Hello. I am Hallowed Aegis. A few notes on the story at hand. I own absolutely none of creations of Garth Nix and his brilliant mind. I do, however, claim ownership of my (few) own original creations. I hope you enjoy. Comments, suggestions, predictions, and discourse are appreciated. Happy reading!
Prologue
Her eyes opened, gems of stormy topaz in a porcelain face. Far above her, brown eyes smiled, a brilliant hand brushing back a falling curtain of matted black hair. The pair stared at each other, completely entranced.
The mother, smiling, eventually looked at her two companions, though her eyes constantly drifted to the small marvel at her breast.
"Congratulations, cousin. A beautiful girl," one said. The other, her match in face, voice, and spirit, smiled.
"How ironic that such a surprise was gifted here."
The mother's smile, though constant, tightened ever so slightly. Worries that had been fleeting settled in tiny crows feet at her eyes.
"A surprise… I just wish we knew why," she murmured, eyes hungrily watching, her arms involuntarily pulling the small form closer to her. The babe, oblivious to her tension, yawned, burrowing into the proffered warmth.
As she drifted to sleep, the mother looked at her cousins, sadness painting her face. They in turn moved closer, one brushing back the sweat slicked hair, the other gently casting a Charter mark for healing. The golden glow briefly illuminated the mother's pale, pale skin, making her tone more closely resemble the browned tan that her cousins had.
"You must not fear. There may be a reason we did not foresee her birth," one said, now plaiting the hair.
"Feel how strong her hold of Life is. The doom you fear may not be," the other said, voice and smile firm.
The mother looked down, and indeed, she felt her daughter's Life, pulsing so strongly in so small a body. She took a deep, shuddering breath, her smile watery.
"Have you thought of a name?" they urged, fingers beginning to flash, gold light warming the air as they clasped hands, murmuring time honored words flush with ceremony and power.
Looking at the child, the mother's smile brightened, squinting her eyes as the light began to coalesce.
"Nehima. Her name is Nehima," she whispered, her glowing, golden hand delicately tracing the sleeping babe's face as ash disappeared, leaving a faint, shimmering symbol.
Sanar and Ryelle grinned at their cousin's irony.
"Well chosen, Lirael. May we have good reasons to remember your daughter in years to come," Sanar murmured as her twin moved to hold their new-named cousin.