Chapter 1

The golden sun seeped through the leaves of the old orchard as Calwyn walked through the path she had known since she was a child; she was going to the graveyard one last time to say good-bye to Marna and Mica. They were leaving Antaris today; Darrow needed to get back to the Black Palace he had been away too long already.

"Good-bye lady mother I will come back as often as I can to help Lia and the other sisters with the new dance. Please take care of Mica; she can be a handful sometimes." Calwyn let out a shaky breath and turned to Mica's grave, that sat next to the Lady mother's "Mica you take care of yourself, I hope you can find your grandmother and be reunited together. I'll miss hearing your voice every morning on the Fledgewing, Good-bye my dearest friend." Calwyn waited there for a while gathering her thoughts. Her relationship with Darrow had finally taken the turn she had been waiting for and she was the full Singer of All Songs. There was so much to be done, so much healing she thought about where to start and found Antaris was the perfect place by having every sister go to the Great Wall and all sing the song of undoing and bring the Wall down. Calwyn was walking back towards the river remembering the first time Darrow had come to see her and told about his adventures and the world beyond the Wall

"Are you coming or shall we leave you here?" Came Darrow's playful voice from the top of the path.

"I'm coming!" Calwyn yelled back and ran up to him.

Suddenly she was pulled back by an invisible hand and yanked against a tree. She let out a small scream and Darrow came running. Pieces of wire started to wrap around her body the wire had sharp pieces poking out, cutting into her skin red beads of blood popped out of her skin. Then she heard it that horrible laugh the one she thought she had gotten rid of, the one she had feared since she sent it hurtling toward the sky. In a small clearing of trees Samis materialized.

"What's the matter little priestess? Though you had gotten rid of me?" he sang out two low ironcraft notes and Darrow's feet were pulled from under him and he fell to the ground and was held there by large men, these men looked to Calwyn like two Tonno's stuck together. At the top where Darrow was before came the rest of the Fledgewing crew Tonno, Trout, Halassa, and even Keela came running. "Oh heron I tried to tell I get everything I want and if I can't have it like your priestess here then no one can!"

"Leave her alone Samis, she was never a part of this it's me you want not Calwyn." Darrow fought out through his teeth.

"Oh on the contrary Heron I do want her, she is beautiful, elegant, and the most powerful person in all of Tremaris. And if I can't be the Singer might was well have the real one at my disposal." Samis held his head up high and if you looked hard you could still see the scars form when Calwyn tried to gouge out his eyes with ice her last desperate attempt to get away. "She got in my way she's tried to kill me and now I will have her or she will die!"

"NO!" Darrow pushed the burly men off of him and started to sing but was cut off by Samis' song.

It was amazing though Trout from up on the hill you could see it perfectly the two chanters were dueling just like the fighting matches in Mithates. He couldn't take his off the match, until of course Tonno pushed him

"C'mon boy we gotta get Calwyn free and away befer Darrow gets killed." Tonno was barking orders so fast and so quiet that was all he heard but right as they got to the where the duelers were Darrow was thrown back so hard and fast the tree was the only thing stopping him from going to Methrious without the crew. He hit the tree with a powerful thud that made everyone cringes expect for Samis. He fell to the ground in a limp pile of dark cloth, his old mud stained cloak covering his face. Then Samis turned to Calwyn.

"Calwyn, you should want to come with me to learn how to use your powers, all of your powers." Samis shoved his scared face into Calwyn's and to everyone else it seemed as though he was pressing himself against her. Then he backed away and shouted "Darrow doesn't have the time to teach you or the patience. He feels up staged by your power and will only become coarse when you arrive in Methrious, he won't love you anymore, Darling. Not the way I can." He spat on the word love. He straightened up and stood tall and fearsome in his cloak of gray, head held high. "Calwyn come with and be my Empress"

This was the moment Darrow had feared ever since Calwyn tamed the birds of the wild lands so long ago. The moment when she would leave him for Samis at the slightest request, he felt like a fool, to believe she could still want him when Samis was an option. For the first time since he heard Samis he looked at Calwyn's face and she looked as though she was thinking through the options then she threw her head back as if to speak and spat in Samis' face. Samis let out a growl and reeled back, with all his force he yanked Calwyn's hair and pushed her face into his, then threw her back against the tree.

"I will never be your empress!" Calwyn stared at him with all the venom she could muster. He was standing right in front of where Darrow lay on the ground was he alive, was he even still there? She couldn't stop herself from thinking of him and inclining her head to get a peek at him. But Samis noticed what she was doing.

"Then you'll be no one's! HannahLay!" He barked with authority. A tiny girl who looked of seven years old walked out from behind a tree look up at Samis and then to Calwyn a small tear slide down her cheek whatever she was here for she didn't want to be. She threw back her head and sang a song that sounded so strange to everyone except Calwyn and Samis, Calwyn gave a look of absolute horror to Samis, which Darrow saw. Before anyone could analyze what was happening the tree had exploded and was burning white hot. Like the desert sun in at mid-day

"CALWYN!" Darrow got to his feet but even he couldn't get there in time to get her out, he sang to make the wire release and they fell to the ground but he was burning his hands and arms and was on fire as well. Tonno had pulled him away from the flames because Calwyn was no longer there she had been burned to ash in three seconds.

Chapter 2

"Oh my head, huh? Where am I?" She sat up; she was in a little room with hardly anything but a bed.

"Good you're up, finally. Put this on now he's expecting you." She hadn't even figured out if she was alright, when the dress was thrown onto her it was a beautiful red dress. But who was this man, where was she? Questions that had to be put on hold for now.

"Right now, in front of you?"

"I don't have time for this just do it" she grabbed the dress and put it on it was beautiful, but too tight she couldn't breathe. Why do women where these horrid things? She thought while walking down a dark hallway. The man in front of her opened a huge beautiful oak door with designs all around it; it reminded her of the great hall doors in Antaris.

"I thought you said he was expecting me? No one's here."

"Stop complaining ok, he's obliviously had something more important to do. Just sit down he's a very important man."

Chapter 3

They had made it back to the Black Palace, though Darrow never came out of his office he closed up all the windows so he sat in almost pitch dark, the only light came from the tiny little candle that Heben or Flynn lit every morning to tell him what time it was. He was sitting in the corner, far from the light as possible, his knees where pushed against his chest and his breathing was shaky at best. A gently little knock came to the door as if the person was totally afraid of the Lord's wrath. Every day he forced himself to remember her death and funeral although he didn't go to the funeral, he had refused. If she was gone then he would never again be happy.

"GO AWAY!" came his gruff voice that tried to sound mad but held the tears he hadn't yet cried behind.

"I'm, uh I'm sorry Lord Darrow, but um the Council is here and they want to talk to." Heben got out one breath at a time. And stood back to take the wrath of Darrow, no one wanted to bother him since he came back. They all knew about Calwyn and mourned her death in true Methrious style no one spoke her name for a whole turn of the moons.

"What? What do they want? I've told you to tell everyone I'm not to see anyone especially them now leave me Heben."

"But sir they've been here for almost a turn of the moons and say if you don't come they'll break the door down and drag you out and make you listen!"

"Really? I'd like to see them try." Came Darrow's plain response "that is an empty threat Heben now if you have nothing better to do than waste my time and yours please leave."

"But sir!"

"No Heben, Go!" Heben let out a deep breath, turned on his heels and walked out of the room. Darrow turned towards the wall and sat still letting shaky breath after shaky breath out. He kept thinking that eventually Calwyn would come bursting through his door ignoring the warnings of bothering the Lord of the Black Palace and tell him to get out of this room. And he hated himself more; he dreamt every night about her and woke thinking she was right by his side. He was angry with himself for not letting Calwyn know how he had felt the same sooner and that he should have never left her alone on Ravemey during the winter. Then he cursed himself for being so stupid Calwyn was dead and noting can change that not even Halassa's magic. There came a distinct complaining and yelling noise from the hall from the open door that Heben had exited through but not exactly closed.

"Sirs he wishes to see no one and after three months of being in there he probably doesn't even look the way you remember him."

"We've given him three months like you said he has had enough time to grieve and now must face his duty like a man!" came the regal voice of the Council leader the six men from the old empire who had, been chosen to help Darrow run the new republic of Methrious. But now are just used to control everything that happens.

Calwyn would never had let me assign them that job and we would fight about it for a day or two and then I would see what I'm seeing now. They didn't have the best interest of Methrious in mind just that they kept the regal state and title, Thought Darrow as he overheard the conversation outside his room. He constantly found himself thinking what she would be doing if she were here.

"Lord Darrow, come out of that room right now." Darrow sighed and got up to his feet and slowly walked to the door and the council. "See Heben he just needs a strong hand to command him."

"Good day, Council man Tarlich." Darrow came into the light and had to cover his eyes because the harsh desert sun burned from a nearby window, after being so long in the dark. He stood tall once his eyes were adjusted his fair hair shone but was longer now past the bottom of his ears, he had the beginnings of a bread and his gray-green eyes dragged down as though he would break down any minute and start sobbing on the floor. He stared at each face then let out a confident breath and slammed his door shut.

"Darrow it's been too long. You need to get cleaned up before you meet the guest we have brought you she would be horrified if she saw you now, the last time she saw you, you didn't look like a runaway." Came their voices through the thick doors of the palace.

"I don't wish to meet anyone Tarlich, please just leave me to govern Methrious the way I want to." He stalked to the desk and then to the place where his window used to be.

"This is your way! Letting two of your advisors do everything for you andMerthirous! Whilst you sit in your room and sulk? You need to open your eyes and run this republic or step down!" the council man was right this wasn't any good Darrow needed to pull himself together and go back to the work he and Calwyn had started here so long ago. He went back to the door and slowly opened it again.

"Alright I'll get clean up and meet you for dinner in the formal dining room, Gentlemen." He bowed to each of them and went back into his room and started by punching windows out again with ironcraft he turned and nearly gave himself a heart attack he did look like a runaway.

Darrow came out of his room looking as he had always looked clean shaven, fair hair just touching the tops of his ears, but his eyes still looked as though he needed to cry. He passed Trout on the way to the dining hall.

"Oh, Darrow, it's nice to see you again where are you headed?"

"To the dining hall the Council has someone they want me to meet."

"Oh well then I guess I'll talk to you later, but Darrow I do need to talk to."

"Alright Trout." Darrow went down the great stairs and stood tall in front of the grand doors to the formal dining room at the end of the dining hall. He took a deep breath in and out and pushed the great doors in and walked through. He looked down the long table; his jaw became slack as he recognized the face of the woman seated at the opposite end of the table. "It's you!" was all he could say through his astonishment.

Chapter 4

She sat there sitting for a while before anyone came into the dining room. She was sitting at the end of a long table facing a door that she hadn't come in. It was equally beautiful but she still felt as though she recognized it from somewhere. She was sitting in the quiet a suddenly jerked forward as she remembered something like she had forgotten to breathe for a while. She knew who she was again and all she could think of was how to get back to Darrow. She cried and sobbed as though she would never stop her heart was breaking to him she knew she was dead. He must be so hurt and alone and afraid and angry. But while she sat there she never thought of what danger she was in.

"Sir she's crying, she's gone hysterical."

"What?! She shouldn't remember! What have you done?"

"Sir nothing maybe she was asleep longer than we thought."

"Never mind, I'm going to dinner be ready when I'm done." With a shish of his cloak Samis was gone and slipped into the room with Calwyn "Calwyn! So good to see you!"

"Samis? What am I doing here? Where is here?" she managed to get through her sobs

"This is my new home; I call it the Chanters Academy. Any chanter can come here and strengthen their powers. Even if they don't want to be here like you dear. Calwyn did you know that if people get power into them they can be a chanter too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Take your old Xanni for example; he was a normal person two years ago when he "died" right?"

"Yes" she wasn't quite following what he was explain Xanni died long ago in Mithates.

"Not anymore!" Samis exclaimed and let out a laugh so sickly that Calwyn knew that it wasn't a normal laugh. The same laugh he had at Spareth under the white light of the golden globe trying to become the singer of all songs. A mad laugh one full of power and self-righteousness.

"What! What do you mean? He's alive, Xanni's alive?" she couldn't believe it.

"That's what I said isn't it?"

"Wait a minute if Xanni is alive and your alive does that mean I'm dead?"

"No don't be stupid Calwyn."

"But um."

"Calwyn even your little windworker friend is alive here."

"What MICA!" Calwyn jumped up from her seat.

"You shouldn't believe everything you see, darling. Now eat your meal." They ate in silence Calwyn was to shock to eat. Could it be true or is this more of his lies is Xanni and Mica alive in this place. When she was finished the same man appeared at the door she had come in.

"Come on we have to get you down to introduction."

"What's that?" Calwyn asked looking from Samis and to the man whose name she still didn't know.

"Your hair will be cut, and dyed, and your memories gone. Just like this morning when you didn't think about anything until just before dinner and you remembered."

"What, no you can't take my memories please Samis! Don't!"

"Come on!" the man grabbed her arm and she pulled anyway begging that they let her keep her memories. He let go of her arm and threw her over his shoulder and smothered her face in the back of his cloak. She couldn't see anything but she heard a lot of voices looking at her in awe. At the singer of all songs being carried like a small child over a man's shoulder. He threw her back down when they got to a small white door and a girl came out took her arm. She was tired of fighting off people and went obediently into the room.

Chapter 5

Darrow remembered her from when he visited the Palace of Cobwebs. Areela stared back at him with the same icy blue eyes that Keela, her sister, had. He remembered her, how arrogant and flirty she was like every woman at the court. The first princess should of all be the most arrogant. As Darrow sat down into his seat he swore under his breathe. Great just great now they want me to marry and to her of all people.

What happened to him I mean I know Calwyn died but she was just a plain boring little nobody, he should want me not that nobody. Areela flashes her best smile at Darrow and made she resemble a peacock showing off their feathers to get attraction. This is so awkward say something Darrow anything break the silence if you don't I will. Areela gestured over to him and he looked down, he had nothing to say to her.

"So Darrow I thought I should say I'm sorry about what's her name after all no one likes to see a figure we all hated die right?"

"Excuse me?" Darrow shot back "What right do you have to say such things about her you didn't even know her!" he was getting angry now and yelling

"She took away everything I knew my home she killed many of my own friends and family but you don't see me crawling into a dark and being mean all the time seriously darling show some backbone."

"The only reason you didn't show any remorse when your family died is because you never cared to begin with."

"I never said I didn't care I said I took it hard but stayed strong!" the two yelled across the table so fiercely the council men didn't know who to stop.

"That's enough get out of my palace right now! Or so help me I will throw you out using me won chantment and send to all the way to Antaris!" Everyone was stunned Darrow had never threatened the women and Areela was obviously using that as her only defense. She rose from her chair got up and glided down to the door by him.

"She was the only thing keeping you human, have a nice darling." And with that Areela was gone.

Chapter 6

"C'mon Cal one more time!"

"Mica I can't go anymore I just can't!" Calwyn and mica were singing an old song with a fast tempo it was late and Calwyn just wanted to sleep.

"Not so easy huh? Calwyn" came Xanni's playful voice; he could always cheer her up.

"No I just can't sing anymore I'll lose my voice and I have a tournament tomorrow and I can't lose again!" Calwyn said desperately.

"It's only practice if it were a real one you would have been dead long ago." Came Xanni's slum reply. Every chanter was required to participate in a tournament once a month. Calwyn had yet to be in a real one she couldn't survive a practice she didn't want to use her powers to kill an incident person. But being the Singer of All Songs she had to fight, and she had to win Samis would never see another way.

10 months later

"Whoa Cal! No one dares to come up against you, you're the best fighter there ever was!"

"Don't exaggerate Mica I'm the Singer of All Songs of course no one will fight me. I couldn't blow your head off without you even seeing a thing!" Calwyn after months of fighting the guards and rules she had been brain washed enough and no longer remembers anything of the person she once was. She could sing a powerful chantment without saying a single word, she discovered you can dance any chantment like the tree people dance the healing dance except for each different form the dance is related for ice the dance is graceful and strong, fire the dance is quick short and at times powerfully electric, wind requires long arm movements and feet to stay planted where they are, and so on. Calwyn being who she is could do fire on one hand and ice on the other.