Chapter 4
Waking to find the damage she'd done to the house, and to herself, she tidied up once again, bathed and dressed into clean clothes.
Trying to rid her mind of her tortured dream, she walked towards the Sinlahekin valley.
Preoccupied with rebuilding her emotional wall, she didn't notice the Elfstones flaring in warning. A Shadowen jumped on her from behind a tree and sank it's teeth into Vanda's side before she was able to tear the stones from their pouch in her tunic and turn the Shadowen to ashes.
She stumbled into the valley, blind with pain. She saw with blurred eyes the approach of a familiar face as she slumped to the sitting position against a nearby tree.
"Are you alright?" Ravan asked as she kneeled beside her, "What happened?"
"Shadowen," Vanda gasped.
"What are Shadowen?" Ravan wondered aloud.
Vanda explained that Shadowen where almost like demons but a lower in power. Shadowen are basically shadows with teeth and a hunger for destroying lives.
Ravan nodded and bandaged up Vanda's wound.
Vanda exchanged a thanks and a conversation began to develop. Vanda became intrigued when Ravan began talking about a place other than earth called The Moon Kingdom.
"Later when you feel up to it, I'll take you there," she looked at the sun, "I'm sorry but I must go. See you later, Vanda."
"Bye Ravan. Thanks again."
Ravan nodded in response and waved before disappearing into the woods.
Entering Sinlahekin in the early morning, Vanda climbed the nearest tree she could find, despite her wounded side. Daydreaming until a sound brought her out of her reverie, she saw a good-looking teenage boy trying to climb the tree she was in. Seeing how the young teen was having some trouble, she offered a hand. "Need any help?"
Startled, the boy looked up at her. "Yes, if you wouldn't mind..."
Vanda extended her hand out and the boy took it, letting him steady himself enough to climb up and sit on a branch near her.
"Thanks," he smiled.
Vanda nodded. "Not a tree climber are you?"
He smirked. "Not necessarily. I take it you are though."
Vanda shrugged and held out her hand again. "I'm Vanda Kiolen."
He took it yet again. "Taylor Hanson. Nice to meet you."
Vanda nodded in response.
The two new friends talked while the afternoon sun slipped to an evening setting.
"Do you have any family around here?" Taylor asked.
"No, they're all...they're all dead," Vanda stuttered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It must be hard."
Vanda nodded, lowering her head a notch.
"Hey, I don't really have any family either. Since we're two lonely people...," he trailed off to clear his throat before continuing, "Did you want to go out with me?"
Vanda smiled. "Sure."
Taylor smiled back and glanced at the setting sun. "I have to go," he told her while climbing out of the tree. Vanda followed.
"Good night," he said, hugging her.
"Good night," she replied after they embraced.
Smiling, she watched him go. 'Maybe there's a reason to live after all,' she thought.
The next morning, Vanda followed Ravan to The Moon Kingdom. She visited the place often, memorizing how to get there on her own. She would never forget what happened to her one day in the mysterious kingdom.
Coming on a whim, Vanda arrived in The Moon Kingdom late in the evening. Sitting by the pond, she let her mind wander. Touching the delicate memories of Amberle brought tears to her eyes after dreaming her first day in Sinlahekin the night before, despite all times she tried to think of Taylor instead. She let out the tears unwillingly.
Sensing a familiar presence, she felt a hand drop on her shoulder. Looking up, she found the kind brown eyes of Ravan. Smiling warmly, Ravan sat down next to her.
"You had the dream again?" Ravan asked gently.
Vanda nodded, impatiently wiping a tear from her cheek.
"Amberle is beyond going, but she isn't gone. The spirit of her body still dwells among us," Ravan offered to her troubled friend.
"That's right," a voice answered.
A figure in the form of a shade materialized into view.
"Amberle!" they both cried.
The figure smiled. "You have suffered much loss, Vanda. But that still doesn't falter your strength," she turned to Ravan, "And Ravan, you have been kind to my cousin. Since she relies on you for comfort, I will entrust my spirit into you. She is very powerful in the Force, Ravan. Train her in the Jedi way, teach her how to defend herself. I will help you with my spirit bound with yours."
Once again she turned back to Vanda. "The path of a Jedi will be a hard life. One without reward, without remorse, without regret. A path will be placed before you. The choice, is yours alone. Do what you think you cannot do. It will be a hard life, but you will find out, who you are."
With those last words, the shade glowed in a golden aura and disappeared into Ravan, causing her to glow a golden color then fade. Vanda, was stunned and Ravan looked upon her with an amused look on her face.
"Tomorrow your training will begin, as long as your side is alright..."
Vanda nodded excitedly. "The side's fine."
Ravan smiled. "Okay."
Vanda looked at the sky. "It's getting late. I'm going to turn in. Good night, Ravan. Thank you."
Ravan smiled again and placed a hand on Vanda's shoulder. "You're welcome. Good night, my friend. May the Force be with you."
Vanda smiled and disappeared back to the Sinlahekin valley and walked to her home, running over the night's events in her anxious mind.
The next evening, Vanda was sitting at home beginning to construct the signature weapon of the Jedi, the lightsaber. For the first time in days, Vanda felt alone in the house. 'I guess a Jedi will have to learn to deal with being alone all the time,' she thought, yawning as the stars shifted to the midnight setting. Minutes later, her head sagged to her work table, which held her now completed lightsaber, and she was asleep.
What do you think?! Reviews would be nice! Next chapter's coming soon!
-Natselane
Waking to find the damage she'd done to the house, and to herself, she tidied up once again, bathed and dressed into clean clothes.
Trying to rid her mind of her tortured dream, she walked towards the Sinlahekin valley.
Preoccupied with rebuilding her emotional wall, she didn't notice the Elfstones flaring in warning. A Shadowen jumped on her from behind a tree and sank it's teeth into Vanda's side before she was able to tear the stones from their pouch in her tunic and turn the Shadowen to ashes.
She stumbled into the valley, blind with pain. She saw with blurred eyes the approach of a familiar face as she slumped to the sitting position against a nearby tree.
"Are you alright?" Ravan asked as she kneeled beside her, "What happened?"
"Shadowen," Vanda gasped.
"What are Shadowen?" Ravan wondered aloud.
Vanda explained that Shadowen where almost like demons but a lower in power. Shadowen are basically shadows with teeth and a hunger for destroying lives.
Ravan nodded and bandaged up Vanda's wound.
Vanda exchanged a thanks and a conversation began to develop. Vanda became intrigued when Ravan began talking about a place other than earth called The Moon Kingdom.
"Later when you feel up to it, I'll take you there," she looked at the sun, "I'm sorry but I must go. See you later, Vanda."
"Bye Ravan. Thanks again."
Ravan nodded in response and waved before disappearing into the woods.
Entering Sinlahekin in the early morning, Vanda climbed the nearest tree she could find, despite her wounded side. Daydreaming until a sound brought her out of her reverie, she saw a good-looking teenage boy trying to climb the tree she was in. Seeing how the young teen was having some trouble, she offered a hand. "Need any help?"
Startled, the boy looked up at her. "Yes, if you wouldn't mind..."
Vanda extended her hand out and the boy took it, letting him steady himself enough to climb up and sit on a branch near her.
"Thanks," he smiled.
Vanda nodded. "Not a tree climber are you?"
He smirked. "Not necessarily. I take it you are though."
Vanda shrugged and held out her hand again. "I'm Vanda Kiolen."
He took it yet again. "Taylor Hanson. Nice to meet you."
Vanda nodded in response.
The two new friends talked while the afternoon sun slipped to an evening setting.
"Do you have any family around here?" Taylor asked.
"No, they're all...they're all dead," Vanda stuttered.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It must be hard."
Vanda nodded, lowering her head a notch.
"Hey, I don't really have any family either. Since we're two lonely people...," he trailed off to clear his throat before continuing, "Did you want to go out with me?"
Vanda smiled. "Sure."
Taylor smiled back and glanced at the setting sun. "I have to go," he told her while climbing out of the tree. Vanda followed.
"Good night," he said, hugging her.
"Good night," she replied after they embraced.
Smiling, she watched him go. 'Maybe there's a reason to live after all,' she thought.
The next morning, Vanda followed Ravan to The Moon Kingdom. She visited the place often, memorizing how to get there on her own. She would never forget what happened to her one day in the mysterious kingdom.
Coming on a whim, Vanda arrived in The Moon Kingdom late in the evening. Sitting by the pond, she let her mind wander. Touching the delicate memories of Amberle brought tears to her eyes after dreaming her first day in Sinlahekin the night before, despite all times she tried to think of Taylor instead. She let out the tears unwillingly.
Sensing a familiar presence, she felt a hand drop on her shoulder. Looking up, she found the kind brown eyes of Ravan. Smiling warmly, Ravan sat down next to her.
"You had the dream again?" Ravan asked gently.
Vanda nodded, impatiently wiping a tear from her cheek.
"Amberle is beyond going, but she isn't gone. The spirit of her body still dwells among us," Ravan offered to her troubled friend.
"That's right," a voice answered.
A figure in the form of a shade materialized into view.
"Amberle!" they both cried.
The figure smiled. "You have suffered much loss, Vanda. But that still doesn't falter your strength," she turned to Ravan, "And Ravan, you have been kind to my cousin. Since she relies on you for comfort, I will entrust my spirit into you. She is very powerful in the Force, Ravan. Train her in the Jedi way, teach her how to defend herself. I will help you with my spirit bound with yours."
Once again she turned back to Vanda. "The path of a Jedi will be a hard life. One without reward, without remorse, without regret. A path will be placed before you. The choice, is yours alone. Do what you think you cannot do. It will be a hard life, but you will find out, who you are."
With those last words, the shade glowed in a golden aura and disappeared into Ravan, causing her to glow a golden color then fade. Vanda, was stunned and Ravan looked upon her with an amused look on her face.
"Tomorrow your training will begin, as long as your side is alright..."
Vanda nodded excitedly. "The side's fine."
Ravan smiled. "Okay."
Vanda looked at the sky. "It's getting late. I'm going to turn in. Good night, Ravan. Thank you."
Ravan smiled again and placed a hand on Vanda's shoulder. "You're welcome. Good night, my friend. May the Force be with you."
Vanda smiled and disappeared back to the Sinlahekin valley and walked to her home, running over the night's events in her anxious mind.
The next evening, Vanda was sitting at home beginning to construct the signature weapon of the Jedi, the lightsaber. For the first time in days, Vanda felt alone in the house. 'I guess a Jedi will have to learn to deal with being alone all the time,' she thought, yawning as the stars shifted to the midnight setting. Minutes later, her head sagged to her work table, which held her now completed lightsaber, and she was asleep.
What do you think?! Reviews would be nice! Next chapter's coming soon!
-Natselane