Whispers of a Legend, Part One-Shadows of the Past (10 page)

Not that I don’t have my secrets, but I hold
to them dearly. Fearful that they might be taken from me as most I
cared about. Secrets from the Forbidden Forest...the Wood Spirit
visited often with the others gone. At times I wondered if the Wood
Spirit was real or a figment of my imagination. But in all I found
escape with the Spirit. He talked to me of past times, legends of
the past, the path of a Euchoun, a true Euchoun of which he holds I
am.

The Wood Spirit has let me see within the
world that I’m no longer a part. The Shimmering Pool in the forest
lent me the view of the world denied to me. I have seen my family,
Falco and Sareta. In that gave to me comfort, but in all I have
seen the world within the castle walls. In my excitement I tried
once to show Gunilda, but she saw not what I had, only Johannes saw
the scenes within the Shimmering Pool. He had done so only by
accident, but he held within him my secret for I hold his.

Quiet, shy Johannes sat and told me all I
wanted to know about the people surrounding my family. My heart
raced when I saw Cono for the first time in the Shimmering Pool,
tall and broad of shoulders, muscles abound on his frame. His hair
lengthened down to his shoulders; his dark eyes intense on his
look.

“So handsome,” I whispered on the sight.

Johannes laughed. “In that he is, Kela.”

For in all, I laughed with Johannes because
we shared his secret that I had discovered within the Shimmering
Pool. His lover was a Sordarin warrior, Larko, from the Challow
tribe. It had been shown to me shortly before he returned the
second season. Confused for both were male, I watched both men
kiss. The finding confused me, but being who I was, I hesitated not
in questioning Johannes.

Vehemently denying all to me until I showed
him the Shimmering Pool, he saw the scenes of Yucca.

“You don’t understand,” he said in a low
voice. “I will be dishonored at the least. And in all we both could
lose our lives for our feelings.”

“Then why do you chance it?”

“For he is my life,” Johannes said
simply.

“In all I don’t understand,” I answered in a
plain manner. “But I know that the Wood Spirit says the Shimmering
Pool shows me only what I need to see. In all could it be you need
me to share your burden. I have lost my family, Johannes. You are
my only friend. I cannot believe I was shown to do you harm. In my
heart I know I’m not. It will not be me to betray you.”

Touched, he said not much. And through time
we have not mentioned it again. Johannes says not much anyway, but
he has stayed a true friend. It was through Johannes I learned all
about the court of my grandfather. He sat beside me at the Pool and
told me who walked through the scenes before us.

The scenes come and go as the wind blows.
Some clear, others foggy. Some last only seconds, but I have
glimpsed my home and all within.

I recognized all that entail my family with
Johannes’s words.

“Queen Beatrix takes delight in all her
family. As you know, she is not your grandmother by birth having
married King Edulf after your grandmother Althea’s death. Her
children are Prince Archibaldus and Princess Iris. Your Uncle
Archibaldus had his sights as heir thwarted with Falco’s
reappearance, but has never shown resentment toward the
disappointment although his sons have shown barbs at Falco.

“Roderic, the oldest grandson of King Edulf,
has long been a thorn in Falco’s side, but the young Prince manages
admirably. It is his ability to read his cousin’s thoughts I’m
certain that has saved Prince Falco. Roderic is known for his
womanizing and drinking more than his military genius as you have
witnessed from time to time. His brother Silas follows Roderic
around, but when he doesn’t, he’s not a bad sort. Lady Dogmar is
mother to the two along with Belasquita, who would be of the same
age as you I suppose. A dark hair beauty who is challenged only in
her beauty to Amicia, Princess Iris’s oldest daughter.

“Amicia is known for her sweetness,
contrasting Belasquita in more than one way. Her blonde hair shines
as the sun it is said and her eyes glow as the deep ocean blue. She
has two sisters, Wymarcha and Cinara. From what I understand, it
was been Princess Iris who has taken to your sister, Princess
Sareta, as a mother. Princess Sareta is the darling of the court.
Her sheen, I had to shield, but the beauty within her shines. She
when she matures with surely overshadow all in her glory. She is
well loved by Queen Beatrice as well.

“Lady Dogmar has her eyes set on a crown for
Belasquita having pressed King Edulf to attach her daughter to
Prince de Folur of Brixtone. I gather she married Archibaldus with
the promise of becoming Queen herself. I don’t believe she hides
well her ambition, but it is to be expected, I suppose, in any
court.”

I have watched through the seasons the
changes within for it all that I can do.

A screech in the air caught my attention.
Turning, excitement lit within me when my eyes caught sight of him
circling above me. I recognized him immediately, most would have.
Johannes stood tall with a large wing span, but it was his hair and
eyes that called attention to him. He bore from the Osmolado Tribe
which the majority I understood had the distinct dark red hair with
glossy sky blue covered eyes. The eyes took a long time to
adjust to whether he was looking at me or not. But in all
my solemn quiet friend knew my secret and kept it well.

I ran down to the field in front of the
cottage. Gunilda and I had not prepared for the return of the
group. We had assumed they would not have made an appearance
for a few more weeks. A cool dampness still hung in the air. I
watched anxiously while he landed before me. Instinctually I hugged
my friend. There had been a time when he would have tightened upon
my show of affection, but over the seasons he has grown accustomed
to my gesture when it was only the two of us. I released him
and scanned the sky for signs of the others.

"You are alone?" I asked, gripping his hand.
Johannes gave me a tentative smile.

"For the moment," he answered. "Twiten may
well be at the castle as we speak."

Twiten traveled through unseen portals
whereas one lay at the castle. The reason why Gunilda and I weren't
allowed to stay during the time the castle was unoccupied. Portals
were dangerous when used without a seeing eye to guide one. I had
been warned about the dangers numerous times, but I had watched and
deciphered the proximity of the portal. But if the truth be known,
I had spied upon Twiten. The word forbidden had that effect on
me.

"I'm so glad you are here. I have to show you
the Shimmering Pool..."

He stopped dead in his tracks, jerking back
my hand abruptly. "Kela, I forgot!"

"Forgot what?"

"Your slippers," he admonished himself
staring down at my bare feet. "I promised, but with all that had
happened it slipped my mind. I will send Larko back when..."

Forgetting completely about the slippers, I
stuttered, "You aren't staying..." My excitement immediately lost
with the thought of losing my friend, my only companion.

His eyes dropped to the ground, hesitating.
Evident the news he had to share would not bode well with me.

“It is why I came early for. I won’t be back.
I have bonded.”

My eyes lit. “That is wonderful, Johannes. It
is what you hoped. It is what we all hope. It means you are
strong…”

“It is to your brother, Kela,” Johannes
interrupted abruptly.

For a moment, an eternity, I stood with my
mouth open but no words uttered. My mind raced. Long had I believed
I would bond with Falco. I had long believed we had already. Twiten
had taken for granted the bond would materialize. One did not bond
twice.

“I…I…” I stumbled on my words. I swallowed
back my feelings. I walked over to him, leaned up to his face and
kissed his cheek. “It is wonderful. I know of no other to protect
my brother as you will. Twiten must be excited to have a Euchoun
finally bond…”

“I am not you, Kela. We both know you are the
stronger. It means only your destiny lies with another or it may
mean you need not bond to complete your destiny,” Johannes spoke as
if he had practiced the words. “It is confusing to Twiten, also. It
is why he is here.”

I nodded, but the realization of losing my
dear friend along with my dream of standing by my brother…but in
all I could not take back from Johannes his triumph!

Johannes took my hand. I smiled slightly
regaining my composure.

“Come,” I said finally. “If I have you not
for long, I want to show you the most amazing thing. I’m not sure
what it means, but it’s so pretty. Sareta must be coming into some
new power.”

“Power?” Johannes asked questionably. “You
have me confused.”

“Then come. Hopefully, the Pool will show it
to you. It is fascinating, truly.”

I pulled Johannes behind me until we stood
above the pool. I fell to my knees. Waving my hand over the still
waters, I said clearly, “My sister.”

To my joy, the waters swirled. Shortly
within the waters, the figure of Sareta emerged. She sat within a
large room with blaring sunlight, but she sat back in the corner.
She was laughing. I saw not with whom she was laughing, but that
wasn’t important. What I had seen earlier, I saw clearly even more
so.

Bright beams of different color beings
seemingly like birds fluttered around my sister. Their wings beat
ferociously no more than a foot from her. Their beaks moved as a
woodpecker upon a tree except it seemed they were pecking at air.
When I had seen them before there had only been a couple, now they
seemed to have multiplied.

I turned back and smiled broadly at Johannes.
“Are they not the most beautiful creatures? They were only a couple
not more than an hour ago. What do you think they are?”

Johannes’s face turned solemn. He bent over
the scene. “I see nothing except Princess Sareta, Kela. What are
you seeing?”

“You jest,” I countered. “The pretty bird
like creatures of different colors, multitude of colors. They are
so beautiful surrounding Sareta, trying so hard to get to her.”

Suddenly, Johannes jerked my hand and stood
back up. He gripped my waist about to fly with me. He had never
done so before.

“What is wrong, Johannes?” I cried.

“I can’t see them, Kela, but what you are
describing are Minions! Hallow Minions that are trying to get at
your sister through my shield!”

Never had time seemed so slow when Johannes
flew me to the castle. Twiten stared at us when we landed on the
balcony of his room. I heard Johannes utter words, but all I
understood was my sister was in danger. Twiten whipped words at
me.

“What does the room look like? Where is the
window entrance? The sun shines which way? She sits upon what?”

“Let her go, Twiten,” Johannes said. “Let
Kela lead the way. Let her see. She will find her sister. I didn’t
see the Minions. Kela did. We don’t have time.”

I felt Twiten eyes upon me. He nodded and
with his hand on my shoulder he turned me. I stood staring into
blankness. The next thrust through a barrier unto the hard floor
beneath me. Behind me Twiten and Johannes entered.

Hundreds of Minions now seemed to have
converged around my sister, who sat startled by the sudden
appearance of us in front of her. She rose, but Johannes screamed
to sit.

“I see them,” Twiten whispered.

I crawled to my feet. My eyes fixed upon the
creatures. I flicked my hand swiping back a band of creatures
against the stone fireplace. Unearthly screams emerged while from
the corner of my eye I saw Sareta’s eyes betrayed her fear.

“My shield can’t break through to reinforce
it,” Johannes called. His eyes laid against the creatures but to no
avail. His shield couldn’t penetrate the Minion’s magic.

His couldn’t, but I blared mine against
Johannes’s shield around my sister. The force of my power bounced
off sending the creatures into the air, freeing the shield for
Johannes.

Contain the threat!

Without hesitation, my hand swirled
encapsulating them. Johannes slid next to me. “Let me within.”

Backing up, I parted my hands. Johannes eased
within without letting any escape.

“They are before you, Johannes.”

His eyes lit with his repellent magical
shield forcing the creatures against mine. The Minions began to
simultaneously explode. A moment later all was quiet.

It’s done. Let
go
.

As I was told, I released my shield.
Johannes turned and stared at me. He nodded in relief toward me.
All around me I found eyes upon me. My sister stood in awe. To my
surprise, Falco rose from his seat. He smiled at me, but it was
behind me that I saw the warrior, tall and dark. His eyes held
mine. Cono!

My heart raced. I was within the castle walls
in front of my family! I turned back around to Falco and stepped
toward him, but in that instant I felt Twiten’s hands upon my
shoulder. Immediately I felt the thrust back through the
portal.

Before I had time to take another breath, I
was once more in the Forbidden Forest. Twiten stood beside me.

“You need to return back to your cottage,
Kela. I have to return and decipher all that occurred. I wish it
could be different, but for now go home. You have done well,
extremely well.”

He stepped back and disappeared. I was alone,
again.

Days passed. I heard nothing, saw nothing in
the Shimmering Pool. Gunilda took to her bed her concern magnified
for her precious Sareta. I had gone back to the castle and
contemplated entering the portal once more. Gunilda’s words worried
me.

“Hallowed Minions!” she cried. “They found
her! They would suck the magic out from her leaving her an empty
shell.”