Prologue:
Premonitions of Death
Britain, 908 a.d.
"Princess?"
Princess Cathrine could not see the intruder, but she recognized the voice as belonging to Morgan, one of the guards of her father's castle, and the mate of Elizabeth, the castle's priestess.
"What do you come to me for, Morgan?"
There was a long sigh and Cathrine turned around. He was standing in the shadows, though his pale green eyes seemed to glow from the darkness.
"What is it?"
"I have had a premonition," Morgan said quietly after a long pause.
"When?"
"One of your servants, Jeffrey, left the castle just this eve without a word. It came to me after he passed through the gates."
"I suspected that he would be leaving us soon. What did you see?"
"He will bring death upon us all. He is possessed, I believe, by a Shadow. He will bring an army down upon us. We will all die and this kingdom will fall."
There was another pause as Cathrine thought about this.
"Where will they attack?"
"From the east. They will only attack the castle. The village will be safe."
"And there is no wall around this castle."
"Nay. Perhaps we could evacuate, escape through the Isle to the continent?"
"Nay, it doesn't matter where we go, they will find us, and my father will not abandon this kingdom, nor will I."
"Well, then we should prepare for battle."
"Aye, but tell no one what you have told me."
"I know. It would cause panic."
"Are you going to tell Elizabeth?"
He thought for a long moment.
"Nay," he said at last. "I do not wish to frighten her. I will wait until it is almost upon us, then she will have to know."
"You're hiding something, Morgan."
He let his eyes slip away from hers for a moment before looking up and answering.
"I am not destined to return to Earth with the rest of you. I will be killed by a Spirit Arrow, but when given the chance to return, I will not be destined to take it."
"What of your mate?"
"I plead with you not to tell her. Wait until I die to tell her as I will be the first to fall."
"Very well, but I must tell her before her both die. With so many souls that will be going through the Gate of Life, we might lose each other in all that mess."
"I agree. I must go to her now, by your leave."
"You may go."
He quickly knelt before turning on his heal and walking briskly towards the door. He paused and turned back for a moment.
"Oh, and do not worry about my mate, she will find another."
And with out explaining that statement, he left the chamber.
Premonitions of Death
Britain, 908 a.d.
"Princess?"
Princess Cathrine could not see the intruder, but she recognized the voice as belonging to Morgan, one of the guards of her father's castle, and the mate of Elizabeth, the castle's priestess.
"What do you come to me for, Morgan?"
There was a long sigh and Cathrine turned around. He was standing in the shadows, though his pale green eyes seemed to glow from the darkness.
"What is it?"
"I have had a premonition," Morgan said quietly after a long pause.
"When?"
"One of your servants, Jeffrey, left the castle just this eve without a word. It came to me after he passed through the gates."
"I suspected that he would be leaving us soon. What did you see?"
"He will bring death upon us all. He is possessed, I believe, by a Shadow. He will bring an army down upon us. We will all die and this kingdom will fall."
There was another pause as Cathrine thought about this.
"Where will they attack?"
"From the east. They will only attack the castle. The village will be safe."
"And there is no wall around this castle."
"Nay. Perhaps we could evacuate, escape through the Isle to the continent?"
"Nay, it doesn't matter where we go, they will find us, and my father will not abandon this kingdom, nor will I."
"Well, then we should prepare for battle."
"Aye, but tell no one what you have told me."
"I know. It would cause panic."
"Are you going to tell Elizabeth?"
He thought for a long moment.
"Nay," he said at last. "I do not wish to frighten her. I will wait until it is almost upon us, then she will have to know."
"You're hiding something, Morgan."
He let his eyes slip away from hers for a moment before looking up and answering.
"I am not destined to return to Earth with the rest of you. I will be killed by a Spirit Arrow, but when given the chance to return, I will not be destined to take it."
"What of your mate?"
"I plead with you not to tell her. Wait until I die to tell her as I will be the first to fall."
"Very well, but I must tell her before her both die. With so many souls that will be going through the Gate of Life, we might lose each other in all that mess."
"I agree. I must go to her now, by your leave."
"You may go."
He quickly knelt before turning on his heal and walking briskly towards the door. He paused and turned back for a moment.
"Oh, and do not worry about my mate, she will find another."
And with out explaining that statement, he left the chamber.