Flames

1. ADRIANNE (I)

Who am I?

Where did I come from?

What is my name?

I was standing before the ocean, watching the waves rhythmically dance over each other. I could hear the seagulls as they flew around or floated on the ocean, from where I stood. Even with my leather boots on, I could still feel the heat of the golden sand below me.

Suddenly, hot air violently blew past me, causing my white hair and loose shirt fly over me. Some bits of sand flew into my eyes, causing it to water as I blinked hard.

I might as well tuck my shirt into my dark breeches to keep it from flying again.

Despite the fact that the atmosphere had almost ruined my eyesight, it wasn't enough to make me depart the shore. I found peace in this place. Then again, it made sense since it was where Kelarie had found me.

Kelarie.

Although stubborn and playful, she had a heart of gold. She couldn't be over twenty winters. I was exactly twenty four winters.

Strange, I remember my age but not my name...

It was also strange how I felt a great connection towards her, well it made sense since all she did was be nice to me. Despite the fact that I was a stranger to her, she welcomed me into her village and her home. She clothed and fed me as well. Although her father might be quite annoying at times but he was hospitable to me as well, just like his daughter.

Adrianne as a whole didn't treat me as an outsider. It was small and it was a nice place to be. All it's people lived together in harmony and peace. They hardly even left their home so they weren't exposed or well informed on the outside world.

Only Adrianne's Merchants journeyed from place to place to trade. The only thing Adrianne lacked was security. Then again, it didn't seem like an enemy was going to stop by anytime soon.

"Gods! Hay! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Kelarie exclaimed in relief.

I turned to see her approaching form. She was dressed in a short wool dress that hugged her chest and flowed freely by her waist down to her knee. It's color was in its purest form. Her curly dark hair was pulled up in a bun and her brown skin glowed in the sun.

She finally came to stand beside me.

"Come on, let's go practice archery with my friends", she said while pulling me with her into the woods.

"I don't know if I ever shot an arrow out of a bow before. I don't think I should do that," I tried to protest.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, there's only one way to find out", she persisted while pushing me through the trees. It wasn't long before we got to where she was taking me.

We came to stand in a little clearing. They had drawn circles on trees which they were meant to shoot arrows at. We weren't alone, they were four others with us.

These must be her friends.

Her friends were a group of two boys and a girl. The girl was similar to Kelarie in some ways. Both her skin and hair color was the same as Kelarie's. While both boys had milky fair skin and were both slim. One had dark hair and the other had brown hair. Both boys wore cotton tunics and pants.