At the Sun's Golden Light 2/?

[Jessi wa Kawaii]

At the Sun?s Golden Light
A Snow White story by J. Hardie
?2003

II

Eber Village

?Adam! Adam, do not run so fast! I cannot catch up to you with these skirts!? the girl cried out.

Adam turned to look at his younger sister and laughed, ?You?re the one who wanted to dress up!?

Anemone pouted, unbraided wisps of her long black hair fell into her face from the summer zephyr that blew between them, ?Momma Jane made me wear it. You should still wait for me!?

Adam sighed and stopped in his tracks, allowing Anemone to walk up to him and loop her arm around his. They walked together in the fields right behind their village, their clothes brushing against the long grass.

?Where are we going?? she asked.

Adam looked at her, ?Toby said he found something in the woods while hunting with father. He wants us all to see it.?

?I wish papa would take me hunting with you.? She sighed, feeling familiarly left out of the bond her brothers shared with her father.

?You?re not allowed. Women don?t hunt, and you know that. They aren?t even supposed to think about it. Your place is in the house.?

Anger flashed in Anemone?s eyes, ?I don?t care about that. I still would like to go hunting. One day, I?m going to take papa?s bow or Jeremiah?s knife, and I?m going to catch a rabbit and we?re going to eat it.?

?Ah? but who?ll cook it? Besides, what girl would want to harm a ?defenseless? rabbit??

?Momma Jane will cook it. And a rabbit is food. Why, I?d hunt Seth?s dog if he?d let me. That fat animal could feed us all for a year!?

Adam shook his head, ?The only thing you?ll be doing is sewing clothes or getting married. You?re seventeen now, the perfect age to be married. A lot of the village boys fancy you.?

?I don?t plan on getting married anytime soon.? Anemone said defiantly, ?I?ll do anything to keep a man from fancying me.?

?Well your personality will definitely do that. You?re more beautiful than any girl in the village, but you?re a spitfire, nothing like a real lady.?

?I don?t care to be a real lady. I?m happy as I am.?

?Suit yourself. Just don?t open your mouth when father has you marry.?

Any comment she would have made was lost as they came about a group of young men only about eight years older that Anemone, and two years older than Adam.

The group of young men whispered amongst themselves as they gazed at the small animal. Anemone and Adam forced their way into the tight circle.

?What is it Toby?? one asked

Toby shook his head, ?He got in the way of one of father?s arrows when we were hunting. I don?t know what it is.?

Anemone gazed at the odd creature that was shivering and laid in a fetal position; It wasn?t furry, but had a back covered with long dulled spikes. Whiskers stuck out of the creatures snout and wisps of hair protruded from between its eyes. The top of its head was oddly shaped like half a lemon with a blunt point at the top, it was a darker brown than the rest of its body and had short dulled spikes across it. Long pointed ears protruded out the sides of its head.

To the men, it was an odd game. But to Anemone, it was adorable.

?Tobijah,? she asked, ?What are you going to do with it??

Her older brother shrugged, ?It?s not enough to eat. Maybe I?ll just leave it here to die.?

The other men nodded, ?Could be poisonous.?

Anemone shook her head, ?Let me keep it, Toby!?

All the men looked at her before peals of laughter overcame them.

She frowned, ?What is it? Why can?t I keep it??

Adam placed a hand on her shoulder as he addressed the others, ?I told you that sooner or later that womanliness would overcome my poor sister.?

??Womanliness??? she questioned

?Maybe she?ll ask for a rabbit to keep, soon enough.? One among them jested.

Anemone glared at them all before bending down, ignoring her skirts. She reached out a hand to touch the tiny animal.

?Those things could hold poison, Anney,? Toby warned

Ignoring him as well, she gently touched the creature?s back. It tensed as it lifted its head up, and slanted red eyes looked at her.

She began to gently coax the animal into coming with her by motioning with her hands. The animal seemed to be judging her. The men around her watched anxiously at the small display.

Noticing the wound on its body from one of her father?s arrows, She grasped on of her petticoats in her hands and tore them without a second thought. Taking the initiative, she reached forward to the willing creature and began to wrap the torn pieces around it securely.

Now the animal seemed to trust her as it stood on all fours and oddly began to walk towards her and into her arms.

?Amazing,? Adam commented, ?How every animal seems to trust my sister. She?s the only one who can milk the cows without them kicking.?

Toby nodded in agreement, ?You?ve definitely a gift, Anney. Take good care of it.?

Anemone stood up, and began to walk for the cottage her family lived in, ?I think he?s hungry so I?m going to feed him.?

Adam leapt up to join his sister, ?Do you suppose father will let you keep it??

She shrugged, ?I think he will. It?s Momma Jane I worry about.?

?You might have to hide it from her.?

She shook her head; ?I do not think I?ll keep it for long. It belongs in the forest, so I?ll take it there tomorrow morning.?

?You?ve a sense of nature and balance that I cannot understand.?

?It?s no secret that wild things belong in the wild.?

The animal in Anemone?s arms yawned tiredly and burrowed further into her arms.

?I want to name it.? She piped up.

?Why? You said you weren?t going to keep it.?

?Well I need to identify it somehow. We don?t know what it is.?

?Fine. What will you name it??

She paused, ?Momma Jane keeps saying I should be more spiritual? how about Nazareth??

?If you fancy it??

The creature?s head suddenly popped up and it looked at Anemone. She was surprised to see the disgust in its eyes, almost as if?

?I don?t think he likes the name. Maybe he has his own name.?

Adam raised an eyebrow, ?How do you know it even knows it has a new name??

?The way he looked at me, I think he understands what we are saying.?

?No he can?t. He?s a stupid animal. They can?t understand English.?

The animal nestled back in her arms, and she sighed,

?Maybe you?re right Adam.? She looked up at the sky, a thought coming absently into her mind, ?Adam, what do you suppose the sun was like??

?Why are you asking me? How do you even know there was a sun??

?I heard a few old men talk about it in the village yesterday. They said that everyone needed the sun back.?

?I?ve lived with Diana and Luna all my life. I know nothing of a sun.?

The bright white Luna gleamed in its last hours before Diana appeared. It shined down upon all, with a brightness that was almost as bright as the fabled sun, but nothing compared to it from what the older people remembered.

As they neared their cottage, they could see the silhouette of a woman standing behind it. As the woman caught sight of them, she began yelling,

?Anney! Where have you been? I told you to get the bread for the house hours ago!?

Anemone slapped her forehead, ?Momma Jane is going to kill me!?

Adam took the creature from her arms, and pulled out a few coins from his pocket, ?Here, go to the bakery now. I?ll keep this? thing until your return.?

?Put him in my room,? she said before walking off.

Now, Anemone could be quite na?ve at times, especially when she walked through the village. The eyes of the village boys followed her as she walked, as did the envious glares of the girls who fancied them. She walked on, saying a greeting or two to those that she knew were friends to her father.

The bakery was luckily not crowded, allowing her to step up.

?Hello, Anney. I see you?re late with your chores today, as usual,? the baker said as he bent down to get her loaf of bread.

?Well, Momma Jane knows how I forget sometimes. I just walked out the door when she asked me. I had to go see the horses.?

The baker shook his head, ?Same old Anney. You better get this home before she gets angry.?

?Thank you!? Anemone smiled and dropped the correct amount of pennies into his hand before she quickly skipped out of the bakery, a wrapped loaf of bread in her arms.

The door to the cottage was open when she arrived. Her ?mother? sat in a chair by the lit fireplace, knitting.

?Hello Momma Jane,? Anemone greeted towards the woman

The slightly graying woman looked at her, and sighed, ?Anney? how many times have I told you to leave your skirts be??

Anemone glanced down at the torn hem of her dress and the area where she tore off a skirt for the animal, ?Sorry. I forgot.?

Jane stood up, ?You are always forgetting, Anney. Everything seems to slip your mind. How am I going to have you married off properly if you do not act like a lady??

The young girl shrugged, ?Maybe I should not have been born a girl. I would much rather be out with papa in the woods hunting then learning how to knit or sew.?

?Anney, you cannot change the fact that you are a girl, and you have to follow the rules that go with it. A young girl like you has to consider being married now.?

?Well you aren?t married Momma Jane so what pearls of wisdom do you have to offer??

If Anemone had been any closer, she knew she would have been backhanded for the comment. Any reference to the fact that Jane was not her real mother had always seemed to set her nursemaid off. Especially since she had done everything she could for the girl and yet she did not appreciate her efforts to make her a real lady.

Anger flashed in Jane?s eyes, ?Don?t you ever speak like that. Your mother would be very disappointed to hear you say that. I try so hard to make sure Anna comes out in you, but you never listen. Where are Anna?s qualities in you, child??

At that moment, Anemone?s father and two oldest brothers walked in, rugged and dirty from their long hours in the Woods. A deer was slung around her father?s neck as he beamed at his large kill.

?We caught a large meal today girls,? John grunted as Judas and Jeremiah followed him in, their hunting weapons in their arms.

Jane scrunched her nose; ?I hope you take it behind the cottage to clean it. I will not skin that animal.?

Anemone looked at her nursemaid, the previous argument temporarily forgotten, ?Momma Jane, do we have any honey and biscuits??

Jane nodded, ?There should be some in the cupboards. I hope you don?t plan on spoiling dinner.?

?Adam and I were hungry. I?ll take it up to my room.? Without waiting for more questions to be asked, she went inside the kitchen and found the foods she was looking for before heading up the cottage?s stairs to the room she and Adam shared.

Adam sat beside her bed, and looked at her as she closed the door behind her, ?Did you bring it food??

She nodded, ?Where is it??

Adam shrugged, ?As soon as I let it go on the floor, it scampered underneath your bed.?

Anemone bent down to peek under her bed, but the darkness underneath prevented her from seeing the creature, ?I?ll just leave the food here. If it?s hungry, it?ll eat when we?re asleep.?

Adam looked at his younger sister, ?I heard you and Jane downstairs. What is the matter with you? Jane has done all she can since you were born, and her efforts go unappreciated by you. What do you have against her, Anney??

Anemone sighed, and sat down on the wooden trunk next to the sill of their open window, ?I don?t know. Sometimes it seems that she is so much like my mother, and yet she treats me as though I?m her responsibility. Momma Jane is the only woman I remember from when I was little and yet, she never acts like a mother to me.?

?That?s because she?s not our mother, Anney.? He said softly.

?Oh, I know that! I know that our mother died when I was born. But Momma Jane was there, wasn?t she? I wonder why she and papa never married after our mother. She seems to love him so much.?

?Jane will never fill our mother?s place in father?s heart. Maybe he didn?t want to make her suffer.?

?But it?s not just that. It?s as though Momma Jane doesn?t believe she?s as good as our mother was, and instead of raising me to her best abilities, she tries to measure me up to Anna. She wants me to be Anna, and I can?t be because I have so many of Momma Jane?s qualities. Why can?t she treat me like her child instead of somebody else?s??

Adam shrugged, ?I don?t know. I?m going to help father out back. Why don?t you stay up here and? do something.?

Anemone nodded at him, and stared at the bright orb in the sky that began to darken into Diana?s blue light. Sudden thoughts began to enter her mind of the world outside her village that she had yet to explore. Barely anybody knew of what existed around them since the Queen had forbidden any traveling into territory beyond the Woods of Eber and the Jaunting River, an area called Rem. By her decree, it was for the safety of the people that lived between the boundaries. One day, Anemone promised herself, she would see the entire world.

A strange yellow dust began to sprinkle outside the window, and curious, she leaned forward a bit too fast, catching the dust on her nose. Sneezing, she wiped at her nose with her hand, and continued to watch the display. She blinked rapidly as her vision began to blur. She yawned tiredly at the sudden sleepy sensation that overcame her. She began to position herself more comfortably, leaning further on the windowsill, and laid her head down on top of her hands. Soon, her breathing became even, and she was asleep.

A tiny bubble of light appeared against the night sky and slowly entered the room through the window, pausing to look at the sleeping girl, before heading down to land softly on the floor by her bed. The bubble of light faded to reveal a small girl, with translucent wings that reflected all colors and a pixie face with pointed ears, a pink tunic and pink shoes.

?Little hegling?? She called out in a tiny voice, ?Little hegling??

Scratching sounds could be heard under the bed and slowly the small creature emerged to face the one that called it.

?Are you Possum?? the faerie asked, cocking her head to one side.

The hegling nodded, crouching low to look at the faerie.

?Good,? she said, ?I?m Aurora. And I?ve a message for you from Queen Titania.?

Possum looked at her, ?What is it that she asks of me now??

Aurora smiled, ?She wants you to know that they are coming. The girl needs to know now, and you must report back early tomorrow. Are you hurt bad??

The hegling shook his head, ?The hunter was not that accurate with his aim. What will you have me do??

?Go according to the orders that Titania has given you. Just as long as you avoid any contact with Morgaine, and return the Titania, you should be fine.?

The steps of a human outside the door alerted the two creatures. The door to the room creaked open slowly. Quickly the hegling fled under the bed, and the faerie darted out the window in a flash of light.

John blinked and shook his head, ?Fireflies.?

He glanced softly at his daughter who lay on the windowsill. He carefully bent down and picked up his daughter, then placed her on top of her bed sheets. She did not stir in her sleep, and John smiled before he bent low to place a kiss on Anemone?s forehead. She still slept peacefully as he turned to leave, and his brows furrowed. It was strange; Jane had said she heard Anemone and Adam talk just a few moments ago. With a last look, he left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

They could talk later.

Two glowing, red, slanted eyes peered through the darkness under the bed. Slowly, the hegling crawled out of the darkness.

?Psst! Psst!? a faerie voice called out.

Possum turned and climbed up the wooden trunk and onto the windowsill.

Aurora peeked over the window from the outside, tiny hands grasping the edge and butterfly wings fluttering to keep her afloat.

?You have to tell her before midnight, little hegling. You must clear the Woods of Eber before Luna?s light so that you do not find yourself in Morgaine?s hands,? She pushed away from the window, ?That is advice from Queen Titania.?

Possum glanced thankfully at the faerie, ?Will our paths cross again??

Aurora cocked her head to the side, ?We?ll see, little hegling. Perhaps I will see you in the Forest Flagr?ns later on in your journey.?

With a burst of light, the messenger faerie flew off into the sky, leaving a shimmering trail behind her as she returned to the land of the little people.

The small hegling nodded, content, and scurried back to the floor. He made his way to the open door and slid through. Voices bounced to his ears from down the stairs as he approached them. Possum took one step at a time, carefully so that he could see all possible corners of the sitting room without being seen.

Two humans, he observed, stood in the room. A man and a woman. The man he remembered as being the same one from earlier that had shot and wounded him in the Woods. The woman stood in front of the hunter, with a cross look on her pretty face.

?And why did you not wake her up if she was sleeping, John? She?s forgotten all her chores, and the least she could do is join us for a decent meal.? She said.

John moved forward in an effort to placate her, ?Anney was dead asleep. Even when I moved her to her bed, she did not awake. It would have been fruitless to try, Jane.?

Jane scoffed, placing her hands on her hips, ?You spoil the girl, John. Oh, do you spoil her rotten. She does not have one feminine quality about her! All she does is frolic around with Adam and Tobijah. What are we to do with her when they settle down to start their own families? Are we to start teaching her then? Why, just today, she wanted to go hunting, John. Hunting! She?d rather dig out frogs in the mud then do one chore like she ought to!?

John sighed, ?Perhaps you are being to hard on the girl. You expect more of her than she can live up to.?

The nursemaid?s cheeks flushed, ?I am setting high expectations? For all that I have done for this household, for her, all I want is a little respect for me and prove that my example did not fly over her head as it seems to.?

?How do you expect me to rectify this??

?I want you to do something, John.?

?What would you have me do??

Jane crossed her arms and gave him a stern look, ?She will listen to you. Have her actually behave like she should. Set limits on her.?

The tired man nodded his head, ?Alright. You would know best.?

?Good. Now go and eat your dinner before it gets cold.?

Silently he brushed past her and into the small kitchen, Jane following close behind him.

The hegling on the staircase shook his head and continued down to the bottom of the stairs. He?d never understand humans.

He walked carefully around the sitting room. He knew he had to get the young girl?s attention to the room beneath her, but it would be impossible to do so without alerting the rest of her family.

He needed a distraction.

A sudden scream echoed outside the cottage and the hegling scampered behind a chair as the occupants in the kitchen dropped their utensils in a clatter and ran through the room and out the front door.

Jane sighed, ?Never a moments peace, and I worked hard on this meal.? Mumbling to herself, she walked quickly to catch up with the men who abandoned her.

Possum hurried into the kitchen, anxious to use the family?s disappearance to his advantage. Using his sharp claws to climb to the top of the highest cabinet, he steadied himself, and began to noisily claw at the ceiling.

He prayed that the girl wasn?t in too deep a sleep to hear him.


*Scratch*Scratch*Scratch*
Anemone tossed and turned on her bed, a frown forming on her pink lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned.

?Someone just had to wake me up from the lovely dream I was having?? she muttered, sitting up.

The scratching persisted and she got off the bed to lean her ear next to the floor, ?It?s from the kitchen. Jane must have found a new way to get me up when she wants.?

Getting up, she opened her door and walked down the hallway to the stairs.

?I don?t recall even being on my bed to fall asleep. What happened? I can?t even remember what happened before??

Loud voices could be heard outside the open front door, and she saw the red glow of lit torches, and a largely growing crowd of villagers a few yards away from the cottage.


She moved forward to walk outside, but the scratching noises continued, diverting her attention once more to he kitchen. Sighing, she walked through the sitting room, and into the small kitchen.

?Momma Jane? Are you in here??

She nearly screamed as an animal jumped from the cupboards behind her and onto the floor. Her heart pace returned to normal as she recognized the strange creature as the one who was stowed away underneath her bed.

?Why, hello!? Anemone greeted, ?How did you get out??

The creature cocked its head at her before jumping onto the wall and out of the window Jane had left open to cool her meat pies she had made for dinner.

?Wait!? she cried out, but the only answer she got was the shuffling on the dry ground outside.

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned on her heels and began to head back upstairs to regain lost sleep. It was not like she actually intended the animal to stay with her, but as she thought about it; she had wanted to let him go herself so she got an idea of where he was from. Now, she?d be left in the dark about that as well.

With her mind made up, she decided to do something that would make Jane furious. She placed one leg over the windowsill, then the other, before sliding smoothly out the window and onto the ground below.

Anemone groaned, and glanced down at her dirt-covered skirts, ?Momma Jane will absolutely kill me over this.?

?Are you coming??

She stood up abruptly and looked around before her eyes focused on the small creature that she had followed.

?Did you hear that?? she asked it, taking a few steps towards it in precaution.

Again, it cocked its head to the side and ran into the tall grass behind the cottage. Sighing, Anemone ran forward to follow it until it led her to a dead end, causing her to groan once more in frustration.

?What game are you playing??

Shuffling grass to her right caught her attention, and she walked towards it. Once she reached that spot, the corner of her eye caught more shuffling, and she followed that. It went on like that, following the moving grass, until she found herself in a clearing along with the little animal that sat in the middle of a nearby tree stump, slanted eyes regarding her intensively.

?You are a strange one,? Anemone commented, ?Has our little goose chase ended??

?Actually,? the creature stated, ?This wasn?t a goose chase to begin with.?

Anemone blinked and rubbed her eyes before refocusing, ?Did you just? speak??

It blinked at her oddly and she sighed, glad she was not loosing her sanity for the moment.

?Yes, I did.?

Her blue eyes widened, ?That?s absurd! Animals cannot talk!?

It sighed, ?There is a lot of the outside world you?ve yet to understand.?

?But? Seth?s dog Zeke doesn?t talk to us.?

?Perhaps he is afraid to.?

Her eyes lit up, ?So he can talk?? it seemed a prospect too unbelievable, but her current circumstance was that way. What well-mannered girl would waste her time talking to an animal? Anemone pondered over it silently before settling on the entire event as an illusion in her mind, a mere fantasy she knew was not true.

?That doesn?t matter anymore. There is important business we must discuss. Sit.?

Anemone did so obediently, her legs folding underneath her neatly, ?What is there to discuss??

?What is your name, girl??

?Anemone.?

?How old are you??

?I?ll be seventeen this winter?s eve.?

The creature?s eyes glittered, ?Wonderful.?

?What are you?? she asked boldly.

?Pardon??

She placed a hand on her chin, ?What are you? Nobody in Eber has ever seen anything like you before, I?m sure.?

?That?s mostly because we prefer to stay away from humans.?

?We??

?The heglings. My kind.?

Anemone?s sparkled again, ?You are so absolutely adorable!?

The hegling scowled, ?And you are a typical female.? He stood up on two legs from his position, ?But we are getting off the topic once more.?

?What was the topic to begin with? How are you able to walk like that??

Ignoring her, the hegling got off the stump and walked towards her, ?What do you know of the land around you??

She blinked, ?About the woods and the river??

?Do you know how to get to the Jaunting River??

?Do I? I live right next to it!?

?Good then. You will need to do several things.?

She raised an eyebrow, ?Before I ?need? to do anything, I?d suggest you tell me why.?

The hegling sighed, ?Your life is in danger, young maiden.?

?Danger? Really?? her expression turned thoughtful, ?Very interesting.?

?You are a strange human. But this is no joke. There is a powerful force that wishes you dead. You need to leave Rem.?

Anemone laughed, ?You know I cannot leave here. Nobody can.?

The hegling?s face did not reflect the humor on hers, ?Laugh while you can. You will have no choice but to leave.?

?Why??

?There is something coming for you. I cannot tell you what, but I can assure you that tomorrow will bring forth events that you?ve never before experienced.?

?And who told you this? Some strange wise being? I find it quite hard to believe.? She giggled strangely at the thought. In some ways, she still thought herself in dreamland, talking to standing animals that foretold her demise. It would actually make a nice tale to tell her brothers.

?Again, I will tell you that this is no matter to laugh upon. However concerning the circumstances I will extend my patience for you to listen and except this offer.?

Anemone sobered as best she could, but it was a warm summer night. Fireflies flew around her in a haze in the lukewarm breeze. The air around her only seemed to dull her senses as though she was in a dream. She nodded hastily, deciding to continue the dream until she woke up.

?What is it you want me to listen to??

The hegling walked around her, ?There is something you need to retrieve in the Jaunting River by tomorrow eve.?

?Hmm? What would that be??

?In the middle of the river valley, there is a special type of flower. It grows only by the riverbed, and there is only one place by the Jaunting River where you will find them. Look for the Emerald Lilies, they will lead you to what you seek in the riverbed.?

Absently, she picked up a daffodil, twirling it around, ?But you said there was something I had to retrieve. What is it??

The hegling?s red eyes glowed in the dark night, Diana?s light casting a darkened shadow, ?You will know when you see it.?

The breeze picked up with a wild gust, causing the grass and Anemone?s long hair to whip around violently.

?Spring gusts are coming in early,? she commented, glancing at her companion.

The demeanor of the little hegling was one of alertness; he stood up, slanted eyes moving around the area where they were, ?No. That isn?t it at all.? He hopped back onto the tree stump, ?I must go.?

She sighed, ?Where are you off to now? Your home??

?Actually yes. I am sure we will meet again. Maybe at the Circle of Quintet.?

She blinked, ?Where is this??

The hegling did not reply as he bounded off into the long waving grass.

?Wait!? Anemone called out again, ?What is your name??

The wind whipped around her once more, this time seemingly saying the word ?Possum? in a chiming manner. She smiled slightly before laying against the cool grass. It felt wonderful beneath her skin, a smooth and calming presence amongst the skirts she wore.

She relished in her first time outside in Diana?s light, enjoying the life around her. For once, she did not have to hear the sound of Jane?s nagging voice on every little thing she did. In the distance she could hear the sounds of deer galloping on the meadow, and the hoots of owls.

The hum of the insects was enough of a lullaby to put to the girl back to sleep easily. The predators of the night that crawled out of the Woods of Eber left the maiden alone, despite her helpless state. There was something about her that was innocent, posing no threat to them. It was innocence so powerful that no teeth marks would ever mar her skin no matter what the circumstances.

For this night, she was safe.

For this night, she was able to enjoy the last of her ignorance concerning the world and lands around her.

Yet, amidst all this, she did not awaken at the piercing gaze of the large winged figure that circled around high in the sky, its unfamiliar screeches echoing through the air before it flew off in the horizon towards the faraway mountains.

[Mellie]

wow. this story is so amazing and intricate! I cannot wait to read more of this fascinating tale, please continue!