Awakening (Born From Shadows #1)

They were yet to run out of water by the time Tatianna started to hear the laughter of children and see the structures of a village. Hearing their young high pitched voices she realised how little children they had come across. The last time she had saw someone of such a young age was Faithorn. It hadn’t crossed her mind until she saw their little bodies all joined hands and running around in circles. Why didn’t the other village they came across have children? She knew how often women fell pregnant so seeing so little children bugged her to no end.

“They look so happy,” Nik commented staring towards the children.

“They are innocent, of course they look happy,” she replied.

“I just haven’t seen someone that happy and carefree in a while,” Nik told her.

“Welcome to my world,” she replied. Whenever someone seemed happy on the streets, she just assumed it was because they were on drugs, it was rare for her to view genuine joy.

They approached them being sure to cover their weapons, so they didn’t appear as threat, but as friends. Tatianna searched for the children’s’ parents, or at least someone of an older age. She seemed to spot them at the same time they spotted her. The adults immediately told the children to get inside as they advanced upon the village.

“Who are you? What do you want?” One of the men asked and crossed his arms. Tatianna looked down at the scars that traced his arms, each long and some fresh. It made her think of her own skin, all mangled and far from perfection.

“We don’t mean any harm. We are just passing through,” Nik told the man.

“We don’t welcome-,” the man stopped himself. “You’re an Elf,” the man said and stared at Tatianna’s face. She had forgotten to pull her hood of her cloak up. Instinctively her hand snaked around her waist towards the hilt of her dagger.

“Come in, my house it just over here,” the man surprisingly said, although that did not ease her mind. Perhaps this man was luring her into a trap? She looked at Nik, questioning whether they should go inside of not.

She then realised that some of the children ran into the very same house, those with innocent blissful minds. Most wouldn’t dare kill around someone so young unless they had psychopathic tendencies and this man did not strike Tatianna as a psychopath. She decided to follow the man into the home, glancing around a the minimal furniture.

“We rarely see Elves around here, only when they have been ordered by the Queen to do something. It is rare to see an Elf travelling with humans companions so I am sorry if I was so shocked to see you,” the man explained himself. “Would you like anything to eat?”

“No,” Tatianna immediately replied. She would not like to be poisoned, not have her friends killed.

“Who are you?” Freya asked.

“My name is Clay if you must know, but does anyone know who they truly are?” Clay asked.

“Why are you being so nice to us?” Tatianna bluntly inquired.

“This world is cruel. But the Elves, they always strive to preserve it and protect it. Humans are a lot more corruptible but when I saw you I knew that you could be trusted. At least enough to not hurt me without a reason,” Clay explained. That made Tatianna wonder about so many things. If Elves nature was to protect then why was she abandoned to die?

One of the children ran towards Clay and tugged against his pants. Clay leant down as the girl whispered into his ear then Clay nodded his head. The girl ran back outside with the two other boys that were in the small hut. Their small frames brushing past Tatianna as they exited.

“I haven’t seen children in a long time,” Freya said no doubt noticing the same thing she noticed before.

“Yeah…” Clay drifted off giving Tatianna the impression there was a reason for that. She then looked towards Clay’s scared arms; something wasn’t right here.

“What happened?” She asked.

“I made a choice, I paid the consequences same as every other parent in this village,” Clay ambiguously replied.

“What choice?” Nik pressed for more information.

Clay looked around the room as if in a fight with himself. Reluctantly Clay replied, “give her our children or suffer the consequences. We chose our children, and I would do it choose them no matter the cost.”

“Her?” Nik asked although Tatianna already had a sneaking suspicion of who this man spoke of.

“I don’t know her name. Just that she’s called the Lady of the Night. She sent two men to us to give the ultimatum. Then her creatures attacked,” Clay grimly answered. Tatianna thought of the woman from Faithorn, how she wasn’t mad. This confirmed it. Whoever this Lady of Night was, was real, deadly and for some reason unknown to her, wanted to take away these people’s daughters and sons.

“The other villages…they chose themselves,” Riley realised. Tatianna wondered yet again how could anyone do such a thing. If she ever had children, she would protect them. Give her life for them. Although after everything she had been through, she didn’t know if it was possible for her to have children. Her cortisol levels by this point must have been higher than any mountains and she knew for a fact that bleeding didn’t occur for her anymore. Even if she couldn’t have children of her own, any child is worth saving over her own life. They all had so much potential while her life was just fading away.

“They chose to flight instead of fight. Many have died…including my wife,” Clay said with an aura of sadness revolving around him. “These…things, come and try to snatch the children. We do everything we can to stop them but sometimes we are not as lucky. So, we try to give them the happiness life we can before we…why do we talk of something so morbid. What is your reason for coming here?”

“We are going to Lyracris,” Freya told Clay. Tatianna shot a glare towards Freya’s direction, not wanting their plans revealed to a stranger.

“If you get there, can you please tell the Queen what is happening here in the Hollow Plains if she does not already know. Beg of her to send help,” Clay pleaded.

“Of course,” Nik promised.

“I suggest you leave before night fall,” Clay told them. “In the intervening time feel free to roam the village as you please.”

“Perhaps we can stay, we can fight,” Nik suggested.

“Unless you plan to spend the rest of your lives here protecting us there is no point. You are young, don’t waste your life on us. Continue your journey, tell the Queen and she will send help if there are any of us left to help,” Clay told Nik.

“Why don’t you leave?” Tatianna asked what seemed to be the obvious option to her.

“The children’s body’s would not make the journey, they would die on the journey even if it isn’t that far,” Clay answered.

“Wait, so Lyracris is not too far away?” Freya asked with hope in her voice.

“A few days ride on horse, southeast from here,” Clay replied. They we close. They had almost made it. Tatianna repressed the smile that was threatening to take hold of her mouth.

“You have been most helpful and kind, I wish that we could be the same,” Nik told Clay.

The middle-aged man smiled, “you are being here will inspire hope into our minds and that is enough.”

“If this is the Lady of Night’s doing, I promise I will do everything I can to try and stop her,” Tatianna promised. She had made very few promises in her life, and like the others this one she intended on keeping. Anyone who stole children from their families was not someone who should be left to wonder the land freely.

“That is very optimistic of you, I would prefer if you ran away form her instead of tried to fight her,” Clay said. Tatianna remembered how the other woman told her the same. To run. It made her wonder how strong this Lady of the Night was if everyone just wanted to run away from her. How terrifying can one woman be? “Go, enjoy your stay here. Leave before sundown, I hope our paths cross again,” Clay wished the small group well.

“Thank you,” Freya said with gratification. They left the house and looked around wondering where to go next. Tatianna stared at the children who played in the dirt with smiles on their faces and rage fuelling her blood. She would without hesitation take down this Lady of the Night.