Chapter Two

There was a soft padding of feet on the crowded streets of Azirik village...those feet belonged to none other than myself as I made my way through the throng of people. I was walking rather fast on my small feet holding the small bungle I held close to my chest so that I wouldn't drop it. It would be so easy to run right into these people, like I haven't already, and drop it letting the contents shatter across the trampled dirt that people rushed upon. Winter was over in these parts and the markets had just reopened. It was also the perfect day for people to barter their goods in hope of getting more than what its worth, the young labor for one was a must.

The mid-afternoon sun was beating down upon my small form relentlessly and though I was in good shape it was taking its tool. Sweat formed at my brow and I became more and more breathless while my face became ever the redder. It didn't really take all that long until I was taking slow cautious steps to regain my breath. I couldn't stop to stand still to do so for this was also a good time when men took advantage of young, especially pretty young virgins such as herself, girls to satisfy their ugly needs and to just stand out in the open like that meant you were easy to take advantage of. I hugged the brown package closer to chest as if to hide the fact that I was female, yes just ignore the long blonde hair that crept to my lower back and my bright green eyes that had black at the edges. Oh lets not forget the slim form, the femine build, and the grace that I eluded. Ignore all of that and I'd have a fifteen percent chance of passing as male.

'There!' I thought when my bright green eyes spotted the lone rotted wooden crate that was meant for me to sit on as my 'father' showed me off to the masses of young single men. Actually more than a few of them would already be looking for a second and even a third or forth wife...I didn't want to think of that seeing that I'm now old enough to be married off. It was awful but then it was a family custom that I had no hope of escape from and more than likely I'll be betrothed soon. Besides it wasn't the worst and I was lucky to still be alive after my parents died...in almost every case like that if there was a girl she was fed to the wolves and if there was a son he would be sent off to relatives. Yes. I'm very lucky.

I had to shove myself through groups of moving people so that I'd be able to get into the small empty area where the old rotted crate and a fine wooden stand stood. On the stand there would most likely be white flowers that only her 'father', whom she often times referred to as 'Uncle' which he was neither, knew how to grow correctly. The white flower, or a Sanvril, was extremely rare nowadays and it wouldn't be much longer until someone took interest. Despite the fact that they were rare not many people cared anymore.

Winter was finally over, what could say for I was happy that it had ended. Though I was born in one of the coldest winters that not even the elders could remember one that was ever near its ferocity I despised winter. It was beautiful, sure, but for some strange reason it chilled me to the core of my soul as if something major, something bad, was going to happen and only the snow would be ever permitted witness. It seemed to foretell death in my eyes.

I nodded to my 'father' and without a single word handed him the package that I had held so dearly before. My eyes drifted towards the crate but he only shook his head back and forth to let me know that I didn't have to today. He had other plans; I could see it in his eyes. I wasn't slow in the meaning of the dark haired woman behind him dressed in the normal rags but apparently the top of her 'outfit' was too small for her oversized chest. I had to admit my 'father' was a young well to go man with a 'lovely' appearance...actually to be honest I didn't see what anyone saw in him, he was rather ugly with only his startling blue eyes to offer any form of beauty.

Yet all I did was shrug my small smooth shoulders with a grace that rags could never hide. I quickly turned away and intermixed with the crowd in a matter of moments though I could of sworn that he called out my name in that low raspy voice saying, "Lenore." Not like it mattered any.

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It didn't take along until I found myself upon a small stand of big red juicy apples that were just begging to be bought. I rested my hand on my side to feel the weight of my coins. It wasn't uncommon for people like me to hide their coins in a bag that was hidden in clothing tight against the skin so that it couldn't be stolen as easily unless you knew for sure where to look. My hand moved away so that I didn't draw much attention to it as I approached the stand, I should be able to get at least one of these. One healthy apple would keep me satisfied for a while and besides apples were pretty popular in these parts among the youth, especially with the street boys and a couple of the girls such as herself. The two older people at the stand didn't seem unsuspicious to me at all, it wasn't uncommon for there to be a couple of customers per stand and I was in luck as well, these people were wealthy enough to get a small umbrella to go over the set of apples to keep their customers in the shade as they made their selections.

I flashed the older woman a smile while my hands felt against the apples expertly checking for rot and other defects...I didn't want those apples at all. Now that I was here I noticed that there was a much older man beside me and the other figure, the older woman, was obviously the shopkeeper. The two people were talking in hushed voices; I only pretended not to hear as my hand fell upon a good apple that would suit me perfectly. Yet I didn't bring it up just yet to buy for I wanted to hear the conversation now that I was here for some strange reason that I couldn't comprehend. It didn't really matter that eaves dropping was rude, it happened a lot nowadays anyways.

"Did y'hear?" The middle-aged man spoke quietly, it was as if he didn't saw a word and if I hadn't been listening I wouldn't have picked it up. The man seemed so intent on his apples as he examined each individual one that one would be hard pressed to consider that he was speaking in a low voice.

The older woman cocked her head to the side slightly while 'watching' him and me to make sure that we didn't try and steal anything, as if. "Bout what." Her aged voice said just as quietly, the dimmed eyes narrowing. "I ain't heard of nothin."

The man sighed, his hands no longer moving for a few moments before continuing again as if he had never stopped in the first place. "Ye didn't hear it from me but I heard tat thee village 'cross thee river was destroyed by thee Siaos."

The woman eyed the man as he spoke, she didn't seem very surprised. Yet I felt my hands still with my body shake ever so slightly, they seemed to forget about my existence though as they continued their little 'chat' without turning a pretty little glance towards me.

"Blasphemous!" She exclaimed nonetheless, "Thee Siaos are just a stupid myth, besides art dey thee strongest village oh 'round here? Trevaye...destroyed...ridiculous..."

"Its true," the middle-aged man continued, his face looking strangely enlightened. "Apparently dey were looking for some cursed boy, must' a riled dem up for dey are all dead now." He chuckled, it was cold and merciless and it scared me. The black ridges of my eyes seemed to creep up into the green before retreating back to the edges yet again. I dropped my red apple.

The older woman didn't say anything rather she pushed her dark hair back with pudgy fingers, the long white strands intermixing with the black. She looked stressed but she didn't seem to care very much though other than the fact on how it may affect her later on. She was too old to be told things like this by mere strangers. She didn't notice the fanaticism in his blue eyes like I did.

Then the middle-aged man turned his blue eyes onto my small, frozen form. His face was emotionless yet as I forced myself to meet his eyes I saw there was a smile on his lips, the man was hiding something! But what? It surely was none of my business as well as...I didn't get to finish it rather someone else did, 'This conversation for one?' It was merely a voice in her head but it sounded angry cold as it ripped through her mind. It learned everything that it needed to know about her, everything down to the block in her mind, which it found strange that it couldn't break through it.

I didn't know how I should react; my mind seemed to go blank momentarily as if somebody tried to destroy my memory in order to get what he or she wanted. Well, it worked or at least to some degree. He wasn't able to get through to the last corners of my mind, though he significantly weakened it, and because of that it is one of the major reasons why they'd later seek me out and by the way later wasn't that far into the future.

My body had remained frozen when he took his leave, this cold demented thing that took form as some cold, angry voice. My long blonde hair was covering my face, sticking to it rather with my eyes shut. For some strange reason I didn't want to open them yet when I did a strange dizziness overwhelmed everybody around me. No harm was done for I fell unconscious, dropping the apple in my hand. The last thing I remember hearing was it clanking off the dirt ground and the uncaring people still crowding and hurrying by. I don't remember the calloused hands picking me up and holding me close. I don't even know how long I was out and when I got home other than it was still nighttime.