The Auburn Queen

[Amberwing]

In a country where the study of science is prohibited, an evil queen manipulates her people through fear. She has convinced them that she has magical abilities. In all actuality, magic does not exist and no one practices it. In order to convince her people of her "magical" feats, she has hired secret scientists which work in her kingdom. Nobody knows of the existence of these scientists and since the scientists relish in their power, they of course keep mum about their dirty work. The queen manipulates everyone's lack of scientific knowledge in order to rule by terror. Many of the queen's people are unwilling to go against her wishes because they think she might turn them into frogs or kill them with an icy glare.


Despite this horrible reign, there are a few dubious and courageous souls who seek the truth. Two of these are Theophilus and Aderes. The queen has heard rumors of a few people studying science and has set out with her army scourging the country side for them. If her rumors of magical abilities were debunked, after all, she would lose all her power.


Some general rules:


1. This is a made up world with made up geography. However, it is most certainly medieval. This means no technology. No cars, no highways, no computers, etc etc.


2. Absolutely no magic is to be involved.


3. Sexual content should be kept at a PG-13 level.


4. You can have three main characters.


5. No excessive swearing.


6. All characters must be human.


Character Form (all characters to be human):


Name:


Gender:


Age:


Occupation:


Appearance:


Background:


--- Merged Double Post ---


I will be playing three characters.


Name: Theophilus


Gender: Male


Age: in his 60s


Occupation: Mentor


Appearance: Theophilus is an old and grisly man. He darkened skin is clear evidence of his age, but his bright blue eyes still seem to shine. He stands a good six feet tall and usually must walk with the use of a cane. He speaks always with patience, and his voice is usually collected and calm. He usually wears robe-like attire which shrouds him in comfort and neutral colors.


Background: Theophilus took over Adere's upbringing at a young age. He is wise and has a strong faith in God. Throughout his years, he has always been an advocate for justice and truth. His whole life's work has been geared towards debunking the queen's lies. However, he is aware that his age is a problem, and therefore hopes that Aderes will carry the dream forward.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Name: Aderes


Gender: Male


Age: 24


Occupation: Student


Appearance: Aderes is young and dashing. His hair is choppy and brown, and his face is adorned with sparkling brown eyes. He prefers much lighter clothing than his counterpart and looks to be quite strong. He also wears neutral colors so as to avoid any attraction.


Background: Aderes is fool-hardy, impatient, and doubtful about everything. He tends not to think things through. Although he considered Theophilus to be a father like figure, he struggles to be understanding of the older man's slower ways. He has the deepest respect for Theophilus, even if he doesn't always show it.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Name: Queen Jezebel


Gender: Female


Age: 73


Occupation:...the queen


Appearance: Queen Jezebel is strikingly different from most of the people she rules. Her long auburn hair only lends to people's fright of her, and she also has bright blue eyes. Due to the rarity of blue eyes, she secretly feels threatened by others with similar eyes. She is always draped in bright red clothing which marks royalty. The glare which comes from her face is cruel, stern, and fright-invoking. Confidence marks her every move.


Background: Calculating and cruel, Jezebel took the throne after the late king. Despite her age, she appears young and spry. Most people under her reign do not remember the days before she ruled. She is merciless and will do whatever it takes to maintain her power and lavish lifestyle.

 

[The Writer]

Name: Flower full moon


Gender: Female


Age: 20


Occupation: (just guessing here) Student


Appearance: She was a really light blond hair that can be considered white. Her keeps it long and doesn't normally put it back. She has lovely green eyes and has been called beautiful. Flower rather focus on other things then her apperence though. She is quite strong and tends to be mocked for it. Since women were suppose to be weak and all that stuff.


Background: She is a rebell in this time with a strong personality and a hard head. She can be quite stubborn and inferreating. She even fights with a sword against the wishes of her father. She rather not be weak and so she shows her strength by challanging men often. She doesn't like to be told what to do, many call her mean but she has a soft side. She is quite kind and helps when she can.


Name: James moon


Gender: male


Age: 26


Occupation: Taking care of his younger sister he says...but he is a student


Appearance: He has black hair with blue eyes. He is tall and strong and tends to wear black. He doesn't normaly brush his hair giving it a ragged look but it suits him quite nicely. He keeps his hair short.


Background: He rather hates his sister sometimes in fact they fight alot. What's worse is that she is a better fighter then him. He tries to protect his sister but she is the bane of his and her's father. She is called the devils child and even though he is suppose to look after her....it is impossible. He is rather quick to try and cut her down but she has a stronger will then he.

 

[Amberwing]

*points above* My fault for not mentioning this, but it's very uncommon to have bright hair or eyes. If you want to keep your characters' appearances the same, do you mind if they are outcasts who are always on the run or hiding? Since the queen is one of the few with bright hair and bright eyes, it'd be a bit difficult for others to be around similar characteristics. Others would think she was secretly working for the queen.


To general players, there are some characters that I don't want to play:


Jael: Jael is a very young girl with a minor role in the story. She is 11 years old and helps run a book store. Poor and parent-less, she has long straight brown hair and dull brown eyes. She is very sweet and naiive. She works across the street from Theophilus and Aderes before their town gets invaded.


General Cain: General Cain is the queen's right hand man. Just as cold and calculating as the queen, she chooses to keep him by her side to improve on their appearance of power. General Cain has no conscience and goes all out to ensure his own comfort and leisure. He is a hard man, muscle-bound and tall. He too has bright blue eyes, but his hair is a sandy blonde which tends towards brown. He is the queen's lover, though he has a family "back home."


Jacob: A tavern/inn owner and the mayor of a small rowdy town by brute force. He likes to drink a lot, is very dishonest, and cheats anyone he can. Boisterous and loud, he has a very thick accent which makes him hard to understand at times. He's very suspicious of everyone and will turn in anyone whom he deems will gain him favor with the queen.


If no one wants to play these, I'll play them like NPC's. I'd really like someone to play General Cain, at the very least.

 

[The Writer]

(James can have dark brown eyes then...Flower can be the outcast....I hardly change her apperence and personality so she will go with a cloak on. oh and I can role play Cain lol XP )

 

[Amberwing]

Okay thanks. : ) Let's see if anyone else is interested in this story, or if anyone else wants to play Cain. I'll start the story later tonight after seeing who all is interested.

 

[Amberwing]

((Whoops! I forgot to post. It seems no one else is interested at this time, but I'll start nonetheless!))


Aderes tried not to slam doors too loudly as he rushed about the tiny dark room, attempting to gather every last bit of evidence. Every now and then, his partner Theophilus peeped into the dark night through the ratty curtains, a worried frown creasing his already wrinkled brow.


"How long?!" Aderes hissed, his heart pounding as he tripped over the refuse strewn on the floor. The room had been turned upside down in our frenzy, and many of their most precious possessions lay shattered on the floor.


Theophilus wiped the sweat off his brow and gave Aderes an apologetic look. "Maybe fifteen minutes," he said in his baritone voice. "They just now left the book store."


Aderes paused for a second, not wanting to ask. He couldn't help himself. "And?"


Theophilus finally turned away from the curtains and looked into Aderes' eyes as if to be comforting. "They gave her to the guards." No more needed to be said, so he pushed past his younger counterpart to the back door, taking the objects Aderes had gathered from his arms. "I'll go put these in the carriage," Theophilus said before rushing into the dark.


Aderes stood frozen for a few minutes, detesting the mad world that had thrown these people's lives around. But as for Jael, what had she done that she should have to face it as well?! Realizing he couldn't spare any time for such thoughts, he hurried after Theophilus. He was returning empty handed, but Aderes turned him back around.


"It will have to do!" Aderes told him. Theophilus gave a longing look at the dusty little shop and finally yielded to the shoves. It was a good thing he did because the guards, apparently finding nothing suspicious about the other buildings, had already skipped to their building, and were pounding at the door.


"Hurry!" Aderes called to the others inside, holding the door open for them.

 

[The Writer]

James looks at the two hurrying (Just going to put him with them hope you don't mind.) he ran out but that's when he saw his sister. He looked at her as she gave a signal it was her. He rushed over and grabbed her wrist. "Flower....come on." he whispered pulling her along as he rushed with the others. He didn't care what the others would say he was not leaving his sister.


Flower found her brother and two other men rushing out. She stood as her brother looked at her and gave the signal. As he rushed her to the others she tugged on on the hood of her clock hiding her cursed hair color. She looked down at the ground not wantin to look up because of her brought green eyes. She was a rarely seen as a friend and acused for helping the queen. She never dis but no one ever listened. She was frightened about James new friends.

 

[Amberwing]

"Don't!" Aderes whispered urgently, placing a hand on Theophilus' hand. Theophilus had taken the reigns up, not realizing that to urge the horses into movement would only give everyone away. Reaching out to help James and Flower up into the carriage, the two men watched with abated breath, Theophilus still occasionally wiping the sweat from his brow as the guards easily knocked the door down. It was difficult to see what was going on, as the building was small and had only one back window. The back exit was cleverly disguised, but there was no telling if it would be camouflaged well enough. However, it certainly was easy to tell that the guards were filing into the building as if intent to fill every corner. For an instant, a raggedy little girl could be seen walking by the window, her head bowed to the ground and a guard's large hand on her shoulder. It was Theophilus' turn to place a staying hand on Aderes. "Easy my young friend," he quietly cautioned. Aderes wanted to keep his eyes on Jael forever, to be sure no harm would come her way. To be sure the guard didn't grip her shoulder too tight, or that she didn't cut her bare feet on any of the glass littering the floor. But that wish was quickly dashed as the guard ushered her on by the window. The sinking feeling Aderes felt almost kept him from noticing Theophilus' gasp.


"Look, Aderes!" he said, pointing to the window with a bony brown finger. At the same time, Theophilus placed his hands on Flower's shoulders to keep her in place. He knew she could be a little headstrong.


Aderes immediately spotted the cause of his shock. The guards had crammed themselves against the flimsy walls to create open space and they had all gone deathly quiet. At the very edge of the window frame appeared a vibrant red fabric that, despite the stillness in the room, seemed to shout out and take all control. Aderes cursed the fact that it stopped at the edge of the window so that he could see no more.


The guards seemed nervous as the red fabric stayed in place. Apparently the one adorned in the rich fabric was exhibiting a deathly calm. The figure seemed to bend over and pick something off of the floor, and for an instant Aderes saw a wisp of auburn hair. As quick as a flash, the figure straightened and the sight of it was gone. A woman's voice broke the silence. "Find them!" she hissed in a thick accent.


The guards came to life. Some of them tried bursting out the front door but the size of the shop, and the numbers cramped in the building made this an awkward endeavor. However, one of the smarter guards was soon planting a foot through the cleverly hidden back door, and for one panicky instant, light shone into the carriage, and a guard's eyes looked directly into Aderes'.


Aderes didn't even stop Theophilus as he whipped the horses into a gallop, but the guard's eyes never left the younger man's. Not even as a beaker crashed into the carriage a few inches from Aderes' face, apparently thrown by a very angry queen in red.

 

[The Writer]

Flower looked at Theophilus and then sighed. The window blew her hood down and then her hair falls down in her face. She looks out and then grabs her hood putting it back up. She sighed deeply almost ashamed of her color. She looked at James who was worried. She looked down and he patted her back. She went silent not saying a word. She watches the Queen annoyingly. She tightened her fists her nails digging into her skin, any harder and she would start bleeding. She looked away and then tightened her fists more before James took her hand. To late....she was already bleeding.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes mainly sat in silence, but with a casual flick of the whip, Theophilus glanced back and shook his head with a sigh. Always the fiesty one, she was. "Flower," he said softly. "You need to save your energy. This will not be an easy trip."

 

[The Writer]

Flower looked at him her normal greens eyes seemed to be darkened with anger. She looked away and then crossed her arms. She leaned back ignore her brother's scolding. "Shut up." She said and then turned to look at him. "Just shut up." She repeated and then looked at her hand. She did nothing about it but sit there in silence. Her furry was fucussed on the queen, but Flower had a tendency to snap at people or get physical with other people and herself, as they just had saw.


James sighed deeply looking at his sister. She was such a hot head. He saw her ignoring ever word he said. "Ugh....do you even have a brain in that thick bone you call a skull?" He said and then jerked back as her bleeding fist zoomed past his ear. He put up his hands and got away from her. Once she sat back down he put his hands down. He sighed and put a hand on his forehead. "Well this will be a long trip." He said figuring Flower's entence anger will last through the trip. He stopped talking taking notice his comments were making it worse. He probably should have shut up. He smiled nervously at her death glare.


Flower looked away and then looked off to the side watching everything zoom by. She didn't notice her hand was still bleeding, the pain calmed her down a bit but if James didn't shut up soon, it wouldn't be enough. She stayed silent trying to ignore James' annoying voice.

 

[Amberwing]

Theophilus sighed at the anxious girl. He had tried so hard to train her to be right with God, but her temper proved to make it difficult. He felt a certain twinge of pain every time she acted out, but he was also a very patient man. He had only taken her and her brother under his tutelage recently, after all, and there was still time. Since he didn't want to encourage her anger further, he turned to Aderes.


"Do you see them any more Aderes?" he asked in a hushed voice. With great difficulty, the two had began to lead the horses pulling the carriage off the road. While James and Flower bickered, Aderes and Theo found a place to hide the carriage and began to work on camouflaging it in the underbrush. It was not proving to be an easy feat, and both were thankful the carriage was a small one. Had they not been so far ahead of the guards, it would have been impossible to hide it at all.


Aderes gave one last peek around the tree. "I haven't seen any guards for at least half an hour," he informed Theo while glancing nervously to Flower. "I'm sure that the queen's guards are far behind." Aderes turned around to face Theophilus, his face solemn with fatigue and frustration. "We really should keep going though." He knew Flower probably wouldn't be happy with running, but they were just far too outnumbered. Surely James could talk some sense into her.


"My two girls can't go any further tonight," Theophilus said, patting his mares on the head. "I've pushed them too much this night."


Knowing Theophilus as Aderes had for the past 17 years of his life, he knew what Theo really wanted. "I don't know where we're going from here," Aderes said apologetically. He found a flat boulder to sit on and placed his face in his hands. He couldn't get the image of Jael in the guard's hand out of his head.

 

[The Writer]

Flower looked at Aderes. She stood up and then walked over suddenly her anger gone. She set a hand on his shoulder. She looked at him and then kneeled down. She was trying to comfort him but had a frown on her face. Her eyes were kind now...not angry anymore. She sighed and then looked at Theophilus. "At least we got away."


James stood there mouth a gate. "It's amazing how your personality changes so quickly." He said and then sighed looking around. He looked at the mares and then sighed. He looked at Flower who was slightly glaring at him. He smiled at her.


Flower sighed deeply and then noticed she was getting blood on Aderes should and took her hand away. "Um sorry." She said and then stood up. "Well then...we need to move if we are to stay ahead." She said quietly. She put her hair behind her ear and then looked up at the sky. She sighed again.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes didn't even budge as Flower touched his shoulder. All he could think about was Jael, and his eyes watered up, tears threatening to spill. He did appreciate Flower's concern, but he failed to notice the blood on his shoulder, or even the gentleness in her voice. "It's all my fault...," he muttered quietly to the young girl. And then secretly he wondered who else might be hurt by his actions. If he had never given Jael that gift....


He sighed quietly and glanced up at Flower, about to say something when Theophilus quietly interrupted.


"You'll die if you go after her, you know." Shocked, Aderes tilted his head towards Theo. The older man let out a small chuckle that showed he had more strength than he cared to exhibit. "I can read you like a book Aderes. You've been studying with me a bit too long." He winked at the younger man and settled down on the grass in front of Flower and Aderes. "I also know what you'll ask next. You'll ask me if this is on of my visions, or just a guess. Am I correct?"


Aderes nodded his head, not wanting to build the old man's ego, but being curious enough to overcome the desire.


"It is not a vision of my own making," he said, "but a vision of God's." Theophilus thought Aderes should be satisfied with that answer and said no more. He instead laid back and stared at the tree canopy, his fatigue having turned into passivity. Aderes carefully removed Flower's hand with a look of apology and laid back as well and chewed on a stock of grass as he reflected on Jael's innocence.


"Flower, James....did you ever meet Jael?" he asked. It was a fair question. He was usually so busy with his studies that he couldn't remember where Theophilus' new students had been in the past week.

 

[The Writer]

Flower sighed deeply. "Afraid not...I don't go out much....people either call me a witch or someone who works for the Queen....no one understands." She said and then sighed sitting down. She looked at James who shook his head no. Flower glared. "Say one word that has to do with me and you'll wish you never got on that carriage." James shut his mouth and then sighed. "Flower be a bit calmer please...the poor guy has had a long day." He said sitting down himself. He looked at Flower who calmed herself. He smiled at her and then watch her play with a strand of her hair. "Don't worry you two." He said knowing Flower she will start feeling bad as well. He looked at her, such a gentle heart under that stone cold outter protection she puts on. Flower closed her eyes. She remembered the scene and it started to tug. She pulled her knees to her chest and then set her head down on them. "Hmm." She looked down. "Aderes...I'm sure she will be just fine." She said with a smile. It was a small one, she kept her voice low and soft although a mixture of feelings sad and anger were stiring. She soon lost her smile. (Sorry i can't sepereate the characters replies...not even when I edit so annoying right now!)

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes wanted to believe Flower's words, but he knew they were just an attempt to comfort. Maybe in all her hiding, Flower had never heard what the queen and her men were capable of. He and Theophilus both snorted at the idea of anyone working with that filthy woman, and Aderes couldn't help but glance over at Flower's hair and eyes. It was indeed unique, and someday it might just be the death of them. The more and more he thought about it, the more he got angry at their predicament. Should they just sit here and wait for death to find them?


"So be it," Aderes finally responded to Theo, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll make your God's vision come true. We can leave tonight." Theophilus burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Aderes asked, looking to James and Flower to see if they were also laughing.


"You and your concept of protection!" Theo guffawed. "You young ones just amaze me!"


"What's wrong with wanting to take an innocent girl out of the hands of a dirty and cruel man?" Aderes asked, offended and agitated at his mockery.


"Oh, that's not what's funny," the wizened man said, rolling over on his elbow so that he could look Aderes in the eye. His deep eyes seemed to contain all his age behind a flood gate. "It's just that everything has to be hurried with you. I'll tell you what will happen if you leave tonight: You'll go busting into the queen's palace with some on-the-spot plan that will get you killed. What good are you gonna do Jael if you're dead?" He glanced towards Flower. "You too missy. I know the kinds of thoughts that brew under that beautiful hair." His expression became a bit solemn. "None of us here want anything to happen to you." He lifted his eyes to James. "Isn't that right?"


Aderes interrupted. "Your Christ is dead," he sneered back in his bad temper. "And according to you, He does a lot of good that way!"


Theophilus became calm and sat up, expressionless and stiff-backed, his voice low and dangerous. "First of all, Christ isn't dead," he said, no longer looking at Aderes. "Second of all, it took Christ thirty three years just to BEGIN to implement His plan." Theophilus, his eyes still averted, got up and slowly walked away. The old man wasn't easily offended, but Aderes knew he had overstepped his boundary of patience. He couldn't help but feel pride in the small victory, but he also knew Theo would come back.

 

[The Writer]

Flower looked at Aderes and then hit the back of his head. "Idoit..." She said and then sighed. "Didn't rise in like three days?" She sighed and then leaned back. "You know...no one has ever called my hair beauitful before." She looked at James who hit her on the back of her head. She rubbed her head and then sighed deeply. "Hmm...not even dad or mom." She looked at James who only sighed. Flower's dad didn't really like Flower at all, in fact on a number of occasions he said she was not his daughter. He and James sort of believe that Flower was from a different man then her father. Probably because she looks nothing like her dad. She sighed again.


James looks at her. "Going for self pitty are we?" He said and then looked at Aderes. "You know attacking someone with their beliefs is very harsh and unnessassary." He said and then looked at Flower who was glaring at him. Flower sometimes truely believed James hated her.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes made a noise of surprise as Flower's hand came into contact with the back of his head. "Ow!" he exclaimed, reaching up rub the spot with a low grumble. In all truth, Aderes and Theophilus were so close that they might as well been family, but sometimes it was so difficult for Aderes to act like it.


"Theophilus raised me," he said quietly. "He understands I'm frustrated." He softly sighed and glanced back towards their path of flight. What was going on now, he wondered?


His thoughts were interrupted by James' words and he looked over to the young man with a small apologetic shrug. "I'm sorry James. I just...don't know if I'll ever see eye to eye with him on some issues." He laid back and crossed his arms idly behind the back of his head against the tree. "Do you believe in God, James?"

 

[The Writer]

James looks at him and then looks up. "Yeah..." He said and then lays down. "Although I never really put my mind on it." He looked at Flower who looked at him. Flower looked away from James. "Flower does too...but she doesn't act like it." Flower started getting mad again. James stabs at her every chance he gets. James looks at her and then sighs. "You don't do you Aderes?" He asked.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes sighed quietly and plucked a grass near his boot, lifting it to twirl above his face as he considered an answer. Finally, he shrugged. "I really don't know. It all sounds a bit loony if you ask me. But I don't understand how Theo's faith could be in something so loony. Theo is the sanest person I know."


He reflected on his own words and shook his sadly. "I just don't know..." he said almost more to himself.

 

[The Writer]

James tilts his head and then nods. He smiles and then looks at Flower who has fallen asleep. The poor girl must have been hiding how tired she was. James looked at her and then looked at Aderes. "Well...I hope you figure out what you believe in." He said and then watched Flower. He sighed and then looked at Aderes, he felt bad about what happened today...of course...who wouldn't? Well....maybe a lot of people.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes shrugged lightly. It was a tough topic with him and he didn't like to be very open about it. He didn't want to put off Theo's latest "projects" as he liked to call them, but he also didn't want to open his heart to them. There was just to much residing there.


Aderes had a long time to reflect on his thoughts as Flower slept. He had no idea what James was thinking about, but he didn't have any desire to entertain the young boy either. Theophilus did indeed come back, although later than Aderes would have expected. He also came back with a huge smile deepening the wrinkles in his leathery skin.


"My friend," he hailed. "You have a way of brining me closer to God every day!" Quickly noticing Flower's slumber, he lowered his voice and chuckled as he then plopped down with a surprising agility. "I have a plan friends!" he announced before winking.


"Yes?" Aderes asked cautiously.


"We shall find King Abdiel!" He waved his hand triumphantly and then stood grinning at the others as though his whole plan should be obvious by that one statement.


Aderes raised my eyebrows, wondering if he had finally lost his sanity. "And?" he questioned the older man. "How is that supposed to help us? To hunt down a myth?"


"Oh tsk tsk...for shame Aderes! King Abdiel is no myth! There are rumors that he is in hiding...that he is in Sandarvo."

 

[The Writer]

Flower slept silently and peacfully. She then rolled over her face turned to one of fear. She was having a nightmare. She was running from soldiers. She seemed increasingly panicked and she awoke, her breath was quick and short and she looked at James and then sighed deeply pushing her hair from her face. James patted her shoulder and then looked at Theophilus and then looked at James. "What were you guys talking about?" She asked silently rubbing her eye. James shrugged not knowing the myth that they were talking about.

 

[Amberwing]

Aderes noticed James' confusion and seemed surprised. He hadn't heard all the legends? The two kids must never get out of the house! Then again, he thought with shame, how could they? His eyes flickered to Flower's hair before turning to Theophilus.


"Great," he said, rolling his eyes. "So we chase down a king who is RUMORED to be in Sandarvo. We miraculously find this guy, explain to him that we belong under his enemy's regime, and ask him to help us rescue a little girl whom he knows nothing about.


Great plan Theo."


Theophilus was already moving, despite the reasoning. He responded to Aderes as he saddled the horses and packed the bags.


"First of all, we don't exactly belong under Queen Jezebel's reign," he started, chuckling. "In case you haven't noticed, her blood-thirsty guard is hunting us down just on her whim. Second of all, we aren't asking him to rescue Jael." Theophilus paused and turned to face the, fire jumping from his eyes. "We're asking him to raise an army."

 

[The Writer]

Cain was getting closer, he was riding with a troops behind him. He was looking for the four that got away. He was determaind to find them and end them. He found the tracks from the carrage. He stopped for a moment trying to follow them. He looked at his troops and then looked back in front of him. It was dark and it was hard to see. He sighed deeply and commanded his tired troops to keep looking.


Flower looks at them and then stands. "I see?" She looked at James who got up as well. She smiled lightly and then used her fingers to try and brush out her hair. She had notice them always looking at it and put her hood up from her cloak. She sighed deeply and then there was that pressed shame deep inside her. She had learned to be ashamed of her hair.