Age 14
In the dusty schoolyard, under the shade of tall trees that surrounded the town and kept it going economically, Daezin fell... again. And the laughter of the other children rang out again. Daezin didn't even have to open her eyes to know what the circle of her tormentors looked like.
Their faces were stuck in rictuses of laughter and smirks. Their clothing wrapped around their bodies very properly, very precisely, as the temple dictated. Their hands flashing distorted gestures of faith and crudeness they'd seen the men who worked in the woods do when they thought there were no children around.
It wasn't like they pushed her. They never did actual violence against her. They just made sure she felt like an outsider despite having lived in Rinnon her whole life. Despite her parents and grandparents living here. Despite this being the only home she had ever had.
She loved the wood with the smell of pine and fern. The sounds of a myriad of birds echoed through the branches overhead from early spring to mid-fall were the lullaby that guided her to sleep. When storms came, the trees provided shelter from the worst of the winds. Rinnon and its environs kept her safe.
If only the same could be said for the people.
They didn't push Daezin. They didn't touch Daezin. If they did so, they would be unclean, or at least that is what they believed. Or rather, that was what their parents told them because she had never been to temple. She had never been allowed to. Every worship day for as long as she could remember, her parents and brother went off to pray and do whatever else was done at temple, and Daezin remained behind.
When she was really young, her mother stayed home with her and made Daezin meditate, sit quietly with her hands folded--wrist covered, and think about the gods and what they did for her. She made the mistake of asking once why she couldn't go to temple with everyone else. Her mother seemingly couldn't help flickering her gaze to Daezin's wrist before marching her outside and forcing Daezin to take an icy bath in the shade of the cottage. Enlea insisted that every inch of Daezin's skin be scrubbed until it glowed pink. When she finished, she was set to do chores, nasty chores, until Zinead and Droman returned home. Soon after that, Daezin was left at home alone while everyone else spent the day worshiping.
Daezin didn't know how her parents explained her absence to the priest, but the other children made it clear to her what they and their families believed about her absences.
"Hey! Leave my sister alone." Droman swept into the circle of tormentors, the sun casting a halo over his dark curls, her hero at age sixteen. The other children scattered like dry leaves before a breeze.
One, the son of the town leader, threw more taunts as he danced away. "Demon baby, hope your demon parents come to take you away soon." Droman made as if to chase the boy and the kid ran away laughing.
Daezin wiped tears from her face. "Thank you."
"No need to thank me. I'm here for you anytime you need me. You're my sister. My cuddle bug. My right-hand." Droman's grin could light up the entire village. He carefully helped Daezin to her feet. "I wish I could stop the teasing. If I knew how, I would." He slung an arm around her shoulders and started them on their journey home.
Fiddling with the leather band around her wrist, Daezin nodded. "I know you would. Love you."
"Love you too, sis." He gently pulled her fingers away from the band. "Better stop playing with that before you break it again. Father won't be happy if that happens again this month. I don't know why they make you wear it, but you know how important it is to them that you hide your birthmark."
Daezin sighed. "I know. I just wish I didn't have to."
"Me too. But as long as you do... as long as you need me, I'll be here for you. No worries."
Daezin stopped to hug her brother. She may have also wiped her runny nose on her shirt while she did it, but she knew he wouldn't mind. He was the best.
