The Second Son

Chapter 1

A/N Thanks for checking out my story! Please comment! I'd love to get some feedback.

The sunlight broke through the clouds as I laid on the cool ground. There was a soft breeze caressing my skin on this unseasonably warm autumn day. The leaves were beginning to change color but it still felt like late summer. From the way the air smelled, there was a rainstorm on its way. Maybe that would finally bring in cooler air. I was spending the afternoon in the woods behind the manor foraging for the plants I needed. When the weather did finally change, there no doubt would be some sort of sickness that would make its way through the village. I would need to be prepared with as many healing herbs as I could find.
I finally had gained the trust of most of the villagers and they were now referring to me as a healer instead of a witch. I had studied for years with a healer woman who lived deep in the woods with her people. They were known as the Arbors. The local villagers didn't trust them and treated them as outsiders. But there was no denying the special relationship they had with nature. They believed that nature provided everything we needed to survive and thrive. They were a peaceful people.
Some years ago, I had gotten lost playing with my cousins and had stumbled upon the tree people's healer woman. At first, I thought she was a ghost because she was dressed all in white and her hair was also all white. She introduced herself as Alva and brought me back to her community. I felt such a strong connection with Alva. It felt like she had always been a part of my world. She showed me how Mother Nature provided cures for many of man's ailments. She taught me all about the different plants she used for medicines, where to find them, how to prepare them, and how much to give to a patient. She told me I was a quick learner. I absorbed everything she taught me like a sponge. For the first time in my life, I knew what my purpose was.
     I was born a bastard in a world where that meant I was looked down upon. I was different. People don't like different. They don't trust it. Everyone has a place and anything outside of that should be feared. I can't complain too much, though. I've had a pretty good life. I'm a lot more privileged than most people in my situation. My mother was the daughter of a nobleman. The identity of my father is something that she took to her grave. I never met her but I've spent my life being angry at her for keeping that secret. So many unanswered questions. She died giving birth to me.
    Her brother, my uncle Thomas, and his wife, Elizabeth, have raised me ever since. They already had three sons by the time I was born and my aunt was desperate for a daughter. She has told me everyday of my life how much of a blessing I was to them. Like I said, I'm luckier than most. I love them and I know they love me but there's always been something missing. I guess that's what happens when your an orphan. There will always be a piece of my heart missing. My adoptive parents named me Emily after my grandmother. They tell me stories about how beautiful and kind she was. In fact, they talk more about her than they do about my mother. It's as if they are ashamed of her. Being unmarried and pregnant in our world is practically a mortal sin. Add in the fact that she refused to name the man that put her in that position.
I sometimes wonder what she went through while carrying me. Her parents were both dead by that point and my uncle had become head of the family. He's such a kind man. I can't imagine him saying an unkind word to anyone, especially family. But duty always comes first. And his duty as head of the family would have dictated that he disown my mother. I've been too scared to ask anyone if that happened. If I found out my uncle had kicked his pregnant sister out of the family and her home, it would change how I saw him. He has always treated me like a daughter. And even though I refuse to fall in line with what society expects of me, he has never made me feel like I didn't belong. I guess it helps that like me, he realizes no man of honor will marry a bastard girl. So it really doesn't matter what I do. People have already put me in a box. But at least they aren't looking at me. They don't care enough to.
    So I'm allowed to run off into the woods and spend time with Alva and the Arbors. And when I started using my knowledge to heal, no one told me to stop. In fact, my adopted family has embraced my abilities and now relies on me to care for anyone who gets sick in the manor and the village. Slowly but surely, I've gained the favor of most of the villagers but of course there are a few holdouts that call what I do witchcraft. Again, people are scared of anything different.
    As I laid on the moss covered ground in my favorite clearing in the woods, I contemplated if I should get up and make my way back to the manor. I didn't want to get caught in the rain but I knew there weren't going to be many more warm days to frolic among the trees. I reluctantly sat up and began to gather my belongings. All of a sudden, I heard the sound of a horse's hooves galloping towards me. I quick ducked behind a tree. My trained ear could tell it was just one horse which made me feel a little relieved. If the rider was someone with ill intent, I could probably fight them off. I quietly bent down and grabbed a rock from the ground to use as a weapon if need be.
    I very slowly peeked out from behind the tree to see who had disturbed the tranquility of the forest. The sun was starting to descend and was shining through the golden leaves of the trees and made it seem like everything was glowing with an orange tint. I watched as a tall man dismounted a chestnut colored horse and pulled the reins to lead the horse to the small stream that carved its way through the forest. He wasn't too far from me. I could see he was dressed in the clothes of a commoner but the way he carried himself and how beautiful his horse was made me think he was anything but common. He had dark brown hair and olive skin. He was tall and seemed strong. Maybe he was a soldier? But what was he doing out here alone?
    While his horse took a drink, he knelt down and splashed some water on his face. Then he cupped his hands and scooped up some water and brought it to his mouth. For some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away. The more I watched him, the more I realized how beautiful he was. His face was covered with facial hair which made me think he had been traveling for at least a few days. And there was something about the way he carried himself. Like he had the world wrapped around his little finger. He screamed confidence. And it was so alluring. I've never felt like this before. I've pretty much spent my existence ignoring the opposite sex outside of my cousins and uncle. But this man in front of me had definitely caught my attention.
    After he was done drinking, he stood up and looked around the clearing. When his eyes came to the tree I was hiding behind, he stopped. His eyes narrowed and I quick pulled my head back behind the thick trunk. I prayed that he hadn't seen me but of course, my prayers were never answered.

"You there! Behind that tree! Show yourself!"