Arabella POV:

I put the crystal into my pocket and then looked at the water bucket, sighing I picked it up and walked home. Mother was in our kitchen preparing some vegetables, father was sorting out his bag of herbs and tonics ready to help the townsfolk and my younger sister Amber was playing with the doll my mother had made her for her last birthday. I carried the bucket and dumped its contents into the water storage tank that we kept next to the sink, my mother smiled at me and then passed me a packet of seeds.

"Would you mind darling? Your father won't have chance because he has a lot of people he needs to see today, and we need to get these seeds planted today." She says giving me a soft smile.

"Ok mother, want me to water them once I'm done too?" I ask picking up the box of gardening tools.

"We'll water them tonight, but thank you for offering." She says and goes back to cutting the vegetables.

I give my sister a soft pat on the head as I walk out of our house, walking around to the small garden I began getting the earth ready. It was a tough job but these flowers and vegetables would bring in some extra money for fabric and anything else we need, I wipe some sweat from my head and then begin to plant the seeds making sure to mark what plants are where. 

"Hey Bella, can I help?" My sister asks walking out.

I take a look at her and sigh, she'd been sick for a while now and she's still looking very pale and weak. Father doesn't know whats wrong with her but she's not getting better or worse, I stand up and brush some of the mud off my dress and walk over to her.

"Not today Ambs, why don't you sit down and relax in the sun. Mother wants to get some colour back in your cheeks ready to play in the summer." I say smiling at her.

Amber has soft black hair and amber eyes which she got from our father, Mother has blonde hair and green eyes but I got my blue eyes from our grandmother. She's dressed in her nightgown which is too big for her since she's lost a lot of weight, I pick her up and sit her under the large willow tree thats at the back of our garden. I then place a small blanket over her shoulders so she won't catch a chill, thats the last thing we need.

"Dont worry, I'll be ok. It won't take me too much longer and then I'll go to town again and buy you something nice from either the sweet shop or the toy shop." I say to her and then continue to plant the seeds.

After about an hour I stand up and admire my work, all the seeds are planted and Amber is fast asleep under the tree. Walking over to her I pick her up and carry her inside carefully, mother looks a little worried when I walk in but I shush her as I carry my sister to her bed. Placing her down on the soft mattress I give her head a soft kiss and then walk to receive the questions from my mother.

"Is she ok? Did she collapse again? Should I call your father back?" She asks frantically.

"Mother she's ok, she fell asleep while I was planting the seeds. Can I go to market to pick something up for her, I didn't take my money earlier." I ask.

"Of course you can, be careful though. The Mages are out and about today because they have a free day from school, I don't want you to affiliate your self with them ok?" She says passing me a small pouch filled with coins.

"Why do you dislike them so much mother?" I ask taking the pouch from her and putting on my brown boots.

"They attacked the king on the day of his coronation, in my book they are all bad news. I still don't understand why the king didn't choose to have them all executed." Mother says and then passes me a gold hair clip. "Its in your face again." 

"Thanks mother, I promise to stay away from the Mages." I say and then head out.

I stroll down the lane passing some people as I go, one offers me a lift in his hay cart which I gratefully accept. I sit on the back and then hold on as it starts bumping down the road, I then pull the crystal out of my pocket and take a good look at it. Holding it up to the sun it shines with a rainbow glow and it captures the beauty of the crystal, as we bump along the road I put the crystal back into my pocket I try to hold on but end up tumbling off and landing on the hard dirt road. The driver doesn't notice I've fallen off so carries on driving, I cough some dirt from my mouth and then flinch looking down at my knee.

"Damn." I say and begin to tear fabric from my dress to make a bandage.

"Dont do that." Someone says.

I glance around and notice only the trees.

"Who's there?" I call out getting a little worried.

"Dont be afraid, I want to help." The voice says.

I glance at a tree and notice someone walk from behind it, its a boy about my age with a mop of brown hair and brown eyes. He's dressed in a  green shirt and with navy work trousers and has a brown satchel hanging over his shoulder, he smiles at me and then offers me a hand.

"Are you alright my lady?" He asks me.

"Um yes, I just fell off the wagon. Quite literally." I say laughing slightly.

He helps me stand up and then walks me over to a stump of wood, he looks at my knee and then sighs.

"Looks like a deep cut, would you mind if I tend to it?" He asks me.

"If you'r not busy, I don't mind tending to it my self." I say sitting down.

"Its no trouble at all, its my day off today." He says smiling at me with a dazzling smile.

"Whats your name sir?" I ask him.

"Its Caspian." He says and pulls out a bottle of water from his satchel.

He pours some water over my cut and then dabs at it with some of the ripped fabric from my dress, then he places his hand over the cut. A soft white glow emits from his hand and a warm sensation fills my knee, I look at him in shock. He's a Mage! Mother said they are horrible people!

"Um excuse me sir, are you a mage?" I ask him.

"Yes I am, I specialise in healing and combat magic. Cool right?" He says looking up at me with soft brown eyes.

"Um my mother told me that Mages were horrible since they attacked the king." I say gulping. "Are you going to hurt me?" 

"Um I'm healing you right now, and not all Mages are bad. Its only the people who use dark magic that are the bad Mages, now I told you what my name was so why don't you tell me your name?" He asks moving his hand from my knee, which is now completely healed.

"My name is Arabella, thank you for healing my knee." I say standing up.

He smiles at me and then wipes his hands.

"Well them Lady Arabella I bid you farewell, unless your walking the same way I am." He says smiling.

"Well I was heading to town, I was going to buy something for my sister who's unwell." I say looking for my money, patting the small pouch on my hip I sigh happily.

"What a coincidence, I was heading to town my self. Why don't I escort you there?" He asks offering me his arm.

I give him a playful nudge as we walk I didn't take his arm but he didn't seem to upset about it, we talk about each other and get to know what the other likes. I don't see how mother can think that all Mages are bad people, Caspian is very nice and pleasant company. We reach town and I'm greeted by the man who managed to bump me off his cart, he apologised I told him it was my fault because I wasn't holding on tight enough. Even so he gave me some money as an apology, now with more money in my pouch I offered some to Caspian.

"Here." I say offering three silver coins.

"I can't take your money, I was just helping. Anyone would have done it if they saw you fall, besides my friends are over there. Would you like to meet them?" He asks me.

"I have work to do at home, what about later tonight?" I ask placing the points back.

"Very well, I will come to your home at twilight. Good bye Lady Arabella." Caspian says bringing my hand to his lips.

"How will you find me?" I ask slightly confused.

"One of my friends is a brilliant tracker, and his magic helps him to do that too." He says and runs off waving goodbye.

I walk off with a slight blush on my cheeks and stroll through the town wondering what to buy my sister, she loves dolls and sweets but I want to get her something she can keep. I notice a jewellery stand and take a look, what catches my eye is a small amber stone attached to a silver bracelet.

"Excuse me sir, how much is the bracelet?" I ask looking at it.

"Seven gold pieces, but I suppose I could do a deal since your old man's helping my wife with the baby. Terrible cough the babe has, how about two gold pieces?" He asks me smiling.

"I think that would work." I say looking in my pouch.

Pulling out two gold coins I pass them to the stall holder and he puts the bracelet into a bag for me tying it with a black ribbon, with a wave of his hand I walk off and decide to buy some fresh bread since ours has gone a little stale. I walk to the bakers and the soft scent of bread fills my nose, glancing at the baker as she pulls out fresh loaves from the oven my mouth begins to salivate. Fresh bread like this isn't too expensive but the taste is worth its weight in gold, when all you have is vegetables and very little meat to eat all the time.

"Hello my dear, what can I get you?" The baker asks me smiling, her round cheeks flushed slightly from the heat of the oven.

"Um one loaf of bread please, and could you wrap it up for me?" I ask pulling out five silver coins.

"Of course I can." She says taking the money from me.

She wraps up the bread and then passes it to me warning me to be careful because its still hot, on my way out of town I bump into my father who greets me with a soft smile.

"Hello my princess." He says ruffling my hair.

"Father I'm not a child anymore, I'm sixteen!" I yell laughing at him.

"You'll always be my baby girl, what have you got there?" He asks me.

"I bought us some fresh bread as a treat and a special bracelet for Amber, I had some money saved and since she's been so sick I decided to buy her a bracelet." I say as he smiles proudly at me.

"Good girl, now tell your mother I won't be home until late tonight. And stay clear away from any Mages you pass down the road, you know how your mother feels about them." He says sighing. "She just can't seems to see reason, I understand why she feels the way she does but she shouldn't put those thoughts into your head."

"Dont worry father, I don't agree with mother because I was helped by a Mage. I'll tell you more about it later tonight ok?" I say as he begins to walk off.

"Keep safe!" He yells as he runs off to his next patient.

I walk back down the familiar path and notice a small flower thats drooping in the afternoon sun, walking over I kneel down and look at it.

"Poor thing, must not have enough water here." I say stroking the soft pink flower petal.

My finger begins to glow a soft golden colour and the flower seems to react from its glow, growing taller and taller until its taller than me. I drop my bread and look at my hand.

"How did I?" I ask aloud.

I pick up my bread and then run home, I run into the house and close the door behind me. My mother walks over with a worried face, she runs a hand through my hair and looks into my blue eyes.

"What happened? Did you see a Mage?" She asks me.

"No, I just got a little scared by something." I say holding the loaf of bread out to her. "I picked this up because ours had gone stale." 

"Thank you darling, now go and wash up by the stream. Dinner will be ready soon." She says taking the bread from me and inhaling the deep scent.

"Also father said he's be home late tonight so we could eat without him." I say as I walk to the door.

"Late again..." My mother whispers with her back towards me.

I sigh and then walk outside to the stream, its a small brook that flows past our house. Sitting down I pull off my brown boots and dip them into the water sighing, I look at my hand and gulp. I can't tell anyone about this, my parents will get into trouble and my mother will hate me. I twirl my fingers on my other hand on the surface of the water and watch how the ripples dance, the once smooth surface is now filled with ripples which swirl and join together. I pull the gold crystal from my pocket and wonder is this the reason for my sudden magic outburst?

"Arabella! Dinner's ready!" My mother yells.

"Coming!" I shout back washing my hands quickly before running inside.