The Warrior Princess

Woken Dream

Ophelia awoke with a slight pain in her neck and face painted women surrounding her. It took her only a moment to realize who they were.
It was one of her capabilities. Ophelia always thought of it as a curse. To have knowledge. Knowing what people said on one very specific date and being able to remember exactly what they said. At times it would be the things that her mother promised her. Other times it would be of what that one girl said about Ophelia but didn't have the courage to say it to her face.
The women retreated from a . . . whatever it was that she was in. Ophelia had to strain her neck to see her surroundings. She was in a hut made of mud. The floor was of leaves and the bed she was laying on wasn't a bed at all. It was a pile of flowers. All kind of flowers that you could think of. Blood red ones with petals the size of her palm. Flowers of purple and blue, yellow and green, and black with color oddly similar to gold.
She took a hand full and watched them fall back into the pile gracefully. Suddenly a man of at least sixty and paint of black and red covered his entire face except his eyes, and cheeks. The paint, it looked old. Like it was about to peel if you touched it the wrong way.
"Where am I? Who are you?" Ophelia stuttered.
"I am the leader of this tribe. You may call me Persah," answered the man, " As for where you are. Well you're in the middle of the Forgotten Forest."
She got up and cautiously walked toward the ill fitting door that was left open. Ophelia peered out and was astonished at the sight she was seeing. Here the middle of the Forgotten Forest? It was so beautiful. Like the things you would read about in fairytales.
   She saw little children playing tag with no paint on their face. Not a single drop. There was a river nearby that women were putting into vases. The older men where talking to each other while the younger men looked like they where in training. The other buildings looked the same as the one she was just in.
   These were the 'barbarians' that Father always talked about and seemed to hate with every fiber of his being. Yet Ophelia didn't know why.
   After a couple of seconds of standing their frozen in place by her thoughts, one by one they noticed her. Until they were all looking at her. Staring at her. Analyzing her. She raised her chin. It was a defense tactic that she always used when she got too much attention and couldn't stand it. She also raised one of her brows and crossed her arms over her chest as to ask them 'What?'. She was actually thinking 'Please, stop staring'.