Snippet #2744574

The morning light barely breaks through the canopy of leaves high above her, but she knows the way without the aid of the sun. The forest is filled with tall, lush trees all standing parallel to each other. Beneath her feet lies a blanket of moss the reaches up to cover the roots and trunks all around her and the trickling of the river guides her to the flowering meadow. She stops at the water's edge to take a sip, looking up into the branches of a low hanging willow. This was the first place she met Isias and his father all those years ago. Though her memories of the time before she knew them have faded away, she does remember the feel of the bark on her toes as she climbed up into that tree to rest. They had stopped to drink just as she had now, having been hunting all day together.
Isias and his father had very similar traits, he too was a handsome, strong man.
When they found her they seemed shocked by her image, her red hair was long, even then. Her hazel eyes shined like gold, and her ears came to a long point.
"What is that?" she remembers young Isias asking his father, pointing up to her as she spied on them from the branches above. They both moved closer, gazing at her curiously.
"It's okay," Isias' father said softly as she began the climb, "I'm not going to hurt you." He sat with her, looking her over, "You're not a Wight, nor or you an Ivlisar… certainly not a Drougue." As he reached out to her, she pulled away from him, causing him to lose his balance and almost fall from the tree.
"Hey hey," he exclaimed as he caught himself, "Come on down, it's not safe out here." He reached out to her once more, taking her small, trembling hand into his. Immediately he withdrew from her touch, shoving his fingers into his mouth to soothe the burning sensation form her touch. Confused, she reached out to her once more, this time feeling only a noticeable warmth on her skin. "That's odd," she heard him mutter as he lowered her down, then jumped down himself. Isias immediately took her hand in his and smiled his toothy grin, "Hi, I am Isias! What's your name?" Nina didn't speak then, only looked him over with curiosity, "That's okay you don't have to tell me. Why are your ears so pointy? Where is your family?"
"Isias, leave the poor girl alone," his father commanded as he gathered their haul for the day onto his back, "We will take her back with us and get her cleaned up. You'll let her sleep in your bed tonight and you can come and sleep with me." He turned to her, "Does that sound Okay?"
Nina nodded gently, her stomach growled violently. "Oh!" Isias said, reaching into his pack and pulling out a piece of bread and a wedge of cheese, "Are you hungry?" Looking back she feels a little shameful for how greedily she ate all of his food, but they very kind about it. Isias held her hand all the way back to Distathia. "Since you can't tell me your name yet, I am going to call you Nina," he said as they walked. She was no older than four, he was five years older than she. Having no memory of where she came from, she nodded silently in agreement. After a few months, their friendship grew and his father became a father-figure to her as well. They fed her, gave her a bed in their home, and brought her to market day with them. They lived together as a family for a year after they found her until the Drougue invaded Distathia.

Nina shook the memories from her focus and stood, collecting her basket and continuing past to the meadow where Dawn's Roses bloomed in plenty. Looking up to the sky she hastened her pace. If they were not plucked soon they would close once more and would be worthless to sell at Market. The meadow was not far and as she stepped through the wall of trees she was struck by the beauty of the brilliant, white roses. The field was covered in the flowers, that only opened once a day before dawn, and closed one the sun shined over the treetops. Quickly she gathered as many as would fit in her basket and watched as they all began to curl back up for another day.