Chapter 16

Midori and Kalen rode back to the palace for a late lunch and to retire to their rooms before meeting up with their knight-masters later that afternoon.

The young woman opened the door to her room and looked down when she heard a faint rustling sound. "A letter" she picked it up and broke the seal, glancing at the red rose before placing it on the desk and reading the letter. She smiled as she read it and glanced out the window where light rain was falling. "He's right; I do turn sixteen, in just three days in fact. It seemed so long ago that I was a page..."

"That's because it has been" a calm, scratchy voice said. Midori gasped and instinctively reached for her dagger, but the sheath was empty. Cursing, she looked around the room, to find no one there.

"Who are you?" she called out.

"I am Shakith, seer of all mortal and immortal hopes and fears" the voice replied. "Gaze into the mirror and you shall see into the future"

"The future?"

"Did that boy not promise you about being known for years?" Shakith asked, her abrasive voice sounded falsely amused.

"He did promise me, goddess."

"Titles are important to you I see now. The boy has already broken his promise, child"

Midori turned to face the mirror and squinted as bleary colors and sounds began to appear.

All of a sudden the picture sharpened.

It was clear.

Too clear.

Midori paled as white as polished marble, her breath quickened and caught in her throat. Through clenched teeth, she took shaky, uneven breaths a bitter, metallic taste on her tongue.

Then all became dark as she fell to the floor in a dizzying daze, her head cracking against the floor, sending her into instant darkness.

The goddess brushed bony fingers against Midori's forehead and released a dream into her mind, "Tis for your own good, child, face your fear or this training will be for nothing, for killing is what you must do to serve, and into death you will send your foe. Face your fears, compassionate one, face them and be known as Midori 'The Fearless' of Queenscove..." "I watch over you now, as the Goddess, my sister, watches over her own and I know this adventure, is a road not yet walked upon."

The seer goddess' words lingered in the air for a moment and disappeared as a light breeze carried them into the sky. Midori was watched by the Seer, and by the Seer she was protected.