Many miles beyond either the weary trio of brothers or the wind shrouded mountains wandered another, lonelier figure. A gaunt shadow, seeming to stride with great weariness over the ground which he now tread. No wind buffeted him, nor did the tang of the night's air reach to him. Instead, the smell of earth and the heat from below the rocks rose to caress him. He was a wandering shadow...

Ahead of him the earth melted away from before his path, restoring itself after his passage. Miles passed while he traveled under the surface, many miles until he reached his destination. Once there he paused while the flow of earth and fire called to him. Reluctantly he released his hold on them, the earth below him surging his body upwards to stand upon the surface. He needed to take care of this in person.

As the ground settled beneath his feet, the stranger took stock of his surroundings. Standing still and alone was the battlement surrounding the base of the tower, its stones blackened by battles long ago. The tower itself was constructed of granite, and the faint whisper of the magic that had been employed in the construction reached his ears.

Turning to the right hand or the left revealed the rough sod hovels of the village, built near the sacred ground upon which the now abandoned tower sat. Against the peasants that populated the area he held no grudge. On the other hand... his gaze shifted to take in the sharp outlines of the barracks wherein the garrison slumbered. The soldiers took for themselves, leaving little for the people to survive upon. Though nominally engaged to guard the historical legend, they prepared daily for an inevitable encounter with the opposing army. Their lord might be taking a particular amount of interest in the ancient legends, but they would much rather deal with an enemy that truly existed.

Tomorrow evening... thoughts drifted away as the shadowed form merged into the darkness, becoming lost to the sight of all.

He waked again to the waning of the day's last light. The muted sounds of the village came to him in his place of repose. Underneath the murmurings of the population and clanking of metal on metal, there came the reassuring buzz of the cicadas from the forest surrounding. Slowly he stretched, then stepped away from the side of the building. A shadow now, passing on the edges of sight; if any saw, they would assume some bird of prey had overflown.

Nearly a full day's rest. He wove his way skillfully, sometimes underfoot, at times upon the walls of the nearby huts, but always moving towards the barracks. Let's see, the last time that I had that would have been a year or so, just before the shadows began to speak again. Along with the earth and fire. Beginning a great demand to open the ancient places... which has taken me quite some time to accomplish, I might add.

For a moment, fiery eyes blazed in the shadow, then winked out suddenly. It was a dangerous thing to do, as his presence was looked upon as an evil omen in most communities and cultures. Shadow fey were looked upon as bogeymen, monsters in dark tales that devoured the flesh of the slain. The apparition shuddered at the remembrance of some of the stories. Mixing the traits of both ghouls and shadow creatures would indeed create monsters.

Sadly however, the once large community had begun to dwindle, only a few thousand fey left to try to continue on in hiding. Sightings had become rarer, they dwindled away into a myth, a legend that no one alive now believes.

Stifling a sigh, the shadow leapt the distance remaining to his destination. Within a few hours the garrison would be getting a surprise that might bring to mind those tales again.

The space was tight and cramped, and the waiting had nearly exhausted her meager supply of patience, but at least the information gained had been worthwhile. At least, that's what she told herself, attempting to stave off the inevitable assault of sleep. Dropping down from her perch into a nearby alley, the blond haired female winced at the aches revealed by the movement. A quick scan indicated that the streets remained mostly deserted at this early hour. Still...

She was up and moving in an instant, moving to blend with the shadows between the buildings. Better to be unseen for sure, rather than be spotted while one believed oneself to be safe. Darting between doorways, ducking into the sewers, and finally reappearing aboveground, she made her way finally to the safe house. Two shadows waited for her there, starting out of a light sleep when she opened the door.

"Miduniel! What news?"

Midii shrugged as she turned towards the speaker. A human male, with dirty red hair and quiet swagger, Q'ivel was her 'partner', though she used that term extremely lightly. He'd been up for execution five years previous, on the count of theft of the house jewels of the Ambassador of Tierarun. The ambassador demanded the ritual punishment of his country for the insult: having the convict's throat cut while being hung.

Midii had been in the crowd that day. Less impressed with his offense than the manner in which he'd kept his pursuit off balance by using the sewers and houses, she'd determined to delay his demise. Coolly she'd palmed the jewels off of him, planting them back on the ambassador as he stalked back and forth before the gathered crowd, demanding 'justice'. Needless to say, when a search of his person failed to turn up the jewels, the magistrates had released Q'ivel, and an anonymous voice shouted for an examination of the ambassador.

The ambassador swore to avenge himself on the person responsible for his humiliation, but none could tell him anything with regards to that affair. It was rumored that he still nursed a bitter grudge towards the incorporeal offender.

The spy disregarded that threat, deeming the ambassador a petty man. Q'ivel was grateful when she revealed herself, trying to ingratiate himself into her bed. When that didn't work, he tried to grab her. Once. He spent the remainder of the night pinned to the wall by his hand. He'd cut the half-elf a wide swathe after that time. He'd never stopped flirting, of course, and Midii suspected that he used it to try and irritate her. If his information hadn't been so vital to her wellbeing in this city...

"Miduniel, have things changed in the ways and paths this past cycle?"

The second figure turned to face her from his position at the rough table that graced the center of the room. A dark cloak and hood concealed his features, but although he dressed as a commoner, the disguise really hid Altisen Woodcloak, one of the more powerful sorcerers in the Elven Court. His magics were subdued here, but enough to cloak his presence from the mages employed by the enforcers in the towers. Matters being what they were, all spellcasters were required to register with the local council in Ab Bortaan, capital of Ganwyng.

That said, Altisen's visits were of necessity a rare thing; his business being to relay to the Court all pertinent information on the conditions of Ganwyng gathered by the 'roots and vines'. Midii let her cloak slide to the floor as she sat down on the single bed against the wall. Smudges of dirt on her face showed up poorly in the flickering light of the room's two candles.

"They are determined to continue on their present course, aiming to intensify the conflict until it breaks out into open war. Motives are as of this time still unclear, at least from 'His Excellency'. I understand that several of his commanders and nobles seek to turn it into an opportunistic land grab."

"However, last even's conversation held an interesting twist." The spy turned her gaze to her ineffable partner and raised a slender eyebrow in inquiry. "What do you know about an ancient legend, or prophecy?"

Q'ivel shrugged carelessly, bangs falling into his eyes as he shifted his position against the wall. "Dunno really. Never had the time or desire to delve into musty tomes of ancient knowledge." His mask of unconcern slipped momentarily, showing a tinge of worry. It was gone in an instant, but the elven spymaster noted it, and determined to alert his underling to the fact.

Midii just shrugged and looked back to the cloaked figure. "It seems that a certain sorceress is concerned about the implications of a prophecy for the current war in progress. According to her, a 'master of light' matches the descriptions in it, and will bode ill for his Excellency and his ambitions. In fact, destruction of the kingdoms, if I remember correctly."

There was movement at the table, and as Midii closed her eyes, Q'ivel disappeared soundlessly from the room. Only a slight creaking of the door hinges alerted the two remaining in the room of his absence. Instantly the spellcaster was on his feet, rushing over to pull Midii to her feet. "Quickly now! Your rat has gone to hunt his hole, and we need to fly this place!" Wearily the spy stood to her feet and retrieved her meager belongings, shrugging back into her cloak.

With cautious movements, the pair made their way out of the building, and into the city proper. While they strode along the public ways, Altisen was silent, not having spoken beyond his dire warning to depart. For her part, Midii was too weary to sustain any conversation, and it took too much effort to be aware of the surrounding area for her to query her superior about his sudden haste.

The gates were open, and unnoticed by any passersby, the pair slipped outside the walls and into the relative safety of the forest a mile beyond. Only then did they feel comfortable enough to stay their pace seek shelter.

Altisen turned to the half elf and spoke in a low tone. "I regret that I could not mention it earlier. I fear however, that your comrade has turned traitor to you at some point, or was from the beginning. His exit proves nothing, for he could simply have gone out to raid some eatery, but I feel that it is time to remove you from the city. It cannot be helped."

Midii nodded, too tired to debate the move. The elven wizard softened his tone somewhat, speaking, yet in whispers. "It would behoove us, who strive to see peace, to know of this prophecy, and of whom they speak; the 'master of light', whether he be a force for good or evil in this world. This then, be thy assignment."

"And now, take your rest, for I shall see to it that you are not disturbed by any, till you have regained your strength and alertness. Shalt need both I think, on coming journeys." He smiled kindly, then departed the hollow where they had spoken, and began to weave wards around it. Contented that the barrier would shield her from harm, Altisen Woodcloak departed the region with all haste, hurrying to come to the Elven Court before the day should end.

Daylight broke over the forest before she awoke. Stretching and yawning, the dark haired beauty gazed with wonder on the hints of light that filtered through the canopy of leaves overhead. Purple eyes blinked the last hints of sleep away and focused intently on the forest floor below. Nothing unusual stirred, nor seemed out of place. With practiced grace, the girl leapt down to land on the ground.

Hilde grinned as a rabbit burst from cover at her sudden entrance, bolting from the undergrowth to explode down the trail at a terrible rate of speed. A yawn cut off a giggle, and she shook her head in wonderment. Time for a quick dip in the lake, then off to market again!

An hour later, she stepped lightly alongside the path that led to the village, hair still damp from her bath. Warily she watched the way, ears tuned the slightest sounds. Those same ears that proclaimed her different from the rest of the world. "An elf." some declared, and most tended to agree, though a few detractors commented on the color of her eyes and the fire that lay behind them.

Aye, fire. For the lady was not without protection. Sighing, she remembered the two or three times that she'd had to burn someone to make them leave her alone. Conjuring up flames, the smell of burnt flesh. Horrible stench, that. Also being the reason for her present caution: the last episode had happened to a member of the garrison that was quartered near the village. Some of the soldiers hadn't quite forgiven what she had done to their comrade.

She shrugged idly as she walked along. He had it coming; when he didn't listen to her pleas and warnings, she'd blasted his face and arm. His agony was swift and severe. No female would ever look favorably upon him again. He lay for a week being tended by the herb woman who served as a physician of sorts for the peasants. Now he glared at her from the shadows of the barracks whenever she came to buy food or sell her woven baskets, so she generally made herself scarce.

As she drew near the village however, she stopped and sniffed the air attentively. Wood smoke, definitely recent. Had someone started a brushfire to clear off the old growth for new farmland?

Through a final break in the treeline Hilde caught a glimpse of the village. Her heart caught in her throat as she surveyed the ruins of several buildings. Smoke rose in lazy wisps from the soot blackened ground, smoldering still as if from some great heat. And to the east, the old blackened tower glowed with red heat.