The Shadow

{1} Nightmares

A little bit scary.

Anyway, I need to go now.

To my best and only friend, Diary.

—Nitsuke xo

An extract from Nitsuke's diary.

...

Nitsuke yawned. She had just woken up from a nightmare that her house was picked up by a tornado and squished a bad witch who survived and put a spell on her! Thank goodness it was only a dream...

Suddenly a loud crash came from outside. Naturally Nitsuke wondered at what it was, so she tiptoed out. She made her way down the stairs and saw her parents fighting. A glass vase lay shattered behind Father. A red-eyed Mother walked up to Nitsuke and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Nitsuke. We're going."

Nitsuke looked between Mother and Father. She knew something was wrong. "F-Father, what happening?" Silent, Father brought her back into her room and said, "Nit, get the things you want to keep and put them in a bag. Go with Mother. You're going on a holiday."

She started to cry. "B-but, Father, I want you to come with me!" Father shook his head and gave Nitsuke a bag, saying, "Just do as I say." He left the room.

Nitsuke put her books, writing materials and diary into the bag and went back downstairs. Mother was at the door. She didn't say a word when Nitsuke slipped her hand into hers. "Mother, everything's going to be okay! We can have a great time at the holiday and come back!" Mother gave Nitsuke a teary smile. The two left the house and mounted the two horses; Mother on Patch, a brown-and-white horse and Nitsuke on a young pitch-black horse with a white spot on her forehead who they hadn't named yet.

And together, they rode north.

...

"Mother, why isn't Father coming with us?"

Mother sighed. "He must...can't. Okay?"

Nitsuke looked away. She was making Mother sad now.

What in Ardonia happened?

...

Note: they broke up *sad face* =(

...

4 days later...

Cold. Northwind was cold. Nitsuke and Mother had just gotten to Northwind Pass from Dalhurst, where they live. Or, perhaps, lived.

"Hey, you there!"

Nitsuke and Mother turned around to the voice. A Kaltaris merchant was there. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Mother opened her mouth, but saw Nitsuke and gestured for the merchant to the side where the girl couldn't hear. After a few minutes, they came back. Mother was smiling and told Nitsuke, "Karmeus will let us travel with him, as long as we help sell his wares!"

Nitsuke nodded, not sure what happened but glad that she would have a break from riding so much. For a while, at least.

The Kaltaris—Karmeus, as Mother called him—brought them over to the caravan. A younger Kaltaris with similar markings was reading and waved at them when they walked pass. A female Kaltaris looked at then curiously.

There were a few kids her age around, playing with black and white rocks. Nitsuke watched them play for a moment and recognised the game. Chess! She had never played it before but knew all the rules—comes from reading so many books.

"M-Mother, can I go play with them?"

Mother looked down, surprised that Nitsuke wanted to go play with people. "Sure, Nitsuke. Go ahead."

Nitsuke saw a boy sitting down with a book. She recognised it immediately as the book she really liked, Ardonia And Its Myths.

She quickly hurried over. The boy looked up. "Oh, hey there! I'm reading this really awesome book called Ardonia And Its Myths, it's really good! Do you want to read?" Nitsuke smiled shyly and said, "It's my favourite book." The boy shuffled over and patted the snow next to him and Nitsuke sat down. He reached out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Hawken." Nitsuke stared at his hand awkwardly, not knowing what to do with it. He leaned over and whispered, "I don't know what that's for either, the adults just shake hands for some reason."

The two laughed and put their attention onto the book.

...

"Hey Hawken, what's a merchant?"

Hawken thought for a moment. "I think a merchant is someone who sell things to people and travel around. People can join their caravan, too. Karmeus and Lithius and some other Ardoni are merchants, the others are travelling with them."

"Are you travelling with them?"

Hawken nodded. "My grandpa died in Crown Peak and we're going back home to Hailstone."

"Where do you even get these definitions?"

"Mum made me read a dictionary."

"Oh, same! Only Mother gives me books like How to garden and Redstone for dummies."

"Oof. I've read that. It's so boring."

"I know right."

...

Yah it's Hawken, I'm such a thief of ideas(soz PoseidonHeirYT )

...

The next day...

Nitsuke yawned. "What are we doing?" she asked Hawken. The boy shrugged. "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be going now."

The two Kaltaris Nitsuke saw from yesterday and another one came over. "Hey there! I'm Lithius and this is my wife, Sari, and my daughter, Tes. We're heading over to Hailstone now—we'll arrive in a couple of weeks." He smiled at Nitsuke, causing her to smile back shyly.

Hawken stretched. "Okay, time to go! I had a nightmare yesterday."

Nitsuke climbed onto her little pony. Her mare, the one she had been riding last night.

Nightmare. "How do you like it, Nightmare?" The pony whinnied. Nitsuke smiled and climbed on. A cart pulled up. Hawken waved from his spot on it. Lithius was on foot. The others came up and they headed north.

...

Dear diary,

Today I made not one but two friends! Their names are Hawken and Lithius. Hawken is a year younger than me and Lithius is...uh...pretty old. He has a wife called Sari and a daughter called Tes. I hope we become friends! Did you know that Ardoni can live at least twice as long as a Felina?!

Hawken likes reading AAIM, too! It's the best!

Mother and I joined a caravan today. They're merchants, I think.

Anyway, my oil in my lantern is running out. I need to go to sleep now.

—Nitsuke xo