The Backstory wouldn't fit in with the rest, and spoilers currently don't work, so enjoy.
Screaming, loud uncontrolled screaming pierced the air like a banshees wail. Lights flickered through the small streets of a run-down village as torches were lit, the sleeping villagers roused by the pained noises echoing through the night, some rushed outside, expecting to see some sort of assault or robbery occurring, others simply wanted to see what sort of drama had broken the peaceful silence of the slumbering village, another pained scream echoed between the buildings, and to the trained ear, it was joined by a quieter bawling cry, as a new life entered the world.
Arua was born into a very simple life, like most children in her village her parents were farmers, neither poor nor rich by any stretch of the imagination, her small family got by on what their produce earned and gave them. Their village, like many settlements across the land were still picking up the pieces and rebuilding their homes and lives after the violence and destruction seen from the War of the Veld that had concluded only months previously.
The new-born could not have known any of this of course, all she knew was her Motherâs beautiful smile, her encouraging and loving words as she rocked her to sleep every night, her Fathers strong, warm voice as he wished her a good morning every day, as the sun graced her small cot with its guiding light, his light kiss on her head, and his deep chuckle that vibrated through her as she lightly tugged on his beard with her tiny hands.
Her Life as she grew up was a happy one, her parents were perfect in every way, they cared for their daughter with every ounce of their being, each spending as much time as they could spare to make her giggle and smile, as younglings so often do. They would talk to her about the world outside their small home, and even though she couldnât understand the words they spoke, she still stared, wide eyed and curious at them, drinking in every word as eagerly as she did feed from her Motherâs breast.
As Arua grew in size, so did her curiosity, she would peek out of the few windows that adorned their home whenever her mother sat her on a chair close enough to one. Watching the people walking by, watching the crops wave in the breeze, everything fascinated her, she could barely comprehend any of it, but she loved it all the same. She would gasp whenever something she truly deemed as interesting or exciting wandered by, so everything considered, she gasped a whole lot. Whenever men carrying large amounts of lumber passed by, a herd of cattle passing by, urged on by a few men and women the list went on and on, her mother had to stop her from falling from the seat more than once, as she bounced up and down from excitement and leaning forward to try and get the best view possible, and despite her near brushes with pain and injury, she simply smiled happily at her mother, watching her expression change from fear to a warm, loving smile as she gently lifted Arua back into the seat. After another brief glance at her mother, her gaze would be soon drawn back to the fascinating world outside, her smile only growing more as she watched on.
As time passed, Arua continued to age, as all do and soon enough the second year after her birth rolled along. For Arua, like many others, the day was just another day, her parents kept to their usual schedule, her Father and Mother would have their morning meal with her, before her Father would leave for his duties in the fields, tending the animals and crops, harvesting what were ready to be picked. Her Mother helped her get dressed, and let her roam the house. Arua had been a quick learner, she had learnt to crawl almost as soon as she was able, her curiosity taking her all over the house, and more than once, through the open door to the outside, where sheâd nearly been trampled by a herd of cows, rescued quickly by her wailing Mother. Arua never did understand why her Mother had been upset, she only wanted to explore and greet the new things around her. It hadnât taken her that long afterwards to learn to walk, with some encouragement, and a little childish teasing from her Father, soon she was waddling like a professional, pottering around the house at the speed of a young child pottering around the house. It was at this point that her Mother had taken to locking the door whenever possible, until she was old enough to tell danger from something worth looking at.
On the day of her birthday she was indeed wandering around the house, poking around and looking out of the few windows she could reach on her own, she stood at her favourite one, near the back of the upper part of the house, not far from her bed. Often before her parents woke, sheâd watch the Sun breaking across the land, bringing warmth to the surrounding area, this day however was suddenly pulled from her usual trance as her eyes wandered over the land by a sharp shadow speeding past the window, falling back from the window she called out in fright, carefully climbing to her feet, she peeked out again, seeing a small bird perched on a nest in the nearby tree. A worm clasped in its small beak, feeding its children. After sheâd finally she relaxed, Arua spent a long while watching the small family of birds, giggling as they clamoured for attention and food from their mother. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed movement, someone walking towards their house, a tall, lithe figure striding up to the building, with a squeal of delight she ran downstairs to greet the person. Even from the small glimpse she saw, she recognised her Fathers walk, and leapt at him as the door opened, her small form bouncing softly off his leg, landing on her rear with a little giggle.
Hearing his deep chuckle she looked up at him, smiling widely as sheâs suddenly lifted into his arms, she loved the feel of his coarse beard rubbing against her cheek, and clung to him doing just that this time, giggling happily even as he spoke, greeting her and whispering âHappy Birthdayâ. As she heard that she blinked, tilting her head at him as he carried her into the main room of the house, he set her down in her favourite chair, before gently placing a small leather bound book in her small hands.
Her wide eyes were a thing to behold, their shining emerald orbs gazing between her Fatherâs grinning face and the book, before she gently opened it, a delighted noise escaping her mouth as she gazed at the beautiful tiny drawings that adorned the thin pages. Her eyes stared intently over the small pictures, each pages images depicting different places, different locations and the likes, hot deserts, soaring mountains and steep cliffs, expansive oceans and sputtering streams, despite the basic appearance of the drawings, Aruaâs imagination was already running wild as she flipped through the pages, before she quietly closed the book, putting it to one side and throwing herself bodily into her Fatherâs arms with a happy giggle, mumbling a thank you as she gently kissed his cheek, laughing as his beard tickled her nose.
Time passed quicker still and Arua began to make a few friends in the village, she spent most of her time playing and exploring the village, as she grew older, she began to help her mother with a few simple tasks before leaving to spend time with her friends. It was a few days before her fifth birthday, when Arua was playing more games with her friends, chasing after them in a heated game of tig, the sounds of their feet clattering on the hard dirt and stone of the paths through the village, the sharp sounds echoing around the quiet houses as they ran by. Suddenly, from a side street, a cloaked figure sped past, bashing into her and tossing her across the street to land on her back, head smacking off the ground, the sky spun slightly before it slowly faded away, darkness enveloped her view as she fainted.
Aruaâs eyes opened once again not too long after, although the peaceful happy laughs of children playing had been replaced by loud shouting, people rushing around nearby, her friends faces suddenly filled her field of view, worry and concern etched in their expression, she smiled softly, getting to her feet with their help, and decided to go home, and see her parents, to make sure they knew she was okay. With her friends help she slowly walked back towards her home, seeing people rush by, buckets clasped in their arms.
Still dazed, Arua didnât properly see or understand what was going on, until bright lights almost blind her, looking up; her eyes alight upon buildings aflame; men and women combined throwing water over them as they try to combat the cleansing fire. Arua barely acknowledged them, her eyes glued to the middle building before her, the grip on her friends arm tightening as she stared at her home, a shadow at the window, breaking the glass as the piercing screams of her mother echoed over the top of the yelling people in the street, she watched another person charging into the burning building, even as the structure gave way, and the screams were silenced. As the flames increased in brightness, darkness once again clouded her vision, her body slumping on her friend as her mind gave out once more.
Arua awoke with a terrified scream, the fire still burning before her, yet it wasnât fire, it was just a bright light, she was laid in a bed, staring at the ceiling of a building, hearing the sound of footsteps, she looked to the side of the bed she was in, a young woman quickly moving to her side, a concerned look adorning her features. A hand pressed to Aruaâs head the woman asks her in a soft voice if sheâs okay, Arua doesnât respond, simply staring at her with a slightly gazed look. After several minutes of the woman fussing over her, she moved away, talking with a few others nearby. Being left alone, Arua began to reflect on what she remembered, she was still so young, she didnât understand half of what she saw, but she knew that sheâd never see her parents again, that piercing cry from her mother, and the sound of the only place sheâd ever known as home collapsing echoed in her head, and a tear ran down her cheek. She let it run its course, and curled up in the bed, forcing her eyes shut and trying to sleep. She didnât care where she was, she was alone for the first time in her life, and she just wanted to sleep and hope that in the morning she would awaken to find it all a dream, and her parents would be there, greeting her in their usual fashion.
Arua woke to the sound a bell, ringing loudly through the room, moments after it was followed by the sound of multiple light feet running away from her, opening her eyes slowly she looked around, seeing the last of a group of children pouring out of the room. Sitting up she looked around properly, seeing rows of beds filling the room, bright light streamed in through the window near her bed, and she rubbed her eyes tiredly as she looked outside. Not too long after sheâd woke, the woman that had greeted her the night before entered, a small tray held in her arms. Laying it beside her on the bed she laid her cool hand upon Aruaâs forehead once again, causing her to shiver. The woman asks her again if sheâs already, Arua remains quiet, but nods softly, watching the woman carefully. After a moment the adult stands, gesturing to the tray and encouraging her to eat. Arua looked over the tray, quickly and hungrily eating the small basic breakfast happily. As she ate, the woman left quietly, leaving her to her food.
During the day children came and left, staring at her with odd expressions, watching her as she gazed out the window, as she often did when she was younger, giving them curt stares till they ran off to their friends. As the sun began to set, an older woman entered the room and swiftly moved towards her, standing beside the bed she spoke firmly and with eloquence unlike anyone sheâd ever known, telling Arua where she was, and what was to happen to her now. Soon after the fire in the village, she was brought by some of the villages elders to the closest town, after a healer had checked her for any injuries she was brought to the orphanage in which she was in at that moment, it was to be her new home, and this woman would be her guardian, her teacher and in many ways, her mother.
Arua hated it, she wanted her to go away, leave her in peace so she could curl up and forget it all. But she couldnât voice the words, couldnât yell at the woman even her eyes stung with tears. The woman didnât try to comfort her however; she simply told her the rules and schedule. Sheâd wake at the same time every day, enter the hall with the other children, eat her breakfast and then go with her along with all the girls for teaching, things would continue from there, she asked Arua for acknowledgement, frowning slightly as the young girl remained silent. Concluding defeat she reminded Arua sheâd need to be up early, and with that she smartly turned, and glided away, her feet barely sounding against the flooring. Arua pulled the covers around her, taking comfort in the warmth, trying to focus her thoughts on the next day even as the pain of recent events dug at her heart. She kept her head down as she heard the sound of the children returning to bed, the chitter chatter and discussions rolling over her as she tried to sleep, darkness slowly envelops her in its now welcoming embrace eventually.
Waking to the sound of the bell again, Arua rose and silently followed the pile of children outside, copying the groups movements and actions, she queued up for a short while, before being given the same bowl of some milky substance sheâd never seen, a small amount of bread and a cup of water, she sat in the nearest available space she could find, quickly consuming the meal, before looking up and gazing around, wondering when they were to start their lessons. Her gaze finally met that of an older, chubby boy opposite her, a slightly unnerving smirk on playing on his lips, she blinks once, staring at him for a long moment before the sound of another bell sings through the room, drawing her gaze as the children all got to their feet, she hurried to follow their example, moving with the girls to stand at one side, whilst the boys were herded off somewhere else, followed by a rather strict and rough looking man.
Being led to a small room, she was soon put to work, learning the basic arts of domestic housework, much of which her Mother had already taught her, but she kept her head down and worked away, it was something to do after all, something to help keep the memories that kept coming to the forefront of her mind at bay, she just wanted to forget and accept her new life, setting herself to each task the old woman set her with a dedicated energy, she received a little approval, although her silence still caused her the odd strange glance from the children, as they spoke between each other, only growing silent as the woman walked around them again. At the end of the day, she presented her work to the woman, a slight proud smile on her face, which faded as the woman accepted the small piece of sewn cloth and directed her to the Dining hall.
The meal she received again was basic, but just as filling and warming to her small body, and she ate it with as much gusto as she had the morning meal, as she wiped her mouth, her gaze rose again, and the same boy sheâd seen that morning was watching her, not sitting in front of her this time, but a few tables away, his unnerving grin still present, only looking away to eat some food, she tried to put him out of her mind just like her memories and looked forward to the evening lessons. Soon after all the children had finished their meals, she was guided away to a small group of girls, to begin learning to cook properly, she took pride again in the fact that she knew so much more than most of the others, and received a little word of praise from the teacher they had for the lesson. Time quickly sped on and it wasnât long before she was eating supper, and then curling up in bed to sleep, feeling a little better about her predicament.
So Arua began to live and work in the Orphanage, learning basic domestic skills and making some small friendships along the way, with the other childrens help she managed to often finish her work on time, even though she was usually behind the rest of the class, she still kept at it, as eager and determined as she could possibly could be. And so time passed once again, as quickly as it always did, Arua attended her lessons like any student would, or at least should, and Arua had no choice in the matter regardless of whether she wanted to learn or not, she ate her meals quietly, still often observed by the boy she noticed soon after her initial arrival, she grew, slowly at times, and often suddenly in random spurts, like children did. Still she was small for her age, compared to many around her, and her voice remained ever silent, initially it was out of fear and pain that she did not speak, or so she thought, then it just became a part of her, and now, well now she barely remembered ever speaking before.
Arua was happy with her life, perhaps not as happy as she had been with her parents, but content at least as she continued through the days, which swiftly became weeks, then months and eventually years. By her 8th birthday, her time in the Orphanage had become as natural as breathing, waking early each morning with the bell, following everyone for breakfast and then lessons, sheâd actually began to help the cook with some midday and evening meals when she had the time, as often she would have completed the menial tasks her teachers set the groups long before most. Every few days they were permitted outside with a few of the adults, to wander the town together, it was usually at this point that the powerful sense of curiosity that sheâd had when she was younger would come forth, and sheâd often be yelled at for wandering off or getting distracted and separated from the group, but she didnât mind, a little yelling and occasional punishment was more than acceptable for sating that itch she got when she just needed to explore new places or see new things.
So her life continued onwards, happy as can be in her situation, if only that was true, life is rare to be so kind to anyone, even one whoâs time breathing the sweet air of the world had already been tainted by pain and sadness, Arua soon began to suffer lifeâs often cruel hand once again a little after her 9th birthday, the boy sheâd spotted so long ago during her first few days in the Orphanage was had kept his head down for the most part, she caught him looking at her every now and then, often speaking with other children, older than she was and gesturing at her. Then every now and then, the boy or one of his âcompanionsâ would move closer to her. Initially she just thought they were trying to intimidate her or scare her away, they were after all much taller than she was and she would often just quickly back away or move over to some of the people she knew better, their leering faces imprinting themselves on her mind for a brief while.
As soon as it began however, they seemed to back off and leave her alone, Arua didnât know, or rightly care, she was left to go about her business and work in peace again, or so she thought. Arua had been able to buy a very basic journal from the tiny amount of money that she occasionally made from working alongside the cook with meals, he was a kind man and appreciated any help, so would sometimes give them small amounts from his meagre earnings. Through this Arua began to practice her writing more, usually writing a small entry after every day, recounting her work and feelings from her efforts, before going to sleep sheâd slide it inside her pillow and then comfortably drift off.
A few months after sheâd started her journal, she was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of something hitting the ground with a crash, followed by cursing and scurrying footsteps, her eyes opened to see a shadow quickly fleeing the room, she got up quickly, and walked to the door, peeking out, she saw no one, and so wandered back to her bed, a little unnerved, snuggling back into her pillow, she quickly noticed something wrong, the odd lump left by her journal in the pillow, the lump sheâd quickly grown accustomed to, it was gone. Quickly checking her pillow and bed came up empty, it was gone. Her heart sank, and her mind raced, who had stolen it and why? She knew it must have been whoever sped from the room. The ruckus she was making trying to find her journal was beginning to wake others, and so she quietened down, curling up in the bed and drifting into sleep.
Despite her journal being stolen, when she reported it to the adults who ran the Orphanage, they didnât bother at all, saying it was her fault for losing her own things, and so she set about working away as usual, doing her day to day duties until she headed to bed. Nothing else unusual happened for several months, and eventually Arua forgot about the Journal, soon Aruaâs 10th birthday came and left, her days beginning to meld into one another once again, until nearly a year after her journalâs theft. It was then, as she went to bed after a long and arduous daysâ work, that she saw a torn piece of paper with a scrawling script covering its front, confusion filled her mind as she took it and looked it over, quickly recognising her own writing and words, looking around she turned it over and her eyes widened slightly, the large words were written with a firm hand, and simply read âYouâre Oursâ.
Arua didnât know what they meant by that, her life had been sheltered from the beginning, and being kept in the Orphanage did nothing to help her there, she crumpled the paper into a ball and pushed it under her thin mattress before quietly getting into bed and closing her eyes, her dreams were plagued by leering faces and terrifying laughs, looming shadows kept her in the darkness whilst the world around her began to spiral away until only an empty void remained. With that the ringing of the morning bell woke her from her slumber, a cold sheen of sweat coating her body, her sheets tossed on the floor, she looked carefully around herself before beginning to return her bed to a satisfactory standard and following the rest of her room to the dining hall.
Her day proceeded as usual and soon she was returning to her bed, she sighed relieved as her pillow was unadorned by a piece of paper. Her relief was quickly vanquished however as her hand turned back the bed sheets, paper fluttering out from her mattress, both written and empty pages laid strewn over the bed, she stared at the bed for a long while before she began turning over the pages, each one having the same message from before, her heart began to beat rapidly as her mind raced, she quickly scooped up the papers and ran for the door.
She regretted her decision almost immediately as the door was shut behind her, squeaking she turned to it before sheâs thrown into it, by a shadowed figure, as sheâs slammed into the wood her head spins, before she turns, trying to escape. Before she can make it more than a few steps the figure grabs her again, throwing her against a wall, stepping in to press her to it, squinting and wriggling against the figures hold, she tries to shout out, before a hand covers her mouth, she stares with wide, fearful eyes at the figure before her, the little moonlight let in through the small windows in the hall, revealing him to be the boy sheâd seen watching her for so very long.
She tried to cry out again as she felt a hand roaming her body, but his hand pressed insistently on her mouth. She closed her eyes, tears welling as she trembled, unable to do anything, lost and alone again, she could suddenly hear the screams of her mother as the flames consumed her, the shadow of her father storming the house in vain, and she felt anger swell in her gut, sheâd lost so much already, and now this upstart boy was trying to steal the little happiness sheâd managed to cling to.
Arua bit down hard on his hand, sinking her teeth into his skin and tasting a warm iron tang on her tongue as she heard the boy yell out in pain, he pulled his hand away, before bringing it back to smack hard across her face. Her body shifted with the impact, and she held her cheek as the stinging pain from the slap began to recede. The boy reached to hold and feel her again, and as she tried to fight him, her anger boiled up once more, she leaned against the wall more, and the boy took her movement as a submissive action, leaning in towards her.
She screamed out before her voice suddenly spilled forth, the words âNoâ forming on her lips, before she brought a knee up hard into the boyâs crotch, she heard him grunt once, leaning forwards, he reached out to steady himself on the wall, and Arua took her chance, swinging her head forward hard she heard the crack of her skull against his, the searing pain pulsing through her as she reeled slightly, slight flashes passing before her eyes, the boy toppled backwards, crying out once before the side of his head impacted against a table with a sickening crunch, and his body crumpled.
Hearing their friends yell the boys that had kept her rooms door shut piled out, ignoring her they ran to his side, and seeing her chance Arua fled, running from the hall and out of the main door, not even thinking she didnât look back, simply running away from the Orphanage, the town and her second home. She kept her focus straight ahead, running into the darkness, not caring about her direction, she simply wanted to be anywhere but her âhomeâ. Hours passed, and her panicked sprint had fallen into a laboured walk, eventually she collapsed in the hollow of a tree, curling up quietly and falling into a fitful sleep, the image of the boy smirking at her during her first day in the Orphanage haunting her dreams.
Two days passed, and she walked through the day, occasionally resting and drinking from a lake or stream along her way. On the third day, a forest loomed into view, and she made her way toward it, darkness beginning to set in as she reached its border, curiosity got the better of her as she began to walk between its shadowy depths, as the sun continued to set, and the inky blackness swept over the land. Hearing a howl behind her, she turned, seeing movement rustling through the forest brush, a growl just to the left of her made her jump, before she saw two eyes in the darkness, the moon lighting up a muzzle, lips pulled back in a snarl, as several wolves padded out from the surrounding trees. The largest of the pack stepped forward, growling once more before it looked to get ready to pounce.
Without another thought, Arua turned and ran, feeling something brush her shoulder, a claw cutting her dress, making her scream as she continued to flee, branches cutting at her face and arms as she continued to run, hearing another growl just behind her and the sound of the wolves keeping pace easily with her, she began to scream again before the floor suddenly disappeared beneath her and she fell, falling forwards, her head hitting a tree trunk as she reached the ground with a heavy thump, her vision began to fade quickly as her head ached from the impact, she heard a whimper from nearby, before she collapsed back, the last thing she felt before her mind gave out was the feeling of ascending, a warm embrace wrapping around her.
As she came to, she felt the warm embrace still holding her; a slight rocking sensation causing her head to shift from side to side, light began to fill her view, despite her eyes being closed. The light grew stronger as she suddenly felt the cool air that had surrounded her exposed face be swept away by a comfortable warmth, with that she felt a stinging pain atop her head as her face crumples up with the ache in her head. Hearing a loud rough accent just above her head she finally managed to open her eyes, staring up towards the location of the voice, her vision still blurred, she was able to make out the outline of a bear, or at least what she thought was a bear, but she wondered to herself why a bear was talking, whilst she couldnt comprehend exactly what was being said, she still knew it was actual speech, and not just savage roars. She thought to herself for a moment that bears must be incredibly smart in this forest, to know how to talk, before she lost consciousness again, her small form going limp.
She awoke once more, still wrapped in warmth, but without the rocking, it wasnât until she snuggled into the rough sheets, that she realised she was in a bed. Opening her eyes slowly again, she yawned and stretched, uncurling herself from the bedding, looking around she very nearly let out a scream as a terrifying creature appeared as her vision focused. Holding back her response she realised all she was looking at was a rather wrinkled and ancient woman, the faintest of smiles crossing her dried and cracked lips. With slow deliberation the woman gripped Aruaâs chin with strength not of her years, tilting her head up a little, then from side to side, before the woman gently tapped her head lightly with a gnarled finger, a twinge of pain stabbing through her as the finger impacted with a soft piece of cloth wrapped around her skull.
Seeing her wince the woman smiled and spoke in a soft tongue, telling her that sheâd been found by one of the guards, and brought to her. She was safe now, and needed to rest to heal up properly. Arua struggled to speak, her voice having remained silent for so long, but she managed to mumble a message of thanks and acceptance, before she lay back in the bed and closed her eyes, hearing the woman leave she soon fell into a comfortable slumber once more. She wasnât sure how long sheâd slept for, but sunlight blinded her when she awoke. The woman was beside her side soon after, feeding her small amounts of soup; along with some foul tasting tea, after laughing at Aruaâs sputtering from tasting the tea, the woman carefully helped her drink, tipping the wooden cup it was held it up slowly to Aruaâs lips.
Once sheâd finished the meal, and drunk the tea, the woman explained that sheâd been found by a guard, having cut her head upon a tree after her fall. Heâd brought her here, to this womanâs camp, she was known as Alliel, and was a resident Healer and Wise woman for the nearby Village, the camp was small, and mainly consisted of Allielâs aides and apprentices, as well as four guards that she employed with the small profit she made from her work. With a gentle arm, one of the guards helped Arua around the camp, her legs still not always obeying her mind, the effects from the impact to her head still lingering somewhat.
The camp was small, sitting on the edge of the forest; it consisted of several small tents and hunts, with a large one in the centre. As Arua was lead to each in turn, the guard helping her explained each ones purpose, some were simply stores, others were for herbal and food preparations, one contained the guardâs things and the large one housed the aideâs, apprentices and Alliel, as well as being the tent where tending to any wounded occurred, and clients would be seen by Alliel for whatever they needed, be it herbs or advice.
By the time theyâd finished, and Arua had been introduced to many of the camps residents, and the sun was setting casting darkness across the land. Arua returned to her bed, and was soon met by the pottering of Allielâs aged form, bringing her the medicinal tea. After struggling to finish it off, Arua quickly grew drowsy and snuggled back into the bed, drifting away into a deep and comfortable slumber.
Days passed, and Arua spent her time healing in bed, meeting and listening to people from the camp that visited her, along with her time spent with Alliel, she used these meetings to practice speaking. Despite her age, the lack of speech in her previous years made it difficult for her to speak to begin with, but with some perseverance she managed to get the basics down after a few days and communication was a lot easier. Arua was allowed to wander around the small area at the front of the camp, but was usually under watch by the guards anyway, and couldnât stay out of bed for too long; otherwise she began to feel ill.
After two weeks of rest, she was growing restless, it wasnât her way to sit by and do nothing, and she spent most of her time watching people move back and forth, herbal supplies and food usually carried in crates or sacks being shifted to and fro between tents or locations. Alliel could sense her frustration, and often sat by her bed when she wasnât busy, talking to Arua about her life before coming here, always listening intently and asking questions when she felt it appropriate. Alliel told Arua that sheâd had a hard life, but she did not need to worry anymore, she was safe in the camp and Alliel and her people would care for her as long as Arua let them. After laying a soft, gentle kiss on her cheek, Alliel told her quietly that she was home, as long as she wanted to be. As the old lady pottered away, Arua hid her face, but she couldnât hide the small droplets dropping from between her fingers, glistening in the late evening sun that was streaming through the tent, lightly hitting her blanket.
It was a few days later when Alliel came to her side again, checking Arua over before removing the bandage from her head. After checking her head a little more, Alliel nodded to herself, telling Arua that she was all better, and free to wander. As they were talking, the sound of pained screaming broke the air, Alliel moved to the entrance to the tent, before she waved at someone out of sight. A moment passed, and then another scream caused Arua to jump, as a Man was brought inside, writhing and groaning in another two menâs grip. Half of his right arm was covered in blood, and more was quickly flowing from a torn wound in his upper arm, the man yelled in agony again before screaming again as Alliel hastily bound a sickly green coloured bandage around his arm.
Alliel turned to the manâs companions, asking them what had happened, recounting the event; it transpired that the man had been caught with an arrow by accident during a hunting trip. Arua heard Alliel ask where the arrow was, the man murmured something that Arua couldnât quite hear before she jumped as Alliel swiftly smacked the man on the forehead, after yelling at them and calling them idiots she shooed them out of the tent and set about tending to the man.
Peeling back the previously bound bandage, Alliel began to inspect the wound, Arua watched for a little while, before her curiosity peaked again and she carefully made it out of the bed, wandering over to Allielâs side, peering at the wound. Alliel glanced over at Arua, before asking her to fetch certain herbs from a nearby chest, nodding quickly Arua soon returned with an armful of herbs. Chuckling Alliel told her she hadnât asked for half of those that the young girl had brought, Arua replied, saying she didnât know which was which, so it was best to bring them all. Smiling and patting her on the head, Alliel took a select few and set about tending to the wound and soon she felt a set of eager eyes on her again, turning she saw Arua watching both her and the man, as she tended to him. Her attention was drawn by another scream and she shook her head, finishing off her initial work, before she began to seal the wound with a needle and thread, this only brought my yells and curses from the man, Arua watched all the while, her intent gaze fixated on the work being done before her.
It didnât take long before the man was unconscious from the pain, his body still twitching every now and then as he was worked on, and soon Alliel was finished, binding the wound in a fresh but equally sickly green tinged bandage. Alliel went to clean her hands and Arua followed her, like a stray cat, sticking to her heels. After nearly tripping over her, Alliel took the girl to one side, thanking her for her help and asking her what she thought about what had happened. Arua pursed her lips in thought for a good while, pondering the question before she simply answered that it was good. When asked to elaborate, she explained that Alliel had done a good thing, healing that man and saving his life, just like she had helped Arua. Alliel smiled at her response, before asking Arua if she would like to help her more, this time Aruaâs response was almost instantaneous, nodding gently and saying âYesâ eagerly.
So Arua began to help and aid Alliel, to begin with her duties were easy, sheâd help prepare Allielâs food with her, help her clean her tent and sort the herbs and equipment she had. Despite the small tasks, Arua went at them eagerly, determined to help in any way she could, often trying to help the Aideâs and guards with their crates, which sometimes ended in a rather messy conclusion, along with a broken crate and lost herbs. As time passed, Alliel often spent many hours explaining to Arua the names, properties and applications of many of the herbs that she spent so long sorting and tidying up, and often Arua was asked to recount Allielâs teachings word for word for each herb as she tidied them away. If she got the information correct, Alliel would treat them both to a sweet and warm drink as a treat, before sending Arua to bed.
To begin with, Arua remained in the bed sheâd awoken in on that first day in the camp, however over time Alliel had moved her to reside with the Aideâs and Apprentices. Most of the Apprentices were of a similar age, but the Aides were almost entirely adults, despite this they all treated Arua with respect and kindness, as if she was one of their own. Time passed quickly, and Arua was soon to join the Apprentices lessons with Alliel and the Aides, learning about rarer and lesser used herbs, about healing techniques and on the odd occasion, theyâd be able to watch and sometimes even help Alliel tend to a patient, Arua was eager and willing to volunteer above some of the more squeamish or shy apprentices and because of this Arua often ended up spending time with the patients more so than many of the others, practicing her speech and keeping them company. She didnât quite understand it, but helping these injured people, seeing them smile as they discussed things with her made her feel warm inside, it gave her a feeling of completion that sheâd never even noticed sheâd been missing.
Upon her 15th birthday she was inducted properly and formally into Allielâs group of Apprentices, it was a simple ceremony, she had her hair cut, and burnt it, along with her old clothes. It was meant to symbolise her leaving her old life behind, Arua didnât really see it, but she did it regardless. She wanted nothing more than to embrace this new life, after a brief period of celebration, which involved Arua receiving her apprentice uniform, a plain and basic creation, it consisted of a long leather coat that almost fell to her feet, the coat had several buttoned pockets on the outside and inside, for handy access to herbs and the likes. Along with the coat, the uniform included a warm dark woollen shirt and trousers, and a pocket belt, with even more pouches for utensils and more items. Once she was kitted out in the uniform, several of the aides and apprentices gave her small gifts, including a needle and thread and several small packages of herbs.
After people began to disperse and return to their duties, a guard approached her, younger than most of the other guards, his name was Tarath. He was the guard that had rescued her after the accident that had brought her to the camp, heâd been absent for quite some time, but whenever sheâd seen him, heâd always been polite and kind, if oddly quiet around her. This time however he handed a small rose to her, a small smile on his face, he congratulated her and asked her how she felt. Arua remained quiet for a short while, her gaze shifting between the man and the flower in her hand, even as she felt her cheeks warming slightly she was embraced by Tarath, and she felt a soft kiss being laid on her forehead. Her cheeks burned even as she was released and Tarath bid his farewell, turning and walking swiftly towards the guard camp. Sheâd never felt quite like this before, an odd warmth making her fingers tingle, she decided to ask Alliel about it later and set about her work again.
As the seasons came and went, Arua grew little, other than her hair which she kept as short as she could despite its instance in growing eagerly. She remained shorter than nearly all the others in the camp, other than the few girls much younger than her whom she was only a little taller than. She continued to learn alongside her other apprentices, and as she grew older she would venture out further with the older ones, gathering more herbs and learning more about the forests and the gifts it can bestow upon her if she looks hard enough. Shelter in the hollows of a tree, water in its roots, and often bountiful fruits for food, all of this and more was brought to her attention and drilled into her mind with repeated teaching and sessions.
Throughout her years and in between her âsurvival trainingâ as it was dubbed by the aides and apprentices, Arua also spent long hours with Alliel, both in private and with the other apprentices, talking about herbs and practicing their preparations and applications, it was rare to see actual patients, but they were still given situations in which they would need to heal and use specific herbs and told to ready the herbs and apply them as if they were working on a real person. On the odd occasion that they did need to tend to a patient, Arua still spent time with each one after their operations and it was on one such occasion that a man was brought in late at night, an arm missing and badly bound, his face pale and sweating, his mind was lost to a fever and he could do little but yell in pain and mumble incoherent ramblings.
Alliel and Arua set about working at his badly injured arm, peeling back the binding, a foul, stomach turning scent filled the air forcing Arua to retch and double over. She took a moment to collected herself before peering at the wound carefully; it was discoloured and clearly infected. She quickly hurried away and returned with several herbs and a salve, Alliel began to clean the ugly wound as she set about preparing herb infused bandages, Alliel soon signalled to Arua to begin her own work as she turned away, going to ready a few things of her own. She applied the salve gently to the wound, a groan escaping the manâs lips before he went silent again, his body trembling. Taking her needle and thread she began to knit the bloody stump closed as best she could, pulling the ragged skin that was left closed over the wound, before she could bind it shut with bandages Alliel stepped up, checking her work before nodding and allowing her to continue. Once sheâd finished Alliel began to help him drink a tea, nodding satisfied as the man finished the last few drops and quickly drifted off, his body twitching every now and then as the fever still tugged at his weakened form and soul.
Alliel took Arua to one side and asked her to stay with him, as she liked to do, Aruaâs face paled a little more as Alliel told her that he was unlikely to survive, he was already very weak from the blood loss and the fever was quickly stripping what little strength he had managed to cling to, but she was to make him as comfortable as she could before he passed. Nodding a little, the young girl moved to sit beside the man, taking a hold of his hand, his skin still wrapped in a cold sweat as he shook and writhed from the fever.
She didnât move from her seat as hours ticked by, he occasionally woke, screaming loudly, before he would fall into silence once more. As the sun began to stream through the tents opening, the man woke once more, slowly looking over at Arua and staring at her, she merely smiled and asked him how he felt, ignoring her question the man took a few moments before he managed to speak, asking her where he was. Listening to her response he shook his head, saying that wasnât possible, he was fighting somewhere miles away, Arua asked where and why he had been fighting, the man stared at her confused before telling her about the fighting and civil strife that had been shaking the area for nearly three years. It was Aruaâs turn to look confused and the man went on to explain, but his voice was cut short by a hacking cough as he fell back to the bed again, his face visibly paler than before as he winced again.
Soon the man began to shake and cough more and so Arua rose to her feet and went to find Alliel, bringing her to his side, by which point heâd gone quite still and his mouth was open, drawing in shaking breaths. Alliel shook her head, leaving and soon returning with another tea, she struggled to get him to drink, before she whispered to Arua that she could do very little more for him and that the drink would ease his last moments. Arua looked down sadly at the manâs dying form, before she gently took his hand in hers, holding it softly.
She remained like that even as Tarath lifted his body gently into his arms, carrying him into the forest and laying him down beneath the shady boughs of several trees. She kept him company for a little over an hour before Tarath took her arm and gently helped her away; she shed no tears for death was just a part of life as Alliel had so often taught her. She returned to the tent and asked Alliel what the man had meant by fighting and âcivil strifeâ, Alliel explained that from what sheâd heard, fighting had broken out between many of the people across the land but she hadnât heard the reason. Luckily the camp and its neighbouring village had yet to feel much of the effects of the fighting due to its distance from most of the civilised areas.
Worry still gnawed away at Arua for a while, her sleep disturbed by the dead manâs eyes peering at her in her dreams, the sound of screaming echoing in her ears but as the days passed she forced it to the back of her mind and soon it was lost to her memory as she worked hard at her chores and training once again. Days and weeks passed and she kept her head down, spending little time not working and soon her 17th and 18th birthdays had passed her by, her height having increased a little more and now she was as tall as most of the apprentices and a few of the Aideâs.
She was starting to spend more time with Tarath, sometimes tagging along with one of his patrols to harvest herbs and flowers along the route and occasionally attempt to talk to him, although that usually ended with an awkward silence and very red cheeks between them. As well as this, Tarath would often bring Arua food he would hunt and prepare himself, it became a slight tradition, he would supply the meat, and Arua would bring vegetables and herbs to go along with it, as well as eating together, Arua would often watch Tarath and the other guards spar. She didn't quite enjoy it as much as she let on, but boys will be boys, and men do so like to show off to women, as Arua soon learnt.
Soon after her 18th birthday, Tarath came to her as the moon had begun to greet the sky, its pale light barely brightening the dark tent. Arua had been quietly working in the main tent, sitting at a desk, taking stock of the current herbs and plants they had available, a large chest to one side where she was taking and replacing them, scribbling down small notes on a scrap of parchment. Tarath whispered a greeting from behind her, she jumped turning and trying to get to her feet at the same time, a futile task as it turned out as she fell forwards into Tarath, expecting to hit the ground hard she reached out with her hands, only to find herself in a gentle embrace with her hands on Tarathâs arms. Looking up she saw an amused smile playing upon his lips, before he leaned in gently to kiss her on the head. Arua tried to get properly to her feet, only to find her lips pressed firmly against Tarathâs in a brief but firm kiss, bringing a bright blush and wide eyes to her face, despite it lasting for little more than a second it felt much longer to her, and her mind was filled with one word, repeated over and over as she felt him pull lightly away from her, âLoveâ. He chuckled softly and gently patted her on the head, telling her that it was getting late and that she should get some rest, she had a hunting session the next day. She smiled shyly for a moment before he mentioned hunting, at which point she thanked him profusely and left, returning to her tent and her bed and quickly falling into a deep sleep, populated by dreams of love and romance which were odd and rare to someone such as Arua.
Along with their lessons for herbalism, healing and survival and the basic domestic teachings that the apprentices received from Alliel and the Aides, they were also expected to learn basic hunting skills from the guards. After her 17th birthday Arua was deemed old enough to participate in these, she hadnât had many hunting trips, but sheâd worked hard at each one she went on, occasionally bringing back a rabbit or squirrel, she wasnât very skilled with anything more than a knife blade wise, after a long few days of work with a bow, she had become skilled enough that she was sometimes able to hit something, although it was even more rare to find that sheâd killed something. This hunting trip however was different, when she arrived with the basic bow that sheâd been provided she found only one person waiting for her. The same amused smile played across Tarathâs lips as he watched her surprised expression, before telling her to hurry up or itâd be night again by the time they found anything. As he disappeared into the forest, she scurried after him and soon they had both left the camp behind them.
They spent several hours walking along the darkened forest trails, the branches thick overhead blocking much of the bright sunlight as the two moved as quietly through the forests depths, their eyes raking through the undergrowth and surroundings trying to spot something as they went on. Arua kept on moving for a good while before she felt Tarathâs hand on her shoulder, pushing her down into a crouch and she turned to see him motioning for silence. After a moment he pointed out a small fox not too far ahead of them, snuffling around along the ground. Tarath then gestured for her to take a shot, and so Arua took her bow, nocking an arrow and pulling it back, feeling the bowstring strain as she pulled it back, she took a deep breath before letting the arrow fly, the forest was silent except for the whistle of the projectile, then a sharp âthunkâ sound as the arrow found its mark, and the squeal of the animal as it was thrown backwards. It was clear that she hadnât killed it with the shot, and so Tarath stood up, striding forward with a knife in his hand, going to the creatureâs side and kneeling, gently ending its life with a swift movement.
As he did so, Arua kept an eye out, and she spotted something slowly shifting just behind Tarath, a bush shaking a little before a loud snarl met Aruaâs ears, time seemed to slow as a shadow leapt at Tarath, its maw open and biting hard into him, turning his throat into a crimson ruin he was barely able to manage a yell of pain before the Wolf that gripped him dragged his body away, turning to look at Arua, Tarathâs form in its mouth by the throat, it stared for a moment before it shook its head a little and Arua cried out as she heard the sickening crunch of bone breaking. She started to back away, her body shaking as she reached for another arrow before she saw more movement beside her, a pack of wolves emerging from the forest around her. She froze for a moment before throwing her bow away and running, she hadnât even noticed the tears in her eyes until she felt them running down her face as she sprinted away, she felt the branches cutting her cheeks as she whipped past the trees, hopefully heading in the direction of the camp, she could hear the heavy panting of the wolves running behind her, the heavy thumping of their paws hitting the ground as they kept pace with her, getting closer every moment.
She suddenly cried out, screaming as she felt a wolf leap at her, its teeth closing over her shoulder, tearing through her coat with ease and slicing into her skin as its claw punctured her back, the impact of its leap sending her head over heels, throwing the creature away as she fell. Taking a moment to realise where she was, she heard the other wolves catching up, she leapt to her feet again and ran, seeing lights just ahead she pushed what little energy she had left into fleeing from the wolves, even as she felt another leap onto her back, throwing her to the ground. She felt it rear up and knew her life was at an end, before her ear picked up a familiar whistle and the wolf howled before it fell limp upon her back. She lay in the ground for a few moments, before she felt someone lifting her to her feet. She winced as she felt fingers probing her shoulder, she glanced up and saw one of the other guards, he helped her away and back towards the tents, as they moved away, she managed a glance back at the forest, seeing a wolf laying on the ground, an arrow jutting from its skull.
The moment she was brought in Alliel had her laid on a bed and she began to work at the damage done to her shoulder and back, Arua remained quiet through most of it, only crying out the few times that the pain became too bad. After a little while, she was allowed to lie back properly, and Alliel asked her what happened, Arua recounted the brief encounter, and she began to cry once more as she spoke of Tarathâs death. Alliel comforted her, hugging her gently and telling her that it wasnât her fault, Arua knew it wasnât, but even so that didnât change the fact that someone she had begun to care about, no not care about, it was more than that, sheâd began to love more than anyone sheâd ever known, had died before her. She felt cold again, the same as when sheâd watched her parents perish, and she knew she was alone again. Her mind was shook from its thoughts as Alliel squeezed her lightly, avoiding her wounds before letting her go, telling her to get some rest.
Arua slept well, her body exhausted from the events of the day; even her dreams were left undisturbed by thoughts of Tarath or images of death. She was forced to spend several days in bed, not even allowed to leave, Alliel tended to her exclusively and brought her food and drink as well. After about a week of rest, she was permitted to move freely around the camp once more, and was welcomed warmly back by the other apprentices. It wasnât long till she began her lessons again and soon she no longer thought about Tarath, her mind entirely set on Allielâs teachings, despite this though, Alliel spent a long time with her, telling her that she was free to express herself, that no one will feel bad about her if she does so. Despite Allielâs words, Arua felt no need to cry anymore, her time for mourning had passed and she had only the future to work towards.
So she did, working as hard as she ever had, her lessons continued and grew in difficulty, just as she grew in age and ever so slightly in height. Years passed quickly, and soon Aruaâs 22nd birthday had come and gone, and Alliel had taken ill. Her age was at last catching up with her, and she had barely spent more than a few hours out of bed for the past few months. The camp kept going, although with the lessons being all but non-existent except for a few with the Aideâs, most of the apprentices and even some of the Aideâs had left, as had all but one of the guards. Arua spent many of her waking hours by Allielâs bedside, helping her to eat and drink along with keeping her company, the old woman was a sad sight to behold, her face bereft of the life and energy it had held for so long, her voice dry and lacking the power it had sang with so often before, she was weak, old and frail, and Arua could feel her slipping away every day she spent with her. After a month of Aruaâs tending, Alliel pulled the young woman in close, whispering for a long moment in her ear, before letting her go, it wasnât long after that Arua left the tent, a slight amused smile on her lips, even as her cheeks were coated in a glistening sheen of tears, the bed behind her covered in a white sheet, hiding the body beneath, the tent was filled with an almost unnatural darkness, as if death himself was watching over Allielâs passing.
Allielâs body was returned to the forest, as was the campâs tradition. She was laid in a cloth wrapping deep in its depths, for the animals and plants to take and use for their own survival, as Alliel herself had done for so long to them. With her passing and the lack of aides and apprentices, Arua took over the small camp, having most of the tents removed and bringing the remaining people into the single tent, they maintained their work, Arua taught the remaining apprentices as well as she could, spending many hours working on looking after the camp and its inhabitants, she kept much to herself and would occasionally act as the âWise Womanâ for the nearby village as the replacement for Alliel, despite her lack of experience she seemed to know more than enough to satisfy the men and women that occasionally visited her.
They also received their fair share of injured people in need of healing, the fighting seemed to be growing closer by the year, and so they had to deal with more and more wounds and often deaths. As time went on, things got worse, and not long after Aruaâs 25th birthday the strain on the Aideâs and Apprentices grew much worse, and soon forced them to leave Arua on her own, despite being alone once again. It didnât take much longer till the fighting finally found the village near the forest, and screams and yelling echoed through the night as Arua quickly hurried to collect the few things she needed to take with her, a few healing tools, several packages of dried food and most of the herbs she could bring with her, along with a small bedroll. Watching fire flicker in the distance as the village burned, she began to walk away from her home once more.
Arua walked, walked for days, sleeping only briefly before she moved on again, fields passed her by, forests and hills rolled away behind her as she walked onwards, she travelled through small villages, hearing rumours and whispers of the fighting, and those looking to escape from it. She continued her journey, trying to reach each village by nightfall to rest safely before she kept going onwards, soon her feet brought her to the sea, and nearby she found a harbour. Looking across the docks, she saw several ships all docked, each bustling with activity as men moved cargo to and fro, she stared for a good while, before walking towards the harbour and the ships, wondering if perhaps these large vessels may offer her a chance for a new home, perhaps a permanent one this time, only time will tell.
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