Dawning of a Seer

Unspeakable Creatures

The colours of the stained glass were now dulled. Instead, torchlight and tallow now filled the grand hall with light just as the delicate notes of the harp filled the room with music. Annabella's fingers gracefully plucked at the strings to the delight of her audience sitting at the long table, their appetites now sated with roasted fouls and sweet, luscious fruits and cheeses.

Sarah applauded as Annabella rose from her stool. "You are most talented."

"Thank you Lady Sarah," replied Annabella, her cheeks flushed as she walked back to take her seat at the table.

"Your tutor and your father must be very proud of you Annabella," commented Sarah.

"My father taught me, but I'm afraid he will not play himself." Annabella smiled warmly at her father.

"It seems Lord de Clare there are many beautiful things you wish to keep hidden from this world."

"I see no point in exhibition Lady Sarah, be it on a stage or otherwise." A snide tone was prevalent in de Clare's response.

"You must hear wonderful musicians at court," interjected Annabella.

De Clare refrained from further inciteful comments by limiting his engagement in the conversation, allowing his cherished Annabella to fulfill her duty as Lady of the House with her unfaltering charm. Resistance against Sarah was futile, whatever her plans were. She held much influence over an absent King that doted upon his young bride; a Queen that admired her eldest sister and was easily swayed.

"I would invite you so that you could hear the beautiful music of the court musicians yourself but I dare say your father will not allow it. However, if I am extended a welcome for a few days I would happily tell you everything there is to know about life at court, although I doubt I would be able to do it justice." Sarah smiled sweetly at Annabella and then focused her glance upon de Clare to judge his reaction.

"I understood you would only be staying tonight Lady Sarah," de Clare remarked, his brows furrowing.

"It would please me to enjoy the countryside and the companionship of your beautiful daughter for a few days. Pleasant distractions for a short time would be uplifting for the spirit don't you think?"

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Every night since the stranger had arrived at the seer's camp he had kept his distance, watching from afar as Luna was taught to master her fears and protect her mind from those with the ability to reach in and take control of it. Tonight he sat under the cover of the make-shift tent in the shadows beyond the light from the fire. Luna would not have noticed him except her senses were now becoming sensitive to everything around her and she could hear his breath in the still of the night; deep and steady.

The seer bade her to sit whilst he finished his preparations for the night's lesson. He placed small runestones on the damp ground at the edge of the skin upon which she was sat. "These will protect the camp whilst we are gone," he muttered as he scattered dried sage onto the ground.

"Gone? What do you mean? Where are we going?"

"Hunting."

"Hunting what?"

"Shadows my dear."

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Rue led Ivy and Thorne through the moonlit sky in the form of nighthawks. The cool night air lifted their outstretched wings allowing them to glide over the pastures below. This had been one thing other than her daughter that Rue had missed all these moons; taking on the form of a bird and enjoying the freedom and exhilaration of flight. She wished the serenity could last, but she knew if they found what they sought it would soon end in a nightmare. Although, there was no blacker darkness than losing your child and that is why Rue had become such a skilled guardian in the latter moons of the Great War. Fuelled by anger and despair she had had no fear of Marwolaeth's breath and freely risked her life to seek out the creatures of shadow that had escaped the veil into the mortal realm and bind them with the knowledge of magic lost to send them back into the depths of darkness from whence they came.