The Origin of Ghirahim and Fi

 

  We lived in a small, new founded village. Our parents told us that we would be one of the first generations that weren’t nomads, and that the further generations would look to us as the ancestors of the village. I always liked that idea, that when we passed on new generations would come and keep the place alive.

 

  The village was in a valley, almost a canyon, between two cliff-like mountains. There were only six other families here beside us, and most of them had kids around my age. The houses were newly built, so they were more like small shacks, but the land was beautiful. Up one of the mountain sides was a winding path. At the top of that path, nearly a quarter of the way up the mountain, was a beautiful spring that flowed out of a waterfall. It had always been one of my favorite places. I loved to dance there, especially on the stones that were scattered across the spring.

 

  When I was only ten years old, a few of my friends and I were sitting on the rocks beside the spring and watching a boy on the other end practice archery. He was new at it, and not very good.

 

  “Ha, I don’t think he’s made it in the target once!” My best friend, Lilly, laughed as the boy shot another arrow into the rocky wall.

 

  “Ya really, and look how close he is! I can make an arrow go in dead center from three times the distance he is away from the target!” Fin, the leader of the kids (or so he thought), exclaimed loudly.

 

  The boy looked over at him with his brown eyes, clearly frustrated. He turned his attention back to the target. He drew the bow slowly and aimed carefully, but when he let go of the string, he missed again.

 

  “Hey, Ghir, that was the closest one yet!” Fin called to him. “Maybe you’ll actually be able to hit the edge with enough practice!” The boy looked back at him and pulled his long brown bangs out of his face, glaring at Fin. It only made Fin laugh even more. The boy sighed and looked down in shame as he went to retrieve the arrows. I began to feel sorry for him- and angry at my friends.

 

  “You guys shouldn’t be so hard on him,” I told them. Every one of them turned their heads and looked at me in shock, including the boy. I brushed my black hair back and continued to look at them as calmly as I could. “He’s probably good at something, just like everybody…” I said a little more quietly as I looked down, becoming shy having everyone’s full attention.

 

  “Ha!” Fin laughed at me. “Are you kidding? The only thing he’s good at is falling!” Everyone laughed along with Fin. I became absolutely furious with them.

 

  “Stop making fun of him like that!” I told them in a scolding voice, leaping off of the rock where I sat and putting my hands on my hips, my face flushed with anger.

 

  “Hey, I think Fire has a crush on Ghir!” Storm, a girl who I wasn’t very fond of, giggled. We looked at the boy to find him staring at me. When he caught my eyes, he quickly looked down, blushing.

 

  “Aw, I think he might like you!” Lilly said teasingly as everyone began to laugh at me.

 

  “He was probably looking at you clowns laughing like idiots!” I said angrily, but the comeback didn’t affect them at all.