Visions For A Stranger
As the three girls grew to know each other better, they noticed life becoming easier than it had on their own. Ivva no longer had to lie to her friends about her true identity, Aurora still had many secrets, but was content with keeping them to herself, and Gwendolyn discovered that with Aurora�s help she could improve her spells and with Ivva she had a new test subject for them.
A year had past since the meeting in the Forest of Dale. The girls still went to that pond, now named the Mirror, only because Aurora found peace there surrounded by the trees and the beasts. She never did settle into the village life, but she did stay with Gwendolyn and her family in Neiawon. She came and went as she pleased, for she was not a true member of the family. But with all this prosperity and happiness, evil is due to lurk in the shadows, stalking the innocent, and it did. Maku had unknowingly recovered and had watched the humans with disgust, but when he discovered the friendship of the three girls, he became interested and watched them daily.
On a day that Aurora insisted was a day to visit the Mirror, they left on the half-day journey into the Forest of Dale. They followed the narrow path with Gwendolyn leading and as they walked she noticed a slight echo of footsteps. She should have only heard two, because Aurora was an elf and bound to the woods in a magic sort; she left no trail, nor made any cracking of the forest floor. Gwendolyn halted them and they stood in a small clearing with their backs facing and their weapons drawn. Ivva preferred to carry a small dagger, only because she also carried with her a miniature harp at her waist. Aurora carried no weapon, her mind was enough, and Gwendolyn held out in front of her a long, recently sharpened sword of about six lengths. There was no movement, no creaking of the trees, or rustling of the leaves, even the wind creased to blow. Gwendolyn stood facing the direction from which they came and she called out, �Come forward and face us you coward, we have but one sword and a dagger. What reason do you have for fear? Show yourself!�
From behind a tree a young man, whose age could have been a year or two older than the girls, who were sixteen, stepped out, he had no weapon and stood with his hands behind his back. He had brown hair that was muddled and his eyes were a fierce green. He had a lop sided grin when he spoke, �Ah, but what about the elf, she too has a weapon that could snap your blade, as if it were a mere branch.� Ivva giggle, that was also a new trait that Aurora and Gwendolyn had discovered about her, any encounter with a man made her extremely perky. Aurora looked up and made eye contact with him, he almost shuddered when he looked into her eyes. His blood ran cold, there was more to her then he had imagined. �What is this, an Elf Maiden? And evidently one of high power,� He touched her face and when he did, a vision of a dragon breathing fire over a screaming woman flashed through his head. Aurora�s eyes closed tightly and she turned away. �My origin and our business is none of your concern.� She spoke as if she were angered and offended. �I beg your pardon, I did not mean to follow. I was making my way to that pond ahead of us, you see, I have heard of you three. A princess, an elf, and a soon to be warrior.� Gwendolyn lowered her sword, intrigued she responded, �Speak your name and tell us why you were looking for us. We are of no importance.� He nodded as if more fearful of her than Aurora or Ivva. �My name is Vector. I was not in search of you, but rather interested. They say that a woman would lead the next war, and they spoke of the two that followed her. The Metallic Prince, who also, they said, should rule over this world when her time comes, and an elf, a run away, who�s voice is as calm and flowing as a brook or stream and looks as though she is one of the gods. Truly you are of importance.�
They walked together towards the Mirror, while Aurora asked the questions, �Where do you come from? Are you a messenger of some sort?� The lop sided grin returned to his face, �In a way yes, I come from a small village in the hills, far out side of the Metallic Lands. I came to warn the king that a herd of dragonmares is heading in this direction. Meaning that Maku is back on his feet and plotting.� Gwendolyn spoke up, �Dragonmares? What are these creatures? Spies of some sort?� He nodded, �Yes, they are slaves to Maku, they are bred to be his army in the dark. They fear light and usually they are found individually and do not cause a threat. But, I have seen a herd of them, which is odd, because they despise each other. They all fight for the undying love of Maku, when in reality, he could care if they neither live nor die. I returned in such a hurry to worn the king for I have family in the Pyritic Village.� Ivva who had been walking beside Vector asked, �Pyritic Village? I forgot, which one is that?� Vector looked at her as if she were joking and said, �Ah, it means Fire Breathers in the Elvin tongue.� He held out his hand with his palm facing up and in it a fireball formed. �See, it�s the gift of learning spells at an early age.� He closed his hand and the flame was smothered. �Let�s see one of you have a go at something.� Ivva pulled her harp off her hip and began to play and sing, �The Sleeping Song.� Gwendolyn removed her sword from her hip and stuck the blade between the strings and pulled it out of Ivva�s hands in one quick, swift movement. She laughed and they began fighting using this and that, trying to out smart the other.
Meanwhile, Vector and Aurora were sitting on a stone bench and talking. The bench was seated towards the side of the Mirror; it was almost as beautiful as Aurora had remembered it. The same delicate stream trickled over the same smooth rocks. Birds were heard in the distance singing the sweet songs of the forest. Vector sat thinking then he asked, �What was that? Who was that woman?� Aurora seemed like she understood but asked any way, �What woman?� He answered in a hurried voice as if his mouth could not move as fast as the thoughts left his mind. �The one from my vision that appeared when I touched you.� She spoke very softly and carefully as if the things she were about to say was of no importance unless it took a good bit of time to say. �That is a flash of your future, I did not see the vision, because it is not important to me. The gods control what I see and that is not something of importance at the moment. I can see into the past as well.� He stared at her hoping to find something else from the expression on her face, but she would not look at him. He asked, �So, when people touch you they get these horrid flashes into the past or future?� She turned towards him and placed her hand on the bench closer to his, smiling, �No, only the special ones.�
�2004 Brittany Corp.
