Chapter One

Wren opened her eyes to the voice of her brother, Glyn singing. She peeked out the flap of their shelter and saw the shadow he cast before the flames of the camp fire. The purple moon changed everything to a rose and lavendar color, the fire was dark blue and ochre.

Sitting up and moving the blanket aside, Wren grabs her weapons and leaves the tent.

Smiling, Glyn looks up at her. "Ahh sis, did I wake you with my little tune for the moonlight?", he asks.

"Yes, you did, as you do every night." she laughs softly. "But you know that I don't mind. It's beautiful to me."

They touch hands in the familiar family way, palm to palm, before she sits at the fire. She picks up a twig nearby and casts it onto the flames and watches as it turns green, then begans to glow orange. She loves the heat of the fire, for even though it is destructive, it has a life of it's own. And she loves all that has life.

"Sing a little more, brother", she whispers, "Sing the suns up."

Glyn grins and picks up his three stringed labo. "Anything for you, my dear."

It's a tradition between brother and sister, one of the West and one of the East. Glyn loves the setting suns and Wren desires the suns' risings. Though they were born opposite powers they are as close as siblings could be, realizing that one could not exist without the other. In the evenings, Glyn will 'sing the suns down and the moons up', but at his sister's request, he will also sing the morning back.

They are united in this hour before sunsrise with all the other West and East Folk on Tarven. Everywhere, other Powers of the same are joining and singing to the heavens. They know that the suns and the moons rise and set on their own, but they also know that this ritual keeps them tuned to the nature of Tarven. Even a small step away from tradition will lead their people away from their powers.

Glyn plucks at his labo and hums a bit. The colors of the late night and early morning flicker, purple, blue, white and lavendar. The moon's rays are weak but a beautiful amethyst shining down on their campsite.

At the exact moment that Glyn would begin to sing in his baritone voice, Wren flies across the campfire and knocks him from his seat on a fallen tree trunk.

"Whaaa...!" Glyn lands on his back hard and tries to recover, automatically reaching for his fire darts, kept always at his side.

"Shhhhhh!" Wren breathes into his ear, trying to convey her urgency in whispers, "something's close!"

They both recover quickly and assume crouching positions behind the fallen tree. One look between the two and they know that they are in communication with their parents, Mem and Willow, who are still inside the shelter. There's no movement beyond the flap of the tent, but both Glyn and Wren know that the North and South Powers are on alert.

Silently they creep forward, Glyn's power has darkened the flames of their campfire,the only light is from the purple rays of the setting moons and they move forward in shadow. Wren's hands are locked on her shield and short sword, and Glyn has a grip on his fire darts.

As they approach the tent, Mem ducks from the opening and assumes a standing at alert position, his sword at the ready. Willow follows close behind, her weapon held ready also. The air around them vibrates with danger.

Mem moves to close the circle of power quickly. Standing at the North end of the camp, he reaches for Glyn the West Power. Wren and Willow swiftly follow, East and South, all joining hands and the Circle is complete.

Mem-Dur begins the call:

"From the North....POWER!

Willow and Glyn quickly answer:From the South....STRENGTH!

From the West....COURAGE!

Wren speaks the closing words:

From the East....LIFE!"

With a gold colored flash that only they see, the Four Powers are suddenly changed into the warriors that their birth has given them.

Mem quickly turns his back on the circle and faces the river that borders the North side of their camp. Through the purple and blue trees, he can make out the silver flow of icy water tumbling over rocks. No danger there.

Glyn turns to the West and sees only trees and undergrowth, bathed in pale lavendar light. The sounds of nightlife that he had heard before are strangely silent. Something is there, he thinks.

Willow faces the South. A huge and seemingly impenetrable forest rises before her. Trees in every shade of purple loom close by and lavendar shaded snow covers the ground. She trembles as she senses an evilness moving closer.

Wren grips her shield and short sword and peers into the East. More forest of purple trees, more lavendar snow. A hint of danger wafts to her from the darkness.

Before Wren can react to her senses, Willow moves forward, bow and arrow held before her. "AAAHHHHH!" she screams and releases arrows faster than the eye can see.

Instantly, the other three Powers are at her side, ready to fight to the death. Willow's arrows fly fast and snow falls from the trees as they pass.

Wren raises her shield and brings up her sword. Mem growls under his breath and takes one step forward, with Glyn close behind.

Suddenly the drifts of snow seem to rise up and transform into a shape, no more than one. Three, at least!

" Get back!" Willow screams to Wren, who has stepped to the side of her mother. "Move back! Those are Worvens!"

Willow retreats even as she continutes to fire arrow after arrow. Her family closes in tightly and they form a circle of defense.

Worvens! What and why would Worvens be here, attacking their camp? All four had the same thought simutaneously. It didn't make sense, but whatever the reason, they moved as one and prepared to take the offensive.

The air suddenly drops to below freezing and they know that Mem-dur has called his power forth. Freezing cold slows anything and everyone, no matter how acclimated they are. It's a desperate move, because it also affects the other three Powers, yet they realize that desperation is their only hope.

Wren crouches low and raises her shield high as she watches the Worvens advance. Three of them in varying shades of black and evil. Their eyes glow in the purple darkness, shining in shades of red and yellow that send shivers up her arms.

Worvens are something so unnatural to Tarven that The Folk don't really know what they are. Most believe that they are a creation of the Elite, since they always seem to threaten Folk and Fayllon alone. In fact, rumors of the last few years have filtered through to The Folk, that the Worven acted in packs as directed by the Elite. Another plot, and a powerful one that had cost the lives of many.

Standing six foot tall at the shoulder, Worvens were muscled, hairy creatures that could move on two feet, but preferred four, just as the Northern Callox. They were similar to the Callox, wolflike and all teeth and ferocity. But there, the similarity ended. Worven also had a sickening human-ness about them. The intelligence in their eyes, their ability to walk two-footed and the unnerving tendacy to laugh as they attacked,  were just a few of the characteristics that frightened even the bravest of Folk.

And even as Wren thinks this, the Worven let loose with their echoing cry, letting it ring out across the campsite. "OOOOoooooOOOO!" crouching low, they prepared to attack. Wren felt every muscle in her body tense and she prepared to fight her last battle.

Mem stood tall and brought his mighty sword forward. Willow called out, even as she continued to throw arrows in the direction of the Worvens. Glyn was silent, yet he  began to glow as his Power came to the fore.

Suddenly, the Worvens were airborne, headed straight toward the Four, claws extended, teeth bared and their laughter filling the clearing eerily.

In spite of her training, Wren screamed as she struck the Worven closest to her. He kept coming, even though she'd made a solid strike to his mid-section. Black blood poured over the ground, melting the snow and sending up steam in it's wake. The Worven covered her body as it landed on top of her. She felt it's horrid breath as it came in for the kill. Wren could hear her family fighting, Willow's chant, Mem's growls and the sizzle of Glyn's fire darts.

 

Then Wren's world went white.

 

Chapter Two

Violet light filtered into my senses and I caught the scent of burning juniper before I jerked fully awake. I tried to sit up and was pushed back into a prone position.

"Lie still, Wren!" Willow's voice was filled with caution, and I obeyed immediately.

My mother's voice had always had that effect on me...instant obedience. I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips however.

I felt as if I'd been attacked by a pack of Worven.... I sat up and reached for my short sword and shield, heedless of the hands that held me down.

"No!" I screamed, before my father's voice cut me off.

"Wren-Mur! You are safe, child!"

His voice echoed in my head and I sank down on the pallet under me. I did not loosen the grip on my weapons.

I turned my head to the right, and the image of Willow, filled my vision.

"Wren, little bird, rest easy. All is well." As my eyesight cleared, the world crashed back into my senses.

Cold, purple air filled my lungs, and once again, I sat up but only to take a deeper breath of Tarven's beautiful atmosphere.

My mother crouched before me, her hair blowing in the breeze. Willow's face was dark green with concern and I realized how worried she was. I relaxed just a bit and took a deep breath.

I wanted to ask what had happened with the Worven, but before I could form the words, I saw a glow emanating from Willow's side.

Enclosed in the crook of her left arm was a jewel of indescribable beauty. This jewel was a shining orb, yet as I watched, I could see it's shape change from a circle to an oval and then to something starlike, with four brilliant points. Constantly moving and constantly changing shape and color. Blue, purple, green, gold, and finally, yellow.

As I watched, the glowing orb left Willow's arm and moved towards me. I was face to face with a creation that I had never truly believed existed.

"Mother!" I whispered, "it's a Tryfanll!"

"Yes, little bird, it is." Willow whispered back, her eyes enormous and dark purple in the night. "This Tryfanll, her name is Qua'O Le, is the reason that we're still alive on this night.

Tryfanll were creatures of the 'old' Tarven. Older than The Folk even, formed at the same time as the world. The same forces that had wrought Tarven also brought the Tryfanll into existence.

"Tryfanll" in Old Folk language meant Birthed Ones. As Tarven burst into life, life was emitted from her birth. The remnants became Tryfanll. They were beautiful and powerful because they had been created from Tarven's original birth. But because they were remnants of that power, Tryfanll had always been in the background of Tarven's existence. Always vigilant,it was believed that the Tryfanll had guarded and protected Tarven, but only from a distance. Tarven's life and continuing existence was also theirs.

Legends existed and were faithfully repeated among The Folk. And Wren, like all Folk, knew the stories. Yet like so many legends, the Tryfanll had become 'legendary' in the sense that everyone believed them and yet at the same time didn't think of them as a part of the Tarven they knew and loved.

All of this ran through my mind as I watched Qua'O Le float closer toward me. I found myself holding out my hand to her and as she came to rest on my palm, I experienced a benevolence and love unlike any other.

I tore my eyes away from the beautiful creature.

I looked at Willow and gasped out loud, "Mother?"

Willow smiled and said, "Wren...you,"

Before she could complete her sentence, the Tryfanll spoke.

 

Chapter Three

"We do not have time, we must move now!" Qua' O Le's  voice was tiny like herself, but her words were clearer than anything I'd ever heard.

"The Worven will be back, at least the two that escaped. However, we cannot trust that they will not return without more in their pack. Time is of the essence! You must follow me and do as I say, without question!"

Qua'O Le turned a dark red and the urgency with which she spoke was apparent to all of us.

I looked at my family. Willow knelt close to my side, worry in her eyes. Glyn and Mem stood guard around us, though most of their attention was focused on Qua', I knew that they would sense any danger immediately. In fact, they sensed it now, coming closer with every breath.

My father spoke to the Tryfanll, his voice a dark blue to my senses.

"Tell us, Ancient One. Tell me how to protect my family from these abominations!"

The deep purple of the winter forest closed in on us, and I felt fear again. More Worven and close by. My power told me we had very little time before we were attacked again.

Qua' turned an emerald green and rose from my hand. "Follow!" she commanded, "do not take your eyes from me!"

Up she went, into the trees and I struggled to my feet. A pain in my chest caused me to pause, but only for one second. We had no time to worry with injury. Mem took the lead, sword in hand, my mother quickly followed and I stepped into place behind her. My brother, Glyn, fell into line last.

Gripping my shield with all my strength, I glanced back at Glyn. His face was set in a determined scowl and he pointed his finger towards the green light that was our Tryfanll. His meaning was obvious. 'Don't look back, run!'

I took a deep breath of the cold air and settled into a jogging run. Snow began to fall thickly, darkening the eastern and western skies, where the suns were breaching the horizon. We were headed north, into the thickening storm. I feared that we would lose sight of Qua', but her light was bright in the treeline. And though she moved fast, we easily kept her in view. 

As we traveled, I thought about how things had changed in just a short time. Yesterday, my family and I had been traveling towards V'dun, our annual gathering place. The winter was strong and V'dun was the place we would shelter for the remaining months of the cold. It had become a tradition in our family to stay with the Plains Folk, my mother's people, during this time. V'dun was a beautiful village, set deep in rolling hills of plains. Though cold at this time of year, the lakes and streams were breathtaking, covered in ice and with snowdrifts that had formed into indescribable shapes and sizes. During our time there, we would celebrate the Festival of Returning. The Giving Moon would make it's appearance the last month that we were there and that was a special time because it signified another year that Mem and Willow had been together.

My feet kicked up snow in a cloud around me as I jogged on into the northern storm. My breath escaped in purple and lavendar clouds and my heart beat hard against my ribs. I was used to traveling hard like this. Mem insisted that we stayed in shape in case of any danger. A Folk family, traveling alone as we did, could at any time encounter attacks from winter starved animals. But Worven? Never had I thought that I would see one, much less fight to the death against three!

Even as I thought this, the unnerving calls of the pack echoed through the forest. They had been following us all along!

The skies were a bright purple when we finally stopped to rest. My chest ached horribly, but I refused to to relax. We were deep in the Northern Forest, Qua' had stopped and came again to rest in the crook of Willow's arm. I looked around for shelter, firewood, anything that would ease our discomfort at being caught out in the storm. We had left most of our traveling gear behind at our campsite.

Due North I could see nothing but more huge, purple trees. The suns reflected millions of points of scintillating lights from the snow covered branches. It was beautiful, but a beauty that I was used to and also a beauty I didn't reflect on at the moment. Shelter was a priority for my family and I.

To the West I could see hillsides covered with trees, purple and ochre in the suns' light. No shelter there. Or, at least, no shelter close enough for us to take advantage of.

We had come from the South, so I didn't even look in that direction.

That left the East, my Power's direction. Rising skyward, through the trees, I could see the dark, dark blue of a mountain range. The closest point probably a mile or so from where we stood, catching our breaths. 

As if reading my thoughts, the Tryfanll flew away from Willow's arm and into the direction of the range. She paused, as if waiting for us.

"This way!" I managed to say, "shelter...safety!"

I took the lead, and Mem dropped to the rear of our advance, allowing Willow to fall in behind me. Just a little further, I kept saying to myself. A little further, then rest.

 

 

Chapter Four

At the exact moment that the suns reached their epic height, and their halos began to shine down, my family and I reached the mountain range that had called me from the East.

The moutain's shadow loomed over us, it's rocky arms reached out to us and we sought it's shelter gratefully. The air was freezing cold and the snow was deep, but I quickly found a pass that led us into a rocky haven.

 

Deeper we went, following my Power and the Tryfanll's lead. She shone a beautiful emerald green before us.

The rocky path suddenly turned downward, and I checked our descent, but Willow and Mem and Glyn pressed me onward, so that I had no choice but to follow Qua'.

Though I knew that my Power had called me to this place, I was afraid.

Deeper, deeper we went and my skin crawled at the thought of the mountain covering us. As an East Power, I was averse to being away from the suns and the moons. It was against my nature to go below. I felt Willow and Glyn's shivers also. Mem, however, being a North Power and also a Mountain Folk, had no such fear and continued to push us forward.

Qua' O Le shone brighter and brighter before us. I was thankful for her light because I sensed that she would never lead us wrong.

And then our bright green Tryfanll dropped towards the ground and disappeared. Darkness fell around us and I felt my heart nearly stop. Willow and Glyn both gasped aloud.

  "Mother!", I cried out, "where are you?" Blackness filled my eyes like a blindness.

   "Here, little bird, we're all here behind you!"

Then a soft red gold light filled the cavern that we had been led into. Glyn had used his power to light a fire dart and it's glow shown around us. I turned and saw my family, Glyn in the background holding his dart above his head. Our mother and father stood between us, concern etched on their faces.

We were in a roughly circular area hollowed out in the mountain. About fifty feet in front of us, we could make out the back wall, rock was on both sides of us, also. The only way out was the way we had come in.

And then Mem chuckled aloud and I wondered if he'd lost his senses.

"Thank you, Ancient One!", he said, "thank you, for leading us here!"

Three of us watched as Mem knelt and wrote an ancient sign of gratitude in the dust of the cavern. He took a handful of the dust, stood, and blew a puff of the dirt in the direction of the Four Powers; North, South, East and finally West.

Willow moved and laying her hand on Mem's arm, spoke softly. "Mem-dur?"

"We are safe here." Mem answered, and his voice was deep blue to me as always.

"Look around us," he continued, "we have shelter from the Worven, we are hidden. There's wood for a fire...and, I know there is water, too. Everything we need, for a day."

I looked, just as he said, there were tree branches against the far wall. As we listened, we could all hear the sound of trickling water.

I turned and looked toward Mem. My gaze caught something over his shoulder and I froze.

  Our entrance was sealed! A solid rock wall, like the ones on the other three sides of the cavern had appeared where we had walked only moments before.

My heart began to beat fast once again and I reached toward Mem to point out what I could see with my own eyes. My expression must have been comical to him, because he chuckled again.

"Wren", he said, before I could utter a word, "all is well. Trust your father. Trust me!"

His voice filled my mind with blue and purple and I calmed instantly, if only for the moment.

"Come, Glyn, gather some wood and build us a fire! Willow, you can find that water,  we need a drink! Wren, little bird, sit with me here. I will tell all of you a story."

He walked toward a group of stones in the center of the cave and sat down. I hesitated a bit as Glyn and Willow headed in opposite directions. Glyn's fire dart kept the darkness at bay, but my heart literally ached from the lack of Tarven's light. I knew if I stayed here very long, I would die. And I also knew that Glyn and Willow would fade away too.

I walked to the stones and sat down next to my father, trying to control my fear and heartache.

"Wren, you are so brave when you fight for us." Mem said, pulling me close. "Why is it that you doubt me now, when I say we are safe?"

"There's a mountain between me and my Power, Father! I am defenseless without the suns!" My voice cracked with tears when I answered.

"I know, bird. Be calm." Mem chuckled again, softly. "East Powers are so sensitive!" he whispered this last as if to himself.

Before I could form the words to show my offense at that, Willow and Glyn were back. Glyn held an armful of broken branches that he dropped in front of us. I realized that we set on two of a circle of six stones. The cavern was a nearly perfect circle.

We sat on a circle within a circle.

Glyn had placed the firewood in the exact center. He lit a fire dart and the brush caught and began to burn brightly. The heat and life from the fire warmed my aching body.

 

Willow stepped forward and offered us water in heavy but deep cups of stone.

"Ahh, Willow and Glyn," Mem said, "thank you! Sit now and I will tell you a story."

I drank deeply of the water and listened to my father's voice.

 

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 25.11.2013

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