Hey guys! Um, this story and characters in it are owned by me, I did come up with it/them, and this is in no way related to The Last Apprentice! But the idea of the story (Shadow, training, witches, apprentice, mistress, that stuff) is owned by Joseph Delaney! Thanks! Hope you like it!

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Chapter 1

The Mistress

"Father, I don't know about this one…" My sighs were blocked by the sound of Father slamming his hand on the wooden bat. "Little one, if you want to learn how to bat, then you have to be confident! Now come on, let's see what you can pitch up."

Father always encouraged me to do my best. I am the 3rd daughter of a 3rd daughter. I was to be a Shadow. A Shadow is a female who watches over all of the state, and she makes sure everything is in order. My mistress was coming for me today, and we all wanted to look natural when she arrived. I did not know her name. All I knew was that she was the best Shadow in the state, as well as the best witch assassinator in the world.

"Quickly, I hear horses!" Mother yelled from the patio. I went inside with speed, putting on my best dress and my biggest smile. As soon as I finished pinning my hair up, I heard a sweet voice coming from the front door. "Hello. I am Miss Angirila Lauve. Your daughter will call me Mistress Lauve. Is she here at the moment?" I am guessing Mother or Father nodded, because I heard heavy footsteps walking into the kitchen.

My sisters Zulia and Cleisye must have been stunned; they screamed and Cleisye must have dropped a glass. She was middle oldest and only 14 years old. I was but 12 and Zulia was 16.

What sounded like Mistress Lauve gave a sigh. "Girls, I advise you getting used to being stunned; it will come to your family more than ever." Zulia stuttered and Cleisye was silent, but Mistress Lauve just ignored it and clambered up to my room.

"I am guessing you are Shralia, dear," she finally said through my door. "Yes, I am indeed, ma'am." She came in and I first saw her for the first time.

She was young, around 20, and her hair was as black as midnight and as curly and frizzy as Mo, our pig's, tail. It was also down to her waist, longer than Mother's which was to her shoulder blades. Her cat eyes were baby blue, and her skin was white-pale with no rosy cheeks. Her lips were almost the same color as her skin, but there was some orange to it, and her lower lip was plumper than the top. Her nose and high cheekbones looked beautiful on her. She was thin but strong, and her shirt and skirt made of leather and black cotton looked great on her. Her waist of daggers and knives looked dangerous and scary. Her feet were covered in leather patches to make a pair of boots.

The only thing that was odd was her bellybutton. It had a piercing, a rose piercing. Its stem was entwined and it went inside and outside of her body, thorns protruding slightly. But what stunned me the most was the flower. It was a real flower, and it was scarlet. It had a bronze metallic luster to it, and sometimes it shone purple if you looked at it from different angles. It was unusual. And very much like an engraving on a chest of my Father's…

"I am Mistress Lauve. I will be your trainer, your mentor, and your master for the next 7 years. When you become my age, you will serve 4 years as a Shadow. Being a Shadow is scary, hard, and risky. Many have lost their lives. When you finish your years, you will find a 3rd daughter of a 3rd daughter and your journey will end. Not in life, no, you will live with me, for we shall live in the House of Shadows. It is famous for all Shadows, and we are honored to be a part of it. I am, like you, a 3rd daughter of a 3rd daughter. I hope you will do well, Shralia, I have heard so many good things about you."

After we had loaded my trunks onto the horses, Mother gave me a hug and a goodbye kiss. Zulia started to cry and she gave me the biggest hug I have ever gotten, and Cleisye was teary-eyed too. Mother, Zulia, and Cleisye all gave me a big hug and wished me well. I was about to get on my horse when a hand stopped me. It was my Father's. "Little one, you must listen to everything Mistress Lauve tells you. She is the most important thing to you from this point on, and you shall never disobey her unless she does not give you orders or you cannot use them. Do you understand? " I nodded. "Get on the horse, little one, and listen to your Mistress." I nodded and waved him goodbye as my horse started to run. Off I went, not knowing the life ahead of me.

All I knew was that it would be the greatest adventure of my life.