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Description
Colorful meadows stretched endlessly out before her full of rolling hills and flats. Wild flowers grew abundant and they dotted the landscape with brilliant colors, softened by the few pastel lights. Long green grass waved gently in the cool spring breeze, creating a soft rustling noise that was enough to soothe the very soul. A cool stream trickled through the meadow, cutting through the grass to bring water to every plant. Small pebbles dotted the bottom of the stream as it ran slowly through the meadow at a slight slant. The sky was a light blue and it stretched from horizon to horizon, not a cloud in sight. Each flower petal was touched by the warm afternoon sun like the touch of a close friend.

Salt tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she ran through the meadow, heedless of what flowers her feet crushed as she ran past. It did not matter to her. Why should it? She would never see this place again. The girl lived in a world where every person had a special magical talent. Every talent was unique and none of them were exactly the same. Some were stronger than others while some were insignificant. Everyone had discovered their talent by the age of ten. The girl was fourteen and she still had not discovered her talent. The penalty for that was exile.

Her mottled eyes turning red and puffy, Jamie wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and stumbled, falling to her knees at the edge of the small stream. Unwilling to move farther, she sat there, crying. She did not care if anyone heard her. No one cared any more. Jamie screamed her distress to the skies, calling for someone to help her. No matter how many times she had prayed to the gods for a magical talent, she did not even have a hint of one. It just was not fair! Why did she not have a talent? She had seen the last boy that had been found without a talent. He had kicked and screamed the entire time they dragged him away and into the boat to cast him into exile. Jamie had never seen such fear in her life and every day after that she had dreaded the time where her deadline would pass. It had passed four years ago now and she still had not found a talent. If she did not show a glimmer of magic, she would be exiled from everything she loved. With this thought her tears pelted down in a renewed vigor and she pounded her fists on the soft ground to vent her frustration.

"Now, now, dear. Do not be so hard on yourself," a lynarii said from the tall grass. The creature materialized from the grass and flowers and sat beside her, her light golden coat glinting softly in the sun. "It is not like you to be so upset. Tell me what has happened."

The lynarii was the best friend that Jamie could ever wish to have. The wild creature gave her sympathy and advice that the girl needed but could not get anywhere else. Jamie sniffled and wiped her eyes, turning to look into the golden eyes of the lynarii. "They said that if I don't find my magic in two weeks I go into exile."

The lynarii twitched her tails, shaking her head, her long ears turning backward in disgust. "Humans are so superficial. It does not matter whether you have magic or not. The lynarii do not have magic."

"You are magic."

The lynarii smiled in her feline way and gave a rather human shrug. "Well, that cannot be helped, my dear. Now you listen to me." Suddenly serious, the lynarii lifted one delicate paw to rest on Jamie's knee. "Even if you do not have magic, it does not matter. You are who you are. Magic makes no difference. Not everyone can be the same."

Jamie sniffled again and shook her head. "But I'll have to leave here."

"Perhaps, but you will still always have me." The lynarii lifted her paw and began cleaning it with her rough pink tongue. When she had finished cleaning it, she put it down again. "Jamie, you may not have magic, but you have a talent. Concentrate on what you love, not what you want. You may be surprised at what you find."

"But Natalie-"

Natalie the lynarii lifted a paw to interrupt the girl. "No, Jamie. Trust me. Do what you love and you will find what you want. If this is what you truly want. Is this what you truly want?"

"To have magic? More than anything!" Jamie said breathlessly, her long light brown hair falling in her face.

The lynarii touched her knee with her paw and purred softly. "Do not concentrate on what others want you to do. Concentrate on what you love." With those words the lynarii melted back into the grass and was gone.

~*~

Jamie walked amongst the mud huts that created her village, hands clasped behind her, eyes on the ground. Her bare feet were dusty from the dirt road in which she walked, but she was used to it. Without looking she knew that the hut to her left needed a new straw roof and that the girl that lived there had a magical talent for growing plants. Her mother could turn straw into gold and her father could call down any bird from the sky.

A middle-aged man held out his finger and whistled softly. Jamie watched as a small golden bird landed on his finger and chirped cheerfully. He saw her looking at him and scowled, setting the bird free and going into the hut, making a point in shutting the flap of the hut forcefully, prohibiting her entry. Crestfallen, Jamie began walking again, her step gradually losing its bounce as her mood darkened again. Other children threw things at her and called her names, causing her to quicken her pace. At first she ignored it but then one rock hit her shoulder and cut into her skin, causing her to fall to the ground in surprise and pain. Jamie stayed on the ground, too stunned to move as she heard the children laugh cruelly, showing off their magical talents simply to prove that they had some and she did not. Tears sprang into her eyes and Jamie picked herself off and burst into a run, heading to the meadows, the childrens' mocking laughter following her the whole way.

No sooner had she left the village did the lynarii appear galloping beside her. "Do not tell me they are teasing you again," Natalie said in disgust.

Jamie could only nod and keep running, her skirts billowing around her legs as she ran, ignoring everything around her but the feel of hot tears streaming down her cheeks and her feet pounding against the warm earth.

"I will leave a nasty surprise in their bed tonight," the lynarii said savagely. "Such cruel little kits!"

At the same place as before, Jamie collapsed to the ground and was overcome with a fresh wave of tears. She shook her head and allowed the lynarii to nuzzle her hand in affection. "No, don't. Even they don't deserve it, Natalie."

The lynarii purred softly and lay down beside the girl, her soft fur brushing against the girl's skirts. "They treat you lower than dirt, and yet you treat them with the same respect as you do with me. I admire you for that, little kit."

Jamie sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "Too bad that doesn't count as a magical talent."

"It sure is a talent, and I deem it as having a magical effect," Natalie said gently. "Do not worry so much, little kit. You will find your talent. But do not forget what it is like not having one."

"How could I?" Jamie had not meant to sound so bitter, but when it came out, she realized just how much this bothered her. Without realizing it she lifted a finger and a beautiful blue butterfly landed on it, beating its wings slowly before it settled there. At last a smile touched the young girl's lips as she gazed at the beautiful insect there on her finger. The butterfly crawled to the very tip of her finger before it leaped off and flew above her. Jamie followed it with her gaze as it went above and behind her. It then fluttered into the tall grass only to land on a flower and disappear completely from sight.

~*~

The next morning promised to be a beautiful day. Even at first light the soft colors of the sky cast dark shadows over the colorful flowers of the meadows. The blades of grass were beaded with dew and Jamie sat heedless amongst the moisture, long hair falling down her back as she propped up her easel, which her father had given her. Even her parents were frustrated with her. Now that she had still not shown any talent, they were just as prepared to cast her out as the next person. It made her sad, but then again, Jamie did not blame them. Having a daughter with no talent was hurtful for the family name.

Jamie lifted her paintbrush and gazed out over the meadow. The soft lighting of the dawn was perfect for what she wanted to do. If she did not have a magical talent, she certainly had a gift for painting. The colors magically blended and came together to form a perfect landscape so full of life that anyone would have thought it was the gateway to another world. At times, Jamie wondered the same thing. Sometimes she would gaze at her paintings and pretend that she was inside the world she had created. Inside a world where no one had to have a magical talent. Where no one threw rocks at her because she was different. In a world where she could live in peace with her friend the lynarii, Natalie. If she was going to leave this world that hated her so even when she loved it desperately, she might as well have something to remember it by.

The moment the brush touched the canvas Jamie lost herself to her painting. The colors flowed fluidly from her mind to the canvas as she created what she saw in her mind's eye. Small blossoms dotted the small rolling hills of the plains, the sun beginning to set just over the horizon. The sky was blanketed with a myriad of exotic colors, one blending into another and yet somehow seeming to still stay transparent. Small, white fluffy clouds floated lazily on, determined to get nowhere fast. Two birds circled each other in the sky, wings dipping or pushing upward depending on where they were about to go as they called to the other to follow. The tall, lush grass grew through shoots of berries and shrubbery that dotted the grooves of the hills. A lone willow tree grew at the top of a hill, the twisted and mangled trunk reaching in vain upward to the sky, which it never seemed able to touch. The boughs drooped to the ground in sadness, the leaves waving gently in a light breeze brought on by the cool evening. A small stream trickled between the hills, cutting a small path and branching off to form several others that led to the forest beyond. Pine, oak and maple trees grew off in the distance and purple hills just began taking form far beyond the lone willow. But in the center of it all was a lone pink flower bud, not yet opened, but somehow the way it held itself, head bowed and yet proud, it promised to become the most beautiful of all. The soft pinks turned into a vibrant magenta around the bud's center and then the tips became white. On the very lip of the bud sat a butterfly. Its wings were only partially spread, but even that way it displayed its breathtaking color. Both wings glistened with an iridescent blue that darkened into a purple. In the center was a light yellow with a white streak that ran from wingtip to the tail. The body itself was black and spotted with tiny white speckles, somewhat like a paint smock. Antennae alert to everything around it, the butterfly appeared to be about ready to leap off of the small flower bud and spread its wings to fly into the sky and live out its life.

The young girl sat back and waited for her painting to dry. The morning was warming up slowly and the sun gradually dried the dew that had collected in the grooves of the blades of grass. Jamie never heard the lynarii's approach, but she was so used to the creature coming up unexpectedly that she was not surprised when she felt her curl up on her lap. Natalie ignored the paint on the girl's skirts and gazed up at the painting in approval. "Yet again you talent shines," the lynarii said, purring softly. Jamie absently stroked her soft fur between her ears and then rubbed her shoulder, causing the lynarii to purr louder.

"Thank you." Jamie reached forward to touch the butterfly's wing, knowing that her paint was now dry. Her fingers tiredly followed its outline and she found herself wishing that the butterfly could be real. The tips of her fingers traced its wing at last and then trailed off at the long black tail as she sat back, sighing. Now she was tired and there was no need to stay up any longer at this rate. It was not like she had anywhere to be.

"Good night, little kit," the lynarii whispered as the girl curled up in the grass and fell fast asleep. The lynarii lifted her head and gazed at the painting, watching with approval as she felt something pull and then change. If she had been human she would have smiled. But instead, the lynarii purred softly and curled up beside the girl. "Good girl."

~*~

Jamie awoke to something tickling her nose. She sat up slowly and then opened her eyes. At first she was too surprised to do anything, but when it had occurred to her what had happened, she held out her finger and allowed the butterfly on her nose to rest on the tip. The butterfly moved to her fingertip and fluttered its wings gently, almost like it was showing them off to her. But there was something strange about this butterfly... Jamie looked up at the painting and then back at the butterfly. This butterfly had the exact same markings as the one in her painting, and why was the outline of her butterfly so sparkly? Indeed, a pastel colored sparkling aura surrounded the painted butterfly, causing it to shimmer gently and almost seemed to come to life. And suddenly it did. A butterfly exactly like the one on her finger and like the one in her painting came out of the painting and flew away, its wings glittering in the early morning light.

The lynarii suddenly appeared beside her, purring softly. "It appears as though you have a magical talent after all, little kit."

Description
Colorful meadows stretched endlessly out before her full of rolling hills and flats. Wild flowers grew abundant and they dotted the landscape with brilliant colors, softened by the few pastel lights. Long green grass waved gently in the cool spring breeze, creating a soft rustling noise that was enough to soothe the very soul. A cool stream trickled through the meadow, cutting through the grass to bring water to every plant. Small pebbles dotted the bottom of the stream as it ran slowly through the meadow at a slight slant. The sky was a light blue and it stretched from horizon to horizon, not a cloud in sight. Each flower petal was touched by the warm afternoon sun like the touch of a close friend.

Salt tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she ran through the meadow, heedless of what flowers her feet crushed as she ran past. It did not matter to her. Why should it? She would never see this place again. The girl lived in a world where every person had a special magical talent. Every talent was unique and none of them were exactly the same. Some were stronger than others while some were insignificant. Everyone had discovered their talent by the age of ten. The girl was fourteen and she still had not discovered her talent. The penalty for that was exile.

Her mottled eyes turning red and puffy, Jamie wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and stumbled, falling to her knees at the edge of the small stream. Unwilling to move farther, she sat there, crying. She did not care if anyone heard her. No one cared any more. Jamie screamed her distress to the skies, calling for someone to help her. No matter how many times she had prayed to the gods for a magical talent, she did not even have a hint of one. It just was not fair! Why did she not have a talent? She had seen the last boy that had been found without a talent. He had kicked and screamed the entire time they dragged him away and into the boat to cast him into exile. Jamie had never seen such fear in her life and every day after that she had dreaded the time where her deadline would pass. It had passed four years ago now and she still had not found a talent. If she did not show a glimmer of magic, she would be exiled from everything she loved. With this thought her tears pelted down in a renewed vigor and she pounded her fists on the soft ground to vent her frustration.

"Now, now, dear. Do not be so hard on yourself," a lynarii said from the tall grass. The creature materialized from the grass and flowers and sat beside her, her light golden coat glinting softly in the sun. "It is not like you to be so upset. Tell me what has happened."

The lynarii was the best friend that Jamie could ever wish to have. The wild creature gave her sympathy and advice that the girl needed but could not get anywhere else. Jamie sniffled and wiped her eyes, turning to look into the golden eyes of the lynarii. "They said that if I don't find my magic in two weeks I go into exile."

The lynarii twitched her tails, shaking her head, her long ears turning backward in disgust. "Humans are so superficial. It does not matter whether you have magic or not. The lynarii do not have magic."

"You are magic."

The lynarii smiled in her feline way and gave a rather human shrug. "Well, that cannot be helped, my dear. Now you listen to me." Suddenly serious, the lynarii lifted one delicate paw to rest on Jamie's knee. "Even if you do not have magic, it does not matter. You are who you are. Magic makes no difference. Not everyone can be the same."

Jamie sniffled again and shook her head. "But I'll have to leave here."

"Perhaps, but you will still always have me." The lynarii lifted her paw and began cleaning it with her rough pink tongue. When she had finished cleaning it, she put it down again. "Jamie, you may not have magic, but you have a talent. Concentrate on what you love, not what you want. You may be surprised at what you find."

"But Natalie-"

Natalie the lynarii lifted a paw to interrupt the girl. "No, Jamie. Trust me. Do what you love and you will find what you want. If this is what you truly want. Is this what you truly want?"

"To have magic? More than anything!" Jamie said breathlessly, her long light brown hair falling in her face.

The lynarii touched her knee with her paw and purred softly. "Do not concentrate on what others want you to do. Concentrate on what you love." With those words the lynarii melted back into the grass and was gone.

~*~

Jamie walked amongst the mud huts that created her village, hands clasped behind her, eyes on the ground. Her bare feet were dusty from the dirt road in which she walked, but she was used to it. Without looking she knew that the hut to her left needed a new straw roof and that the girl that lived there had a magical talent for growing plants. Her mother could turn straw into gold and her father could call down any bird from the sky.

A middle-aged man held out his finger and whistled softly. Jamie watched as a small golden bird landed on his finger and chirped cheerfully. He saw her looking at him and scowled, setting the bird free and going into the hut, making a point in shutting the flap of the hut forcefully, prohibiting her entry. Crestfallen, Jamie began walking again, her step gradually losing its bounce as her mood darkened again. Other children threw things at her and called her names, causing her to quicken her pace. At first she ignored it but then one rock hit her shoulder and cut into her skin, causing her to fall to the ground in surprise and pain. Jamie stayed on the ground, too stunned to move as she heard the children laugh cruelly, showing off their magical talents simply to prove that they had some and she did not. Tears sprang into her eyes and Jamie picked herself off and burst into a run, heading to the meadows, the childrens' mocking laughter following her the whole way.

No sooner had she left the village did the lynarii appear galloping beside her. "Do not tell me they are teasing you again," Natalie said in disgust.

Jamie could only nod and keep running, her skirts billowing around her legs as she ran, ignoring everything around her but the feel of hot tears streaming down her cheeks and her feet pounding against the warm earth.

"I will leave a nasty surprise in their bed tonight," the lynarii said savagely. "Such cruel little kits!"

At the same place as before, Jamie collapsed to the ground and was overcome with a fresh wave of tears. She shook her head and allowed the lynarii to nuzzle her hand in affection. "No, don't. Even they don't deserve it, Natalie."

The lynarii purred softly and lay down beside the girl, her soft fur brushing against the girl's skirts. "They treat you lower than dirt, and yet you treat them with the same respect as you do with me. I admire you for that, little kit."

Jamie sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "Too bad that doesn't count as a magical talent."

"It sure is a talent, and I deem it as having a magical effect," Natalie said gently. "Do not worry so much, little kit. You will find your talent. But do not forget what it is like not having one."

"How could I?" Jamie had not meant to sound so bitter, but when it came out, she realized just how much this bothered her. Without realizing it she lifted a finger and a beautiful blue butterfly landed on it, beating its wings slowly before it settled there. At last a smile touched the young girl's lips as she gazed at the beautiful insect there on her finger. The butterfly crawled to the very tip of her finger before it leaped off and flew above her. Jamie followed it with her gaze as it went above and behind her. It then fluttered into the tall grass only to land on a flower and disappear completely from sight.

~*~

The next morning promised to be a beautiful day. Even at first light the soft colors of the sky cast dark shadows over the colorful flowers of the meadows. The blades of grass were beaded with dew and Jamie sat heedless amongst the moisture, long hair falling down her back as she propped up her easel, which her father had given her. Even her parents were frustrated with her. Now that she had still not shown any talent, they were just as prepared to cast her out as the next person. It made her sad, but then again, Jamie did not blame them. Having a daughter with no talent was hurtful for the family name.

Jamie lifted her paintbrush and gazed out over the meadow. The soft lighting of the dawn was perfect for what she wanted to do. If she did not have a magical talent, she certainly had a gift for painting. The colors magically blended and came together to form a perfect landscape so full of life that anyone would have thought it was the gateway to another world. At times, Jamie wondered the same thing. Sometimes she would gaze at her paintings and pretend that she was inside the world she had created. Inside a world where no one had to have a magical talent. Where no one threw rocks at her because she was different. In a world where she could live in peace with her friend the lynarii, Natalie. If she was going to leave this world that hated her so even when she loved it desperately, she might as well have something to remember it by.

The moment the brush touched the canvas Jamie lost herself to her painting. The colors flowed fluidly from her mind to the canvas as she created what she saw in her mind's eye. Small blossoms dotted the small rolling hills of the plains, the sun beginning to set just over the horizon. The sky was blanketed with a myriad of exotic colors, one blending into another and yet somehow seeming to still stay transparent. Small, white fluffy clouds floated lazily on, determined to get nowhere fast. Two birds circled each other in the sky, wings dipping or pushing upward depending on where they were about to go as they called to the other to follow. The tall, lush grass grew through shoots of berries and shrubbery that dotted the grooves of the hills. A lone willow tree grew at the top of a hill, the twisted and mangled trunk reaching in vain upward to the sky, which it never seemed able to touch. The boughs drooped to the ground in sadness, the leaves waving gently in a light breeze brought on by the cool evening. A small stream trickled between the hills, cutting a small path and branching off to form several others that led to the forest beyond. Pine, oak and maple trees grew off in the distance and purple hills just began taking form far beyond the lone willow. But in the center of it all was a lone pink flower bud, not yet opened, but somehow the way it held itself, head bowed and yet proud, it promised to become the most beautiful of all. The soft pinks turned into a vibrant magenta around the bud's center and then the tips became white. On the very lip of the bud sat a butterfly. Its wings were only partially spread, but even that way it displayed its breathtaking color. Both wings glistened with an iridescent blue that darkened into a purple. In the center was a light yellow with a white streak that ran from wingtip to the tail. The body itself was black and spotted with tiny white speckles, somewhat like a paint smock. Antennae alert to everything around it, the butterfly appeared to be about ready to leap off of the small flower bud and spread its wings to fly into the sky and live out its life.

The young girl sat back and waited for her painting to dry. The morning was warming up slowly and the sun gradually dried the dew that had collected in the grooves of the blades of grass. Jamie never heard the lynarii's approach, but she was so used to the creature coming up unexpectedly that she was not surprised when she felt her curl up on her lap. Natalie ignored the paint on the girl's skirts and gazed up at the painting in approval. "Yet again you talent shines," the lynarii said, purring softly. Jamie absently stroked her soft fur between her ears and then rubbed her shoulder, causing the lynarii to purr louder.

"Thank you." Jamie reached forward to touch the butterfly's wing, knowing that her paint was now dry. Her fingers tiredly followed its outline and she found herself wishing that the butterfly could be real. The tips of her fingers traced its wing at last and then trailed off at the long black tail as she sat back, sighing. Now she was tired and there was no need to stay up any longer at this rate. It was not like she had anywhere to be.

"Good night, little kit," the lynarii whispered as the girl curled up in the grass and fell fast asleep. The lynarii lifted her head and gazed at the painting, watching with approval as she felt something pull and then change. If she had been human she would have smiled. But instead, the lynarii purred softly and curled up beside the girl. "Good girl."

~*~

Jamie awoke to something tickling her nose. She sat up slowly and then opened her eyes. At first she was too surprised to do anything, but when it had occurred to her what had happened, she held out her finger and allowed the butterfly on her nose to rest on the tip. The butterfly moved to her fingertip and fluttered its wings gently, almost like it was showing them off to her. But there was something strange about this butterfly... Jamie looked up at the painting and then back at the butterfly. This butterfly had the exact same markings as the one in her painting, and why was the outline of her butterfly so sparkly? Indeed, a pastel colored sparkling aura surrounded the painted butterfly, causing it to shimmer gently and almost seemed to come to life. And suddenly it did. A butterfly exactly like the one on her finger and like the one in her painting came out of the painting and flew away, its wings glittering in the early morning light.

The lynarii suddenly appeared beside her, purring softly. "It appears as though you have a magical talent after all, little kit."