The day was lovely, sunny and warm. An Indian summer, as some would call it, because it occurred in autumn but felt like summer.
'I'll never understand these /Americans/ and their awful way of naming things' the young rogue thought in her native tongue as she strode toward her favorite place to watch the ripples on the surface of the water fan out. When she had nothing to do, this is where she would go.
Her river, her special spot beside it. Sometimes she would imagine it talking to her, encouraging her to fight back against these pale-faced bastards. They thought they could have anything in sight despite the fact that the area was already occupied, and had been for generations upon generations!
The thought made bile rise in her throat.
She forced it down and found herself looking back at her from the surface of the water. The girl smiled, admiring her dark skin and raven hair. Now if only her eyes weren't so freakishly green...
Although they did make sense. For her, who had not aged a day in the last seven or so years, it was a sign of abnormality. If she was to not age like a normal child, then why should she sully the image of her people with her own monstrous eyes?
There had been a man she met not long ago who also had eyes the same shade as her own. He was much taller than her meager two feet, but still he didn't seem threatening. She had been compelled to draw nearer until he spotted her among the bushes and caused her to scurry away. And yet, like when she had launched an arrow into the arm of a young man with eyes like the daylight heavens above, a connection had been forged upon mutual sight. His emerald eyes found her grassy green orbs, and a spiritual tether formed instantaneously. She still had no way to describe it, nor did she think she ever would.
Still, the young rogue could sense a storm brewing in the distance both figuratively and literally. She had always been good with predicting the weather of her tribes' lands. Again, it was a phenomenon she couldn't put into exact or proper words.
Taking her place on a rock that jutted out over the water, she looked for minnows and other river-dwellers below her. Her intents were merely for amusement, to find something to watch for a few hours. The last couple of hours of the day were hers to while away as she saw fit.
However, looking down at the water, her reflection didn't seem... right.
Wait! A little white girl was behind her!
The rogue whirled around quickly, drawing her short knife just in case there were others.
But she was all alone. No one else was anywhere near her secret, special place.
Cautiously, she returned to the edge of the rock and peered down at the water. Despite all the ripples distorting the image of the sky and clouds, she could see that there was a tiny girl looking back at her.
A tiny girl with pale, pale skin.
Pale skin and light brown hair tinted with red.
And... And...
Green eyes.
The rogue wailed in alarm and sprung away from the water while staring at her hands and arms. The dark brown color she was so proud of was draining away, forming a new shade of white!
White!
How was this possible?
"No!" she exclaimed, rubbing at her skin forcefully as if she could wipe away the pale color. It didn't do a thing whatsoever.
She resorted to scratching herself with her short nails, not drawing blood but still creating red streaks. Nothing was working!
'The water' she thought before rushing to the edge of the rock and jumping in. The sky and clouds below her broke into many fragments as she surfaced and scrubbed at her arms, neck, and legs. All the while, she called out to the good spirits of nature to help her show her true color.
