Esmeralda; Beginnings

Esmeralda

Chapter 1

Esmeralda remembered that day well. It was early in the morning when she heard shouting coming from downstairs. Then came a slam of the door. She ran down to find her mother hunched over the table in the parlour. Somehow, she knew what had happened and ran out to chase after her father. But he had gotten onto the cart with the other sailors and had set off.

She remembered crying and crying, trying to call him back. He always left. But somehow- this time, she knew he wasn't coming home.

The following year, her mother, who never recovered from the blow, fell ill. Esmeralda still recalled the healers coming and going. When she was allowed in to see her, there was a basin of vomit and blood by the bedside. Needless to say, her mother didn't recover and a year later, Esmeralda buried her and planted her favourite flowers on the grave. She was ten then, and because she was just a child, she was taken to live with her aunt in the city.

There, the rule was more strict and she had to attend school until she was thirteen.

In her studies, Esmeralda discovered something wondrous. Poring over books on human anatomy, biology in general, and magecraft and alchemy, she discovered that the more she threw herself into her studies, the less she thought of her mother or her father.

But when not studying, she often came to wonder if her father had left because of her. She knew he had always wanted a son but she had come along instead. Then when she and her mother went to visit her relatives, they got into an accident with another cart that had lost control of its horses. It crashed into them, two other passengers in their cart were killed as was the carter in the other. Her mother had been seriously injured. The healers managed to save her life but she would never be able to bear another child. And Esmeralda herself lost her left arm and her legs were damaged so she could not run or jump or do things children her age normally did. Yes, she could walk, but even walking for too long caused her pain in both legs. The cold and the rain hurt them even more.

She studied and studied. Her uncle, quite proud of her, sent her to continue studying in the local university for scholars after the mandatory school time was over when she turned thirteen.

Her aunt was not happy with it, thinking it was better if Esmeralda settle down properly and learn the things girls should learn before getting married. But then again, the fact she was maimed meant that it would be difficult to get a husband. So perhaps, becoming a scholar was the best thing for her.

As a novice in the university, she was taken in by senior members to run errands and study.

Master Emeric was first to spot her. He looked over her skinny frame and her missing arm and saw the intelligence and lively curiosity behind her dark eyes. He chose to take her under his wing at once.

Esmeralda had remained his student for three years and found that her master could not be allowed on journeys without having her pack for him and he was constantly destroying the experiment room one way or another. She had to learn to pick up his ways fast or end up creating unnecessary work for herself. When he went on a learning trip, she had to remember to bring his cloak and hat and pack his extra journals and gloves. She had to bring extra writing things since he usually lost his on the way. It was a headache.

That morning, Esmeralda awoke to a small explosion in the next room that was Master Emeric's experiment room. She sighed and pushed back the covers with her left arm. She stretched her aching legs. She was too tired to remember to put heating pans between the sheets. Whenever she didn't, she woke up with her legs hurting the next morning. Especially when it was raining as heavily as it was now. The colder the night was, the more painful it was for her.