I woke up the next day and saw the sun rise over the horizon, the sky was the same colour as it had been the night before; as if nothing had changed while I had slept. I smiled to myself at the thought. Getting up I walked over to the tree where I had stored the bread rolls and the fruit, I sat in the lower branches and ate, with my feet dangling down in the morning air.

When I had finished I went for a look around in the part of the jungle around the pool. I had been walking in a direction for about fifteen minutes when I came across a broken and slightly covered path that wound its way through the trees. I followed it, curious to see where it went. It was flat for a while and then started to angel downhill, I walked along it, marking it in my mind the way I had done with every journey I had ever taken; if I needed it I knew it would be here and where to find it. The path stopped abruptly at a small rock face, it was not a large drop, even for a human, so I lightly lowered down it and continued on the path. It had taken me about twenty minutes to get to the rock face from the start of the path and I was starting to hear the sound of gurgling water.

I walked around a large tree and came to the edge of a small lake; it was like a larger version of my pool on the mountain. There was a huge waterfall that ran into the water and I could see that at the far end that this lake started the river which I had been following for the last few weeks. I walked around the edge of the lake and down a well worn path that led me to the end of the village. The whole journey from the pool on the mountain had taken me about forty five minute walking at human speed.

Rambling through the village I found the woman who I was buying the clothes from, she smiled when she saw me and gestured for me to come into the house. I went in and she pulled out the clothes that she had made. Just by looking at them I could tell that they were of fine quality, the woman might live in a wooden house but she could have been a seamstress for a grad lord or lady. I smiled at her and gave her another golden blob. Passing me the clothes she asked me to try them on, pointing towards a separate room where I could change.

I went into it with the clothes and put on the corset and long skirt first, they fitted my body perfectly the corset was bland at the front with, strips of fabric, but no strings, it was small, just coming down over the top of my rib bones while only had strings to tighten it at the back, it looked like a normal top. The small skirt was exactly how I had imagined it in my head; it came down half way between my hip and my knee and tied at one side, with a slit up the side so that my legs could move freely. Then I put on the tunic and tied the skirt over the top of that, the fittings were just as perfect, each strip of fabric seemed to fit my body like a sword in its sheath. I put the long skirt over the top, the material was perfect, slightly translucent but not completely, and there was a long slit up the side like the shorter skirt. The robe was perfect too; it could be tied or left open and was exactly what I had wanted.

I got changed and went back out to the woman, “Thank you.” She smiled at me and said nothing, putting them into a tan leather bag that had a long strap to hang over a shoulder, she passed me the bag and I paused for a moment. “Do you want me to bring this back to you tomorrow?”

“No, you keep it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, a girl like you should have a bag to put things in, I can tell you’ve been on the road a long time.” I looked at this woman carefully, whenever I had seen her she had seemed so quiet and almost shy, I took a second assessment and saw watchful eyes that seemed to take in every detail.

“You are a very watchful woman.” I said to her, the tone of my voice wary, she said nothing and I looked at her for a moment longer, “But I do not think you are bad.”

“How do you know.” She said almost confrontationally.

“It is in your eyes.” I told her quietly. She relaxed and smiled at me genuinely, her eyes softening for a moment.

“I am usually a good reader of character, but you confuse me.” I said nothing, letting her speak the way that she had let me, “Your eyes are clouded, like a veil, constantly shifting from one emotion to the next, but shining brightly at the same time.” She looked at me eyes for a moment more, “You have been through much.” She put a caring hand on my shoulder and I smiled at her gently, I was beginning to understand this woman with her interesting eyes. “Will you be staying here long?”

“As long as I can.” I told her truthfully, and then walked out of the house with the bag on my shoulder. I walked through the village and popped into the bakers, just to say hello, when I did he beamed at me and asked how I was.

“I am well thank you. I have just bought some new clothes from the woman down the road; these are a bit thick to be wearing round here.” I said, gesturing at my current attire. He smiled at me.

“Yes and they do make you stick out a bit.”

“Stick out a bit?”

“Well no one round here wears clothes like that and with your hair being so short and the bright colour of your eyes they just strike you out as not from here.”

“Oh.” I’d never thought about it before; they were the only clothes.

“Yes, they remind me of the old elf warriors that used to pass this way in the day of my great grandfather, no girl, or boy, wears that style or material anymore.”

“Oh, well I am afraid these new clothes will not be much better.” I said, slightly fed up. At least I would have the piece of material to fashion into some type of dress He smiled at me and said they would probably be fine. I made an excuse and left, walking back to the small stream that led to my waterfall.

I wandered through the forest, making my way back slowly, just letting my thoughts wander. The woman and the man had made me wonder bout what I was doing; how long would I be staying and would I ever fit in anywhere? I spent the hour long walk back just trying to work it out and when I came to the waterfall I flew up it and straight over to the grass area, hanging the strap of the bag on the tree.

I sat down and tried to think about what to do; Did I really want to stay here for the rest of my years? I looked around me at the trickling brook making its way through the rocks and into the crystal clear pool, it flowed past the tree full of fruits more delicious than any I had ever tried before and then fell over the waterfall and on into the world, never stopping, always moving. I looked up at the blue sky overhead and heard the birdsong in the trees all around me.

Yes I did. This was my paradise.

I smiled at my epiphany, realising for the first time that I was in the place I had been searching for without realising it; the rest of this country had seemed harsh and bland, but this place, full of life and diversity, made me wonder about the world around me, it made me think about things I had never considered before. It had picked me up out of a cold, numb place I did not even realise I had been stuck in. This place brought me alive.

I was so happy I thought I would come apart at the seams, I wanted to cry and sing at the same time; I had found a home.

I unpacked the bag, the leather was worn, but still had a lot to give and was strong and tough, and it reminded me of the woman who had given it to me. I laid the clothes out on the floor and looked at the short top and the skirt, I changed into them and smiled, they really were perfect, the top held me tightly but still gave me free movement, which was exactly what I needed, the skirt seemed to move with my legs, never in the way, but always covering me where I needed it to. I made a promise in my head to bring the woman a few of the fruits off the tree by the pond next time I went down to the village.

I grabbed a piece of the fruit and jumped up into the tree, soaring up to the first branch and just sitting there, leaning against the tree trunk, one leg hanging down and one up, bracing me so that I could use my hands freely. I ate the fruit, letting the juice seep over my tongue and making it tingle, it was strange, only a few days ago I had seen eating as simply a mandatory thing; it had to be done to keep my energy levels up, but now it was nice to be able to take the time to enjoy what I was eating, however basic it was.

I took my sword out of the sheath and held it in the first stance of the Tingure. Slowly I went through the stances and then I did it again, adding my own stances on the end; they were easily the hardest out of them all, demanding total concentration and balance, if my weight was on the wrong foot, or my wrist was turned the wrong way, then the whole stance did not count and I made myself start again. I went through it twenty times, like the day before, then I stopped and had a rest, putting my sword back into its sheath, I would not do any more with the sword today.

Looking out over the pool I saw a leaf floating gently, I took hold of all the water around it and then lifted it up. It was as if I had scooped it up in a glass bowl, the underside was smooth and round while the top still floated and moved as if there were a current.

I shaped the water round the leaf, careful not to move it out of position at all, encircling it completely. I concentrated so hard on the leaf in the centre, making sure that it was not being crushed by the water. Moving it over the surface of the water I put it into the sunlight and the whole thing lit up; the blue in the water shone bright turquoise and the leaf’s green colour brightened and seemed to shine with it, it was so beautiful, but completely unnatural; it was strange and beautiful. It struck me that it must be a good comparison to how others see me.

I gently put the water back down into the pool and concentrated on different things moulding and moving them, practising and honing my magic. I spent all afternoon practising my magic and then went to sleep under the tree again, hearing the animal sounds through the jungle, but unafraid of them hurting me.