The Casperian Chronicles: The Flight of The Phoenix

Chapter 4- Trust

"So, what happened?" Asked Selene, a lifelong friend of hers. They were lying against the firm trunk of a Blue Spruce tree, who's leaves held all throughout the cold. They both knelt down in the snow, wearing dark colors, like blue and purple, with cashmere shawls. Astella's knees were drenched, but the fabric held. She was in front of Selene, while Selene braided a few thin strands of her hair, and attempting to make two giant braids near her temples, and tie them up behind her head.

"Well, nothing really happened. I was captured."
"Oh come on, you must've seen something? Gold? Silver? Diamonds?" Deciding not to tell her friend of the stone, she shoved the thought away. "Nothing much, no. It was horrid, though. I was starving and thirsty, and I met another girl there.... Aaya, I think that was her name."

"Ooh. What did she look like?"
"She was tall, brunette, and, very skinny. Oh, Selene, they starved her! The poor girl was going to die if I hadn't helped her!"

"Did she tell you anything about herself? Anything at all? Surely you must've been bored, you had to get something out of her."

"Selene! That's really mean!" Trying to think, she remembered all that the girl had told her. "Well, she did say her mother was killed, she was from a village in the Raool mountains, and-" Astella started to stutter, and tears fell from her eyes, as she spoke with sadness. "She said th-they tried to touch h-h" Astella couldn't say any more. Now she just felt bad for leaving Aaya behind. They could've taken her virtue, or worse, killed the poor girl. Astella couldn't help the tears falling onto the snow. Selene stopped braiding and turned her friend around.

"Astella, I am your friend. And with that right, I have to know everything that happened. Did they... Take claim your virtue? " her friend asked, her face now very stern. "No," Astella replied confidently. " I wouldn't let them." Selene wiped the tears off of Astella's face, and turned her back around, continuing the braid. "Remember, you can trust me. Tell me anything. Ok?"

"Ok," Astella replied. Selene finished the braid, however, before she let Astella go, she stood up, plucked a leaf from the blue spruce tree they were under, and carefully put it in the front of her hair. Turning her around, she admired her work. "There," she said. "Now you really look pretty." Astella's hand went to the sack tied around her side. She opened it and brushed her hand against the familiar, smooth, round surface of the stone. Reluctantly, not what she was looking for, she went through it some more, until she found her mirror and picked it from the sack, closing it.

The wooden handle was now dented after a long times use, but it was still useful. She looked into the mirror and looked at her hair. Her golden locks were intricately woven together, and by the looks of it, they seemed strong. On the side of her left head, one of the braids stuck a blue spruce leaf. "Selene, you're a miracle worker!" Selene looked inquisitively at her through e mirror, and said," Yes, but the Leaf doesn't really match your green eyes, does it?"

"Wel-" before she could finish, Selene got up and wandered around looking for a proper spruce tree. She returned a minute later with a spruce leaf, carefully clutched in her hand. She went to Astella's right side and placed it in the braid. Looking in the mirror, Astella saw the way the leaves were placed. The stems in the braids, and the tips pointing towards her forehead, it almost looked like a crown.

"That's better," Selene said. "Ok, now my turn! Don't mess it up!" The two girls giggled as they exchanged places, and Astella was resting against the tree now. She looked down to see what she had to work with. Jet black raven hair, and it was straight. Astella smiled. This would give her the advantage. Normally people don't have black hair in her village. Selene's stepfather was from this town, but her real, late father was descended from a long line of Far Eastern warriors, while her mother was from Meleía. It made sense why her skin was different.