Chapter 19

Flashback continued

A breeze brought her abruptly back to her real surroundings and the task. She had sent two of her girls, twins, of to locate where the girl was and ensure that she was marked by the ancient symbol.

As she stood feeling the cold wind from north, a flash of the picture in the bowl entered her vision; the girl in question was being brought forth by the hand of a very handsome man. He was all dressed in black, but his shirt was deep blue as the eyes that was embedded in his face. His beard was just as black as his hair and beside him walked a stunning girl all dressed in white. Not far, further up the room stood the man that was going to be husband very soon.

Ademia knew right away when she saw the girl that this young woman was being forced into marriage against her will, but the more important information was that this girl was the key to get rid of the evil that had resided not far from Ademia's sanctuary.

The man, the one she had feared for centuries and the one who patrolled along the boundary trying to keep the girls from her, had caused much pain. Not only for her, but for the girls who had been kept back for days.

She could still hear the screams, the horrible screams that echoed through the woods at night as the girls used up their strength trying to fight of the pain of fire that floated through their body. Taking their last breath as the Black God called them to him. Those girls who had been captured before coming over the invisible boundary had died.

The man, the leader was the the man who was supposed-to-be the husband to the girl who had come after Ademia had found the sanctuary. Somehow he had found a way to stay young and such he had cheated death, just as long as Ademia and Isa had lived behind the boundary.

The Goddess had only given the marked girls, or those who was to be forced into an arranged marriage one month from the day the sign was visible on their back to reach the sanctuary. Those who didn't reach it was killed by the signs, as part of the curse that the symbols was – the only cure was to fall in love or to enter the world of the Untouchables.

Ademia, the Queen, had the first years stood guard in front of the boundary, twisting and turning her hands nervously when ever a young girl was to come through the woods. The first years she could do nothing about the capturing of the girls, but as more and more had been captured she had taken a risky decision, allowing the girls that was under the protection of the sanctuary, to pick up weapons and fight the man's followers – other men who had been left at the altar.

Now outside her tent, the girls practiced their skills in the art of fight. Ademia had been extremely lucky that by the dawn of the birth of the Order of Shang, a girl dressed as a boy had been taught the legendary skills and such now could teach the other girls. When the masters of the Order of Shang had discovered the truth, they had hurried to cover up the incident and found a suitable husband for Yukimi noh Daiomoru.

Yukimi, or the short name 'Yuki' was called was beautiful girl with long black hair and a soft pale cream colored face. She always wore a dress styled from the Yamani Empire. Blue, pink and gold was her favorite choice of fabric and she was the only one who was allowed not to where the traditional dress of scarlet. Just as sweet Yuki could be, she could be just as deadly against anyone when needed. With her fan made of steel, also called shukusen, she could take on four men at the time and still finish of the last man mere seconds before a fifth one appeared. Everyone within the boundary knew that with her deadly fan had one other magnificent weapon. Her favorite was the 'naginata'. It consisted of a blade that was about 18 inches long. On the end of the weapon a pole was placed, and with its 7 feet long length it was dangerous in the hands of the Shang-girl.

A voice called Ademia from outside and soon after the Yamani girl entered the tent. Yuki placed her hands against her thighs and bowed forward in acknowledgment of the rank Ademia possessed.

Ademia turned to the girl who was the same age as she. "Yuki," she said softly, "you don't have to do that – you know that we are all equal here."

Yuki wrinkled her nose. She still had the strict manners of the Yamani embedded inside herself and even though she had lived with the Untouchables for – actually, she had lost count of how many years she had resided, she still couldn't shake of the manners. She left the thought behind as she spoke "They are back" and pushed back the tent and outside stood two younger woman. Both equally old and both equally beautiful caused by the divine curse that was upon them.

Ademia nodded and followed her friend outside. A crowd had surrounded by younger girls who looked up to them, but as she approached they scattered, making room for their Queen. She smiled down to the girl who was as night and day. The one had brown hair, the other had hair like the Queen – blond, long and shiny. "Kahlan," she greeted the first twin, the one with long blond hair "did you find her?"

The one of the twins nodded. "She been taken to the royal palace of Tortall," Kahlan replied, "you were right Ademia. The signs was on her back, but only for a few seconds." It was as if the young blond woman held back something and Ademia urged her forward by demanding what it was that she wasn't telling. At last Kahlan sighed; "and the woman, the Kings Champion, the woman with flaming hair saw them."

High and horrified gasps resounded from the girls surrounding them, but Ademia only raised her hand and there was instant silence. She nodded slowly as her mind worked quickly. "It was only expected that they would find out sooner or later that's something is going on right under their noses."

The woman, the brown haired grabbed the sleeve of the Queen and Ademia turned her eyes questioning as Aura spoke. "But they will find out and..." she didn't say much as she saw how Ademia smiled.

"Yes and that's okay," Ademia turned to the girls that was as young as twelve and the women who had been, like herself, twenty-four for many years.

She waved her hand towards the boundary, where they could see men crossing back and forth, only inches from the spell that would burn them to ashes. "We need them to defeat the man who are causing this. We know that he won't rest before all of us is dead," she paused and turned to the one woman, the one who first had brought the man to her sanctuary and she knew what guilt Shinkokami felt – if she was in her position she would feel the same, "but we have to stay strong, practice and fight for the many girls around us who are forced into marriage without love."

Meeting Shinkokami's nearly black eyes that twisted with the glare of green, she continued, "we have to stand up for the right we was not given when we where in their position and of cause there will be new times, new changes will come and we will walk down that patch together."

Looking with confidence into the eyes of each woman standing in a half circle around her, she felt only reassurance. "Only the Goddess knows the future and she chose that," she pointed to the bowl with water which still showed the girl, "girl for something and when that something is passed and over, we will still walk the steps of the Goddess – if it's not here, then it is somewhere else."

Ademia's words almost drowned in the exciting yells from the women and the men at arms, guarding the boundary, stopped short for a few minutes to feel the notion that filled the air, only to shake it off, thinking that winter was coming faster then last year.