The sun shines brightly through the tall and thin window of the wide stone room. The decorations are sparse, but three dresses sized for an eight- or nine-year-old hang from hooks sitting in the brightest patch of sunlight. There are two kinds of familiar smell in the world - the kind that's common, just because of how long one has been exposed to it, and the kind that's feels like home, whether or not it feels right. This room has the latter type of scent to it - as Huǒ stretches out on the bed, a smell like old castle, young girl, and - most importantly - the page, rises from the sheets.
He rolls out of bed, his bare feet striking the warm stone. The page is wearing a nightgown. He looks up. A grey-bearded man with purple eyes frowns at him. "You killed her, and I have to live with that," the man grumbles. "Don't be such a girl", Huǒ hears a foot to the right.
He turns. It's the afternoon; a light breeze blows down the wide road. The page stares at a nine-year-old boy - an exact double of the page himself. The boy's red hair and purple eyes are duller, though, and his skin is ruddy with sun and a bit of dirt. "Why not?" Huǒ hears from within himself. The voice is higher pitched, like a small girl. "I am a girl, after all. Nothing wrong with it." The page realizes his mouth was just moving. He turns to find this girl who was just talking.
There's a woman standing there, but she's older and standing several strides away. The page is seated on a coarse cushion while the woman stokes a hearth flame. It's dark. The roof is too close for total comfort. It feels like the roof used to be farther away, but when would Huǒ ever have seen it? "It's not right for you to be all alone in that stuffy old castle," the woman says finally, "Goddess knows you need a female influence in your life if you're going to grow up a proper woman."
An arrow lands clumsily at the page's feet. "Watch where you're shooting, *static*!" says the child's voice again. The boy from before is in tears. He's smaller. It's midday. A wooden bar lies at shoulder height just in front of the boy and the page. Both of them are holding bows. The page takes an arrow from a quiver, nocks it, snaps into position, draws the bow, and fires. It's a child's shot, but the arrow hits the target nevertheless. "See? I'm a girl and I can shoot a bow better than you!"
A man stands behind the boy and the page. Huǒ turns to look at him. There's no man there, but a well-kept road stretches to the south and west. If the page turns, a castle is in the distance. If he turns back, he may see a traveler along the road.
A boy and a girl | OTA
He rolls out of bed, his bare feet striking the warm stone. The page is wearing a nightgown. He looks up. A grey-bearded man with purple eyes frowns at him. "You killed her, and I have to live with that," the man grumbles. "Don't be such a girl", Huǒ hears a foot to the right.
He turns. It's the afternoon; a light breeze blows down the wide road. The page stares at a nine-year-old boy - an exact double of the page himself. The boy's red hair and purple eyes are duller, though, and his skin is ruddy with sun and a bit of dirt. "Why not?" Huǒ hears from within himself. The voice is higher pitched, like a small girl. "I am a girl, after all. Nothing wrong with it." The page realizes his mouth was just moving. He turns to find this girl who was just talking.
There's a woman standing there, but she's older and standing several strides away. The page is seated on a coarse cushion while the woman stokes a hearth flame. It's dark. The roof is too close for total comfort. It feels like the roof used to be farther away, but when would Huǒ ever have seen it? "It's not right for you to be all alone in that stuffy old castle," the woman says finally, "Goddess knows you need a female influence in your life if you're going to grow up a proper woman."
An arrow lands clumsily at the page's feet. "Watch where you're shooting, *static*!" says the child's voice again. The boy from before is in tears. He's smaller. It's midday. A wooden bar lies at shoulder height just in front of the boy and the page. Both of them are holding bows. The page takes an arrow from a quiver, nocks it, snaps into position, draws the bow, and fires. It's a child's shot, but the arrow hits the target nevertheless. "See? I'm a girl and I can shoot a bow better than you!"
A man stands behind the boy and the page. Huǒ turns to look at him. There's no man there, but a well-kept road stretches to the south and west. If the page turns, a castle is in the distance. If he turns back, he may see a traveler along the road.