The Blessed Child

Part II: Stories of the Forgotten

She wouldn't tell me her name.

Not only that, she was definitly avoiding me and if I happened to catch her staring at me, a hot look of disapproval and anger would stretch over her face. Seriously, what was up with this girl? How do heroes do it then?

"She's glaring at you again, mate", Sam said with a laugh, then slid over on the bench next to me at the table. I rolled my eyes.

"You know, I would've thought with your killer looks and the fact that you saved her and all, she would've been all over you!", Sam repeated for the 50th time.

"Whatever", I really didn't care. It just bugged me that there was no gratitude. Sam slopped down most of his stew. Sam was my best mate. There was nothing for it, since we were the only fishers who were any good at the time. So we stuck together, in the sea, in the storms, in the hurricane, then finally, started sticking together as friends.

"Well", he slurped with his mouth full, "She's a right nicer when you're not around"

"Thanks", I grumbled into my stew. So she was only prejudiced against me, huh? The familiar inquiring sound of Little Joe's voice,

"Ma'm?" I imagined her taking her furious gaze off me, switching it for a nicer inviting look as she turned to Little Joe.

"Yes?", she asked.

"Um, Kayden was wondering if-"

"I was not!", Kayden's voice cut in. I smiled into my stew.

"Oh", Joe stumbled, "Um, you have stories?" My eyebrows furrowed. What was that supposed to mean?

"Well, I bet you've heard them all haven't you?" She laughed. I sneaked a quick glance back to see Little Joe shrugging. I didn't know she could laugh. Not with the way she was treating me. I slumped low into the bench. 

She started teling some story about some "Cinders Ella" . I wasn't really paying attention, but I turned around. Little Joe was looking confused. He'd never heard the story before.

"Have you never heard this story before?", she sounded so aghast she forgot to be angry.

"No"

"Never of", she stammered, "Glaedsferth and his triumph in Elron'st and the Silver City of Laes?" A shake of my head prompted her to list out thousands of things I had missed out on. With a pant she finally reached the long item,

"You've never even heard of the Maker and the Destroyer"

"Oh, We've heard of those two myths", I replied. Her eyes flashed, as I spoke. She whipped to face me, with an accusatory look. Jeez, she was as moody as a two-faced moth.

"Well then tell us a story", I said quickly. She eyed me suspiciously. Then must've decided I couldn't be doing harm by just listening to her story, and also, that this was perhaps the perfect chance to preach me into her ways. 

"Then I will tell you about Naergluff, the huntress. Upon the day of the third reunion, Naergluff was trapped by a lion. She-", the girl stopped abruptly.

Sam's porridge had just splashed out of his mouth. "Sorry", he mumbled as he mopped it up, then in stunned speech asked,

"Naergluff's a- a girl?"

"Yes", she replied with her eyebrows knitted together. As if it were completely obvious and normal girls were usually named 'Nair Gluff'. Now, if I had asked, a haughty look would've been plastered all over her face. Slumping deeper, I listened.

"As I was saying, Naergluff had been herded by the lion deep into a cave. The lion stayed at the mouth of the cave, gaurding her in. She had no way out. Twas then, in the deep cave, she found a bush like weed. Long thin grasses that grew in clumps. In a moment of wonderous amazement, she grabbed the hairs of the grass. And followed into her idea. The lion paced restlessly in front of the cave. It was waiting, waiting for its prey to succumb to the mouth of the predator."

Although this story seemed rather boring, since it was one I hadn't heard I listened.

"After three days, she walked towards the mouth of the cave. The lion took a monstrous roar, and in its hunger and despair it leaped toward her. And then, in midair, the lion was caught. A tangle of nets made from rope and string she had braided with the long weed's hairs had been waiting to catch the monster.", Sam choked on his stew again and I would've too. She seemed not to have noticed our behavior.

"Naergluff went back to her village with the live lion in her nets. And was congratulated. They named the weed plant after her, Naergluff", She smiled. That was I must admit, one very very boring story. What sort of life did she have to enjoy these stories?

But Rope. String. She had spoken of the twines in used to tie so flippantly. My hand leaped to ;my pocket. Jeera lay in my pocket, curled up. 

"No way", Sam beat me to it. She looked taken aback.

"Yea....", I droned, "There's no way Rope or String is so easy to make or find" She looked really surprised. She pulled at her clothes. She had tied a thin string around her dress. I must have looked aghast. How could she treat string so... so... common?

My eyebrow was twitching. She definitly lived a cushioned life.

"We", I explained, "Only can get rope when we come of age. One strand of Jeera", I pulled out Jeera. She was a long sturdy twine. Beige colored and with a few speckles of dark brown. Sam nodded and looked at the girl. Then he grinned,

"You're lucky" I rolled my eyes. Sam had already failed to retrieve his Jeera twice. 

"But", she spluttered, "String, ropes", she spluttered again, "How are your clothes sewn together then?", she demanded finally.

"Mud", Kayden answered in an awestruck voice. 

"What!?"

"Yea", Sam put in, "Once we come of age, we're allowed to ask our elders to leave to the Whipping Willow. We are allowed one strand of Jeera from the Whipping Willow. The person must defeat the Creature that's guards it and take a strand"

"Then", I continued grinning, "You run as fast as your tiny legs can carry you"

Sam laughed heartedly. Perhaps reliving the time the Creature had caught Sam because he didn't run away fast enough.

"But I!", I started saying ceremoniously with a dramatic gesture that only incited Sam to slap his forehead and say. "Here he goes again". I waved him off with a comical expression.

"Now my fight against the terrible creature which guarded the Whipping Willow, what a fearsome tale-"

"Mr. Sam? What age can you go to the Whipping Willow?", she said ignoring me. Sam sniggered and shot me a look. Figures she wouldn't listen to me, even if my story was so much better than hers.

"Sam, just Sam please. 17.8 years"

"17.8?", she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Precisely"

"Why at that age?" Sam shrugged in answer.

"Could I go?" Now the nerve of this girl. Could she go? Well surely, but she just arrived, barely knew the place. And she was asking to attend a dangerous ritual native to this village.

"Sure", said Sam, though slightly startled, "Are you sure?"

"Muriel's an elder", Little Joe suggested. She nodded appreciatively, and left in a huff.

I stared after her,

"Seriously?"

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So what do you think? Like the story? Critiques and Comments are highly appreciated! Personally I think the idea was kinda cheesy... >.> :) Happy New Years!