Winter Shadows of the Vale

𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖚𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

𝖎𝖓𝖆𝖚𝖌𝖚𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 (𝖓) 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖔𝖗 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖔𝖋 𝖆 𝖘𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖒, 𝖕𝖔𝖑𝖎𝖈𝖞, 𝖔𝖗 𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖉.

Dear Diary, 

It was a terrible day that ended in a semi-good of a note. I had to watch my father bleed to death on the wood floor, and believe my mother got the same fate. I learned I was a Shadow Teller, a person that holds the ability of the 'Gods' or something. Duran told me I froze his hand, and I believe him. I'm still a bit cautious of him, though. He seems fine, but doesn't make a whole ton of conversation. Which I get, we hardly know each other. I'm personally not sure what drove him to help me at all but I'm not going to complain. Let's just hope it all gets better.

After he made sure the man was killed he got up onto the horse after me and lead Witz onto the trails. The horse was rather large and seemed happy to travel and he started a steady pace. Duran made a few comments every once and awhile to tell me where we were heading. I know Laniniel was our final goal, but that kingdom was basically at the opposite of the world. Traveling South the whole way North was going to take months, maybe shorter that it's only two of us. But we can't run Witz too much, he needs his rest too.

- - - - - - - - - -

"We'll stay here tonight." Duran's deep voice wakes me out of my trace, staring at the passing trees come to a halt.

I hopped off, stumbling a bit before heading under one of the large trees to get out of the lowering sun. It always has affected my skin, "Now, why are we going to Laniniel?"

He stops and turns to me, "It's a place different from us. They accept people like you."

I scoff, "People like me?"

His eyes soften for a brief moment, "You know what I mean."

He heads off towards the running water, probably to wash himself. I walk over into the forest slightly and I see a pear tree in the distance. I head over and pick a few good ones and head back with them in a folded part of my dress.

I set some down in the saddle bag and head over to Witz with one in my hand, he eyes it and I put my hand out slowly. He looks at me and then the pear, sniffs my hand, then takes it into his mouth and eats it happily. Before I turn around he nuzzles my outward hand and I chuckle.

"Good boy." He seems to understand and I head back to my spot but decide to head off and get some firewood. Grabbing small and large stick I come back just in time for Duran to come up, shirt in hand, "I think you need to re-wrap my bandages."

I set the wood down with a sigh and beckon him to sit in front of me. He sits down with a groan and I grab what's left of the medical supplies. As I start cleaning I speak, "We need to get to a town soon, we'll need more supplies to keep this clean."

He scoffs, "I think I'll be fine."

I poke the wound intentionally and he groans louder, "What the hell?"

With an eye roll on my part I stare at him, "You don't change this as often as we should anyway. If you don't it'll get infected and it could kill you."