The Assembly of Thirteen: The First Two Companions

Chapter 2

The Blue from the Dead

Spring, Quetza Year 797

Near dawn, in a deep corner of the Living Dead Forest, an unusual-looking woman was rummaging around. She was there with a young boy.

On this night, in the depths of the forest, the woman foraging around was Lady Starr, the Master Botanist and Master Quartermasterfor the castle of the mighty Giants the Athany Judges. She was collecting herbs for Lady Oliver, the Athany Master Healer for all castle inhabitants. Lady Starr and her little human pre-apprentice, Shasso, had to gather their herbs late at night. They could not risk being seen outside of the castle by any of the inhabitants of the nearby villages, towns, or any one city. The Emperor forbid her people from being seen outside the castle.

However, this early morning, a short distance from the secret site of High Blue Trees, Shasso saw a glow—not any bright light, but a soft orange one.

"Look, my lady! Come here, please."

Lady Starr looked at Shasso with her soft, droopy eyes. A scar under her right eye was a daily reminder of her years of battle under the curse. Her long, white hair, arranged in intricate braids with red beads, made a sound when she moved her head. She was an Athany Elder, one of the last thirteen leaders of her people. She had lived over 750 years, and it wasn't until the last hundred she started to feel her age. The Athany were overly tall, ancient people, created to be the judges over the land, who had lost their right to judge by their own doing.

"Shasso. Shasso, dear, what are you doing over there? We are supposed to be collecting herbs for Lady Oliver, not admiring the view."

"Look, Lady Starr, look over there. It's an orange light. I've never seen anything shine that color outside the castle."

Lady Starr sighed deeply. She knew the child was diligent and rarely stopped his work unless what he was seeing was worthy of his time. Shasso was only eight years old, with bright brown eyes and an intelligent mind. He was an industrious boy, an orphan. So, this distraction of his merited attention. She walked toward Shasso and received a shock of a lifetime. The light became brilliant, and out of the brightness, a woman stepped out. Then, an enormous black dog came out after her.

Dog and woman moved around as if they were newly born beings, marveling at everything around them. The woman did not belong in the Kingdom of Vanyan; she was an obvious outsider. She spoke in a funny language, both to herself and apparently to her dog. Lady Starr could not understand any of the words. Her hair was dark, and it looked tousled as if she had just got out of bed. Her clothing was scant—a small top, no bottoms, but a slim covering. Her face was round and her nose small.

"I wonder how she can possibly breathe through that tiny nose."

The woman was not tall. She looked dainty for a giant's perspective. The dog was the beautiful one of this pair. The dog was the being that made an impression. He was pure black from head to toe, and he had an inner glow all of his own. After a few minutes, the woman fell to the ground and then sat on a root of a tree. Where did she come from and who were her family? And what was she doing stepping out of a bright orange light?

"Things come out of orange glows, not people, my lady," whispered Shasso.

The woman fell to her knees, with her dog staying right next to her. The orange light disappeared. That fair creature did not leave her side. That was when the giant trees started to glow with a faint blue light. The trees sang in a hum, they pulsated, they came alive. Nothing like this had happened in hundreds of years. This trio of High Blue Trees had been quiet for a very long time, but now they were alive, and they called to this woman.