Saundra's Past

Many years ago a small village rested on the edge of the Edgeworth Forest. Houses were small, but sturdy. A little girl with a strip of mud painted across her face ties a string to a stick of wood and carefully puts on a rock carved into a hook. She takes a deep breath placing the worms that she'd spent all morning to find into a little container she found at home.

She them went inside and took a couple coins from a jar that was barely a quarter full and place it in her pocket. She went into town and went to a small raggedy house with celium flowers in pots outside the door.

She admired the everchanging flower colors as she knocked on the door twice and went inside.

"Aww Saundra! What adventures await you today?" An older woman calls out before even seeing that it was her.

Saundra went into the kitchen as all the smells competed for her attention. She went right to work cleaning herself up.

"I must get some fishing done before the season is over. I also have to check the traps and wash the clothes. And then I need a new knife from Mrs. Cousley. " Saundra went and grabbed a rag to dry off her hands.

"Ah I see. You have quite a day, as well as helping me out. I greatly appreciate it. If you'd like I can take care of the clothes and go see Mrs. Cousley about that knife? We gotta stick together." The old woman wished to help after knowing what Saundra had to go through to keep her family alive.

"Thank you. Here are the coins for the knife. Nothing fancy, but sharp. And when you go to wash the clothes can you take Mairi as well. She needs someone to talk to." Saundra asked as she split the different foods into the right containers.

"Of course dear. You better get off though. You can't let the day get away from you."

"Thank you, Ms. Violet." Saundra nodded placing the containers into a side bag and going aff to her stops. Many others had to start their days as well. Saundra heard laughing from one of the houses at the other end.

The woman was the greatest swordsman in all of Ishnal. The man was not bad either. The son on the other hand was very cold to those near his age. He looked down knowing he had greatness the rest didn't have. He didn't have to fight to survive. Sighing Saundra delivered the rest of the food collecting payment and dropping the money off at Ms. Violets before taking 2 meals back to her home.

"Mairi, come eat. Remember to save half for dinner. I'll be home at sunset. Ms. Violet will come by, I think she will have an adventure for you." Saundra smiled as a little girl sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Can I come with you?"

"No, its too dangerous." Saundra smiled walking over and helping Mairi get changed.

"Can you tell me when its not dangerous?" Mairi yawned.

"I can, but if you came with me who would make sure the house didn't fall apart?"

Mairi nodded as Saundra noticed a ray of light flooding the inside of her home.

"Can you take 8 coins to Mrs. Cousley and ask if Linal can fix that hole for us?"

"8 is a lot." Mairi looked concerned.

"And 20 is a lot more. Thats what it will cost if we need a healer." Saundra patted Mairi's head before taking a small box and leaving.

Saundra stepped silently as she went to check the traps. She had heard stories of hunters who did not take proper precautions and they were educational to say the least. She made sure she stayed where the wind wouldn't put off her scent. She focused on first getting sight of whatever she had caught.

The first two were smaller traps, it always gave her practice as well as help her determine what might be in the larger one. There was a Fire otter and an empty trap that was set off. It was something she didn't encounter often, but it seemed to her that someone took her catch.

She went to the third trap to find that someone was there. 3 someones. They distracted the creature with a Burrow Bunny and began to try to kill it. Saundra had never seen a creature like this, it was most definitely rare. What would bring it so far from home?

"Drek, be careful! This is a lava bear, if we don't do this right we will have two lava bears to kill."One moves around this creature that doesn't put up much of a fight. Clearly trying to stab it isn't even affecting the creature. It must have rapid healing.

"That's if we can even kill it! I mean there isn't a bloody manual. No one has killed a Lava Bear and lived to tell about it." The one with the sword stops and pants. The other two look at each other and look frightened.

"Mark, its true everytime we have seen a stone, its been by someone who found it or traded it." Drek stops and takes a step back to analyze the situation.

"Well we have only ever seen two. One for auction, and the second in the black market. Oh Inami, what were we thinking?" Mark places his hand to his head.

The Lava Bear begins to put up a bit of a fight and tears its foot out of the trap to which it shakes and lava reforms its foot.

"We gotta get outta here."

"There is a town near here!" They begin to run. The creatures stays still as if watching them run was amusing. It then turns its head towards Saundra who begins to back up slowly. This creature was clearly nothing like she had seen before.

'I found you.' The creature spoke as it blew through her mind. It seemed to have telepathy, but never used it?

"Me?" Saundra wasn't planning on saying anything, but it sort of slipped out.

"What? What are you doing in a place like this?" The voice is no longer in her head, she turns to face the thing that spoke.

"I live near here. I was collecting the items from my traps." Saundra explained, though she knew she owed them none.

The figure was cloaked, it had yellow eyes, Saundra felt she could tell her anything.

"You are but a kindling? Being alone is very dangerous. But I thank you for the information. I was unaware of human tribes along this path." She went up and placed a hand on the Lava bear to which it cooled down drastically.

"What stone were they talking about?" Saundra questioned as the figure stopped petting the bear and looked at her as if trying to study her feelings and future.

"You are quite the odd kindling? You don't read like many humans. It will serve you well. The stone the criminals speak about is a life stone. When a Lava Bear meets its final life they give back to the world from which it took. That is the easiest way for you to understand." The creature smiled.

"By being willing to give it has painted a target on its back. Humans in need will do what they must to survive, even if it means taking more than they are due. In this case desire outranks survival. It is a flaw that makes my species so unique." Saundra tried to speak at the creatures level, maybe out of respect.

"Unique is one word for it. You are a new character among the species you speak. I have high hopes for what you shall accomplish. And out of curiosity I grant you this. Be wise with it. Be well kindling of the human tribe, we appreciate your kindness." She smiles handing Saundra a small red stone that was warm and was in constant motion. It was like nothing she had ever seen.

She looked back up to see the massive bear walking away with the cloaked figure small in stature, compared. It was like something from a dream.

"The fish!" She yelled. Remembering she needed to try something that she had been contemplating. Unfortunately, by the time she arrived at the river, it was time that she headed home. She didn't wish Mairi to become frightened and come after her.