InkHeart

Chapter Two

Dustfinger awoke the next morning to the crying of his family and bolted up out of bed.

He ran out of his room and found that the cries were still distant. He noticed the door had been left open and he ran outside following the noise to a little pond behind their house. There he saw his wife hold someone or something in her arms and her white night gown was stained with blood. He sighed with relieve when he seen his two daughter sitting next to Roxane.

Once he reached his family Brianna returned to wailing. "Who...what.. is that?" Dustfinger crouched down next to his wife and looked at the creature. It had long brown hair and its eyes looked like stars. Its arms had a seaweed looking strips sticking out of it and the same thing on her legs. Its feet were longer and her toes resembled a ducks. The same seaweed strips covered her body in a short dress. He determind it was women for obvious reasons. She had gills which were sewed shut. He had a few cut around her thighs and bruising on her ankles. "Its a water Nymph, from the waters of waywood," she held back a whimper. "It was dragged from there and her gills sewn shut and dumped in the pond." She broke into sobs. "She was..killed...in her own habitat.." it was Rosanne that continued. "Nymphs of all types are very pure and innocent. Its a sin to harm one." Dustfinger lowered his head and felt the seaweed strips between his fingers. Suddenly, the nymph grabed his arm and made a gasping noise. "Its- she is still alive!" He exclaimed. He pulled his knife out of his boot and cut the string covering her gills and pushed her in the water. She sunk down to the bottom and Roxane began to weep once more. Alas, it was a moment to soon for the nymph shot out of the water and laughed diving back in the water splash all four of them.

        Rosanna screached in joy and the nymph swam to the surface her eyes now looked human but were a brilliant green. "Thank you Fire-eater. You set me free. But there is still much more in store for you." The nymph smiled and slowly began walking toward the shore. Dustfinger backed away from the nymph. "I am Lyra, Queen of the water nymphs. I was dragged here by your kind to die." Roxane gasped at Lyra's words. "Who would do such a horrible thing?"  Dustfingers hands balled into fist and he cursed inbetween his teeth. "Capricorn." Lyra furrowed her brows. "You know this man?"

"A henchmen. He does the Adderheads will."

Roxane shook her head. "The world we live in." Dustfinger looked at Brianna and Rosanna then back at Lyra. "So, thats it? You go home and we continue our life knowing that we saved a nymphs life?" Lyra shook her head. "You are important fire-eater. You must help me get back to the waters of waywood." Dustfingers jaw dropped. "Thats not even in the empire! No way!"

"The  witches of Umbra predicted it." Lyra spoke calmly. Roxane gasped. "The witches? Dustfinger... if thats true.." Dustfinger was in shock. "Me? Important? I think you have the wrong guy..."

Lyra frowned."there is no error."  Dustfinger stood. "Im not important! Now leave, fish." He stomped off into the house.

Roxane blinked in shock to see Dustfinger angrily making his back to his cottage. "I'm so sorry. I will speak to my husband and see if I can talk him into thinking clearly. " roxane said as she led her daughters back home. "Oh no I can understand everything ive said is a shock and im willing to wait for until tomorrow." Lyra stated calmly before jumping into the water again.

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"Are you mad? There is a nymph swimming in our pond and asking you to go on a once in a life time, earth shattering, adventure and you say no?! I am telling you to help Lyra. " Roxane yelled. "Fine! Ill go! And while you are starving because you have no money then I will return!" Dustfinger spat. Roxane sat kn the bed head in her hands. "I dont know how but we will be okay. You have to go, its. There's nothing else to speak about. You will leave in the morning. she layed down and closed her eyes. Dustfinger walked to his closet grabbing his worn-out knapsack and empting its content. A half burnt torch. Nunchucks with burnt fabric on either end. And a dagger for emergencies. He filled it back up adding a water skin. A loaf of bread. And a few coins from his earnings the previous day. He climbed into bed and closed his eyes, terrified of what was to come tomorrow.

***

Dustfinger woke the next morning and stumbled across the bedroom. He grabbed his knapsack and walked into the main room. There Rosanna was dancing around Brianna while roxanna cooked breakfast. he sat down and rosanna handed him plate of rabbit meat. He ate have and wrapped the rest of it in leaves to save it for lunch. "Thank you my love."
"Anytime. I thought you would enjoy a hot meal. You might not get any for a while. Oh and I finished packing your bag with a bit more food with another waterskin for soup. and a tent so you do t have to sleep under the stars if it rains. Also I packed you another coat in case that once gets soiled." Roxane smiled. Dustfinger kissed her on the forehead. "What am I going to do without you? "
"I have no idea. "

Dustfinger said goodbye to his soon weeping children "daddy dont leave!" Brianna begged as he hugged her for the 4th time. "Sorry pumpkin I have to." He looked at Rosanna. "Be good princess."

"Of course, Dad." Rosanna smiled holding back tears. Dustfinger stood and walked to the door. "I will be back soon!" he said a grin on his face as he shut the door.

Lyra sat on a rock just a little ways away from Dustfingers cottage. she had asmall pack probably filled with things from Roxane "Lets go Then." Dustfinger stated flatly. "I understand you might be a little angry at me for making you leave you family bu--"

"No I'm just in a hurry to get home. So lets hurry up and drop you off at your puddle" He bit. They walked down the path silently for a while . Lyra took out a familiar waterskin and put some water on her hand and spread it on her body and her cracking skin smoothed out. Dustfinger watched her in the xor ee of his eye amused at her innocence. She hummed and laughed at her thoughts and petted birds that la ded on her. Gwin poped out his hiding spot making lyra jump. "Oh my god what is that?" She said reaching her hand towards him. He leaped out to bite her and she pulled her hand away quickly. "His names Gwin. and I know he lookes charming but you know what they say about books and covers." Lyra noded once and pulled ber hands close to her person. "I found him a few years ago he was just a babe and be was scared and alone so I took home and we have been friends ever since." Dustfinger finished. "He is really cute." Lyra interjected.

"He's not cute."

"Why?"

"Because he is a boy. If anything he is handsome" Dustfinger stayed. Lyra sudden burst out laughing. "What?" Dustfinger questioned. "He can't be cute because he is a boy?" Lyra wiped away green tears. "Ahh thats rich." Dustfinger pushed her a little. "Dont make fun of my logic. " Dustfinger pouted.

Dustfinger looked around for what seemed like the first time. They were in a forest now and they trees stretched up and seemed to scratch the sky and fairies swarmed around berry bushes and ate its sweet fruit. The sound of a distant waterfall filled his ears and set him in a trance. "Beautiful isn't it." Lyra said as a fairy dropped a berry in her hand. Dustfinger nodded and lifted his hand, so that a fairy dropped a berry in his hand too. He brought it to his lips, then lyra knocked it out of his hands. " Eat those and you will never want to leave. They are lotus berries. They mix pollen witha lotus flower and a black berry and they are just as addictive as the flowers. " dustfinger tossed the berries away and dropped his hand by his side.

The sun began to sink behind the Domininon mountains that guarded the vast kingdom, and Dustfinger get stopped in a clearing. " we are going to have to rest here tonight. Let's set up our cots." Dustfinger unrolled two cots from his knapsack and layed them out.

Once the fire had been lit and food eaten, dustfinger laid back on his cot and stared up at the never ending stars. "What do you think Is up there" Lyra asked who had also been staring upwards. "Maybe, spirits. My wife, she always said she could make words out of the stars. Like we were in one big book." He chuckled at the memory. "Maybe she is right. Maybe we are just a novel some God made up." Lyra said yawning. "Maybe. Good night, dustfinger. " and at that she rolled over and went to sleep. Dustfinger, sighed "and so our adventure began..." and he to rolled over and drifted into sleep.