CIRCLE OF SHADOWS Part 1: Shadow Chaser

Talli’s eyes pop open and a small groan escapes from between her lips. Brushing back her hair she sits up, the thin blanket covering her sliding off her upper body, pooling across her folded legs. Looking around the small room another groan escapes from her mouth.

‘Oh no!’ muttering under her breath she swivels her legs over the side of the bed and stands up. Her clothes hang loosely, heavily wrinkled from the trip here and the nights’ sleeping, she yawns as she stretches her back. Scratching her head lightly with her fingers, curled hair bunched roughly together, she looks at the closed door. Tiptoeing quietly over the smooth floor, the polished stones cold against her naked feet, she reaches the door and pulls it slightly open. The small room outside her room looks vacant, an empty couch standing in the square room in front of a cold fireplace. Silence permeates and she inches out into the narrow passage, careful not to make any noise.

Soft snores, buzzing noises coming from somewhere in the empty room, float through the silence, and she stops just inside the passage leading to the front room. Peering around the corner of the wall, Talli sees Siril slumped over, his arms slung across the papers on the table beneath him, sleeping soundly. Walking quietly into the room she passes the couch, pulling a small blanket off the back and carrying it over to where Siril sits, body awkwardly arranged over the narrow table. Looking down fondly at the old man, she glances at the papers beneath him and the smooth handed letters scrawled tightly across the yellowed sheets, before picking up the iron tipped quill and placing it on the side.

‘Oh you foolish old man!’ she breathes softly as she places the blanket over his thin shoulders.

‘Hgrnk!’ Siril shifts, mumbling in his sleep but settling again as the warmth given by the blanket seeps into his chilled body. Without hesitation, Talli turns around and walks softly out of the room and down the small hallway leading to the back of the cabin, passing one door opening from the hallway leading to Siril’s small bedchamber straight to the one in the back leading to a small, homely kitchen.

Talli walks in, first opening the curtains hanging across the back window then walking towards small cabinet fixed to the wall above a small counter. Reaching up she pulls a big wooden bowl out, placing it on the counter before bending down and rummaging through the bottom cabinet. Pulling out a clump of red potatoes, onions and leeks, she places them in the bowl, grabbing a knife lying to the side before carrying everything to a small table standing in the corner, opposite a narrow back door, leading to the outside.

Looking around her she frowns, the knife held tightly in her fist as she ponders, gaze flitting around the small kitchen. Placing the knife next to the vegetables on the table, she hurriedly walks over to the cold hearth, quickly piling small pieces of wood on top of the old ashes lying heaped in the bottom. Reaching around the corner of the hearth, deft fingers searching along the wall for a flame-spring hanging on a small hook, she lifts it off the hook gently when her fingers graze over it.

Holding the metal length tightly with both hands she slips the catch closing the front open, clenching her eyes tightly together as she presses down on the trigger to the side.

Nothing happens.

Cracking one eye open she squints worriedly at the flame-spring in her hand, lips pursed tightly together, she presses the trigger, a little harder, once more.

Whhhhheeeee-ooooooosssshhhhh!

A bright burst of flame whines through the air, igniting the stack of wood in an instant and Talli yelps as she releases the trigger, almost letting the flame-spring fall to the ground as she jumps away from the fire flaring in the hearth.

Laughing nervously, she closes the flame-spring cover and hangs the flame-spring back on the hook to the side.

Beaming, Talli turns around, grabbing a pot standing on shelve to the side, and filling it with water from the small pump outside the back door, hooking it on the steel rod over the fire. At the table, she grabs the knife, chopping and peeling the vegetables as she hums softly, wiping at her tears running from eyes as the sharp onion stings her senses. Carrying all the chopped bits across to the pot, she throws it all into the steaming water, lowering the pot closer to the fire.

Nothing to do while the stew was cooking, Talli begins to walk around the small kitchen, picking up small pots and containers and carrying it all closer to the fire, placing them on the stone fireplace. Reaching to each one in turn, she open the small pots one by one, adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a dash of curry and dried garlic, a few pieces of ginger and a few sprigs of dried parsley to the stew already boiling inside the pot. Pulling a chair closer to the fireplace she sits down, stretching her legs out in front of her to warm her feet by the fire she waits for the stew to finish. A heady aroma flows up from the pot, filling the inside of the cabin as Talli sits quietly listening to the soft plopping sound coming from the black pot.

Staring into the orange and yellow flames dancing mesmerizing in the fireplace, Talli fails to notice the soft footsteps moving towards her from behind. Starting she jerks as a hand lightly touches her shoulder, jumping up from the chair she swivels around. The flames behind her crackles hotly for an instant, the air whooshing from her rapid turn.

‘Father!’ she pants, hand lifting to her throat, her heart hammering in her eardrums.

‘Talli!’ voice stern, all other emotions held in check with an iron fist. ‘I did not mean to startle you.’ A faint smile creases Siril’s wrinkled face, thin lips quirking up at the edges as he looks down at the wide eyed face.

‘You gave me quite a fright father.’

‘I am sorry for that but I need to talk to you.’

An oppressive silence hangs uncomfortably in the air, neither sure of what to say, or how to say it. Beginning slowly Talli exhales lightly, ‘Father,’ the words hesitant. ‘I am... uh... I am sorry I ran away!’ scuffing her feet on the floor, Talli casts her eyes down; looking away to avoid Siril’s penetrating grey eyes.

‘No Talli.’ Siril sighs softly. ‘It is not entirely your fault. I am sorry that I... have failed you’. A pained expression crosses his face as a small tear rolls down the side of his nose. ’I have failed both you... and your sister.’ Talli gasps as she steps closer and enfolds the thin body in her small embrace, hugging him fiercely as she breathes into his chest. ‘It is not your fault, father!’ Looking up sharply from under Siril’s chin, eyes flashing with ire, Talli’s lips pull tight.

‘In a way it is.’ Shaking his head, he pauses as he looks over her head at the fire, avoiding the blazing green eyes looking up at him. ‘I am as responsible for this situation here as all the others. I did not see what was happening.’ Siril hangs his head low, filled with silent shame. ’I did not see what was happening to both my daughters. And it is not just the two of you alone that this is happening too!’ Pushing Talli an arm’s length away he looks lovingly into her eyes, grey orbs filled with love and compassion as he looks into her piercing green eyes. ‘It is happening to all the young people in Reish!’

Talli shakes her head sadly, dropping her gaze down, and says softly, barely a whisper for sound.

‘No father. You could not have known what was happening.’

Talli turns away and looks into the pot over the fire, hard pressed to avoid looking at her father and seeing the sadness in his eyes. Grabbing a spoon from the side she begins to stir the stew vigorously, her arm muscles tightening with tension as Siril moves behind her.

Screeee-eeeeecccchhhh!

Siril pulls a chair towards the fireplace, not even bothering to pick it up as he drags it across the stone floor. Stopping next to Talli’s vacant stool, he sits down heavily, wooden legs groaning from the sudden weight.

Hiding a shallow cough he rests his elbows on his legs, chin propped on the top of his folded hands as he watches Talli at work.

Hesitantly he speaks to Talli’s back. ‘They are going to have a sitting soon. But... you knew that they would do that before you decided to go.’

Grunting, a soft snort through her nose, Talli keeps stirring.

‘I will do what I can for you Talli. That is all that I can promise you. My hands are tied by the Conscripts and I fear they will try to make an example of you this time.’ Exasperated he adds hastily, anguish thickening his reedy voice. ‘You know the protocols as well as I do, Talli.’

‘Yes father, I do.’ Turns around slowly, Talli goes down on her knees and lays her head on his legs, reaching with her arms around his waist, she hugs him tightly. ‘Thank you, Father. I know this must be hard for you. It was not my intention to get you involved.’ Looking up to his face she mumbles. ’I meant to be far away before anyone knew I had gone.’

Siril looks down at her, a slight frown furrowing his brow, one eyebrow cocked in question.

‘Tell me child, where were you going to go to? Surely you must have had an idea before you left.’

Pausing, uncertainty flooding her face she looks away before a flash of excitement flows across her face, eyes lightening up from within as a fervour begins to burn deep inside her. ‘I was thinking of going to the Ash Mountains... to find the lost city of Eism.’

‘Ah...!’

‘It is told that great wonders where to be found there once. In the ages long past, great people walked those halls, performing wondrous feats. Such magical powers and machines as are unknown to anyone living today.’

‘I know the myths as well as anyone Talli. I have read all the scrolls and books you have, many times over.’ A loving smile eases the lines on Siril’s face as he strokes Talli’s hair with his long fingers. ‘But they are just myths. Stories... made up to enchant and captivate the minds and imagination of youngsters. Nothing more.’

‘But father...!’ Talli breaths exasperated as she lifts her head from under his hand, sitting back on her heels.

‘Hush, Talli. I understand. How did you think of getting there? Surely not by walking? Did you have any provisions? It is quite an arduous trek and a very long way off.’

Lips pouting slightly, a touch of rose on her cheeks Talli mumbles softly, ’I did not quite think that far ahead to be true. My first concern was to get out and away from Reish.’

With a slight shake of his head, Siril points to the pot over the fire.

‘I think the stew you are making is starting to burn.’

Jumping up, Talli swirls around hastily, fumbling for the cloth at her side before swivelling the pot out from over the fire. Lifting the heavy pot off the hook, Talli carries the steaming pot hurriedly towards the table.

‘Ow! Damned pot!’ Her finger grazes the heated metal edge and the heavy bottom slams to the wooden tabletop.

Looking at her from his seat, Siril tut-tuts softy to himself as she begins to ladle steaming stew into two plates. Carrying the plates over, forks gripped awkwardly in one hand, Talli hands it to Siril before sitting down in the empty chair next to him.