Two days went by after my encounter with my father giving his speech to his men. I couldn't say that time has healed the wounds since then because it hasn't.
Everyones on edge expecting a war at any time. Children and other beings that were too old or injured to fight were beginning to pack up their belongings as some started to leave the camp. I didn't know where they were going but I hoped it was somewhere safer than here. The image of crying and frightful woman and children leaving, some with only the clothes on their back as they left the camp. It was a depressing scene. One that we couldn't avoid.
Father didn't know much about this man from the Shadows but he described his appearance. That alone was enough to send chills down my back.
Father said he was young but held the mind of many years of wisdom. Maybe even decades. He dripped with a sense of power and darkness but the worst was his eyes.
An electric purple.
His eye colour confused me but at the same time made me curious. He was different nonetheless. What did he want with me?
I didn't stop to rest when I left my father afterwards because a certain witch was pulling me and Baja into her guest tent and making me explain everything to her. So I told her about the creature, the warning she gave me in my dreams. Hoping that anything would tie into the reason I was being singled out but why I am will never be known.
"They're looking for a mark." I say seriously and Vixen frowns, taking her eyes up from where she was reading from one of her spell books to look up at me.
"That could mean anything. It doesn't have to be physical either. It could be internal. A mark on the soul." She tries to ease my worry but I shake my head and stand up.
"Then why is this guy looking for me then? I didn't do-I don't have anything he needs. Let's not forget your sister killing me. Everyone is looking for me in order to kill me and I don't know why. You don't realise how frustrating it is." I hiss lowly in my frustration and Vixen drags a tired hand up her face. I can't help but scoff at this.
"I don't know why I'm even here in the first place." I shake my head in disbelief. "You're supposed to be the one with all the answers. It was you that reached out to me in the first place a year ago."
"Hold on, I didn't reach out to you. I didn't even know you existed until that calling so don't turn this around on me. I'm trying my best to figure this out like you but I am no God. Deal with it."
I bite my lip and choose to slump back down on my seat beside a patient Baja. As soon as I sit down beside her she is resting her head on my lap and laying a paw over my leg. I caress her paw and narrow my eyes at the witch who was back to looking at her book, coming closer to us as she does. I furrow my brows curiously.
"What are you doing anyways?" I question, all trace of frustration now gone as curiosity sets in.
"I'm trying to open the connection." She explains before lifting her head from the book to look down at me.
"I'm going to find whatever is tying you to the Shadows and block it. I think they're using it to find you."
My eyes widen at this as my heart begins to increase. Of course they would. They're smart beings that will do anything to get what they want. The connection however, I don't even know how I have a connection to them or just to someone..
"You have to cut it." I state with determination and she bites her lip. My face falls at her expression. Knowing something was wrong.
"I'll try but one wrong move and it can get messy Keylin. They could possess your mind and plague you with nightmares. Then you will be lost."
"I-" I didn't know what to say to that. How did it get to this? How did my life go downhill so quickly in a little over a year?
"I trust you." I state seriously looking her dead in the eyes.
"If something does go wrong though...I-I want you to give this to Raen." I slowly reach up to the silver winged necklace and unclasp it from around my neck. Holding it tightly in the palm of my hand before holding it out to Vixen. I may not get the chance to give it to him and she was the only one I could trust to give it to him. I'm trusting her with my life right now. If something happened to me I knew Raen would never forgive me for agreeing to do it but it had to be done. It may give us even a day more in the end and that's all I can think about. More time.
Giving him my necklace that my mother gave to my father as a sign of her undying love to him is a tradition that almost all elves take part in. They have one necklace to give to the person they love and will love for the rest of their lives while they bare their own.
Raen is my person. He always was and always will be.
"Make sure he gets this. It's very important." I say after getting up from my seat and walking over to her. I placed the necklace in her hand and gripped her forearm to express my seriousness.
She rolls her eyes slightly but couldn't help find the moment touching as her eyes soften. I was surprised she knew of this tradition of elves. Not many did.
"Only if something goes wrong but you are going to be the one giving him this necklace, not me."
I didn't say anything to that and no sooner was she instructing me to lie down on the floor on my back and closing my eyes, taking deep and calming breaths. My mind was racing but I could feel myself slipping as she read what I believed was a spell. The floating feeling resurfaced.
—
I bolt awake, my eyes looking ahead of me but my mind was miles away.
"Keylin?" Vixen questions as she places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"I'm alright." I assure her, turning my sleepy gaze towards her.
"Did you block it?"
"No."
I let out a sigh as I run a hand through my hair. She places my necklace back in the palm of my hand but I didn't pay much attention as I was a bit preoccupied. Those piercing blue eyes on my mind from not too long ago.
It was her. The girl with the long red fire hair. I saw her again. I didn't know her, she was maybe my age or a year younger. I don't know why she shows up in my dreams. She doesn't approach me or even talk to me. I only see her, this time in a garden with flowers and trees. She had a white carnation in her hair.
"I saw a girl."
Vixen raises a brow at me while I only look down at my hands in confusion.
"A girl? No way!"
I roll my eyes.
"What did she look like?" She questions.
"Her eyes were like the water and her hair, like fire-"
Vixen stops whatever she was doing and quickly looks over to me in shock before a small smile forms on her face. I swallow as I look at her.
"Oh her!" Vixen muses in realisation before scoffing.
"You will meet her soon." She states carelessly and my heart beat increases as my mouth grows slack. I stare at Vixen wide eyed.
"When will I meet her?"
"Soon."
"Wow you're someone to talk."
"Thanks." Vixen replies with a fake smile before getting up from the floor and walking away.
"We're done now, you can leave if you want." I frown at her words as she calls out to me but in the end I sigh as I get up, rolling the muscles in my shoulder and moving to exit the tent. Thoughts of the girl on my mind as I do. Why did she appear in my dreams? Who was she?
A worrisome thought came into my head of maybe the connection to the Shadows wasn't with me but with this girl playing with my mind. Maybe she was the reason for this but I doubted it. If they wanted her they would just search for her instead of tracking me down. I was useless to them anyways because I didn't know anything about this girl only that she shows up in my dreams. I wonder why but remember Vixen saying that I would meet her soon. How soon?
So many thoughts ran through my mind and it was beginning to take a toll on me. I just wanted to sleep.
"Oh and Keylin?"
I turn my head at Vixen who looks at me as if remembering something serious. Something flashes across her face and she gulps before blinking out of her daze and smiles at me.
"Remember if you ever need me, call for me."
"Why?"
She rolls her eyes at my statement before the smile loosens on her features and she looks at me seriously, raising a brow.
"Just do it, even if it's only a whisper. I'll hear you and I'll come to you."
"Ok?" I say but it sounded more like a question rather than an agreement. I send her a smile as I turn and make my way out of the tent. Baja trails behind me slightly as we walk back to Raen's tent, my body sluggishly moving forward as I do and I couldn't wait to see Raen again. Cuddling him was what I needed right now.
I faltered however in my step when I heard something, far in the distance and maybe even deep into the forest but it was loud and sent a threatening message.
Baja perked her ears at the sound also before looking up at me. My eyes were wide and alert as I looked out into the dark forest. A wave of fear suddenly overcoming me before settling into a pile of nerves in the pit of my stomach.
A familiar screeching noise sounded as if it were calling out. I was about to turn around and walk away when I heard it again but this time in a much further direction and I furrowed my brows at that, confused. It made my ears tingle nonetheless and that scared me.
Whatever that creature was, I knew that if I set one foot near it; it would probably kill me on impact just with it's piercing screech. I've never heard something so shrill before in my life.
I continued in my step to Raen's tent. Walking a little faster this time and not stopping.
That creature I heard in my dreams was already here. It was becoming more and more like my dreams were starting to turn into my reality and I didn't know how I felt about it.
**
#518 in Fantasy❤️