Rage and Rebellion (Histories of Havenhearth)

1.2 Sophine

Sophine opened her eyes in the darkness before the dawn, knowing that today was a different day to most. Her house was still except for the sounds of the sleep of others: her sister next to her, her parents in the next room and her grandparents in the one beyond that. In all regards, everything seemed the same as it did the day before, but today it wasn't. It was the last day of Festival of Lanterns and it was feast day and tonight, to celebrate the end, there would be a display of fireflowers.

It was not long until the dawn arrived, some golden sky finally visible. She could not wait in bed any longer and she sprang up to see if the skies reflected her mood, and looked any different, peering through the rip in her paper curtain, but they did not. Sophine went outside to say hello to the sun, pushing out of the way, the woven wooden door which did not hang straight in the doorframe. A gentle wind blew on her face, full of wetness - the promise of rain. Good for the melons and the corn, she thought, but I hope the festival's performances are not cancelled. She returned inside, deciding to peek behind the curtain into her parent's sleeping room. They were fast asleep, but she decided to heat the water for them anyway. She put on her tunic and trousers, admiring the coloured embroidered flowers on the silk sash she saved for special occasions, tying it around her waist.

She went into the blackened kitchen, which was in a kind of shed, attached to the mud-brick house. The kitchen had in it a counter, also made with mud-bricks and topped with two thick slices of a tree trunk, upon which food was prepared. A large cooking pot sat above the earthen brick fireplace. Sophine filled it with water from another ceramic pot nearby. She placed a single small log in the fireplace and surrounded this with some wooden dust and small sticks she had collected the day before, using the special tools to light it, blowing gently to until the dust caught light, and then the sticks and then the log. Sophine did not often light the fire- usually it was her younger sister who did it, but she had been the first to rise today.

A figure appeared in the doorway, and Sophine turned to see her grandfather. He put his finger to his lips, indicating that Sophine should be quiet. He pulled out a small packet from his nightdress, handing it to Sophine with a gleam in his eye.
"Happy Lantern Festival, little one," he whispered, "don't tell anyone," giving her a wink. Sophine gently unknotted the fabric, and pulled away the folds to reveal six pieces of candied fruit and one silver coin. Her eyes widened and her lips curved up into a smile.
"Grandpa! Please have a piece!"
"No Sophine, it's for you. All of it."
"I would rather share with my family." She thrust her hands towards him, "Please".
"You at least keep the coin for yourself then, Sophine," he returned her smile, revealing several spiky teeth and a mouth full of gums,
"Thank you Grandpa, please let's eat the candy together."
Sophine offered a piece to her grandfather, and took one for herself. It was not often she was given candy to eat, and she let the sweetness of it melt into her tongue, refusing to bite it so that it would last as long as possible. Grandpa nibbled a candied strawberry before handing the rest to her.
"Reminds me of when I was a boy," he whispered.

By now the water had boiled, and Sophine divided it into six cups, dropping a single tea leaf in each one, preparing to distribute them to her parents, grandparents and sister. Her younger brother slept with her parents, so that mother could nurse him at night and he would not cry.
"It's lantern festival, I think we should have two leaves today, don't you?" Sophine nodded, delicately adding a second curled dried leaf to each cup. She watched as it gracefully uncurled on the surface of the water, leaking some colour out as well, as if it were an ink brush on parchment. Grandfather picked up his cup with his wrinkled hands and took a sip. "Possibly the best tea I've ever tasted."
She sipped at her cup at first, then gulped it down as she got to the end: "Do you think it is too early to wake the others?"
"If you don't wake them now, their tea will be cold."