Nature's Orphan

“Burn that wretched woman!”

Chants, howls, screams and whistles erupted just as the pale white girl was dragged bound by her hands, with her bare legs dragged behind her, her cotton white nightgown, now painted with shades of black and brown from soot and dirt, dragged behind her. Her albino features, with white hair, purple blue eyes, and translucent milky skin, along with her nightgown made her look like tragic ghost or a lost angel that by some twisted fate, fell into the claws of monsters. However, her curse and salvation is the fact that she’s normal, completely normal, not an ounce of magic courses through her veins and the only spell she can do is the alphabet.

If she was half what people accused her of, she would at least be able to shelter herself from a life that required her facing a hurricane with no shelter or umbrella.

But shed tears she did not, not did she mutter or chant, or grumble and sign, not like she used to. They know now, it's no use. She could have never been made miraculous even though her thick skin got her that far.

“NO LONGER PRETENDING AND ACTING I SEE ADELINE!” the once sweet, eccentric Grand Dame screeched. “Pretended to be Mother Nature’s child when you couldn’t move a breeze! A disgrace to our holy land, a disgrace to our chosen power. If you want to be a witch so bad that you fooled an enclave, then I’ll make sure you’ll get burned like one!”

The moment her act was discovered, she was spared of all sympathy but not of attention, every pair of eyes were fixated on her as the wizards levitated her limp body high enough, positioning her against a towering oak cross. With unprecedented loathing, Grand Dame Athena secured arms and legs with thorned vain, staining the dress a new crimson.

The enclave, with the harmony of the seasons, intertwined their hands forming a circle around the cross, then muttering started, then whispered chanting, and sparks were coming to life around the base of the cross illuminating it with something like fairy dust if it wasn’t too horrific. Her shuddering body reacting to what she hopes is just cold. Adeline’s eyes were too heavy to look at those weaving her poetic end. Too numb to panic. Only managed to gaze at the sparkles around her, with a phantom of a smile, she -ironically- knew that this time is the only time her future looked shiny.

Just when her future seemed sealed, the doe eyed boy ran to break the chain, and with it the sparks faded from existence. His interruption seemed more offensive to everyone more than the betrayal of the hung liar before them. The High priestess looked like she could summon hellfire, and it wouldn’t be enough to quench her rage. Then, for repentance and respect, he bowed then proceeded: “Esteemed members of the enclave, please let me speak my truth then punish me however you see fit. I know what that traitor has done was nothing but a disgrace and a disrespect for the rest of us, however, if we burn her, the way lowly humans do whenever they suspect a power threatening theirs, we are not doing our wisdom, history, power and grace and service, mother nature always thrived on balance and poetic justice and since her sin was deception and not murder or witch-burning, it may only be fitting to take more time to devise a better thought punishment inspired by our mother earth. Horribly sorry for my audacity. I hope you hear and understand my truth.”

With that, too afraid to look anyone in the eyes, Orlin kept taking meek, soft steps back, hoping the volcano of reactions wouldn’t erupt with him in the middle. He kept his pace until he was far enough to run, being only 17 of age, with no remarkable talent and very basic wielding, standing in the middle of legendary characters was suicide and he may have just written his final note, now, there’s only room for hoping.

In the circle of fire, or at least that is still its intention, the hands were still intertwined, however minds were now scrambled, some too proud and offended to think about what was said, some were considering, but all were looking at the high priestess for answers and orders to move forward. She, instead, slowly turned to look at the Grand Dome, “Being the one affected most, do you want to give what is said thought? Or you prefer to light it up?”

After careful thought that lasted for seconds but stretched impatient listeners for millennia, she said, “Mother Nature is wild for sure, but always just and fair, for her sake, it better to be fair than sorry”

The shocked faces of all, especially of a pale girl did not get in the way of securing the girl with a spell and gathering far and private under the elder tree.

“She can’t go to her tribe now anyway, we shall not risk exposing us and creating a massacre for some actress”

“No, sending her back is never the answer, but up until now we thought she was promising and completely devoted, she was even respected by the Grand Dome.

“True, she was into healing and potion making, who says she wasn’t plotting on ridding herself of us all once she got her slimy hands on our poison.”

“She stayed days and night in the service of the enclave and healer, if she wanted harm she could have gotten her wish.”

“Not without learning the heart of it, she wanted to ensure a plan before implementing a massacre in the enclave, waiting is just a testament to her cunning. “

“Its still too fresh, she was discovered on her 17^th birthday yesterday, her powers were supposed to bloom and blossom but when none of the elements cooperated, it was a dead giveaway.”

“That’s why she tried every trick in the book to avoid going when youngsters her age couldn’t wait to uncover their gift.”

“So, what I gather, she’s not bad enough to die in a fire but can’t go unscathed? What should we do?”

“First, we need to make sure she meant no harm to our enclave, we shall decide after that…”

             Silver hair, pale skin and drunken gaze- she was levitated above the ground, with a crowd of robes gliding under her, both waiting her judgment.

Inch by inch, she was lowered to the turquoise lake of purity, her eyes gazing at the pale blue above her and reflecting the one before her, her toes, legs and torso, then her closed eyes were engulfed by the water she thought would claim her forever. But no, it felt like coming home, like peace after a lifetime of wartime. Then slowly but surely her body, now clean and purified, floated on the top of the lake, stunning everyone present, this was not supposed to happen, even the most powerful witches and wizards know better than to test the lake and cannot ensure a pure heart, what they are witnessing is a pure miracle…

As for the serene girl finally floating softly without a care, with relaxed white eyebrows, and a soft smile her face dared to paint, she did not make a move, not daring to scratch the little peace nature finally allowed her.

No one could scratch the sanctity of the silence weighing heavily on everyone, every stand they take now, with or against her, is treason.

“I told you she deserves better, and mother nature agrees, in front of you is nothing but an innocent girl trying to survive in an impossible situation!”

With that, all pairs of eyes fell heavily on Orlin, then, a beast challenging fates, a tiger of which non had seen before tore through the scene, allowed the girl to hop oh his back, and went running through the forest with no one to stop him. 

“NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO FOLLOW”, announced the high priestess, “Nature has spoken, we shall humbly follow, go back.”

Deep inside the forest, when it is far enough, safe enough, familiar enough, the tiger slowed down, let the girl go, and turned to dust before her vey eyes, she directly prayed, sent a quick but heartfelt thanks to the boy, and hoped no one discovers him being a forest nymph for now, until the dust settles at least.

She knew from the start her home at the enclave is a temporary one, what others deemed as monsters welcomed her because she promised potential, her tears were grieving the home she lost but also held joy for a future where no human or magic person would dictate the way she lives, Mother Nature can hold everyone in its heart and she knew she can survive and thrive as a nomad, she was taught all she knew from people who could yield their environment, and despite her lack of powers, she can yield what nature gives to create a decent living. She wondered if Orlin will suffer the consequences of the freedom, if they will know his unprecedented power of creating creature that he only shared with her, a humming bird to deliver flowers, a unicorn so she could skip till her hearts content, a cat to cuddle with at night, and his latest and bravest one yet, a tiger to make her escape look like it was orchestrated by nature itself. She will forever be grateful and forever won’t even be enough.

 Days later, combing the forest and trying to be near enough to society to survive but not too near to be discovered, following the river, she found just that, a cabin far away, but it is a promise.

Smiling thankfully and skipping on her feet in a beautiful meadow, with deer and rabbits and birds to keep her company, she was sure she found home, and not a very lonely one.

Then, the dear besides her fell with a thud, a pool of crimson rapidly forming under it, a terrifying blow rang in the air leaving her frozen with fear, then men, with hunting gear, gathered around her, terrified of her almost as much as she is terrified of them, then one of them screamed:

“Oh, My Lord have mercy, this creature is no ordinary woman! She is a bloody witch”, with that they chanted, their promise that they will make true two hours later.

“Burn that wretched woman!”