Past of Shadows

by Colleen Connally

  The winter thaw had begun. Some mornings Kela had to break through the ice to draw water. There was wood to gather, fires to make.

  They were cold. The hut was drafty. They had only thin blankets to warm themselves. The hearth was used to both heat and cook their scarce food.

  Kela’s body ached, her stomach growled. She gave most of the food to Guilda, who seemed to think they still had ample provisions. Kela had not the heart to constantly remind Guilda of the change in their circumstances.

  Guilda cried for Sareta. Her heart ached for her young charge.

  Try as Kela might, she realized that she could never replace Sareta in Guilda’s heart.

  Kela had no choice but to explore. She gave little heed to the warning against going into the forest. To her dismay, the woods seemed endless. Nervously at first, Kela walked along the border.

  Immediately, she learned she wasn’t alone. She could hear voices murmuring, then at other times, singing mournful songs. Soon, Kela gave no thought to their noises, irritated as she was at her circumstance.

  She didn’t care if they were spirits, lost souls or whatever. If they couldn’t help her get out of this place, she had no time for them.

  One day, Kela heard the lovely voice of a woman. She sang a haunting song, almost a lullaby.

  Kela found herself drawn to the melody and strangely took comfort in the ballad.

  Do not cry, my little one,

  Sleep my child with peace,

  As I attend to thee,

  All through the night and the day,

  I will not be away from you.

  As guardian angels watch over all,

  I'll be as such with my little one.

  Watching over you as you sleep.

  Sleep within the slumbers soundly,

  Knowing love surrounds you.

  Do not cry, my little one,

  The Great One sends me hence,

  But my heart will always watch ov'r thee

  E'er around my little one,

  Close your eyes and dream.

  Dreams always, my little one,

  I'll stay watching over thee,

  Sleep, my little one!

  One evening, Kela was humming the tune. Guilda looked at her oddly.

  “Why are you humming a lullaby, Kela?”

  “Lullaby?”

  “It is the one your father sang to you children as a babies.”

  Kela remembered little of the time before her parents’ death. Oddly, the sound of the lullaby calmed her. She ceased to be afraid or irritated or whatever she felt about the lost souls.

  The water from the stream running alongside the forest was the only source of fresh water they had. Kela saw the shadows that loomed amid the darkness of the woods, but she no longer felt threatened.

  She realized the danger of their beckoning, knowing she had no knowledge of their intent, good or evil. Yet, they did not harm her. In truth, they helped her find roots, mushrooms, and berries that were safe to eat.

  Kela and Guilda survived for a month in those circumstances before she heard the fluttering of wings. Sordarins!

  Overhead, the Sordarins came into view. Her heart pounded madly. Of course, they had returned! They couldn’t leave her here without explanation.

  In her next breath, her heart faltered.

  Kela watched in disbelief as the Sordarins flew past their small shelter as if they were invisible. She watched the small group disappear from view. The Sordarins landed…they had returned to this forbidden place.

  She waited in hopes that the Sordarins would make some contact, but there was none. She could have cried in despair.

  Lying in bed that night, Kela contemplated her options. Whether or not to make contact was weighing heavily on her mind. By morning light, she had made her decision. She would venture toward where she had seen the Sordarins land.

  Kela had no choice. They had gone hungry and cold for too long not to try to connect with the visitors.

  With the morning light, Kela began her journey. She hadn’t told Guilda, who Kela feared would panic, believing she would be left alone.

  Kela left Guilda while her nurse slept, laying out the little food they had, which was no more than the crumbs of the last bread they had and a round red, sweet fruit of which Kela had no knowledge of its name, except it seemed to be plentiful on the ground.

  Trekking to the top of the rocky hill, Kela glanced back at the cottage. She vowed she would return with aid for her aged nurse. The sun centered high in the sky before Kela caught sight of her destination, an old seemingly forgotten castle.

  She sighed.

  Sweat poured down Kela’s cheeks. Her feet hurt after traveling over rough terrain. She was tired and still had a ways to go. True, she had taken a longer route, but she dare not take the easier path for fear she would be exposed and vulnerable to attack if these Sordarins weren’t friends.

  Exhausted, Kela managed to come to the base of the castle, only to find it surrounded by huge boulders that were covered by thorny vines. She saw no draw bridge or main entrance. Her lips twisted, after all she was dealing with Sordarins, who needed no gate to enter.

  Frustration ruled Kela.

  She stared at the castle for only a moment. She had not traveled this arduous trail to be denied entry. Kela blasted…again and again. Walking forward, she ignored her tunic being caught on briars. She refused to be deterred from her intent.

  Kela kept blasting until her arms stung.

  Waiting only until the dust cleared, she was prepared again to blast, except now there was an opening. Boulders had been smashed and thrown aside, vines had been broken allowing her a free pathway to the castle.

  An archway had been formed when the castle’s stones had been crushed into sand. She walked through the destruction to find a young Sordarin frozen to his spot, stunned at her feat. Behind him, several more Sordarins began to emerge, leery of what they might find.

  Stepping forward, she saw expressions of open amazement. That was not all. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of an old man walk into the courtyard. Her arms rose in defense…

  “That is not necessary. Please, let me keep all my students intact, my dear child.”

  Kela turned her head toward the calming voice. The elderly man was not Sordarin. He had flowing gray hair, held back by a tie around his head. Short in stature, he was the same height as Kela. His face shown the worn lines of the years behind him.

  His wrinkled hand was drawn upward in such a fashion as to hold back an assault upon her. Yet in the mood Kela was in, she cared not. She was prepared to take them all on.

  Then, a smile emerged on the old man’s face. He pointed at her. “There is no need for more destruction. I can understand your frustration. We have only returned here last night to discover that the caretaker passed away since our last departure. It is a shame for it was thought he would have greeted you…”

  “Greeted me?” Kela corrected. “The only greeting I have had was a harsh one.”

  “The ones that brought you should have seen to your needs before departing.

  Kela shook her head. Though, her manner didn’t relent with his pretense of caring for her wellbeing. She had no knowledge of these people.

  Reading her thoughts, the man pressed his lips together. “My name is Twiten.” His hands gestured wide across his chest. “These young Sordarins are under my care. They are to be instructed in the ability to be a Euchoun, although I’m certain they have not seen the power that was just exhibited. To be honest, I had been told…held hope it would surface again, but until one sees…”

  “I don’t understand you, Old Man.”

  “No? You don’t know why you are here?”

  “I know only that I was ripped from my family and brought here in the dead of night with little food and only a semblance of a shelter. I hear not from my brother and don’t feel my sister’s presence. No, I don’t know why I’m here.”

  He nodded slightly, motioning to one beh
ind him. “Go prepare a meal. See what we have for clothing also.”

  “No, wait…My nurse is in bed,” she said, filled with confusion. “She needs food.”

  His smile widened. “Spoken like a true Euchoun. Thinking of others…That is what you are is not, young lass? You wonder why you are here,” he paused and walked up beside her. His hands pushed hers down. “You don’t need to use your powers against us. My students are known as Ecrils. Though not as powerful, they are like you. It is why you are here.”

  “Why?”

  He said simply, “To train, young lass. To train.”

  * * * *

  The castle had not been inhabited for quite a while. Cobwebs filled the corners with an inch of dust on the furniture and floor. This, though, did not deter Twiten from showing Kela into a large dining hall, where he had food prepared for her.

  The plate was filled with a partridge, potatoes, and freshly baked bread. Unable to contain herself, she gobbled down her plate. Glancing up, she found Twiten studying her. Taking a bite out of the bread, she asked, “Who are you?”

  “My name is Twiten. I tarry from a land long ago lost, Narteria. At one time, Narteria was the source of all that is known upon this world, but our numbers have dwindled. The few of us remaining are called Overseers in charge of countering the balance of the Siochanta Realm. You will learn that we all have been born with a purpose. Yours is to protect. Mine is to give you the means to do so.”

  “I have never known a Narterian,” she said. “I certainly have never heard that you are to guide me.”

  “You were not raised as a Euchoun. True, you have known what it is to hold the power. Understand that true Euchouns are rare creatures. Yes, Euchouns have the power to shield and protect, but little compare to the feat I saw you perform this day. In truth, young lass, I have only seen one other exhibit close to your power,” he paused, staring straight into her eyes. “But you do not know much about being a Euchoun.”

  “There was no one to teach me. I know no other Euchoun, but Guilda can tell you about my upbringing. She is Witheleghean as was my mother, but I am strongly Sordarin.”

  “There is a reason you are Euchoun, but it has little to do with being half-Witheleghean,” he said. “What is assured is that we face an unseen danger. Much has happened over the last few years that has King Edulf concerned about Scarladin. We have searched long and hard for the Euchoun foretold. All we have found are on these grounds. They are my students.

  “We come to train and develop when the weather warms until the winter winds blow. These grounds hidden within the Forbidden Forest are enchanted, protected from the Hallow Minions. We can train without fear of discovery, but in turn good magic can’t penetrate the field around us either. It is why you can’t hear your brother or feel your sister. Unfortunate, but necessary if you are to survive until you are needed.”

  “Survive?” Kela countered. “You act as though I have been protected by some means instead of thrust in this wilderness with no food and only a semblance of a shelter. My siblings were taken within my grandfather’s castle, acknowledged for their birthright. Guilda says my sister is the most powerful Witheleghean that has lived outside of Witheleghe. Sareta has not been protected in the manner I have.”

  “You are wrong. There are those that can shield your sister’s magic from the Hallow Minions. One is here. It is a form of being a Euchoun, a different type of shielding, reflecting magic off. Moreover, she has not rebelled.

  “You, young lass, have not been able to hide your powers. Already rumors abound of a Euchoun. You are not ready to be acknowledged.”

  “Why not?” Kela demanded. “Did I not save my grandfather? I did. Didn’t I?” Her voice trailed off, uncertain now with a memory that blurred on that night.

  “Yes,” he said. “Yet, there is much for you to learn. In your words lies the answer to your question. If you know not what you have done, then you have your answer. The power within you needs to be cultivated. The young warrior, who fought by your side, expressed concerns as to where you would blast. He wasn’t certain if he would be caught in your field of vision. It caused for uncertainty.”

  “But he killed the creature,” she said defensively, but confusion rang in her voice. She had never considered she could do harm to those she did not intend to do so.

  “King Edulf knows Euchouns well. With the power you exhibited comes the warning of a greater evil. The Great One does not send a Euchoun as powerful as we suspect you could become without a threat. It has been written. In all, you must prepare.”

  Deep within Kela, his words struck a chord…that was her destiny. “That is my wish.”

  “I hope you will feel the same in the time to come. I warn you, though, that this road is difficult enough for a male. But in all, the Great One has spoken. We cannot question…if it is indeed you that he has sent.”

  Training of a Euchoun

  Seasons passed without word from her brother or sister. Each with a hope that Kela would have been called home. Yet, she still lived within her forest prison, longing for her siblings.

  Kela missed them desperately.

  Her time had not been idle. She had studied and trained with a diligence that has far exceeded even Twiten’s expectations.

  Her life had been lived in solitude, even when the Ecrils settled within the Forbidden Forest’s boundaries. For in the time since Twiten announced his intent to train her, all his students no longer remember her outburst of power.

  She discovered Twiten held strong magic within him, wiping out the memory of her entrance.

  Except one— Johannes.

  Johannes had become her only friend. He had no last name, or at least, none he remembered. His earliest memories were of living in Twiten’s household. He had been brought to Twiten when he wandered the streets of Yucca.

  Her friend was marked with sign of one blessed by the sun. His distinctive dark red hair had most believing he came the Osmolado clan, except for the streak of white. His eyes were strange, glossed over in a sky blue in color. He was different as she was.

  Unlike most Euchoun which repelled danger, his Euchoun power came from reflecting off the danger he faced, which was the reason Twiten’s magic had not affected him. It was, also, the reason Kela learned that Johannes had been the one to have protected Sareta from the Hallow Minions.

  Envy consumed her to discover that Johannes was close to her family. He seemed to be an especially close confidant to Falco. Yet, it allowed her a semblance of contact to her loved ones.

  Johannes kept her secret. Twiten had said it was essential.

  From a distance, Kela had trained as the Euchoun she was with the knowledge that even in her small world, she could not be acknowledged for the power she held.

  All the while the Euchouns dwelled within the walls of the deserted castle, Kela had served as their maid, waiting upon their needs, watching, and studying. Twiten opened his large library to her.

  During the time the Ecrils retreat back to Yucca, Twiten had allowed Kela to take enough books to the cottage. No one was allowed into Blackton Castle after the Ecrils departure. She lived within the books, books of history, battles, and kings.

  Kela had been content, for she believed in her purpose.

  She had seen evil and had trembled. She refused to do so again.

  In that, she held to that belief. In truth, she had to hold on to something. For at times, she felt a void that pain had filled. A pull had grown within her. She had no knowledge to what or whom, but it draws her.

  After her first year in the Forbidden Forest, Turstan journeyed with the Ecrils. He was allowed to visit only after he took a vow not to relay communication between her siblings and herself.

  No matter, she was overcome with joy to see her guardian. He looked wonderful. She was stunned to discover his wings had healed, but happily so. He could now fly again.

  Moreover, she took great comfort in his presence.

  Turstan told Kela he hesitated to take th
e vow for he hated to keep information from Falco and Sareta, but had no choice. It was the price he paid to see her.

  Never had Kela seen Turstan cry, but he wept, holding her tight on first sight.

  There had been no time wasted in his stay. He trained her with a sword. Although her stature and strength could not compare to a male, Turstan wanted her to move, think, and anticipate like a warrior.

  “To protect a Sordarin, you will need to understand the danger they face,” Turstan said more than once.

  Fencing with her mentor, Kela staggered back from his frontal assault. She rose on one knee, sword in hand. Turstan had drilled into her: Never drop your sword.

  Kela listened well to Turstan.

  While the Euchouns were within Blackton, Guilda and Kela resided within the castle. Guilda was revered by the students as a teacher of good magic. Her knowledge of Witheleghe had allowed her to be of use to Twiten. With the need of the students, her health greatly improved.

  Guilda’s despair returned on the Ecrils’ departure when she returned to the cottage. The thought of enduring the bleak winter months was depressing. Improvements had been made by the students.

  The hut had been transformed. To keep winter at bay, a thick wooden door had been mounted along with glass and shutters for the windows. An addition had been built to supply Guilda with a room of her own. It had been designed and decorated to remind Guilda of her home, to give her a semblance of comfort

  The students gathered enough wood and prepared food, grain and dried meat for Guilda and Kela to survive the winter. A barn was built to house a cow, goat, and chickens to supply them with fresh milk and eggs.

  For herself, Kela was not given the same comforts as Guilda. She still slept in the corner by the fire on a bed of straw. Twiten said she needed to learn humility.

  Kela made no argument, understanding she had much more to learn. Her mind reasoned with her heart that it was for the best.

  Twiten reinforced within Kela the importance of focus. Over time, she learned to concentrate solely on her objective, to gain control over her power. She wanted to return to Yucca, but Twiten cautioned her to remain patience.