Heir of the Forgotten

~3~

Selene touched her cheek, unsure why she was crying, but she couldn't help smiling lightly to herself. "Thank you." She was truly glad that chance had saved her.

While Beth may think it was the will of the gods, Selene thinks it was by luck she was found at that riverbank.

"There is no need to thank me Sel, I care for you as if you are my child. Even if you get your memories back and wish to find where you came from, I will support you. If you need a shoulder to cling to for your tears, I will be here. I know we may not have been ideal, and Mark and I may fight, but you mean a lot to us. If you have questions, there is still time to ask."

Selene nods, fidgeting, a bit afraid to ask her mother questions. "Was the poison ever figured out?" Is that why she's so small and fragile among Fae? For a human, it would be normal, still maybe a bit short, but for a Fae? They tend to be taller than humans. Even a weak Fae can beat the average mortal in a battle of strength, yet she struggles to carry laundry outside.

Beth shakes her head as she reaches to twist a strand of her child's hair around her fingers. "I apologize Selene. We went back once or twice, but she never figured out what it was. She figured it was coated on cold iron, which would have made whatever poison have tenfold the effect, that's it though." The reason there is no iron in their house. They made sure anything that could be of harm to their child was gone.

Selene nods standing up from her seat before she pauses. "I think I am starting to gather memories. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I went outside."

"In the rain? Sel, that's a bit much, even for you!" Beth interrupts, before sighing and shaking her head. "Sorry, go on."

"I was relaxing and I liked how the water hit my face, but there was a loud crash of thunder, and I felt like I was suf... like I could not breathe. It makes sense if you found me by a river out there."

Beth nodded, standing to hug her daughter. "Now, go get ready, I'll take care of this, but you go into town and enjoy it. I want you to come back with a smile and a good story to tell! You hardly go out, so go enjoy yourself without your mother worrying. Though, I'll worry from here. Ah, and remember to be home by dark. You can stay past noon, but please don't worry this old woman's heart too much."

Mark sighed and rolled his eyes as he stood and walked to his daughter. He tucked a strand of hair from her face, patting her on the head. "Be careful. Mind your words and your manners. Stay away from any guards you see, Fae or not. Don't linger too long around anything mystical, and if you're suspecting danger at all, come home."

"Oh Mark, she's not going into a wolf's den! We are on an island. The mainland rarely causes us trouble, and most people here do not think as low of Fae as they do there. But still, be careful and keep low." A worried mother and father...

Selene giggles slightly to herself as she gives a small curtsy and rushes to her room. She braids her hair and pins strands, making sure her ears are hidden. She takes sunglasses, places them over her eyes, and spins in her dress. She adores herself. She may hide who she is from others, but there is no insecurity or regret about her appearance. She loves it. She loves who she is. She takes the bag of coins she'd been saving from her parents and tucks it into her pocket, then grabs her basket, ready to go.

Before she can leave, her mother takes her pouch of money and drops four closi and ten atari. In her bag are twenty Atari, the equivalent of a closi, and 3 atari. So in total, she has five closi and 13 Atari to spend. To her, that's a lot of coin to spend. She smiles and hugs her mother before she heads out into town.

The walk is a bit lengthy, but Selene doesn't mind it. The scenery is pleasant. From the beach to the nearest town, there's a bit of wooded area, though it's not much. Still, Selene observes the way the trees sway in the light wind. The way the rabbits jump from place to place, and the scatter of squirrels, leaping tree to tree. The light whistles from the birds only make the walk more whimsical. They sing their songs and bring an echo of peace to her walk.