AFGUNST
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"Mommy!" Afgunst yelled angry.
"I told you your mother was away with your father." Janine told her.
Janine was the girl who played with her. Afgunst didn't mind her and she was fun to play hide and seek with, but she needed her mommy now. One of her dolls had fallen on the ground, the little white porcelain face smashed. She needed another. But Janine wouldn't give it to her and Afgunst couldn't reach it herself.
The yawning silent baby had grown into a very busy kid. Afgunst's hair was a lot longer, falling on her shoulders, sparkling red. Her eyes were still big, mostly because there was always something of interest to be seen. But now her eyes were big with rage. Afgunst banged her feet on the ground.
"I want another doll!" she whined.
"You'll just break it again." Janine told her.
"You're mean!" she told Janine, 'I'm telling mother!"
"Your mother is away, so you can't hurt me." Janine stuck out her tongue.
"Well..." Afgunst searched for a really mean thing to say, "You are ugly!" she finally brought out.
Afgunst felt pleased with herself. Janine really was ugly. She was fat and too pale to be healthy. Her eyes were a hazy blue that made her look like she cried all the time and her hair was a dull brown. But to her surprise Janine didn't even squint. In stead she looked at Afgunst, eyes flaming.
"I'll tell you something..."
Afgunst waited, she had been lectured before. The trick was looking really innocent.
"I may only be 17, but I know there is more to life than beauty. Beauty fades. It never lasts. And then all what's left is the inside of you. And you, child, are well on your way to becoming ugly."
With that said Janine got up, grabbed the new doll and placed it on an even higher shelf. One where she couldn't see it, but Afgunst knew it was there. Afgunst kept looking at the spot where the doll had been. She didn't play with any of her other toys. She just looked.
Janine was so evil for putting her doll on top of the shelf. And to think she had liked her. And then, Afgunst hadn't quite understood all the words Janine had said, but she did get the ugly part. Janine had called her ugly.
It was getting dark when a woman entered the playroom. She was old and ugly too, Afgunst observed.
"Janine, we need help in the kitchen. The lady and lord are returning tonight."
Janine got up and went with the woman. At the last minute she turned and stuck her head back through the door.
"You behave yourself."
When Janine was gone again Afgunst stood up. There had to be a way to get her doll back. She thought hard, which is difficult for a girl of six who never had to think about anything before. The tip of her tongue stuck out of her mouth and she frowned her forehead.
"The chair!" she said.
If she moved Janine's chair close enough she would be able to get to the shelf! Afgunst tried pulling the chair. But it was too heavy. She let go and fell on the ground, hurting her behind. She got back up, even more determent and tried pushing the chair. That went better. Inch by inch the chair moved toward the wall and suddenly she was there!
Afgunst climbed on top of the chair and reached. She was still too small. She looked around, searching for things she could carry. After a few more minutes a large pile of toys was balancing on the chair. Afgunst started climbing. Careful not to trip.
Suddenly the door opened and Janine entered again. When she saw what Afgunst was doing she screamed. Afgunst lost her focus and tumbled down with all the toys. She fell on her head and started crying. The edges of the world turned black and she fainted...

"Easy dear." her mother said.
"I'm hurt!" Afgunst said.
"Well you fell, why were you climbing on the chair?"
"Janine had put my doll there."
"Why did she do that? And didn't you ask her to get it?"
"I did! Janine called me ugly and placed it there. Then she left with the other woman."
Afgunst took a sip of the cup of water her mother held out in front of her. The water eased some of her pain, but the thumping in her head remained.
"Hmmm, you're getting too old for a nanny anyway. I think we need to start the lessons."
"Lessons?"
"Yes, we bought you a book, you might as well learn to read it."
Her mother grabbed a big grey book. Afgunst looked at it. It wasn't very pretty. The cover was dull and on it was a drawing of what was supposed to be a scary monster, but really wasn't. But when Afgunst opened it she saw it. In the center of the book a painting of a dragon had been added. A beautiful dragon. It's scales or skin bright with all colours of the rainbow. It's short stubby legs supported a body longer than the entire walls of the castle. Afgunst knew this because there was a castle painted next to it. But the dragon was all she really looked at.
"How long do dragons live?3 she asked her mother.
"Very long, if not forever." her mother said.
"And do they ever change?"
"They grow."
Afgunst smiled. Some beauty did last forever...

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STATS -- BIRTH -- 6 YEARS -- 15 YEARS -- SEARCH -- DRAGON
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Afgunst is a Candidate at Darkling Dawn Weyr
Lantessama Isle