Hanêê

• Thalia Lenord, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2013

Hanêê - Part 1

Before the air went sour, Asaun was beautiful. It's lush green fields and rolling hills welcomed yet another glorious spring. Music filled the fresh, pure air as birds sung sweet melodies. Trees grew overhead swaying peacefully in the morning breeze, letting blossoms fall elegantly to the moist ground. The water that flowed through the streams was as sweeter than the sweetest honey. It glistened in the gentle morning light. The land was perfect; without fault and without evil.

The sun shone softly on the rolling hills of Teser, an area abundant with sound. A girl with long, flowing, black hair and big, shining, green eyes, lay resting against a large tree near a fast flowing stream that glistened with small shiny pebbles. When the girl woke she was startled for a moment as she forgot where she was. She looked up and smiled, a bianor bird was hiding in some long, green grass. It was a very rare sighting, especially for this time of year. Hanêê, as this was her name, had seen pictures of bianor birds all her life but even so she was surprised at its beauty. It's orange feathers shone like diamonds and its crest was adorned with a warm red colour blazing like a flame. As the bianor bird flew off like lightning, Hanêê picked herself up, grabbed her flute and started to play. The air soon filled with sweet, clear notes. As Hanêê played she wandered some way until she came to a house, if you could even call it that. The windows had been boarded up and out of a narrow chimney came thick, choking, black smoke. A dark shadow appeared to hang about it. Shivers shot down Hanêê's spine. "Evil." The word seemed hang around. Hanêê's usually silvery voice became harsh and croaking as she said it. Hanêê walked hesitantly towards it. Evil was rare in Asaun, even rarer than the bianor bird.

A tall man, with black hair that fell to his shoulders, ran through the grey cobblestone streets of Fulay. He was calling something out but whatever it was was plucked from his lips by the strong wind. A mingled look of worry and terror washed over his face. The man's daughter had probably gone wandering again, the people thought. They were right to think this, Hanêê, they knew, would become so enraptured in her music that she would obliviously wander. Since Jadis had become corrupt the man had been worried about his daughter's safety. The people watched sympathetically as he walked away.

Hanêê creeped closer towards the evil house, she stumbled on a loose stone and swung her arms about to keep her balance. Well, she thought, there goes any attempt of secrecy. She wasn't sure if she wanted the powner of this mysterious house to know she was here. Hanêê felt it would be too obvious to go through the front door so she crept up to a window and yanked off a wooden board. Dust flew everywhere and Hanêê coughed loudly. The owner to the house walked over to the window. With a flick of her wrist she turned the rest of the boards to dust. The owner was a fine lady, Hanêê could now see, she was extremely tall, even for an Asaunian which is a very tall race. Her hair blazed a blood red. She had a stern face and she was very beautiful. " Do you know who I am?" She asked fiercely. Hanêê shook her head for she couldn't force the words out. " You do so, only you just don't know it. How old are you, child?" Hanêê finally found her tongue. " I'm fourteen in September," she said proudly.
"So you weren't around in my days of glory," the lady said, more to herself than to Hanêê. Then she grabbed Hanêê by the collar and lifted her in through the window with ease.
"Sit," she said calmly, directing to a narrow wooden chair.
"No thank you, I would much prefer to stay standing."
"Are you trying to make me angry? SIT!" The lady yelled the last word and poor Hanêê sat down in fright. "Now," the lady said quite calmly again and Hanêê thought about how quickly her mood changed. "Why are you here and what is your purpose?"
"I have wandered far and wide from Fulay, the capital city, and......" Hanêê had started out in a firm and quite formal voice but now she spoke rather embarrassed," I'm actually kind'a lost."
"And your purpose is....."
"I'm a musician. I play the flute and a little of the harp but mostly flute." Hanêê now smiled because she was very proud of her music. But the lady was not interested in her any more.
"I am Jadis."
Hanêê's mouth dropped open. Jadis was the woman who's beauty had fooled the king into loving her. She was the one caught trying to murder the king in his sleep. The king still loved Jadis and couldn't sentence her to death. The decision was made to lock her up for eternity but they were too late and Jadis escaped and was never seen again. Until now, of course.
"Shut that trap hole." With another flick of the wrist Jadis closed Hanêê's "trap hole".
"Now, what should I do with you?"