"The Queen of Animals" (written by me)

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"Now, Jade, keep your rifle steady."

"Do I have to shoot it, Papa?" Jade replied quietly.

"Do you want dinner?"

"Yes."

"Then shoot it."

Jade fired the bullet slightly above the deer's right eye. Jade's father, Marcus, tied up the deer's ankles and hauled it home.

Jade's emerald locks blew in the drafty wind, and she shivered in her deerskin parka.

"Jade. You are twelve, and you froze in the moment of a shot." Marcus said. "I do not think you should become a hunter anymore."

"Really? But I want to help-"

"Jade! You are not fit to be a Hunter!" Marcus looked at his feet. "The moment I saw your hair, I knew you were a bad omen."

"Papa, am I a bad omen?"

"Of course not," He replied. "But do you really want people to think you are strange?"

"No."

"Then we shall practice on the rabbits tomorrow."

They arrived at their yurt and laid the dead animal on the oak table. Marcus carved it while Jade prepared the fire.

"Jade, you don't know this but when you were three, you sleepwalked along the North Stream and animals followed you until Damien found you."

"Did they think I was their leader?"

"I think so." Marcus chuckled.

"Should I do it again?"

"You should talk to Damien about such things."

Jade excused herself and ran to Damien, the chief. 

"Damien," Jade kneeled before him. "I need answers for my questions."

"Yes, Jade," he said. "Ask me anything."

"When I was three, I was followed by animals one night," Jade said. "And didn't have my eyes open. I was sleepwalking."

"Yes?"

"Should I do it again? Should I see if I can control animals?"

"Do what you want, and find a way to utilize this probable power," Damien answered.

"Thank you, Chief Damien." Jade left the chief's yurt.

Walking back, she spotted Herah, her friend. "Herah!" She called out.

"Hello, Jade!" Herah answered. "How are you?"

"Very well, and I have just spoken with the chief. I asked him about an experiment."

"What do you wish to do?"

"I want to control the animals. I could use that ability to bring the sheep back when they escape."

"How are you able to do that."

Jade flipped her hair. "Some magical ability I got when I was three."

"Wow, can you do it? Coax that chicken to come here." Herah pointed to a lost hen a few feet away.

"Chicken, come here!" Jade shouted, but nothing happened.

Herah laughed. "You don't have power! Ha! Are you crazy?"

"No, I-I thought I could-" Suddenly, her hair glowed like a green sun and the chicken clucked over to Jade's feet.

Herah was stunned. "Sorry for my doubt. That truly was amazing."

"I know," Jade's voice dropped to a whisper. "Does it work when I have closed my eyes?"

Jade spotted another hen, similar to the first. She closed her eyes. "Come here." She spoke. The chicken promptly came to her feet. Jade opened her eyes as she heard a close cluck. 

"Yes! It works much better when I close my eyes!" Jade yelled. The other people in the village glanced at her, then moved along. 

"Jade!" Marcus called her back for dinner.

Jade bid Herah adieu and ran back to her residence.

"Papa! I called a chicken to come to me and it did! It works when my eyes are closed!" Jade was bouncing with excitement.

"You can use that power to herd the animals." Marcus smiled. "Jade, you are not a bad omen. Your green hair marks a powerful leader."

Jade smiled. "A green-haired queen of the animals!"

"Yes, I like that title. It suits you."

This is the origin story of Jade, the Queen of Animals.