The Touch...Part One

The midwife knew at her birth, there was something special about this girl child.  It was not mentioned as the child was cleaned and laid in her mother's arms.  The Truth would show itself in its own time.  That is all the midwife needed to know and it made her smile as she carried the wash to the kettle heating in the side yard.

The birth had not been easy.  There were times the midwife doubted, just for a moment, the whole thing would end well.  Now, she hummed under her breath with the excitement of the future as she busied herself with mothering chores around the birth room.

The crisp November moon shot a beam through the uncurtained window, the midwife took this as a sign.  The beam had traveled across the room and now rested, embracing the child in its light.  There seemed to be equal light emanating from the child but no one saw, because the family rested after the long hard earned entrance into this world.

Years had passed since the birth of the girl child.  She grew in beauty and in grace.  Evey person who met this child felt the better for it and could not tell the why.  The midwife, still in her life, knew what treasure was growing and contented herself in the watching of it.

The child was a child of light.  It was in her eyes and her hair and in her hands.  Not only were people drawn to this magical child but so were the beasts of burden and the beasts of night.  In a world where pets had not entered yet, the working animals, the food animals, the wild animals were also drawn to her.  It did not strike the child as odd when in her play,  a deer might enter the glade and lay down beside her.  At night people had seen a lone wolf circle the tiny cabin and slip away in the darkness having caused no harm.

No questions were raised at the oddity of this.   The times made these things acceptable.  The entire settlement loved this child of light and did not think it strange that the animals sought her company also.

Time passed as it always does.  The child was growing into a young lady....