The Legend

The world I live in is falling apart. Trinity has been doomed for as long as I can remember. My guardian, Mirabel, says that three kids are meant to save us but I do not believe it. I am a kid myself and I become of age in two weeks and know that I would never be able to save the world, even if I was destined to do it. Still, Mirabel says that something will happen. People will find hope and stand up against the evil that threatens us all. I do not have faith at all, but Mirabel? No...she keeps on believing.
My mother's grave was radiant today. The wild flowers had started to grow back after we had dug them up not so long ago. Her headstone was a pale blue rock which I had found years ago traveling through the mountain's forests. It is a beautiful grave although it purpose brings tears to my eyes. She was resting peacefully even though I knew that this part of the woods once had a family of foxes in it. I had not seen them once since my mother's burial and I think it was because the understood that this was now sacred ground. I would normally sit on a tiny stool which Mirabel suggested I put there seeing as how I spend so much of my time there. I do not leave my mother's side unless I have to. Today was one of those days.
I hated the town, the people who travel from far out places just to walk among strangers. I lived in the mountains with Mirabel not here. This town didn't want me here just as much as I didn't want to be there. The people were in larger numbers than normal. There were glances my way and I knew they were disapproving. I was dressed in rags compared to their soft fabrics with designs only the elves of Torin could make. My eyes looked over the things I could never have. Poverty is nothing, I told myself, You do not need these useless things. Of course I wanted them though. I wished to reach out and touch the beautiful fabric. Then, instead of being told to put my filthy hands away, the owner would ask me if I was enjoying my day and if I liked what I saw. Which of course, I knew wouldn't happen.
I was dressed in a loose tan shirt and long pants which had been cut so much that they only came down to my knees. My feet I kept bare which didn't bother me in the cool shades of the forests. However, in the open town with cobblestone paths, my feet felt the burning sensation of the sun heating rock. My hair was short, a very unmannered thing to do as a woman, which curled just above my shoulder. I was probably covered in dirt and my bag which I would use to carry the fruits Mirabel asked for, was ripped and torn in certain places. The patches that covered it were all different, my personal favorite a dark red with black swirls.
My feet took me to a simple stand far off in the corner of the busy center of town. The dark mahogany wood was covered by the colors of produce. The stand was nearly empty except for a tall boy about my age. He was standing near the woman behind the counter in deep discussion with herself. As I came into their view, only the woman looked at me. Her pale skin was wrinkled with age but her hair was a bright orange as if she was still a kid herself. Her dress was a dark blue with stars that moved across. My eyes watched a shooting star shoot down her right arm. Then I looked back at her again and gave a small smile. She smiled back and I saw a sparkle in her green eyes.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer," she said with delight. "What can I do for you Miss.Anna?" I looked among the vegetables and fruits which she collected from all over the lands. "The usual Gigi, you know how Mirabel likes those apples and grapes from Torin." Gigi nodded and reached for the purple apples and dark blue grapes which had been specially made by the elves in Torin. I watched as Gigi looked over at the boy who I had completly forgotten about. "I don't know how they do it even though I ask for the secret every time I come for more. I assume its the magical waters or just the old tribe powers them elfs know. The strange color and wonderful taste is a tightly kept secret." The boy didn't say a word but nodded.
The boy was almost a foot taller than me but that made sense since my father's father had a pinch of dwarf blood in him. I had gotten a mixture of both human and dwarf blood causing me to be almost a foot shorter than almost anyone my age. I was however, taller than any dwarf I knew which wasn't many. He had blond hair but it had clearly been shaved off and I saw around his wrist a thick leather band. It was the mark of a slave. Gigi, I knew was a gypsy, and her beliefs were against slavery so I knew the slave wasn't hers. Even if Gigi wasn't a gypsy she wouldn't be able to afford to buy a good healthy slave which clearly this boy was. His eyes were cast downwards on his feet and he only nodded to what Gigi said.
Gigi had finally came over to me with five of the purple apples and a bundle of the blue grapes. They were wet from Gigi washing them and I took them gratefully and placed them in my bag. I handed over the coins required but I didn't leave right away. Gigi noticed that I hadn't left like I usually did before. I was always in a hurry to leave town but something about the boy made me stay. I noticed that his clothes were just as bad as mine and that thin red lines were on the back of his neck.
"How rude of me," Gigi gasped, noticing me observing the slave boy. "Andrew," she said his name but the boy didn't do anything. "Andrew," she said even louder and I watched as the boy jumped and finally looked up. His eyes imediatly went to Gigi and I noticed right away that he knew I was there but was avoiding me. "Andrew, sweetie, this is a customer of mine, Annabel Sparrow. Anna, this is Andrew, his master has asked me to look after him for the day." I looked over him again and saw that he only took a single glance at me before looking over at Gigi. "Ignore him," Gigi whispered to me, "His master threatened the whip on him if he spoke to anyone, even me. I asked how long the boy had been in slavery and aparaently this own was bred in captivity if you know what I mean." I shook my head, the slavery problem in the land had never once occured to me. "It means he was born a slave and will always be a slave."
There was silence between the two of us, three if you include Andrew. The only noise came from rest of the world. "You don't know much of the world do you Anna?" I looked at Gigi. Her words had caught Andrew's attention. I shook my head, "It's always been a small life for me." She frowned, "You better get out there sweetie and learn what's going on. If I were you, I do it as soon as I became of age. When do you become of age anyways?" I looked at her, "Two weeks from tomorrow, Gigi." She nodded, "Good, now you better go out and see the things that are happening. War is coming, I hope you realize that." I nodded my head. I've always known that war would come I just didn't know so soon. "The chosen ones," Gigi whispered, looking between Andrew and I, "They are coming and they are the only ones who can save us."
I looked quickly at Andrew who looked as if he was dying to say something even though he couldn't. He looked over at me as I said, "It was nice meeting you." I turned on my heels and pushed through the crowd. I did not think about the stares or about the beautiful fabrics I could never have. Something about Gigi's words and the way she said them was bothering me. The way she looked between Andrew and me as she said 'the choosen ones.' I didn't understand if maybe it was a coincidence or if she was applying that I was destined to save the world. I didn't, I wouldn't, believe it. Then as I pushed the thoughts from my head, I realized I was home.