Blooming between Stones

It came from the dark

This is a short story and the author has edited to the best of her ability. Feel free to point out nay mistakes she may have missed. Thank you and enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was thirteen when Gen Anda came for her.

A small, spindly little thing, with hair too yellow and cheeks too freckled, but she could hold her own against most things anyhow. And whatever Gen Anda had heard of her seemed to prove she was worthy of his time and teachings besides. So it was settled, with little impute from herself, that she would be taken under his wing and taught whatever it was that he had to offer their little town buried between rocky mountain trails.

It was because of this arrangement that Ainsley found herself thrown into the center of town, often times elbow deep in white linens, fresh herbs or sometimes, if the day was really off, and she could feel it when the day was going to be particularly off kilter - Amu always said it was because she had a keen sixth sense - she'd sometimes find herself soaked with blood from an unexpected birth or injury.

More often than not, she watched Gen Anda work. He was once a palace surgeon, only to be properly removed from his post shortly after the tri-Kingdome wars back below in the capitals. She hadn't been born then, but she heard stories, whispered amongst adults while they drank or ate, with side eyes and much head shaking.

It was a brutal time for many. But Gen Anda was one of the few men that actually was said to have been there, during the battle in their sleepy mountain pass village. So she gave the man respect – he, in turn, gave her grouchy sarcastic remarks and often times cutting, if justified, scolding's when she daydreamed a little to hard and let their herbs brew too long or not enough.

All in all – life in her village was simple. People found their spots and what they had to do to benefit others and they did their jobs, woman married at a young age, had as many children as they could and those children in turn took up the work of their fathers, if they were boys, or went off and got married at a young age, if they were girls.

All had a job - and all were unanimously and silently expected to do that job.

So when people found that there was a little girl under the apprenticeship of their surly town surgeon - words were flung, and confused judgments were passed. After all, they didn't have much more interesting thing to speak of then a little girl learning medicine.

But when will she get married? They'd ask her grandparents every chance they got.

Such a nice girl, not all that attractive to be sure, but she's not ugly, aren't you looking for a husband for her yet?

I doubt any of our town boys wants a studying wife.

Isn't she too old to be let out like this on her own?

Can't you control your only grandchild?

And many, many more things from less gracious people of the town, because every town had those types of people in them after all. Ainsley didn't understand their aversion to her learning and possibly taking up a trade. She was good at what she does - Gen Anda said so, not in so many words but he did, she had a gift, a touch to heal, to know if a body was hopeless or salvageable.

It was something she never could explain to herself or to others, and Gen Anda called her foolish for believing in drivels spouted off by housewives and children. But he never seemed to be able to deny her talent. Her hands – he said sometimes - they were a gift for healing.