CHARMAINE'S POV :
The sweet song of the hummingbirds somehow sounded in harmony with the rhythm of the glorious waterfalls. Attentively glancing around while absorbing all the endless beauty of nature, I hummed the melody along and hopped my way back home as I kept inhaling the scent of herbs I had collected, now and then.
Located right in the heart of the enchanted Serene Woods, my house was surrounded by various species of herbs and florals. Rosemary, chamomile, tulsi, thyme and a lot more fascinating greeneries were all around. Their mind-blowing aroma was so addictively intoxicating and I've never stopped wondering about it, ever since I was a little kid.
Every herb possessed a unique scent from the rest as well as its own functions as a natural remedy.
My family had been serving people of all lands on the face of the earth with the holy gift of herbal medicine. In specific, my father, Xavier Montgomery, is a very renowned Healer for his promising medicinal skills. He can identify the exact illness of the patient and also produce its cure in no time with one single touch. It was as though, he conquered the power of comprehending every herb and any ailment accurately just by looking. Most of the time in a year, my father will travel with his followers to the edges of the lands to heal the diseased.
Following his exact footsteps, my elder brother, Nathaniel Montgomery, had been practising to become the next great Healer of the family from a very young age and he also works as father's right-hand man in his every adventure. Whereas my mother, Sofiel Montgomery is the second in command. However, I do nothing prominent in their prestigious voyages because I am not even a part of it at all. While my entire family travels for business purposes, I get the privilege to stay home and practice healing under my grandmother's guidance for a supposedly 'greater good' for years now.
However, this time is definitely going to be different. I am so done being left out on such great adventures and I'm actually supposed to be joining the crew a year ago but my parents have been dodging the obvious. Hence, today, I am planning on firmly demanding permission from my father for fair participation in the family voyage. I was so lost in my own monologues until the swooshing sounds of the valley echoed along with the loud clashing of sharp blades followed by the voices of men slashed through my thoughts. Indicating my arrival at home while the energetic neighs of horses reassured me how today is one of those days that I despised the most.
A day I'm going to be neglected, again. Sighing in annoyance, I walked towards the loaded carriages.
"Good day, Young Miss Montgomery."
"Same to you, Mr Chauncey."
I feigned my most formal greetings at the few other familiar men and scanned the space for my father's figure but he wasn't there.
"Hey, Herbs Dealer!" I felt someone slapped the back of my head harshly and I recognized the irritating voice right away. Suppressing the building anger, I turned to face his annoying smirk.
"Do not touch my head, Nate. I won't repeat myself every single time."
I turned around to walk away but my alert eyes caught a glimpse of his sneaky shadow on the ground. He was lifting his hand to hit my head again, but I moved aside just in time. Effectively causing my dear older brother to swat the air and lose balance in the process. Without missing the golden opportunity, I kicked his ankle swiftly and he fell flat on his ugly face. Cheering in victory, I began laughing triumphantly but then, my joy didn't last longer than a faint few seconds. Out of nowhere, my ear was being squeezed like a lime fruit.
"Now, what have I taught about treating your brother, Charmaine?" She pinched my ear harder as I yelped in pain.
"But Mother, he started it!" I defended my stand while trying to push her strong hand away. She released my flaming ear and began walking towards Nate right away. Offering a caring hand, she pulled him to his feet and helped him to dust off the dirt. However, that didn't stop her from lecturing me any further though.
"That does not give you the right to punish him, Charmaine. He is still your older brother. Bear that in mind."
I mentally sighed at her expected biased response. Mother had always fancied Nathaniel more than me and that's why she never quits taking his side although he was the one at fault. At times, I even get an irking feeling that she does not care even a tiny bit about me and maybe, I was just a mistake for her. It has always been and will always be her precious firstborn. The rotten apple of her eye.
"What is happening here? And why am I missing the glow in my darling daughter's face?" Father. His protective arms wrapped around me as I turned to meet his concerned face.
"Father, will you please take me along, at least this time? Please..." I pleaded with him while searching his eyes for an agreement but the concern in his eyes only switched into a helpless apology. He caressed my face and opted to speak but I overtook him knowing the exact words he was about to say.
"Please father... Don't leave me alone..." My eyes brimmed with tears, sensing the oncoming disappointment.
"I'm sorry, my darling... but it's not safe for you to come along. You won't be alone because your grand-"
"It was never safe for me. Wasn't it, father?" I snapped back angrily.
"Charmaine Faith Montgomery! Do not speak to your father like that, young lady! You are staying at home because you're not ready for such adventures. Plus, our journeys are filled with dangers and threats. So, it'll only be safe if you don't follow us."
"Oh please, mother. You just don't want me around. I mean, what's the worse threat a healer crew would most possibly face? Besides, it's not like our men lack martial training."
Bottled up anger boiled inside me and it was overtaking my rationale as I spat the thoughtless words at her because I've always known that safety was never an issue. My parents are not just excellent healers but they were exceptional warriors as well. They have always provided extreme defence training along with healing sessions for their disciples. So, security was nothing to be worried about. I noticed how the stern stare in my mother's eyes was turning into hurt but I didn't bother at all. My father even tried to take my hands but I backed away at once.
"No, father. You are no different than her either. You only want Nate to be around. Both of you!" I yelled facing my mother. It was a surprise that she remained quiet while I exploded like that.
"I'm old enough to travel and strong enough to defend my own self. The truth is just that... I'm not wanted and that's exactly why I'm abandoned all the time."
I rushed towards the house while holding back my tears but a desperate part of me still foolishly hoped for blind rarity as I stopped right before the door to see if there was any sense of change in their thoughts. Dejectedly, none of them moved an inch nor spoke a word. Too hurt to the core, I glanced pleadingly at my father for one last time but he didn't even dare to meet my eyes.
"YOU DON'T LOVE ME! NONE OF YOU EVER DID!"
I yelled in anger before slamming the door on their faces. Heading straight into my room, I collapsed onto my bed and burst into burning tears. The frustration was overtaking my furious sanity. Just then, I heard the usual noises of the crew preparing to leave. Without me, as usual. Wiping away the angry tears, I grabbed my bow and arrows. Not wanting to see any of their annoying faces more, I decided to exit by the back door. I untied my horse, Zeus from his stable and rode far into the woods without even sparing a single glance back.
Usually, I would still see my family off when they leave to travel although it deeply saddened me. However, today, I was on the verge of angst and I've had enough blunders for the day. So, I chose to ignore all of them just like they did to me. To avoid catching the noises of their departure, I directed all my concentration on the serene sounds of nature. Just then, the same sweet song of the hummingbirds came floating through the air. Along with an endless flow of disheartened tears from my eyes.
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