She was a girl and she had no name.
Walking side by side through the quiet woods, she jumped a little, enjoying the way the market basket bounced in her hands. She always liked it when the woman took her along to the…
Suddenly she stopped, causing the woman to teeter on her toes whilst trying to avoid bumping into her.
"Where are you taking me today?" She asked in the native language she was taught. A language which sounded like a mixture of many languages, with a certain flow to it.
The woman stared at her innocent round face and twinkling black eyes for a moment before heaving a sigh.
"We are going to the market, run along now," the woman waved her hand in order to get her moving.
She let out a little sound of joy and resumed skipping, darting through the trees and enjoying the novelty of a new word running through her head.
"Market…market…mar..ket," she repeated in tune to her steps.
This market was called the Main Market because it opened once a month and people from everywhere come to buy and sell in this market. It is rumored that supernatural beings disguised as humans come also to sell and to buy.
It is also rumored that everything and anything is sold there which is why the woman decided to take her along, hoping beyond all hope to bump into someone or something familiar that'd help grant her access back to her world for she was desperately in need of comfort which only him can provide.
The king himself of the Underwater People whose love for her was both a blessing and a curse.
Finding a way back to him was her only hope and her only shot at getting her life back, faraway from this strange world filled with strange languages and cultures that she was trafficked to.
All because the King fell in love with her, a commoner.
Soon, She approached a sparkling stream and stopped short before turning with inquisitive eyes to the woman.
The woman's eyes darted around the stream, looking for the man that'd take them across the stream for a small token as the Main Market was directly on the other side of the stream.
The man was nowhere to be found.
The woman began to fidget and panic, not wanting to lose this chance. Having to wait another month was going to be torture and she didn't have the patience to wait any longer.
As the woman moved around the bank of the stream, looking for the shallowest part that would allow them to cross, She let out a squeal and pointed at the stream as the water began to move as if it were boiling.
The woman looked in shock and ran to hold the girl in her arms as the water boiled more furiously. Immediately, the water began to separate in the middle and as the hole got wider and deeper, a raspy voice slithered through in a soft whisper.
"Nelo," the voice called out from the open space in the stream and immediately, tears began to flow from the woman's eyes, tears of joy.
He had found her just like he promised. Now, she can get back her identity and that of her daughter, the little girl.
Her name is Nelo and her daughter's name is Aeline and they're going home.
With a deep breath, Nelo dropped the market bag and with Aeline nestled in her arms, she stepped into the portal.
Home at last.
THE END...
