Estella's house was a small, stone cottage at the end of a short, cobblestoned path, on the outskirts of their village. The moment she arrived home she kicked off her shoes, threw off her jacket, and stumbled into bed, not bothering to get undressed. Estella couldn't explain why she was so tired, after all it was only nine o'clock, but her head pounded and her body screamed for sleep. With a contented sigh, Estella gave in to her body's desires, and closed her eyes, preparing to enter the dreamworld…
She was walking along the cobblestone path, about to join the main road, when a man stepped in front of her. One glance was enough to tell her that he was a god, and that this was not an ordinary dream. However, she found that one glance would not suffice. She stared at him for a few moments before it dawned on her, what it was that she found so peculiar.
Looking nothing like her mother and having never met her father, Estella had no one to compare her features to. No longer though seeing that she was very much the female version of this god. Presently, the god spoke;
" I am Apollo, god of prophecy, and you, my Estë, are my daughter." His voice was deep and commanding, yet Estella could sense a certain amount of tenderness in it. She stayed silent, knowing it was unwise to interrupt a god.
"Since your mother is a mortal you are only half-goddess. Nevertheless you have inherited my gift of prophecy, a gift that you have recently lost, along with the memory of your last premonition." He continued. Estella couldn't understand what he was talking about. Recently lost? Her last premonition had been weeks ago.
"I know you do not remember, that is why I'm here. You must go and have your memory and power restored, only then will you be able to prevent a horrible event. You will need a great deal of help throughout your journey, and though we cannot be there to aid you, we can give you gifts that will." Apollo clapped his hands and the muses all appeared standing behind him.
"Each muse carries something that will aid you on your way. Use them wisely and with caution." He warned. He clapped his hands again and eight of the nine muses came forth to deliver their offerings. Clio brought her knowledge of history, and Urania brought hers of astronomy, which they shared with Estella by placing a hand on her forehead. The other six muses brought more practical gifts, such as food, shelter, blankets, weapons, etc. After all the objects had been distributed, Estella noticed one muse who hung back from the group and who had brought nothing to aid Estella. She questioned Apollo about her.
"That is Terpsichore." He replied, "And she gave you your gift the day you were born."
"What…?" Estella let the question trail off.
"The gift of dance. Terpsichore's gift is dance." Responding to Estella's unfinished question with a hint of pride in his voice.
"Now then," he said, clapping his hand once more and causing the muses to vanish. "You must seek out the Fates for they are the ones who have taken your prophetic vision. They were fearful, after you received your vision, that you may try to change the outcome of a man's life. Which is exactly why you must recover your vision. A man's life is at stake and only you have the knowledge to save him. It's in you, you just have to release it. The Fates have many creatures under their command, they may try to hinder you. Lastly, the Fates live due North. Follow the northernmost star until you stand just beneath Polaris. There you will find the Fates. You are our only hope. You must not fail, Estë. Be safe, my daughter."
And with that, the sunny yard faded and was replaced with darkness that pressed in on Estella from all sides. She opened her eyes to early sunlight, seeping into her room through her translucent curtains. Looking around, Estella spotted a pile of objects beside her bed. Upon closer inspection she noticed that they were the exact items the muses had given her. Estella had heard that gods sometimes visited mortals in dreams, and knew this wasn't something she should ignore.
With a resigned sigh, Estella gathered the items into her bag and dressed. Even as she did this, she marvelled at the fact that she had no disbelief that Apollo was her father. Nor that she had to seek out the Fates. She simply accepted it. She also accepted that the Fates would try to stop her, but with what, she had no idea. She only hoped that Clio's knowledge of history, within her, would tell her how to defeat whatever she faced.
Knowing she had a long and tedious journey ahead of her, Estella set out at once. Not along the cobblestoned path to the main road, but out the back door, across the meadow towards the mountains, for that was the way north.
