The Spirit Guardian

Chapter One - Fradfolk

*This chapter is being edited and changed, Please take this into consideration. Thank you.*

"I have enough wheat to make a splendid birthday cake," Estefan beamed as he swung his wooden front door open. He strode into his home and over to his wife. "Our daughter, finally eighteen my love."

Estefan was a tall man with broad shoulders and short brown hair. Marium looked up from her chair, smiling at him softly. She was a small, pear-shaped woman with brown hair and brown eyes. An ordinary-looking couple.

"Where is that daughter of ours?" Estefan scanned the room. "Outside in the woods, no doubt." Now looking down at his wife, he gently cupped her acorn-like face, in shade and also in shape. Marium nodded and stroked her husband's rough hands tenderly.

"Eighteen, but darling, I want to discuss something I heard today in the village whilst I was out." Estefan's face of a smile grew into concern and he squatted down beside her. He gazed at her with anxious eyes waiting for her to speak once more.

"I listened to a woman, that miller's wife, claim they have ran out of corn, the fields are dying-"

"It is almost autumn my love, crops die this time of year."

"No, much worse, they blamed Alma again, they spoke her name, how much longer can we lie to our daughter that they are not suspicious, we cannot hide this from her any longer."

"For eighteen years our daughter has done nothing to these people, eighteen years the miller's wife, or the baker's mistress or some other person speaks jealous words about our daughter. But she is eighteen and she now of age, we can send her to the Copper Isles and she can learn to be more than what these petty village people are. Do we need to tell her?"

The front door opened, and their daughter skipped into the room, her long, glossy hair flowing gracefully behind her. Muddy footprints trailed sloppily after her as Estefan and her mother turned to greet her.

"Ah, there you are!" Estefan laughed, crossing his arms.

"Here I am!" their daughter replied, bending a leg backwards as she twirled on the other. "I found wild lavender and had to pick some for myself and mother." She handed her mother three sprigs of the plant, grinning broadly.

Many of the townspeople commented on the fact she was unlike the other girls her age—not only in appearance, where her shining purple eyes made everyone stop and stare, but also her attitude. She was a free spirit and never got along with the other girls her age.

"Are you excited?" Estefan placed a hand on his daughter's shoulders in comfort. She beamed back at him with a grin.

"Yes father, the Copper Isles sound beautiful, woodland, animals, the biggest library in all the land, I will be the finest kingdom librarian there is!" Their daughter was a curious child who preferred her own company and would be out in the woods climbing trees, running home covered head-to-toe in dirt, or she would sit in her room and read books all day. Estefan and his wife named their daughter Alma, which meant "spirit."

Sending their daughter to the Copper Isles, was the best decision they could think of to save her from the perpetual and tedious life of a farmers daughter. Estefan wanted more for his daughter, hoping she could seek to find a more deserving suitor than a village man who didn't really like her, for she was the girl no one wanted to know.

"And have you felt okay today?" Marium asked with distress in her tone. She rose from her seat and stepped over to the fireplace, placing logs into the flames.