Once the rush was over, once the overwhelming joy of finding her parents alive subsided, Shimmer's emotions dropped back down to a harsh and confusing reality. She had found them in some impossible corner of the wild woods outside the village, but the strange tree-woman who led her to them still remained a mystery.
Shimmer could still remember the way she looked vividly: like flora made flesh, able to walk among the creatures of the forest. As her parents walked with her back to the village, she glanced back at that small birch over and over, watching to see if the woman changed her form again. When she saw nothing of the sort, she started to wonder if she had been going mad.
The tree-woman aside, there were other things weighing on her mind as well as on the collective minds of the whole village. The midday sun cast beams of light through the foliage above, illuminating every detail of the carnage and destruction that had befallen Moon-hollow. Discolored corpses lay scattered about the blood-stained dirt. Homes were reduced to splinters and debris was flung about the village. The community was ruined, the people were dead, the harvest was gone, and all hope seemed lost.
Her hands and feet were full of splinters as she helped the rest of the elven villagers clean up the pieces of their broken lives. Her dress, the most beautifully elegant garment she'd ever worn, was torn and stained with a smeared mixture of blood and dirt. Her hair, once cleaned, brushed, and braided magnificently, resembled a bird's nest at the end of the spring. She was a walking manifestation of her village: a beautiful thing suddenly destroyed, leaving behind a tarnished and mangled shadow of its former self.
"Shimmer!" Snowflake shouted.
Shimmer looked up from the pile of broken branches she was hunched over. The pile had once been the home of a dear neighbor, but they would have no more need of it now that they had gone to be with the Lady. Rising from her knees, she was back on her feet just in time to receive the warm embrace of her best friend.
"I heard you found them," Snowflake said as she wrapped her arms around Shimmer's upper body. "Lady be blessed."
"I guess we were lucky," Shimmer responded. It was hard to feel anything other than guilt when the death toll for the whole territory was considered. She was relieved, yes, but her fortune also brought with it the jealous looks of those around her who mourned over the bodies of their fallen family members. It kept her and Snowflake from outwardly showing their joy that their families had survived. After all, there was nothing truly happy about any of this.
"Have the elders said anything yet?" Shimmer asked. Rosewood and the tribe elders had been meeting privately ever since the sun came up. As the elves worked to pick up the pieces, they waited with anxious anticipation for any words of sense, direction, or assurance from their leaders.
Snowflake shook her head. "None of them have even returned from the Wilds. They likely won't decide anything until Valdin and the others get back."
Shimmer let out a long exhale as she shut her eyes tight. Valdin; she had gone all morning not giving that dreaded human another thought. Her mind had been too preoccupied with death, destruction, and strange women turning into trees. At the mention of his name, all those thoughts and feelings she'd finally managed to stave off came flooding back. "By Lady's grace, I hope I never see that dreadful Harmonious again," she said.
A flurry of motion off in the distance caught Snowflake's attention. Her head rose just in time to see several familiar faces emerge from the foliage. She sighed. "It seems her grace for you has run out."
Shimmer turned just as Valdin stepped from behind a wide tree trunk and onto the debris-covered ground. The other Harmonious, along with the elven army sent after the hoard, filed into the village in clusters, some dragging the bags full of harvest behind them.
The elves erupted into a chorus of cheers and shouts. Seeing their harvest triumphantly returned to its rightful owners was an instant boost to the morale and spirit of the entire village. They rushed to the sides of their returning champions, helping them to pull the load and give rest to the weary. It wasn't until they were closer, and the worried expressions on the returning soldier's faces resonated with the villagers, that all the excitement left the air.
"Where is the high priestess?" Valdin asked as he approached Shimmer and Snowflake. As much as he was ready to be rid of these useless females, they were familiar faces and therefore the fastest way for him to get the information he needed.
"She and the elders are in the Wilds," Shimmer said.
"You must lead me to them," he said. "Right now."
Shimmer raised an eyebrow as she stared into Valdin's determined eyes. "You know a meeting of the elders is not to be disturbed by anyone from the village," she said, astounded that she would have to remind him of such a thing.
"Everything has changed," Valdin responded with a shake of his head. "The high priestess must hear my words without delay."
~~\*/~~
The shock of Valdin's news caused Rosewood to lose grip upon her staff. The long, gnarled branch landed softly on the ground of the wild woods to the north of the village. Her mouth gaped open and her eyes were wide. Words failed her. There was no possible response to this horrific new development.
Shimmer and Snowflake were beside Valdin as he stood before the dumbfounded high priestess. Cricket, the small faerie, stood atop Valdin's right shoulder. The tribe elders formed a semi-circle behind Rosewood, their expressions just as shocked and overwhelmed as that of their spiritual leader. None of them spoke. Whether it was a lack of words or a lack of courage, each tongue held silent.
"How many died at the hands of these... creatures?" Rosewood asked. Her voice was soft and distant, with words meant for Valdin but directed at no one.
"Seventeen elves," Valdin replied. "Ripped apart like paper."
"Lady, help us," Rosewood said softly. "And... this blight you spoke of... is growing?"
Valdin nodded. "It appears to have originated somewhere in the Savage Lands to the southeast based on the direction it travels."
"It swept over our lands before we even knew it was coming," Cricket said. "Windsong shriveled and died before our very eyes."
Rosewood's left hand grasped her right arm and gently rubbed up and down along her skin. Her head bowed and her eyes shut. All of this was unfathomable. She opened her mouth, trying to find anything to say, but nothing came to her.
"How long before it gets here?" Shimmer asked. All eyes turned to the young girl standing behind the Harmonious human. Her hands were clasped together in front of her with her arms fully extended downward. She knew this wasn't her place and that neither she nor Snowflake had any reason to be a part of this meeting. Nevertheless, she felt compelled to ask the question at the front of everyone's mind that no one else dared to say aloud.
Valdin sighed. "The blight line extended roughly sixty feet in the short time we were there. At that rate, it could be here in as little as two days, maybe sooner."
"And it will bring those creatures with it, no doubt," Cricket said. "The elves cannot stay here."
"What will we do then?" asked one of the elders behind Rosewood. His voice was weak and full of fear.
"And how will we know how far away is far enough?" another asked. "Are we to run forever?"
Rosewood pressed the end of her staff firmly against the dirt below her. She gazed down at all the wild things growing from the ground, all living treasures given to them by the Lady. It was late summer and the forest was never more alive than it was at this moment. The thought that it could all be gone in a matter of days was impossible to comprehend. "We've never been this lost before," she said. "Before we do anything, we need real guidance."
"What do you suggest, great one?" one of the elders asked.
Rosewood looked up into the sky. There were no clouds above them, allowing golden rays of sunshine to filter through the foliage and fall warmly upon her skin. "We will perform a summoning."
Gasps of shock sounded all around her. The elders went into a frenzy of shouts and murmurs.
"How can you say such a thing?!" one elder shouted.
"No high priestess has dared call for a summoning in generations!" another cried out.
"What else would you have me do?!" Rosewood shouted. Her voice echoed off the trees and silenced the elves around her. "Our village lies in ruin. A blight comes to kill the very forest the Lady provides for us and it brings with it creatures too horrific to speak of. Before I send these elves away from their homes and into hostile territory for who knows how far or how long, I would hear council from the Lady herself."
Valdin stepped forward. His hands trembled slightly for his mind was tormented by too many horrible thoughts at once. "I fear you are right, priestess," he said. "We need the Lady's guidance here, but you know what a summoning entails. For the Lady to speak she must have a vessel, a young maiden willing to give up her life to allow the Lady to use her body."
Rosewood shut her eyes as she turned her head away. "I would gladly give my own for this task, but... but..."
"It must be a young maiden," Shimmer said softly. She had heard of the summoning ritual in stories, but the very thought of it was chilling. The idea of hearing the Lady's own voice was wonderful, but the fact that a young maiden would have to give her life in the process made the cost too great. A summoning was only performed in the most desperate of times. The last was after the Great War, and the wisdom she shared brought about the Tri-leaf Pact and peace amongst the tribes. She didn't want to admit it, but the high priestess was right.
"Yes, my dear," Rosewood replied. "Also, I am the only one able to perform the right. We will gather the villagers and explain what is to be done. I pray that at least one maiden will be willing to make such a sacrifice for her people."
"One already is," said a meek voice behind them.
Everyone turned their attention to a trembling, terrified young Snowflake as she took a wary step forward.
Shimmer's jaw dropped as she shook her head. "No," she said softly. "You can't."
"Someone has to do it!" Snowflake said as a tear fell down her right cheek. "If it is not to be me, then whom would you ask? Would you have it be some other girl?!"
"I will do it!" Shimmer shouted.
Snowflake shook her head violently. "You're too old now, remember? You've already had your naming ceremony."
Shimmer closed her eyes and let out a painful sigh as she realized that Snowflake was right.
Snowflake gently placed a crooked finger under Shimmer's chin and lifted her head up. Their tear-filled eyes gazed into each other's as their lips quivered with fear and despair. "The Lady can only speak through the body of a young maiden, you know that."
"But not you," Shimmer whispered through her tears. "Lady's grace please, not you."
"Would you wish it upon another?" Snowflake asked. "Would you ask another to make such a sacrifice just to spare me?"
Shimmer threw her arms around Snowflake's body and pulled her in close. She wept uncontrollably as she held tightly to her best friend, her friend that had just volunteered to die so that her people may be saved. It was incredibly selfless and brave, but Shimmer feared she could not be brave enough to let her go. Together the two elves fell to their knees in their embrace, too weak with sorrow to stand.
Valdin's hands rested on the shoulders of both girls while they held tightly to one another. He had been hard on these two for being cowards, but Snowflake was about to do something far braver than he would have ever given either of them credit for. "Snowflake," he said softly. "Your sacrifice could very well be our survival. May the Lady bless and watch over you."
~~\*/~~
The late evening air carried with it a cool wind blowing from the southeast. With news of the blight now spread throughout the ransacked village, the elves and Harmonious alike wondered if it was the winds from a dead world announcing their inevitable demise. The sun was falling in the west, casting an orange glow over the shores of Sky Lake. The bodies had been removed, but their blood still stained the dust and rocks and the smell hung heavy in the air. This hallowed ground would never be the same for any of them if they ever even saw it again.
Many had already begun packing. The methods were still unclear but the goal was universally understood: leave. Like the faeries of Windsong and their surrounding territory, the elves were to pack up their food, their belongings, and their lives, setting off on a pilgrimage northward to a place only the Lady knew, which brought them to this final gathering on the shore.
It was a far different event from the one the previous evening. Joy and frivolity were replaced with fear, despair, and confusion. Their hope lay in the coming words spoken by the Lady herself. They hoped these words would bring them understanding, direction, and inner strength. However, in order to hear these words, another of their own would have to die.
Against the shore where the water touched the land, a great, stone altar had been placed. A slab of granite sat atop two lavishly carved pillars of stone, each with ivy vines, butterflies, and small birds etched around them. This stone altar had not been brought to the shore since the end of the Great War. It was where the vessel lay to receive the spirit of the Lady. Tonight, it was where Snowflake would lay down and die to save her people.
The vessel was dressed in a flowing white gown that danced with the chilling wind. Her head was adorned with a crown of flowers and a necklace of sparkling diamonds placed around her neck. She had never looked so beautiful, but she knew these things were not for her. When her spirit left her body, it would then belong to the blessed Lady of the forest herself, and her faithful followers would want her to look as lovely as possible.
Standing by the altar, young Snowflake held back her fear and sorrow with every fiber of her being. She kept her gaze down upon the cold granite which she would lay on before the end, not daring to look up and see the faces of those she was leaving behind. Her resolve would not allow her to watch her mother and father huddled together by the trees with tears running down their faces. This was not as she wanted it, but it had to be done and there was no turning back.
Shimmer stood at the front of the crowd gathered around the altar in a semi-circle at least forty yards wide. Tears soaked her cheeks as she hugged tightly to the right arm of the Harmonious human that had earlier brought her so much frustration and discontent. There was still a strange feeling that kept her drawn to him and, at this moment, she was more content to embrace it than be annoyed by it. She couldn't bear to stand with her parents or, Lady forbid, Snowflake's. At this moment she needed a friend, and the greatest one she'd ever known was preparing to give her life for Moon-hollow.
Standing silently, Valdin was truly amazed and humbled by Snowflake's sacrifice. It took an unbelievable amount of courage to volunteer for such a thing and, though not giving her life, Shimmer was making quite a sacrifice herself. How many could stand strong and not try and stop such a friend from giving their life in this way?
As he looked around at the faces in the crowd, he could read the emotions they felt but did not dare speak. He knew what they were thinking: at least it's not my daughter, not my friend. There was weakness in their souls that neither of these young girls possessed. Had he known this during the battle with the hoard, he would not have treated them so coldly.
The tribe elders stood in a row behind the altar with Rosewood standing in the center. She was trying to remain strong, convincing herself over and over again that this was the right course of action. It was difficult to even look up at Snowflake whose white dress blew in the breeze beside her. A summoning was a rite every high priestess prayed she would never find herself having to perform.
"Elves of Moon-hollow," Rosewood began as she raised her staff into the air. "I don't need to tell you that our future is both unsure and terrifying. Blight is coming, bringing with it creatures the likes of which we have never seen before. If we are to abandon Moon-hollow, leaving behind all that our ancestors have worked over centuries to build, we must have an understanding of what we're up against. I will not send us off blindly, not knowing how far we will go or for how long. We must speak to the Lady." Rosewood turned her head, forcing herself to look upon the tear-soaked face of young Snowflake who stood as strong and fearlessly as she could. "Even at such a high price."
Shimmer gripped tightly around Valdin's arm and buried her head in his chest. His clothes smelled of dirt and blood but his presence was comforting. She sobbed uncontrollably as Valdin laid his left hand gently on the back of her head. His fingers were callused and rough, but still felt gentle as he softly stroked the curls of her fiery red hair.
This was not weakness. Were Shimmer weak, he would be holding her back as she rushed to stop Snowflake from going through with the ritual, acting out of selfishness with no thought to the safety of her village. Though her eyes were full of tears and her body trembled from rage and sorrow, Valdin had never seen her so strong before.
With a cautious step to her right, Rosewood laid her hand on Snowflake's shoulder. "My child, are you ready?"
Snowflake swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Wiping the tears away from her cheeks, she managed to squeak out a faint "yes". Rosewood led the trembling young elf over to the stone slab that would be her final resting place. Snowflake laid a hand upon the altar. The granite was cold and lifeless with a coarse texture that scratched against the skin of her shaking fingertips. With a mournful nod from her high priestess, Snowflake climbed up onto the altar.
Lying on her back, Snowflake's gaze was pointed skyward. Out in the clearing by the water's edge, there was no foliage blocking her view of the evening sky. It was cloudless and illuminated with a brilliant orange glow that reminded her of Shimmer's lovely hair. She wanted to turn her head and look upon the faces of her dear loved ones she would never see again, but she could not bear to.
She tried to block it all out, the cries of the elves, the voice of Rosewood as she began reciting the ancient rites of the summoning. Her mind blocked all these things away, trying to rest and be at peace before she drew her last breath. There was only her and the sky, nothing more.
Shimmer still couldn't raise her head. She was like a small child, clutching tightly to the leg of her father until the thing she was afraid of went away, only it wasn't going away. Her friend was dying right in front of her. She could already hear Rosewood chanting on in a language no one could understand. The wind was picking up and causing the flames on the few already lit torches to dance wildly. A cold chill enveloped the shore that came not from the wind as the air became heavy and thick. The rite was nearing completion and the Lady herself was coming to fill the body of their sacrifice.
Swallowing her fear, Shimmer forced herself to look up. Snowflake lay perfectly still upon the altar, but her chest still heaved rapidly. She could see she was still alive, still terrified. How long would it be before the ritual was finished and the soul drawing breath in that body was no longer Snowflake's? Behind the altar, Rosewood's gaze was turned towards the evening sky. Her eyes glowed with a brilliant white light as she waved her staff in a circular motion high over her head.
Though the sun had not yet set, the clearing around Sky Lake grew darker with each passing moment. It was as though night came to the ground before the sky. The winds became violent, finally extinguishing the torches one by one. Soon, the only true light came from Rosewood's white eyes and the red sky above, magically barred from allowing its fiery glow to cast down upon the shore. The Lady was here, needing now only to fill her vessel.
Shimmer's hands dropped from around Valdin's arm as she suddenly felt light headed. At first she thought it was the overwhelming sensations of the moment finally taking their toll, but the feeling grew stronger. It was as if she had been drugged without her knowledge, but she had consumed nothing for hours. Her footing nearly failed her as she staggered away from her Harmonious companion.
Valdin reached out for Shimmer's hand, wondering why she was behaving so strangely. He tried to call out for her, but soon found himself suddenly taken by overwhelming drowsiness. He and Shimmer both staggered across the rocks like two youths who had partaken of far too much wine. It was incredibly strange. Neither of them could fight the sensation of sleepiness and fatigue dragging on their bodies. When they could fight it no more, both Shimmer and Valdin fell to the rocky ground below with a loud thud.