Asha

Chapter 1

Once upon a time, was a beautiful girl, Princess Asha. In Indigenous American, "asha" symbolises hope. And in these times, her people, the Thelenucta, needed really a lot of hope. Unfortunately, a big tempest had destroyed their cultures and all the Thelenuctas were hungry, even the royal family. All the people pried a lot the different Gods and Divinities they had, but nothing happened. A day, the Great Shaman said they had to sacrifice the littlest daughter of the king to earn the Gods' pardon. Asha's death was the only hope of the Thelenuctan, it is why they all agreed to murder a little girl. Indeed, this tribu was really old but it was the first time they practiced the human sacrifice. It was really horrible to Asha's family, but the King accepted to give his own daughter to the gods. The only one who didn't believe in the utility of her death was Asha herself. She was a very curious girl... Since her birth, she had the gift to be connected with plants, but no one knew that. She couldn't talk with the plants, it was impossible because they didn't talk, but she could feel the vegetation needs. After the tempest, the plants didn't want to grow up again because of the horrible treatments the humans did on them. Asha wanted to share her gift with the others, but she thought she would be treated as a witch and maybe executed. In both sides, she'll die. The Princess could only flee and hope to survive. The sacrifice should take place three days later, during the solstice of summer. But she won't be here. After the dinner, the Princess escaped from her house and disappeared into the forest. She walked during long hours towards the south, and fell asleep at the foot of a tree while the night came back to become the dawn. Asha woke up a few hours later and ate the little provisions she had thieve. She was alone, lost in the woods, and she didn't know what to do. She began to cry, her tears pounding under the soil of the forest. Then Asha heard a slow melody, singing in a whisper: "Wipe your tears, wipe your tears, little Princess. Wipe your tears, wipe your tears, daughter of the forest..." She suddenly stopped to cry and searched the origin of the melody. She climbed the big tree where she slept and, at the top, discovered a women, still singing. But she didn't look like a women. Her skin was green and her hair looked like long climbing plants. She was looking at Asha with her emerald eyes brighting of kindness. "Don't cry little Asha, she said, the forest is your home, and I'll help you to save those for who you are the only hope." The Princess was subjugated. It was the first time in her life she met a so beautiful and gentle person! They made their way to the Thelenucta Village. Even Asha didn't know Nahele (which is the name of her strange savior), she was really confident with her. She had the feeling that the Nymph of the Forest, as she would learn later, wasn't here to be evil. They entered into the village, and the Thelenuctas arrived at the entrance to see the strangers. They discovered with atonishment Asha and the Nymph. Nahele made the cultures regrow and told them they had to respect nature and nature'll help them. All promessed. Then Nahele said to Asha, still with her subdued voice: "You have to know a thing, darling… I am your mother." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ END