to ashes and blood

The girls

Mel brought powder back to her home of a large mansion, she didn't push a conversation on the timid girl, she kept her head high and a calm smile whenever she checked to see if the girl was still close.

"You'll be staying in this room for the night, your welcome to roam around if you'd like but do not leave, you'll have your own bathroom as well so do wash up before dinner," Mel opened the door for her and powders eyes lit up at the bedroom.

"Woooow," she went inside.

"I'm the only one staying in here?" Powder asked looking at the chandelier in the room, the walls were a creamy white with a soft warm grey tile floor, an animal fur as a rug under a large bed. It looked like a room from a fairytale.

"Yes, if there is anything you need darling please let me know," Mel bowed her head to her.

There was an awkward pause and powder went into the bathroom on the side to wash up but was overwhelmed by how large a single bathroom was. The tub was huge and the counter took up so much. She looked in the mirror seeing herself in a bright light was a different image.

She looked so dirty compared to the others. She took her hair out of the braid and searched for some kind of comb, she smelt like smoke, oil and metal now that she was alone.

She found a brush and stood on her toes to try seeing herself in the mirror, she grunted a little when she struggled to brush her blue hair.

"Would you like a little help dear?" Mel peaked in the bathroom hearing her struggling.

Powder opened her mouth but couldn't make a word. She nodded holding up the hair brush.

Mel touched her shoulder gently and took the golden hair brush, she pulled the hair behind powder and started to brush the ends of her hair to avoid any pain, her hair was dirty and knotted.

"I believe a bath may be good for you, a bath always makes me feel better," Mel offered while she brushed the girls hair.

"Do you like flowers powder? I think roses would smell lovely for you," she hummed.

"What about my cuts?" Powder asked knowing soap would hurt the wounds.

"I'll help with that too," Mel finished brushing out all the snarls and raked her fingers through her hair.

Mel went over and started the bath for the little girl and grabbed soap to make bubbles and oil to make her skin soft.

"You know I'm a little sister too, my older brother never did girly activities like this," Mel sat on the edge of the bathtub and felt the water to make sure it wasn't to hot.

"And my mother, she was a bit of a brute in some ways, she never would take the time to do this kind of stuff as well, but she did show me the best ways to relax, a bath with candles, oil and bubbles, sometimes I even grab a book and just let my mind be quiet for once," she swirled her fingers in the water watching the clear oil settle in the water.

"But my mother saw me as weak, because I found second chances and empathy necessary for humanity," she added another liquid, powder 'ooo'd at how the liquid turned into white bubbles.

"I was banished from my home, I understand new beginnings are quite frightening but never do they mean that you should give up," Mel looked at the small girl.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you powder?" She asked and motioned for the girl to test the water with her own hand now.

"Are you really going to help me?" Powder asked swirling her own hand in the water.

"I am, and I think the council would find more kindness to let you walk free if they could see that it was truly a mistake, a clean, polite, shy child who deserves her second chance," Mel stood and got out a shampoo and conditioner for powder to use.

"I'll let you bathe, I'll come check on you in a half hour darling," she set a towel and robe next to the bath for the girl to use.

"Also some new clothes," she chuckled seeing powder take her boots off, her socks looked like they were years and years old.

"Wait can you come back? I don't.. wanna be alone here," powder asked with hope in her eyes.

"Of course I can, I'll knock before I come back," Mel took off her own heels before leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

She waited outside the bathroom waiting for powder to get in, Jayce filled her in on the girls sister that seemed to leave behind the younger girl, maybe that's something they can have in common. A lost family that found them weaker.

Mel knocked and listened for powder to give her the okay.

"I'm in," powder called back and mel walked in seeing the girl submerged in bubbles, some were on the top of her head.

"How is it?" Mel laughed at the sight.

"Amazing," powder swooshed her arms around in the water as the bubbles covered her.

"Dunk your head under the water, I'll wash your hair for you," Mel pulled up a stool and opened the shampoo bottle.

She scrubbed the girls hair and massaged her head hearing powder giggle a little at the feeling. Mel grabbed the wash cloth and used soap and water to wipe off the dirt on powders face, she noticed there was many bruises on the child, the one on her cheek made powder flinch away from her touch.

"So did those officers hurt you?" Mel asked wiping behind the blue girls ears.

"No," powder pursed her lips. "They scare me,"

"How come?"

"They killed my parents, hunted me and vi down, break things," she listed.

"They killed your parents..? When was this?" Mel held back her guilt for such thing.

"I was six, vander took us in when they died," powder looked down frowning. She wondered if vander would miss her. She missed him. Even if vi was more like him than she was, he read her stories, wiped her tears, tied her shoes. He was a father to her too.

"I'm terribly sorry darling," Mel wiped the blue hair from powders face.

"Let's dunk your head back and get all the shampoo out," she motioned for powder to get the soap out.

"Your hair is beautiful," Mel smiled as powder turned her back to her, putting conditioner in and combed it through.

"Did you know that hair holds memories, that's why many people, many women use their hair to express themselves, short, long, styles, it all is art for us," she combed though the blue hair.

"Is that why you put gold in your hair?" Powder tilted her head up to look at Mel.

"Yes it is, I love art, I love my hair, the charms in my hair make me feel powerful, confident, and I just think it's pretty," Mel used a cup to pour water over powders hair when she tilted her face up.

"Can i try it too?" Powder asked curiously.

"I'd love to put them in your hair," Mel washed the conditioner out.

"Powder darling, will you trust me tomorrow?" Mel asked still playing with powders hair.

"I don't get much of a choice on who I'll trust," powder shrugged. Mel couldn't help but agree with the position the child has been put in.

"I know a lot of this hasn't been your choice, but I hope after tomorrow you can trust us, I'm very interested to see what Jayce and viktors assistant is capable of," Mel rubbed her shoulder softly and cupped her cheek.

"I'll set your clothes on the bed, take your time in the bath, then we'll have ourselves a girls night some call it," she rubbed powders cheek. The child couldn't help but lean into the woman's touch, familiar from her sister in the past.

"Okay," powder nodded and went to play with the bubbles when Mel left the bathroom.

The older woman shut the door and took a deep breath. She prayed the council would see this girl was no danger to them, she was a child that needed help, and Jayce was willing to take the responsibility. Mel couldn't help but smile at how insisting he was to protect the girl. It seemed that just was the man he is. Continues to surprise her.