Chapter 72 - Morning Meeting

Dawn broke over the forest, river and ruins that saw fiery battle the night before, bathing them in a rich golden glow. Scavengers were circling the valley following the scent of death. Some were already on the ground, squabbling and picking at the wolf corpses that littered the ruins across the river. In the light of dawn the camp started to come to life. The nameless valkyries tirelessly standing as the members of the Elite Guard quietly prepared for the day ahead, taking care to not disturb the occupants of the tents.

Groyven stirred as he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently rousing him from a comfortable dreamless sleep. Hearing the sounds of the river, bird call and movement from outside, he slowly opened his eyes. The roof of the tent was above him as he felt the hand lifting from his shoulder. At his other side he could feel faint movement, Tiffaniel was slowly waking. He turned his head and looked up and into Silias’s face.

She smiled back at him, coming in closer and whispering, “Good morning, Master Groyven. I think it is best that you and your sister are alone for the moment. When you feel she is ready, call out for me and I will return with some simple fare. She is waking.”

Groyven nodded in understanding as Silias got to her feet and slipped out of the tent. He rolled over, watching his sister as she murmured. The soft light in the tent was enough to see that her hair was no longer glossy black, but speckled grey. Relief flooded him now that her face had returned to normal. Her eyes moved under their lids and he waited for her to wake. Slow moments passed until finally she opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side in confusion as she momentarily looked up. Her eyes were wide, the realisation that they were in a tent dawning on her. Turning back the other way, her eyes met his. And for a few moments they just lay there, looking at each other.

“Ven?”

“Yes, Tiff?”

“Are we dead?”

Groyven tried to keep a straight face, her question catching him off guard.

“Why do you think that, Tiff?”

Tiffaniel pulled some hair out of her face and stared at him, “I had such good sleep. I feel so calm.” she ran her fingertips over her cheek as she thought, “I remember flying, I was being carried by a woman with beautiful wings. And I thought, a Valkyrie was taking me, we were in battle and I remembered falling and you crying over me. Maybe I was dead and she was carrying my soul to be judged by the Host of the Underworld. I remember green eyes.” she said, her voice small.

“She is a Valkyrie, they do not serve the Host of the Underworld here. Not any more. Her name is Winter, she brought you to others to be saved.” Groyven said slowly.

Tiffaniel frowned slightly, “Winter?”

“Yes.”

Tiffaniel frown deepened as she glanced past him momentarily, “We are in a tent?”

“Yes.”

“There are people outside?” she asked in disbelief.

Groyven nodded as she looked at him, still frowning.

“We are safe, Tiff. They have promised to help us return, and even if we can’t, they offered to take us in.” he said.

“Offered to take us in… Who are these people?” she asked at a whisper.

“Lord Antrandis and Lady Sian Darkfall of Meliandra.” Groyven said, “They are from an elven city, here in the mountains.”

“How can you trust them so easily?” she asked.

“They healed you, Tiff. Hendosphyre trusts them and they seem to know something of us, of our kind, those with the Thread. But, here it is called something different.” he quietly explained.

“Ven? But.”

Groyven nodded, “Lord Antrandis is the child of a Goddess. And the one who drew the curse out of you, she is too.”

Tiffaniel looked at Groyven with wide eyes, “A child of a goddess?”

Groyven nodded and Tiffaniel thought for a few moments, she met his eyes again.

“Curse? I was cursed.” she asked, her voice still calm.

Groyven took a steadying breath, “Tiff, you got hurt really badly. You were bitten by one of those black wolves.” he said, his eyes on hers in concern.

“Ven? What happened?” she asked, feeling his fear.

“Their bite is cursed, and they could not stop all of it.”

“Ven, what do you mean?” Tiffaniel said, panic now in her voice.

“You might shapeshift every full moon, Tiff. But you will still be in control… They think.”

She choked slightly, “Shapeshift?” she stared at him, whispering, “I will shapeshift? Into what, Ven?”

He swallowed hard, “A wolf. I am sorry, I couldn’t control Sialin’s flames well enough, I could slow the bleeding but the black that was crawling under your skin. I am sorry.” he looked at her, shaking his head, “I couldn’t.”

She watched the fear in his eyes, after what she had seen him perform the night before, she was taken aback.

“Before Winter and Sian came, you were dying. Winter took you to Lord Antrandis and Xiana, she drew the curse out of you. I think she did it to prove something, because after she did it they tied her up.”

A sudden soft voice came from the tent flap, “We tied her up for good reason, Master Groyven. In the past she has been allied with the one who gave your sister that curse. She did it to prove her innocence in these events, and she requested to be tied up if we were uncertain of her motive.”

Groyven turned, propping himself up, “Silias.”

She smiled as she entered, “I have brought food, water.”

Silias placed the items down on a cloth and turned to Tiffaniel as she sat, pulling the blanket around her defensively. Silias knelt and sat back on her heels before them, smiling warmly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tiffaniel. My name is Silias, Champion and Attendant to the house of Darkfall.”

Tiffaniel bowed her head, “Good morning, and thank you.”

Silias shook her head, “You gave us all quite a scare last night, the whole valley shook with fire and thunder. When I first saw you, you were coated head to toe in wolf blood.”

Tiffaniel looked down, realising that her clothes had been changed and that she was indeed clean, she looked questioningly as Silias.

Silias smiled again, “Lady Sian herself tended to you last night while you recovered.”

“Silias, last night, more Valkyries arrived, and the lights…” Groyven slowed as she held out a hand.

“There is nothing to be concerned about, as I told you, a few things came to a head during this eclipse. We know things are not the same here as where you came from, things that don’t concern us could frighten you. All I suggest is that you keep an open mind for now.”

She saw the worry on Tiffaniel’s face, “Do not worry yourself over the Valkyries, they now only serve Lord Antrandis’s will and Winter’s command. I can assure you; he does not reap and guide the souls of the recently deceased.”

Tiffaniel shook her head, “Can you help us get home?”

Silias pursed her lips, “I do not know if it is possible. I am aware that Lady Sian has offered to help the both of you, either to send you back and if not, to offer you sanctuary and a home within Meliandra. From the moment Master Groyven accepted last night, you are the personal guests of the house of Darkfall. My sister is already making preparations for your living arrangements.”

“Preparations?” asked Tiffaniel, surprised.

Silias nodded, “Yes, your rooms, clothing and anything else that you need. Lord Antrandis has already requested that the internal guest quarters are prepared for your arrival tonight.”

Tiffaniel stared at her, “Guest quarters? We will be by ourselves?”

“No, the internal guest quarters are a part of the House of Darkfall’s living complex, it is akin to a large house inside of Shadowfalls, the Fortress of Meliandra. Lord Antrandis, Ladies Sian and Winter, myself and my sister, the attendants live within.”

Tiffaniel’s eyes were wide as Silias smiled at her.

“Miss Tiffaniel, I do believe you need to eat, your body took a battering last night, Lady Sian’s kiss has calmed you and blunted the panic so you could sleep, but do not deny yourself the necessities.” she said as the flap of the tent shifted.

Groyven turned to watch as Snowshadow pushed the flap aside with her head and padded into the tent, her emerald-silver eyes glinting. Tiffaniel choked on her water as the snow leopard sat beside Silias.

“The, the mountain cat! The one on the river!? Ven!” Tiffaniel exclaimed, gripping his arm, half hiding herself behind him.

Groyven laughed, “This is Snowshadow, she is a snow leopard.”

Tiffaniel looked at him in mute amazement at his laughter. She frowned as a different voice addressed her.

“Well met, Miss Tiffaniel Desilantre. I have heard much about you from your brother last night, I am Sian Kahn’Draneth Darkfall.”

Tiffaniel slowly turned to see the emerald-silver eyes in the face of an elf of exotic beauty and strength looking back at her.

“I am known and referred to as Snowshadow when I walk in my other form.”

Tiffaniel was instantly entranced. For some reason, Sian’s hair was neither black, nor grey, and as Sian shifted her hair seemed to change in the light.

“Tiffaniel?” said Sian, as the girl stared at her.

Sian smiled as Tiffaniel met her eyes, “I know that there will be a lot for you to take in, I will let your brother explain what we talked of last night once we are underway. We will be leaving within the hour; before then, Silvast has expressed an interest in meeting the both of you while Antrandis and I deal with a small matter.”

“Xiana.” Groyven whispered.

Sian looked to Groyven as his face grew serious, “Yes, I am sure you understand.”

Groyven nodded, “Should we show Lady Silvast the device that brought us here?”

Tiffaniel tore her eyes away from Sian and stared at him in concern, “Ven?”

Sian glanced knowingly at Tiffaniel, “I think it would be a good idea, at least she will be able to potentially identify its construction, she is far better than myself.”

He ignored Tiffaniel’s grip on his arm, “Will she be able to recover if…”

Sian smiled, “It may be possible. Regardless, she would look favourably on that gesture alone.”

“Ven, we can’t be showing it to everyone.” Tiffaniel said.

“Tiff, they are going to help us. Last night Lady Sian recognised the workmanship, at just a glance.” he said, “We would be foolish to not show it to Lady Silvast.”

Tiffaniel calmed.

Sian watched her, “Tiffaniel, there are many things that you seem to unaware of, your brother too. The gryphon, Hendosphyre and the amulet that Groyven wears, it has a particular meaning among the people of the Aletere. Though I am sure the true understanding is lost to time, but not to me.” she held out her hand.

Groyven immediately obliged and handed her the black amulet. She brushed her hand over it and within seconds the light blue glow lit the script and designs etched into its surface. She looked at the tent flap.

“Silias, let the sunlight in.”

Silias nodded and moved over to the flap and lifted it, a shaft of the dawn cutting into the tent. Sian held the amulet in the sunlight, letting it fall on and through the set gems. She looked to the wall of the tent where there were two round pools of light the colours of the gems.

“Look carefully.” she instructed.

Groyven moved around and close to the projections, his eyes widening.

“There are two designs, a shield and a sword. They are both set over our family sigil.”

He looked back to Sian as she handed it to him, darkness returning to the tent.

“What does it mean?” he asked.

She smiled, “Only you can summon him?”

“Yes, only Ven can. He is the head of the Desilantre family.” said Tiffaniel, wrapped up in the moment.

“I will not go into it deeply now, as I do not have the time. When we stop for lunch I will have you summon Hendosphyre so I can converse with him. For now; I will ask you: In your mind is Hendosphyre a sword or a shield?” she said, nodding to Silias before changing her form back to a snow leopard.

Snowshadow met their eyes, nodded and exited the tent, her large tail brushing against them as she passed. Tiffaniel wide eyed and watching her as she passed back out into the dawn.

Groyven looked at the amulet in his hand and whispered, “He is a shield.”

Shadow of the Eclipse: Chapter Timeline

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