the Goddess" the fiery red-head whispered coldly, snaking out of bed and grabbing her sword, in case her visitor was an enemy. "Who is it?!" she called, one hand on the door handle, one clasped around the unsheathed sword.
"Aunt Alanna! It's me, Sarralyn! I need to talk with you!" came the small reply.
Alanna sighed and set down her sword before opening the door to her goddaughter. Sarralyn came flying through the door into the woman's arms, embracing her tightly with a trembling body. The confused Alanna stood stone still, shocked beyond reason for a second, for her Sarralyn was not so outlandishly emotional, before stroking the young girl on the head and carrying her over to a chair. What happened? Alanna thought to herself as Sarralyn brought her quiet sobs under control. Is her gift acting up again? Alanna was one of the few who actually knew the Salmalin girl's secret.
"Aunt Alanna" Sarralyn began when her shaking had ceased "I want to be a knight- I need to be a knight, and I want you to train me"
The Lioness was struck dumb at her goddaughter's words. A knight! She wants to be a knight! Almost thirty years before, King Jonathan and Queen Thayet had decreed that girls could become pages. It had taken ten years for the first female candidate to come forward; a Yamani-raised child named Keladry of Mindelan. Since Kel, there had been four other girls who had tried for knighthood, all successes; Adele of Dawn's Peak, Miriam of Toran, Rochelle of Athenon, and the recently deceased Shara of Stone Mountain. Males of the kingdom laughed as they pointed out that the number of female knights could be counted upon one hand.
"Sarralyn" Alanna said, her hands on the girl's shoulders "why do you suddenly wish to be a knight? Why have you never mentioned this before?"
The young girl looked up at Alanna, her stormy-blue eyes all steel and fire. Alanna itched to probe with her magic, but the girl's answer came promptly.
"It's my dream to become a knight, it has been ever since I understood what I was, but mother and father always discouraged it. I know that I'm different but I also know that I can be someone for people look up to- someone that people depend on to protect them."
Alanna stared at her goddaughter, trying to decide if she was serious about this. Those eyes aren't lying the red-headed woman thought as she stared into their steely depths. But she also knew that this wasn't a decision for just the child alone. "What do your parents think of this… choice? I've been told by them that you wish to train as a Wild Magic- user, or a mage."
"Aunt Alanna…" the girl finally said, breaking the heavy silence that had followed Alanna's words "There is no way for me to choose between my paths, when they are all side by side. I'm meant for so much more than the life of just a Knight, or just a Mage or Wildmage. I'm the first person to be born into this world with two types of magics. I want to help the world in every aspect. I can heal People with my wild magic, humans with my gift, and I can protect them with a shield. I want to do it all."
This is unheard of! She can't have all three! She has to pick one! Alanna was about to voice her opinions when a small voice (that sounded surprisingly like a certain furry companion from her past) resounded inside of her. You were a mage and a knight it said. You didn't have to give up your shield because of your Gift. The amethyst-eyed woman cringed at the truth in that voice
The woman stood up, turning her back on Sarralyn. "I need to think about this" she mumbled, knowing that this would not be easy. "I need to inform your parents about this, when your father returns." Alanna stayed motionless as the soft sound of rustling feet marked Sarralyn's departure.
Alanna shook her head in exasperation, knowing there was nearly no way anyone could sway the Wildmage and Numair about their daughter. Don't worry that small voice said again nothing will change that girl's destiny.
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YAY!! Onto chapter 3! What will happen to Sarralyn? Will her parents finally decide to let their daughter pursue her own dreams, or will they continue to keep her from fate? If you write some really nice reviews, you might just find out! ^_^ hehehe, just kidding. Chapter 3 is going to be coming out early, so keep an eye out!