Chapter 3: A past revealed

Rating: Teen

Author's Note: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my best friend, Moonlight Enchantress. She has helped me with many ideas, and I hope to get her new character included in the next chapter. Please review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Blessings, Striking Dancer.

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Winters POV:

It felt as if I had just fallen asleep, when I heard someone knocking loudly on my door. I quickly pulled on my dressing gown, and made my way silently across the room. I opened the door only to see Bast looking nothing, but the picture of impatience.

"Winter.."

He said, while twisting his fingers slightly with nervousnes radianting throughout his body as his eyes glanced up and down my slight figure.

"I'm very sorry to wake you at this hour, but we need to talk to you right away. Meet me in the room where we first met."

Without another word he made his way down the hall, and I watched him disappear around the corner.

"Damn him for waking me when I needed my sleep most!"

I cursed at him as I shut my door as the clock in my room chimed in at 3:00am in the morning. After I slipped on my cloak over my dressing gown, I made my way wearily up the stairs, and opened the door with the Resistance's crest on it. Waiting inside was Bast, and several other members of the Resistance. All were dressed for travel, and had their weapons, and travel sacks near at hand.

"Winter.... "

Bast began, slowly, making sure I wasn't going to kill him for waking me up, and for what was coming next.

"We need to leave right away, and last night you said that you had come here to help. I was wondering if that meant you had plans as to where we should go next?"

Oh, he needs my help again? Big Surprise. Well, it was now or never.

"Well as it turns out, I was planning on asking you to accompany me to my homeland of Idendryll. There is something of great importance there that my Mother told me to retrieve if something was ever to happen to her. Just what that is I cannot be sure, but I feel as if that whatever it is we might find, it may help us on our quest."

"And, you feel that if we find this item that your Mother mentioned it will help us on our quest to defeat the Shotan army?"

Bast, asked me as I shook my head solemnly "Yes". Bast clapped his hands together as he nodded to his fellow comrades that travel was indeed in store for us.

"Then so be it. We make haste to Idendryll immediately. But first I suggest that you might want to change your clothes. For whatever the grudge Shota may have against the Singers we wouldn't want her to find out about you."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Changing clothes would be the only practical thing to do I just hate to discard the clothes that countless ancestors wore before me. It almost feels like a betrayal."

I said softly, feeling strange to not have my well worn cloak on.

"I understand how that must feel."

Bast replied kindly, glancing at my soon-to-be-discarded cloak.

"Now, we really must get going soon. I'll have the innkeeper layout some suitable travel clothes for you."

He then left, as did the others, to give me privacy to change my clothes. I wandered about him, my opionion of him slightly changed. He may not be as arrogant as I first thought. Still, he has a long way to go before he can even begin to fill his Grandfather's shoes. I suppose I should go pack my things. Not that I have that much to take with me anyway. Oh well, at least that means less work for me! I smiled a bit to myself as I waited for the innkeeper to give me my change of clothing...

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Bast's POV:

I was just finishing packing my knapsack onto my horse Snowfire, when I saw Winter walk gracefully out of the Sandsea. I have to say the clothes the innkeeper picked out for her did her justice. She wore a royal blue corsetted style top over cream colored breeches. She also wore knee-length black boots with her golden dagger strapped to one side. I apparently was not the only one to notice, I thought a bit to my annoyance. All of my men were staring at her with their mouths hanging open. All the tasks they were supposed to be completing for the journey to Idendryll forgotten.

"Men!"

I shouted, somewhat angrily.

"Quit staring, and get back to work!"

Needless to say there was more than one red face turning back to his work, and I was getting mad at my men supposedly the best in their field, trained to kill, and they were stopped dead in their tracks the minute a female entered their midst!

"What?

Winter, asked, with irritation lining her voice.

"Haven't your men ever seen a woman in travel clothes before?"

"Perhaps not one of such immense beauty."

I replied with a smile.

"Please Bast, I don't have time for your teasing"

Winter said, although she did look a bit pleased.

"Of course.."

I said, carrying on with my work .

"But,we do need to be getting on the road. I have obtained you a horse for the journey since it seems you prefer to travel on foot. Your horse is the white one over by the stable door. His name is Shadowfax, but I must warn you he can be a bit of a free spirit--"

"Don't worry I seem to have a way with animals."

Winter cut me off as she tossed her glossy black hair over her shoulders. I then saw something I had not noticed before, she had slightly pointed ears. I had never seen such a thing before! Just when she starts to seem normal something happens to make you remember just who she is. I looked around when I heard a collective gasp from the stable hands, and several of my own men. There was Winter whispering into Shadowfax's ear, and softly stroking his nose.

"Sir Bast!"

Shouted the stable master, Ron, as he ran toward me. I turned to the man with his eyes wide with amazement.

"I have never in my life seen that horse so calm! It's not natural, he barely lets anyone get around him, let alone be calm enough to let anyone stroke him!"

It was true. I had seen many a rider thrown off the high spirited horse, and there was Winter calmly sitting atop Shadowfax with not a care in the world! I could only hope this mysterious woman wouldn't have too many more tricks up her sleeve.

"Come on men move out! We've been in this town long enough!"

I took one last look at the town we had spent so little yet so much of our time in as I turned my horse around and headed out, into the vast wilderness to this "Idendryll" Winter so anxiously talked about going to....

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Winters POV:

I was exhausted. We had been riding all day, and just finished setting up camp. It was so late everyone had fallen into there makeshift beds the minute we had drawn straws to see who got first watch. Of course that someone was me. I was just thinking of the forest where I used to play when I was young, when I heard almost silent footsteps behind me. I drew my sword, and turned around to see Bast putting his finger to his lips letting me know to be quiet, and that it was only him.

"Its okay, its only me. Sorry for startling you like that."

He quickly apologized to me.

"No problem. Is there something I can do for you Bast?"

I asked quietly, to not disturb our sleeping comrades.

"No I just couldn't sleep. I thought you might like some company.."

"Very kind of you, thanks."

He sat beside me as the crackling fire warmed my skin.

"I hope I didn't disturb you."

" No, I was merely thinking."

I pulled out the golden locket I always wore. I opened it, out of habit, and looked at the picture inside. Bast looked up quickly as the sound of music playing softly from my locket made its way to his ears.

"Is that.........?"

He said puzzled As he pulled out an identical locket out from his own shirt.

"I have the same locket, listen, it even plays the same music!"

"Does it have a picture of a woman inside?"

I asked hopefully, hoping maybe,just maybe this was the moment I had been waiting years for.

"Yes, But how did you know?"

Bast asked, quite astonished.

"Do you know who she is?

I asked Bast who silently shook his head. I sighed gently, bracing myself for another tedious explanation.

"Then I guess its time I told you more of my past.... Here look in my locket, and see if you recognize the man inside.."

I handed him my locket, and he exclaimed quite shocked.

"It's my Grandfather Basch! How did you get this?"

He asked, his eyes wide in awe as he looked at his Grandfather's photograph, that was yellowing with age, and torn fringes.

"All in good time."

I replied calmly, I leaned in closer so he could hear me as I began in a soft voice.

"The woman in your locket is my mother. Once a long time ago when I was still young, a group of Singers where coming back from a scouting party. There laying in the sand was the body of your Great, Grandfather Basch. He had been attacked by a group of soilders who were still loyal to their fallen Lord Vayne. At first he was thought to be dead but when they got close enough, they realized he was holding on faintly to the thread of life. They rushed him to my mother who, even though she was the best healer among the Singers was barely able to bring him back to life. It took many weeks for your Grandfather to recover, and during that time the two of them fell in love. Of course my mother told him it could never mature into a better relationship. She was the Queen of the Singers, and it would never do to marry a mere Hume, or any hume as a matter of fact. Such a thing was unheard of! Soon after that, Your Grandfather left Idendryll, but not before my Mother gave him that locket. When I was little she told me that her locket contained a great treasure, and that was why she always wore it around her neck. Before she died, she gave me the locket, and told me if I ever found the holder of the its mate, I would uncover the secret of Idendryll. So you see, I have searched for you a long time. I had lost hope of ever finding my locket's mate. Now I have found you, and what I hope will be the way to defeat the Shotan army."

"So you think our lockets will unlock the key to defeating Shota?"

Bast asked in a hoarse voice, I nodded my head. But Bast burst out in exclamation before I could explain my theories.

"But wait! you said you were young when they found my Grandfather. How can that be? You appear to be only nineteen at the most!"

Wonderful! Another seceret from my past life falling carlessly from my lips. I had hoped to keep that bit to myself for the time being. It was something about Bast that made me speak far more often than I should.

"I'm sure you have noticed my pointed ears?"

I asked softly, touching them with my fingers. He gave a slight nod. I inhaled deeply as I continued.

"It is a trait all singers share, along with our black hair, and oddly colored eyes. This is so because our ancestors where the fabled Elves. But those are only minor differences that set us apart from Humes. We also inherited the trait of immortality from the Elves. I can still fall in battle, But I will never die from sickness or from old age. I know this is a lot to take in, but I must ask you to keep this to yourself."

Bast nodded, and said to me in a sympathetic voice, and I knew I could trust him.

"Your secret is safe with me. Now go get some sleep. I'll take next watch."

And so, I left him there alone, with naught but his thoughts, and I'm sure more questions than I could answer in his lifetime. I sighed as a single tear rolled down my cheek. This was not the first time I wished I was mortal. I was just feeling it now more than I had in a long while. I wiped the lone tear onto my sleeve, angry for letting my hold on myself slip if only for a moment. No matter anyway, I always end up alone in the end. I walked into the tent I shared with no one for I was the only woman in the Resistance, and I didn't wake until I felt the sun begin to slowly rise.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, I hope to get the next chapter up soon!

ME: Which she always does, everyone! Thanks for dedicating this to me! For you loyal Readers of Bundles of Joy, I shall dedicate my next chapter to SD!

SD/ME: PLEASE REVIEW!