Nature's Daughter

Chapter 1
 
  Heather looked out of the window. The sun was just coming out again, but she was stuck in here.
  ‘Heather, concentrate,’ her tutor snapped. Heather sighed, only another hour left before she was free again. She dragged her gaze back to her task, translating an ancient Germanic poem. It was four pages long and very boring, and yet she still couldn’t do it. Her brain refused to focus on the intricate script, the symbols merely blurred on the page. She dipped her quill into the ink pot, hoping the words would suddenly make some form of sense. A drop of black ink splattered onto her translated page. Her tutor’s pale hand snatched the paper, taking a tissue to blot the excess ink. The black mark was smudged halfway down the page. She’d written two thirds of the translation, but already her perfectionist tutor crumpled the paper and placed it on top of her other failed attempts that filled the waste paper basket.
  ‘Come on Heather. It’s a simple poem. We’ve studied the Germanic Runes long enough for you to be able to do this.’ Simple, yeah right! Her tutor’s sharp eyes bored into her. She knew her tutor was purposefully trying to agitate her. It didn’t work anymore; she was too used to those eyes staring right through her. I shouldn’t have to do these menial tasks, Heather thought, as another piece of clean paper was placed back on the table. She looked intently at the poem again, the first few lines already memorized. Ignoring the cramp in her left hand she gripped the quill tight between her fingers and carefully dipped it into the ink. She straightened her back, her bum already numb from being sat crossed legged on the floor for so long.
 
  This time, careful not to spill a drop she wrote out the first lines. She strained her eyes more, forcing herself to remember the pages from An Insight into Germanic Runes. The pages in her mind were blank and her quill stopped moving. Heather stared at the quill, the creamy brown feather unmoving in the stuffy attic room. I want this to be over now. She imagined beams of energy shot from her eyes into the quill. She concentrated and it trembled a little then suddenly shattered. It covered the table and the floor in splinters of wood and drops of ink. Heather jumped, suddenly wary that she was surrounded by tiny sharp wooden fragments. Her tutor sighed, shaking her head for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Heather looked down at her hands as her tutor brushed the tiny pieces into the bin.
 
  At that moment there was a knock at the door.
  ‘Come in,’ her tutor said, wearily. Heather’s father entered. Robert glanced at the broken pieces on the floor and shot a look at the tutor before smiling at Heather. He stood tall in the doorway, his shoulder length, brown hair pulled tight at the back of his head. His beige shirt was un-tucked and creased and he had ink stains on his hands. He’d come straight from his study then, Heather noted.
  ‘Afternoon sweetheart. Your lessons have ended for the day. You may go, but be back in time to get ready for our evening meal. Mr Larsson will be arriving at half past five along with his daughter, Dahlia,’ he said, in his gentle tone. ‘I just want to have a word with Miss Delanqua.’ Wordlessly Heather got to her feet and left the room. However she was careful not to close the door all the way, her father ending her lessons early was a rare thing indeed. She put her ear to the gap to listen. She heard her father walk across the floor towards Miss Delanqua. They started talking in hushed voices.
  ‘It’s hopeless,’ Miss Delanqua said. ‘She can’t focus for any length of time and her eyes constantly wander.’
  ‘But she can’t be allowed to roam free, she’s too dangerous. You know that.’ There was a pause.
  ‘Yes I know what she is,’ she hissed. Then continued in a voice so low that as much as Heather strained to hear she could not make anything out. Instead she made her way down the stairs to the rest of the house. The kitchen door at the end of the passage was open where Etti was already preparing dinner. Heather decided to avoid the old maid and chose the first door on the left instead. It led into an informal sitting room and she passed through the far door out into the grounds.
 
  Finally, Heather was outside. She took a deep breath of the clean air, a welcome change from the stuffiness of the attic, and half walked half skipped across the field. All thought of the odd conversation gone in the sudden excitement to be outside again. The sun was still out as she headed towards the wood by the river. She had an hour before she had to be back inside again. Back into the ever lasting routine of being Robert’s almost perfect daughter, she thought bitterly. However much she loved him she never seemed to be good enough. She knew he was watching her from the attic window, but it didn’t matter; not now she was here. She gathered up her skirts and ran the last bit of the way until the trees cloaked her. Heather stopped momentarily to catch her breath. That was when the song started, quietly at first, but it grew louder. Heather looked up as the forest started singing, filling her mind with their comforting presence. She closed her eyes for a moment, back leant against a nearby oak. She let the sounds surround her, letting herself forget all about Germanic poetry. As she stepped around trees and between bushes her ears picked up a song of pain. She picked her way along a non-existent path and came to a small bush with very few leaves. Heather reached out to stroke the leafless branches and it shuddered. She found it; the cause of the terrible lament. Rope was wrapped around the lower branches, it was being strangled, a slow painful death. Silently, a single tear rolled down her cheek. A hum started in her throat as her fingers moved to untangle the vicious cord. She was cautious not to pull the few surviving leaves from the stricken branches as she teased out the knots. It was free, she stopped humming. The song changed to one of such joy it would have brought tears to all who could’ve heard it. As it happened only Heather could hear, and she was busy. She took the cord and placed it around her waist in several loops. I can’t believe people can leave such harsh things in the forest and expect it to survive, she thought angrily. In silence she carried on towards the centre of the wood, where the river lay and where Clio was waiting for her.
 
Chapter 2
 
He came to see me today. I saw his mark when I went for a walk. He was busy staring into the water, waiting on the bridge for me, so he didn’t see me at first. Perhaps distracted by a passing fish. He didn’t hear me as I crept a cross the grass. I was right behind him, then he turned suddenly and grabbed me round the waist. I was so surprised till he started tickling me! I couldn’t stop laughing for ages. I’m so ticklish, but he’s not ticklish at all, it’s so annoying. Anyway it ended up that his arms were around me and we were hugging. Our faces were inches apart. His dark brown velvety eyes gazing into mine and his wavy chestnut hair falling across his face. I lifted my hand to brush it away and stroked his cheek, he kissed my fingers. His lips were so soft. Slowly he lowered his head, and then he was kissing me! I closed my eyes and I felt his arms still around me and I brought my arms up around his neck. I had to stand on tiptoes because he was taller than me. It was so romantic. I remember having a tonne of butterflies in my stomach. It was amazing. Then he pulled back slightly so we were looking into each other’s eyes. My heart was pounding, his eyes were sparkling and he was smiling. I felt myself grinning like an idiot. Our arms were still around each other though we’d stopped kissing. I didn’t want to let go. Then he said ‘Come with me.’ I had no idea what he meant at first. I was still thinking about the kiss. Then I made myself think about what he’d said. I asked him where and he said to his house!! I was so shocked that I let go of him. He’d offered to take me with him, to show me the world like I’d dreamt so many times before. I wanted the excitement of the real world, something the forest couldn’t offer me. He was going to take me to his grand house in the town. I was going to explore the world. Everyone thinks I’m crazy to want to leave the forest, but I’m grown up now. I want to see the world and Robert’s going to show me.
 
Daphne