CHAPTER 2
"Concentrate, child. Take a deap breath. Feal it fill every corner of your being and take your worries up in its flow. Allow your thoughts to leave with your breath. Calm your emotions. This is not the same storm that stole you from your home. You must be at peace. I know that your loss hurts, but your mother is always with you, child. She is a part of the force," Master Sunrider instructed.
Silwen lowered the stun rod she was holding and tried to follow her masters instructions. Perhaps if she did, the pain of losing her parents would go away. After all, Master had said that her mother was a part of the force. Didn't that make her a part of Silwen as well? Wherever her mother was, she was sure that she was now happy.
Silwen took the deap, cleansing breath as instructed. She felt her worries of family, home, and loss melt away as the snow in early spring. The sound rain against the window began to fade. It was at that moment that she noticed the threads of force surrounding her. Through closed eyes they appeared to weave around life, like little silver stars dragging soft fire around everyone in their wake. One in particular drew her attention. It weaved and bobbed directly infront of her vision, as if begging her to take hold of it. With one more breath, she let go of herself and allowed the silver tendril to fill her vision. She saw a great green forest pushed up against dark mountains. There were many people celebrating under the trees, people with pointy ears like herself.
The vision sifted to two people at the front of the group. One of them was a tall elf with deep blue eyes and golden hair. He was dressed all in green and was wearing a crown of leaves. The other appeared to be Silwen herself, fully grown. Her deep red hair was woven into a complex pattern, her own crown of flowers pulling her gold highlights into prominent view. Her baby blue eyes matched the silky gown she was wearing. As she watched, she saw herself and the tall elf kissing, and the crowd cheered.
The vision passed, taking the threads of light with it, and Silwen found herself back in the room with her master. "Master, I must tell you about what I have just seen!" No answer came. Perplexed, Silwen looked around. Her master lay on the floor, eyes closed, no breath disturbing her body. She was dead. Silwen colapsed onto the stone floor, silently crying for the woman that had been far closer to her than the mother she had lost years ago.
The storm still raged outside. A crowd of somber jedi were gathered around a bier underneath a pavilion to keep out the rain. They were here to respect Master Sunrider, who had joined the waves of the force only hours before. The weather seemed to match Silwen's mood. She was not yet a full Jedi, and now she had no master.
The Jedi Council said many things about Master Sunrider's accomplishments, but Silwen did not hear them. She was only thinking about her master. She had learned much. Not many elves at her age had this much wisdom. She had lost her childhood long before normal Elven children were even considered adults. They playing without a care underneath the stars and trees. Why had this happened to her? What was Iluvatar trying to teach her? Surely there must be a reason.
As the bier was set on fire, Silwen found herself on the wings of another vision. Thunder and lightning shown all about a small glade. It was burning in spite of the heavy rain. Dark figures surrounded the glade on all sides. They were shouting and seemed to be attacking two forms.
Her perspective suddenly shifted. She was in the center of the glade. She was firing arrows frantically at the surrounding creatures. As fast as she was, the numbers of the enemy never seemed to lessen. Her vision blurred with exhaustion as the batten went on. More and more vicious monsters came at her and her companion. Soon her companion collapsed. He had been shot by archers that were among the new comers. Weary as she was, she could not stop them all. She got 2 of them before she, too had been pierced.
Quickly, the surrounding figures rushed into the glade. The gleefully surrounded their prey in a tight circle. A man in all white robes came into the glade and approached the creatures.
"Let me past," he said as he shoved the creatures through. "Well, your Highness. I have caught you at last. Have you not wondered why you were attached every time you left your father's golden halls? You and your friend will die. Know, before you do, that the future dies with you. I have seen it. Without you two, Middle Earth will fall to my master's rule. I shall stand at his right hand and rule over your pathetic people. Farewell, Prince."
The man drew a deadly sword from his side as he spoke. Upon bidding the prince farewell, he drove it downward into his body.
The vision faded just as Silwen screamed in pain. The bier was once again in front of her. The fire had started to die down, and the rain had stopped. Only one jedi remained in the pavilion. It was Master Cyphus, of the Jedi Council. She quickly performed a Jedi calming technique to calm her nerves.
"Master? How long have I been standing here?" Silwen inquired as her adrenaline rush began to fade.
"Nearly 3 hours child. What did you see?" Master Cyphus asked.
"The reason I was taken from my home," she replied. She had discovered her purpose at last. She felt that it was her duty to save the two men she had seen in the glade. Or were they men? Now that she thought on it, she could not recall seeing the face of one. The other was a tall man with dark hair. His cloths were tattered and dirty. The mystery figure had been wearing green, but she could not remember his face. He had been a prince, that much she knew, but a prince of what? Only time would tell.
"Be that as it may, I have come to tell you a decision made by the council. You have told us your people are immortal. We feel it would be best for you to remain unknown to the galaxy, for the safety of you and the galaxy. Should your gift be discovered, the Jedi order itself will be at stake. You are gifted with foresight. You will remain in the Jedi temple and teach those who have the most potential with seeing. You will only be known by those select students and whomever is a member of the council. I understand you have a great love of nature, correct?" Master Cyphus asked.
"Yes, Master. I could not survive without being around plants. They give me comfort. I understand your decision, and I will abide by it. I only regret that I will not be able to see the stars. I shall miss them," Silwen said.
"You need not be parted from the stars, young one. We can have a group of technicians stimulate day and night in the garden we have prepared for you. It will not be difficult," Master Cyphus replied with a smile.
The two entered the Jedi temple. Silwen was shown her new home in the depths of the temple and elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight. While modestly decorated, the rooms were comforting. Her first student was waiting there for her, even though she had been made Knight only seconds before. She greeted her student with a smile. It was time to pass on the things she had learned from Master Sunrider to this young boy.
The little button is calling you. You want to tell me what you think of the change. You KNOW you do...
