Tianna was uncomfortable talking about herself and she wanted to stop where this conversation was heading, so she walked to the front door. “Let’s walk into the village so I can pick up some supplies and show you around before it’s too dark.” Everyone agreed and they took a short walk to the village.
As they traveled down the main street, Tianna pointed out places of interest, including the blacksmith. They stepped inside so she could introduce the owner to her new friends.
Gabriel asked if he could use some of the smith’s equipment. The owner was startled by the hulking man now standing in front of him, and he hesitated before answering. Tianna, seeing his unease, placed her arms tightly around Gabriel’s waist. Gazing directly into the owner’s eyes, she said in a strangely intense voice, “It’s okay. He’s a friend.”
The shop owner’s eyes glossed over for a moment and he relaxed. He then invited Gabriel to use anything that was in his shop. Tianna told Gabriel that they would meet him back at her master’s home later for evening meal.
Gabriel was touched by her kindness, but Marcus stared sharply at Tianna. He was wondering how she had so easily shaped the conversation. He kept his thoughts to himself, and the remainder of the group left the shop, continuing their tour of the village.
After traveling a short distance, they saw a family standing across the road with a little girl. When the little girl spotted Tianna, she came running and leapt into Tianna’s arms. Nathaniel caught Tianna’s shoulders so she wouldn’t get knocked to the ground, but Tianna was giggling and didn’t seem to notice.
“Ty, you’re back!” she said with a death-grip hug around Tianna’s neck. After a moment, she released her hold but stayed in Tianna’s arms.
“How’s your brother’s leg, Sara?” Tianna asked.
“Okay, I guess, but he almost did it again and papa yelled and yelled and yelled. It hurt my ears.” She moved her hands to cover her ears.
Her father bellowed for Sara to come back to them. Tianna asked Sara for one more hug, which she gave enthusiastically. Sara’s parents yelled again, now with anger on their faces. Tianna put Sara down and watched her run back across the street.
Nathaniel could feel the pain the parents’ hatred caused Tianna. Marcus glanced over and saw that Tianna’s eyes were tense. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Tianna tried to smile but it was more of a grimace. She said, “I’m fine. Sara’s one of the only people in this village that will touch me voluntarily. Nobody else wants me near them unless I’m healing.” Watching Sara’s family quickly walk away, she sighed. “I guess it does bother me. I hate that people are afraid of me.”
As they continued down the road, they passed a young man with stark white hair. They heard him whisper angrily, “Witch.” When he saw the reaction in Tianna’s companion’s faces he took off at a limping run.
Seth started to go after him, but Tianna grabbed his arm. She shrugged saying, “That’s just Garrett.” She knew he was about to ask her for an explanation, so she added quickly, “It’s a long story to be told another day.”
She tried to treat it like it meant nothing, but Nathaniel knew differently. He felt the impact of the word on Tianna like a knife in his chest. He wondered why he kept feeling what Tianna was feeling.
The travelers approached a tavern with two scantily dressed women standing in front of the door. Tianna hadn’t approved when this tavern opened up a few years back but as the village grew larger, so did its appetites.
The two women caught a glimpse of Nathaniel and started to call him over. He stepped forward. “Sorry, my friends, but this is my stop.” He walked over to the women and instantly wrapped his arms around their shoulders. He turned back to his traveling group and called, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
As he turned back toward the tavern, he caught a glimpse of Tianna’s face. He hated to see that look in her eyes, so he tried to convince himself she was just a silly human that he liked to tease. Tianna knew he wasn’t doing anything he hadn’t talked about since the moment she met him. Seth, seeing her distress, grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. Tianna gave out a long sigh but continued down the road and didn’t look back.
Tianna found her parents outside their home talking to Zarin. They approached and Tianna introduced her parents, Beth and David, to Marcus and Seth. As Tianna began to introduce her wizard master, Marcus interrupted her.
“Zarin, you old goat! So you’re the one Tianna won’t stop talking about.” Marcus and Zarin greeted each other by grabbing each other’s arms just below the elbow in a ceremonial embrace Tianna had never seen before.
Zarin responded, “It’s good to see you, old friend. It’s been a long time.”
Tianna’s mouth gaped open in shock.
Seeing the expression on Tianna’s face, Marcus patted Zarin on his shoulder and said, “Zarin has come to my village many times over the years. He comes to converse with our Seer.” Even though Marcus towered over Zarin, Tianna noticed that her master didn’t flinch with Marcus’ strong grip. He always seemed surprisingly stronger than his elderly frame projected.
Tianna raised her eyebrows at Zarin. “I think you owe me some more stories, my dear master.”
“Maybe I do, but you, my dear apprentice, also owe me the story of how you came to be standing here with Marcus.” Zarin’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Marcus pointed toward Seth. “Zarin, I don’t think you’ve had the opportunity to meet Seth, the best tracker in Haven. The poor fellow has Gabriel as a mentor.”
Zarin laughed heartily and Tianna realized that her master must know Gabriel too. Tianna saw that Seth was embarrassed at the attention, so she told her father about Seth’s interest in maps and the stars. Within a few minutes, the two of them were busy in conversation and disappeared into the home to look at maps.
Tianna hugged her mother and asked. “Would you and father join us for the evening meal tonight?”
Her mother nodded enthusiastically and, to Tianna’s relief, volunteered to help prepare the meal. Tianna could cook fairly well, but her mother was a master, and Tianna wanted her new friends to feel welcome. Seth and Tianna’s father had vanished into the house. Her mother grinned and said she would bring them both to Zarin’s later. She hastily scribbled down a grocery list and handed it to Tianna.
Zarin said he had a few things to do before he could come home and headed down the road, leaving Marcus and Tianna to go get the supplies.
They went into her parent’s shop to grab the meat and then headed to some of the other shops in town for the rest of the list. Everywhere they went villagers stopped and stared at the large man beside Tianna. Marcus acted like he hadn’t even noticed and simply carried the growing pile of packages as they moved from store to store. Tianna asked if she could carry anything but Marcus waved her off, explaining how he carefully arranged the various packages.
Tianna realized he was holding twice what she could carry thanks to his organized system. “Do you plan everything so well?” She wondered aloud. Marcus simply bowed and smiled. When they had everything they needed, they headed back to Zarin’s home.
They arrived later than expected, so Tianna quickly started cutting up vegetables. Marcus helped without being asked and soon the house was filled with the aroma of stew and baking bread. Once Tianna’s mother arrived, she took Marcus’ spot as cook and sent him to join the other men that had now gathered and were having lively conversations.
Tianna could hear Gabriel’s voice so she knew he had arrived. She listened for Nathaniel’s voice, but to no avail. His absence was bothering her more than she wanted to admit.
The evening was a great success. The meal was well received and, afterwards, everyone sat back and relaxed. They chatted, laughed, and told stories of the town and their travels. Everything was going wonderfully until Seth asked about the white haired young man they had seen in the village. Zarin regretfully told a slightly modified version of the day when Garrett’s dark curls turned white, deemp
hasizing the exact circumstances of the event.
Zarin said, “He’s tried everything but even dying his hair won’t work. He just wakes up in the morning with it white again.” Zarin shook his own white mane and continued, “Besides, I think it evens the romantic playing field within Trille. Don’t you think?”
Everyone laughed, but Tianna was mortified and turned bright red. To hide her embarrassment, she headed to the other side of the room to clean-up the pots and pans they had used.
It was a beautiful night so Tianna’s father suggested that they go back to his home and use his equipment to view the stars. Seth jumped at the chance, and Zarin suggested that both Tianna and Seth go. Marcus and Gabriel would stay with him and reminisce about past adventures they’ve had together. Tianna agreed and she headed out the door with her fellow star-gazers.
Chapter 7 - In the Beginning
Once the sound of footsteps faded, Marcus, Gabriel, and Zarin all started talking at once. Laughing, Marcus said, “So, old friend, what’s on your mind?”
Zarin chuckled and replied, “I wish you’d stop calling me old. After all, Gabriel’s as old as my great-great-grandfather.”
Gabriel responded with a grin, “Ahhh. So very true.”
Zarin’s kind eyes focused sharply on the two Draak. “So, why are four well-armed Draak roaming the countryside instead of guarding Haven? And, why do your numbers include two of their most respected?”
Marcus’ authoritative voice, always soft, was suddenly filled with intensity. “The Seer sent us to find the warrior of the ancient prophecy. It’s started, Zarin. It’s time and we were charged with finding him, but we’re failing.”
Gabriel patted his friend on his shoulder, feeling his frustration.
Zarin sat up and asked intently, “Which prophecy?”
Marcus immediately recited the ancient words.
Through death’s dawn will come the sun,
Unite the flames to burn as one.
From unquiet slumber the sleeper wakes,
A twisted path the hunter takes.
The night embraced births the key,
In strength and power the fire burns free.
Marcus said to Zarin, “Perhaps you can help us?”
Zarin sat contemplating the words and thinking out loud. “So, the Seer thinks that its time. Why now? That prophecy is so old that no one even knows its origin.” Frowning in concentration, he mumbled, “Unquiet slumber, yes… but what’s the key? Why fire?”
Gabriel spoke up, saying, “The young Draak with us, Seth, spotted a massive starfall during a sunrise nearly a year ago. No-one else was awake, but his strong eyes are always staring up at the sky. Given the magnitude, it made the morning sky appear to rain fire. He knew this was significant and went immediately to his Draaken who, in turn, went to the Seer. She declared that ‘death’s dawn’ was upon us. It’s one reason he’s part of our quest.”
Zarin nodded to himself. “I see, yes, that does fit. A quest, you say? What are you charged to look for?”
Marcus took up the tale. “The Seer sanctioned several groups to fulfill what she said was ‘the most important quest of our age.’ She believes that the prophecy tells of a warrior and that a peaceful future depends on finding this person. Until now, we have found no signs of him. We’ve hunted within every Draak stronghold, as well as both human and magical villages, but we have found no sleeper, no hunter, no fire. It’s as if he doesn’t exist. We did manage to find ever increasing evidence of evil’s destruction.”
Zarin nodded and when he spoke, he sounded tired. “For weeks I’ve been traveling to neighboring human villages. They’ve all been attacked by what has been described as Drenn warriors. One village was nearly destroyed and most of the villagers were dragged away. They didn’t even know what, or who, the Drenn were.” He glared at his visitors. “The entire land needs your help, my friends. The evil is getting desperate and has started to hunt in the human world for that which it hasn’t been able to find in the magical world. Your quest isn’t just to save the Draak, but to save all of us. The Seer knows this. Marcus, you’re a scholar. You know that prophecies have many meanings and interpretations. The trick is finding the solution before the prophesized evil strikes. Did you think that your ‘twisted path’ would be easy?”
Marcus looked abashed, and Gabriel replied somberly, “We’ve also seen Drenn attacks during our travels. Their attacks seem more frequent and more severe as we travel south. There’s a sense that something terrible is coming, and it will be here soon.”
Marcus agreed. “Evil is growing, but we have no idea what form it will take. That’s why it’s so important for us to find our warrior. If the prophecy is true, he may be our only hope to stop what’s coming. Can you guide us? Our path has been long and, until recently, there has been no light at the end of it.”
Zarin shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t found anyone fitting your description. I can only say that you should broaden your minds and your search. When you don’t know the question, it can be hard to see the answer.”
Gabriel smiled saying, “The only positive thing we’ve found in our travels is Tianna. She’s like a breath of fresh air.”
Zarin looked at Gabriel. “Tianna is indeed something special. She’s an entire tempest of ‘fresh air’, as you put it.”
The conversation shifted quickly over to the topic of Tianna. Marcus leaned toward Zarin and said, “Tianna is actually what we wanted to speak to you about. Since meeting her, I’ve felt that there’s much more to her story. Now that I’ve seen her family, that feeling is even stronger. She’s nothing like her parents or anyone else in this village. She’s lived under your roof for years. What hasn’t she told us?”
Zarin sat back in his chair. “I’ve known Tianna her entire life. As a matter of fact, I delivered her right here in this room. There are things that Tianna is unaware of, and until the right time comes, they must continue to remain secret to her. The people you met tonight raised her as their own since the day she was born, but they didn’t conceive her.”
Gabriel and Marcus leaned forward in their chairs, eager to hear the story that was coming.
“The local butcher in the village had taken a young wife. I think she was only sixteen when they came to my home ready to deliver their first child. It was a difficult delivery and the baby was stillborn. The young couple was devastated, so I left them to grieve privately. When I walked into the room we are now in, I found a woman heavy with child. She was like something you would see in a dream, with long silver hair that hung down to her ankles and the bluest eyes that I could imagine. She was obviously about to deliver, so I quickly laid out some blankets right next to where she stood and helped her lay down. The baby was coming quickly and she grabbed my hand, forcing me to listen to her first.
She said, ‘I can’t hold this human form for much longer. Once the child within me is born, I’ll be no more. You, dear wizard, must take this child. Protect and shelter her until the time is right.’
‘What are you?’ I asked her. She let out a scream of pain as another contraction hit but she still continued to speak to me with a death grip on my wrist. She said, ‘You know what I am. I’m of the Faye. My name is Arielle and I was given the task of conceiving a very special child. She’s more than what I am as she was conceived with the gifts of several races.’
Her breathing became very erratic and she cried out in pain. She pulled me close to her face and stared into me with those blue eyes saying, ‘You’ve been chosen. Promise me you’ll teach her and protect her with your life.’
I was hypnotized by her gaze, but I spoke the words she needed to hear. ‘Yes, I’ll protect her with my life and will help teach her all she needs to know,’ and I meant it with all of my heart.
She then released my wrist, allowing me to help deliver her child. A few minutes later the baby was born and Arielle started to glow, shimmered, and disappeared. I gazed at the child now in my arms as she let out a cry. I wasn’t
prepared to care for such a young infant. She needed a mother to nurse and care for her. So, I carried her into the other room where the grieving couple was holding each other with tears on their faces. They both stared at me as they saw me move toward them with a crying baby in my arms. Their presence here at my home and the loss of their child was a sign. I walked over to the young mother and handed her the baby.
I told them that the mother of this child had just died during childbirth. ‘You’ve lost your child. Please take this girl and raise her as your own. She’s a unique child that will possess special skills, and she’ll require all your patience, love, and understanding. To all of the village, she’ll be the daughter you delivered. No one must know the truth.’ The young couple peered down at the baby with instant affection, and they told me that they would care for her as their own. They named her Tianna and, at that moment, she became their daughter.”
Unquiet Slumber Page 8
