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.
They followed the gravel track which shone like a silver thread woven through the velvet blackness in the light of the waning moon. Rue knew she had been right to trust her instinct as an icy coldness and feeling of dread touched her soul. Thorne and Ivy followed Rue as she inclined her tapered body towards the ground, the white blazes on their beating wings flashing as they descended, their nasal call breaking the silence of the night.
An ancient woodland almost as vast as their own loomed around them as their claws dug into the ground. Vortexes of air engulfed them as they transformed into their near-human form. Drawing long daggers from their sheaths they moved with stealth allowing their instincts to guide them towards the source of their fear and at the same time they fought to shield themselves from the dark thoughts that already threatened to seep into their minds. The creature was near.
In the shadows ahead of them smoldering eyes the colour of glowing coals watched them approach. The darkness opened its mouth and inhaled their sweet scent, savouring it. For eons, it had laid dormant, trapped in the veil, unable to seep into the shadows of living creatures and feed upon them. Despite its hunger, it had been careful not to gorge itself thus far. 'Prey is plentiful when they have no reason to fear the shadows,' it mused, 'being offered three tender souls is temptation too much. Tonight I will feast in honour of Marwolaeth and free them from this mortal realm.' A smoldering mist that shrouded the creature reached out across the woodland floor.
Rue could feel the air cooling around them and grasped onto the hilt of her dagger so tightly that her knuckles whitened. She raised her weapon and used it to catch Ivy and Thorne's attention, signalling for them to prepare themselves. Rue knew they were almost upon the creature and its mist would soon appear and surround them in an icy cloak of fear.
The creature sensed his prey nearing him as they crept forward with steely determination. Salivating at the thought his form pulsed with dark energy and within moments their darkest fears were flooding his mind as the mist wrapped around them.
Ivy screamed helplessly as a serpent's large head dropped from a branch above her and opened its jaws to strike.
"Ivy no!" shouted Rue, unable to see what was causing Ivy's alarm. "It's not real, shield your thoughts."
Ivy dodged the serpent as it darted forward. She lunged her dagger towards it in vain. The serpent's body started to coil around the huge breadth of the tree trunk as it made its way to the ground where Ivy stood frozen by her fear.
"Don't believe in its tricks," urged Thorne who was struggling herself to hold her resolve as she caught glimpses of movement between the trees just ahead of her.
The serpent's long body zigzagged across the woodland floor as Ivy remained transfixed by its gaze. She could hear muffled voices call out her name but she felt unable to call out for help. The mist rose around her and the trees and brush faded away. Only the serpent with its jaw wide open, revealing long fangs, remained in Ivy's focus.
Seeing Ivy being consumed by the mist, Rue and Thorne rushed to her aid. Each of them grabbed firmly onto one of Ivy's arms but Thorne was pushed back and Ivy quickly swung her free arm, dagger still in hand and thrust it at Rue just missing her torso as Rue managed to step back. Ivy quickly raised her dagger again to strike. Rue released her hold on Ivy and deftly bent down and pivoted on her heel to avoid another blow.
"Ivy it's us!" yelled Thorne in frustration as she got off the damp ground and ran over to help Rue.
Ivy breathed hard and fast as she prepared to defend herself against another strike from the serpent as it formed it muscular body into an 's' shape, it's hiss resonating in her mind.
Rue and Thorne stood side by side, weapons poised to defend themselves against their friend, hoping to disarm her. "Ivy shield your mind, focus,' pleaded Rue. 'Whatever you see is not real. It cannot harm you."
Ivy rebalanced the weight of the dagger's hilt in her hand and gritted her teeth. Raising her arm she took aim and the dagger flew through the air towards the serpent's head as it darted towards her.
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"Remember what I have taught you. This will be a battle of wits not of strength. I cannot rest easy in my thoughts until I know you will be safe."
"Then why are you putting me in danger?" Luna asked the seer as he grasped her slender arms with his bony, weathered hands.
"These creatures are but a distraction from your destiny. You are the chosen one, the one who will stop blood from being spilt as it did so many moons ago. You cannot be defeated by a distraction, for you have a higher purpose. You have a strong and pure magic inside you, it would be a shame to waste it and not fulfil your destiny by allowing a mindless creature to devour you and your soul," he answered. His eyes shone brightly but his face showed a stern resolve.
Luna breathed in deeply and closed her eyes for a few moments to clear her mind. "Do you truly believe I'm ready for this?" she asked, her eyes still shut, needing his reassurance.
"For this yes."
Luna opened her eyes and was surprised to see the softness of emotion in his. "You must believe in yourself as I believe in you," he continued. "Now we must go."
"Go where?"
He let go of her arms and turned his back to her without reply. He retrieved his staff from the ground and raised it up with both hands. The crystal held between the beak of the carved eagle began to glow with its white-blue light. 'Deis mea regna per vocationem nobis concedas transitum.' The air beyond began to shimmer like moonlight dancing upon the ripples of a stream. A cool breeze swam around them and Luna held her hair back from her face as they walked together, holding hands, through the portal.
Unspeakable creatures passed them by as they floated through the veil between the realms of realities through a kaleidoscope of colour and cacophony of noise. Luna wanted to scream but was too afraid. She looked to the Seer who held her hand tightly. He smiled warmly, his face suddenly appearing much younger. His wrinkles smoothed and there were hints of gold within the white of his long hair. Luna could hear his voice in her mind, whispering low and soft and yet it was drowning out the noise around them. 'Shield your mind, my child, shield your mind."
A calmness took over her as she pictured herself taking the objects of her fears and locking them away in a heavy wooden chest. Everything around them seemed to slow and a serene silence prevailed. She watched, now in wonder rather than distress, as an ogre passed them by, his face contorted in a scowl as he tried to reach out to them. Then Luna caught the silver-like glimmer of the portal in her sight and suddenly they were sucked through it and landed with a thud into a muddy patch of earth.