[A/N: All persons contained here are purely fictional. Any resemblence to people in the real world is accidental--or based after people who know they're being represented. All characters and stuff related to the story belong to me--except the Shie. They belong to a fellow writer, whose permission I have to use them. Enjoy!]

One

Egypt, 1793 AD

Why did it always rain when one was alone and irritated by it?

Even here, in the dry, sandy Shie country, it seemed that rain was the inescapable result of sulkiness.  Despite the fact that the gray city of Ethgruin rejoiced under the onset of rain, the actions of the people did little to stir up any emotion save more loneliness.   The Shie scrambled in the streets, on rooftops, anywhere they could, while collecting the water in barrels, urns, or bowls.  Although the city rested above large natural springs, the winter rains never failed to bring the reclusive people out to celebrate.   That was one more reason to celebrate tonight, that was certain.    

However, the likelihood of Riaan Fasli being able to join the party was slim. The girl was usually only allowed to move about the small home she shared with her guardian. She didn’t understand why her friend Èseth was allowed to wander as he pleased, and go to the celebrations, when she was not.  It wasn’t fair!  They were practically the same age! Though, in actuality, Èseth was a few months younger than she was.  

Glancing around, she rose from her crouched position, heading towards the window.  She parted the heavy black curtains and positioned herself on the little ledge, her legs dangling out into the rain.  It was cool against the skin.  This place was too hot, too dry, for her tastes.   The lack of humidity chaffed at her like a poorly woven garment.  Although, despite its shortcomings, this place was a welcome change from her previous location.  

Unconsciously, she touched the small pendant around her neck.  It was a plain, silver disk, set on a chain of red stones.  Her brother, Ragi De’ia, had given it to her before they’d been separated.  “Moeuhane” it said; Hawaiian for “dream”.   He wanted her to remember her family, remember their home, to not forget anything during her stay with the shadow folk.  As if she would.  She missed him the most.   The other two were missed as well, but not with the same intensity as Ragi.   It was Ragi who had come with her across the seas, and protected her until they had met the Shie man on the road.  

It wasn’t that she was not grateful for the safe harbor the Shie had given her in their quiet city.  But, she was a child, a child used to wandering where she would, doing what she pleased, so long as her brothers were there.

“Hey!  ‘Aan!”

She looked down.  Standing below her, his light, black robes untouched by moisture, was Èseth himself.  Sand streaked his scraggly black hair, blending with skin that looked as if it had never felt the touch of warm sunlight.  A shadow darted about behind him.   She waved to boy.  

“C’mon!  Etli and Ranthin found a good spot for a fort!”

“But…”  She bit her lip.  “Rethlin said I wasn’t supposed to leave…”

Èseth made a face.  “He’s too careful!  And needs to read s’more!” he retorted.  “He still thinks Faslami melt in the rain!  Now come on!”

“Èseth…”

The boy shrugged.  “Okay, we’ll build it without you.”  He turned to go, pausing to allow the shadow at his side to seek refuge in his own shadow.  For a moment, he stayed there, appearing to be thinking.  However, once the sound of bare feet was heard behind him, he kept going.   All you had to do was threaten to leave her behind, and she’d come.  

Indeed, the girl was there, padding along next to him.  “You have the sticks?” she asked.  

He nodded, pushing aside a fold in his robe to reveal two walking sticks.  They were sturdy enough to support one’s weight, while still allowing the walker to protect oneself; as a cautionary measure, to be sure.  For Èseth and Riaan, they provided excellent practice, doubling as a Faslami spear for her and a Shie scythe for him.   The weapons of their respective peoples were not something carried lightly.  Even very young children could be seen in the streets, chasing each other with small twigs.

She took one from him, and, giggling, poked at him with it.  Èseth removed his own, hiding a laugh and faking a grimace, and gave chase.  They ran down the wet, sandy streets of Ethrguin, shouting threats that neither fully intended to fulfill.   Above them, gray buildings loomed, casting bulky shadows across the path.  Ethgruin was built in a shallow crater, located at the base of a series of tall, jagged mountains, looking out on the desert.  They were close enough to the shadow of the mountains that little sun brushed the rooftops of the city, sparing it the wasting heat of the desert, and allowing it to keep what precious rain it received.   Out beyond the crater rim spread a half-circle of small farms, which, combined with trade with the Egyptians, was enough to supply the city with all it needed.  

They avoided the familiar faces in the crowds, just to make sure.  All around them, people milled about, splashing in puddles, heading to the market, or hurrying home to prepare for the celebrations later that week.  Fortunately, the Shie Riaan was staying with did not appear.   He must have been absorbed in his reading at the great Library.  They were relieved not to see him.  While Rethlin was not as formidable as I Dorro Shie, he was still to be avoided.  Riaan was under Rethlin’s guardianship until her brother came for her.   And, while she was so encumbered, Rethlin was intent on making sure she remained in the same state in which he received her.  Even the slightest childhood mishaps were often met with harsher reprimand than the other children, other than Èseth, who was the younger brother of I Dorro Shie.  

“Where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see!  Just keep up!”

“I am!”

The two came to the gates of Ethgruin now, a huge, towering apparatus built out of gray rock and set into the very walls of the crater.  It was so huge that it dwarfed the walls it was meant to protect.  The Shie did not seem to notice.  They had no enemies, and few wanted to be out that were already within.   Guards were posted, of course, but they had little function, save the questioning of children wandering where they should not.  One moved to grasp Riaan’s arm, to hold her back within the city.

“Hey!” Èseth growled, pushing the man aside.  “She’s with me.”

Despite his warning, the guard was slow to back off.  Riaan felt heat spread across her cheeks, flooding into her palms.  This apparently had an effect on the man, for he jumped back quickly, something fearful flooding his face.  He grabbed his hand, staring in disbelief at the red burn spreading across it. Satisfied, Riaan lowered smoldering hands. The small flames left her fingertips as she turned to follow Èseth out into the warmth of the sunlight.

“That was a nice bit of work, ‘Aan,” her companion said, throwing a rouge smile at her.  For one as young as he was, it was an accomplishment.  “Fire throws them a nice loop.”

She sighed.  “Yes… but it’s as rare as a shark here,” muttered Riaan.  “Rethlin’ll hear about it before the day is up.”

“We’ll be all the way to the fort by then!” he announced proudly, setting off across the sand.  She was quick to follow him, stabbing at enemies made of air with her stick.  

It was a fine day for travels.  The sun was still fairly blocked by the shadow of the mountains.  Èseth was headed out beyond the shadow, though, out into the sun.  She trusted him, however.  He had lived in the desert longer than she had lived in any one place.   If anyone could find their way to a ravine, then back to Ethgruin, it was Èseth.  Often, they passed towering stones, standing like sentinels of the Earth people—the Rok.  They saw little in the way of life, save for insects crawling across the sands.   And these, for the most part, were nothing more than black scarabs, hardly an amazing sight.

Eventually, they came out into the sunlight.  Riaan hardly noticed the heat seeping into the soles of her bare feet.  She was purely glad to be out in the sun again, after the perpetual shadow of Ethgruin.  It felt almost energizing.  She even went so far as to dance around her companion, who laughed and walked faster to keep ahead.  

“Why can’t Ethgruin be built in the sun, Èseth?” she asked, tilting her tanned face up to the sun.  “It’s so much warmer…”

“But it’s also easier to lose all your water,” he countered, tossing her a water-skin.  It was old, probably from his older brother’s travels, but it held water as well as a new one.  “It probably rains a lot more where you came from, but here…”   He shrugged.  “Here it’s better to just stay in the shade.  You tend to live longer; Aldekimi or not.”

He stopped suddenly, squinting into the long shadow of a tall rock.  She skidded to a halt as well, but did not avoid running into him.  There was nothing in the shade she could see.  Nothing but rock and sand.  But Èseth was different, as were all Shie.   He waved at the shade, a wide grin spreading across his face.  “Etli!” he called.  “Etliatha!  C’mere!  It’s me!  Èseth!”

“And Riaan Fasli!” called Riaan, waving at the shadow.

In an eye blink, the shadows were torn away, revealing the crouched form of a girl about their age.  She stood, sand falling from black robes.  “You’re late,” she informed them, folding her arms over her chest.  “I was getting bored.”

Èseth laughed.  “Nice to see you too, Etli!”

More adventurous, Riaan ran over and hugged her friend, giggling herself over their exchange.  Etli hugged her in return, also flashing a smile.  “Where’s Ranthin?” she asked, offering the Shie girl the water skin.  

Etli took a drink before answering her.  “He’s back at the ravine,” she said.  “That way, no one’ll take our spot.”  There were many other groups of children who played in the ravines around the city.  To find a spot all to yourself was akin to finding a stash of precious gems.   “He’s got his big stick with him, so don’t worry.  C’mon!”

They hurried after her. The area had become rockier as they went along, and the barefoot children had to stop often to pick out small stones that had worked their way between their toes. The smell of water lingered in the air. Riaan looked around, trying to see if she could spot the ravine. Often, these places were formed by the streams flowing down from the mountains, which carved long gashes in the desert before wasting away in the sands. They were like small oases, and thus were havens for travelers, children, and sometimes bandits. However, the three were not concerned by that thought. With the Shie to cover them, and the Faslami to burn any would-be attackers, they were quite safe; even without the protection offered by the three Shie’s walking sticks. The only thing these children feared was the wrath of their elder siblings.

Etli reached the lip of the ravine first. It was a narrow, shallow chasm, dropping about four feet to moist, sandy soil and bare rock. From here, it looked to curve back on itself, towards the mountains, with the water flowing out to the desert. Èseth followed her down. He waited for Riaan to follow. “C’mon! It’s not far. Just a few feet,” he called. A thought came over him. “You’re afraid of heights?”

She folded her arms defiantly. “No! I am not!” A note of petulance came into her voice. “I jumped out my window, ‘member?”

“You did not! You climbed down the trellis!”

“So? That still counts!”

He didn’t answer that. “Look, I’ll catch you, kay? It’ll be fine! And besides! It’s not even that far down!”

“Èseth’s right,” Etli agreed. “You can even climb if you want to. There’s places to hold.”

It was a disgruntled Riaan that climbed down, tearing her plain clothes and cutting her hand. The whole affair was too much for Èseth to resist. He laughed. She ignored him though, and walked up with Etli, tying the torn piece of fabric around the cut. Both girls rolled their eyes at him, occasionally giggling at the faces he made in return, though they made a great effort to hide it. The sand turned to mud further on as the ravine deepened, an overhanging cliff appearing to shadow the walkers and the ground from the light. At their feet, there was a small, trickling stream that grew slowly larger as they passed. Vines coiled up in the places where light would still shine. They gave off a sweet, welcome scent. Pausing a moment, Riaan picked one of the small, white flowers. She stared at it for a little while, stroking its petals with a careful finger. As she tucked it into her hair, Èseth called to her, and she hurried to catch up.

Etli had stopped walking. They were deep underground now. High above them, the lips of the ravine had stretched over towards one another, allowing only a thin shaft of light to penetrate downwards. A small patch of blue could be seen above the small, sharp peaks of the mountains. They were at the feet of the great pinnacles of stone now, and if they continued forward, they would be climbing upwards into them. Along the walls, deep nooks and valleys ran, providing natural beds or storage for whatever claimed this place as home. A thick wall of vegetation covered what appeared to be a break in the overhead cover, as the rest of the roof had been broken at some point, allowing sunlight to pour down on the plants. Here, the stream was deep, providing water to the plants, as well as the creatures that lived within the ravine before flowing past them into the desert beyond.

While the other two gazed in wonder at the walls, the water, everything, Etli was probing the darkness with her stick. “Come out!” she said, sounding irritated. “Ranthin! Come out! It’s not funny!”

“Where’d he go?” Èseth asked, joining her search.

“I dunno!” Etli snapped back. “He’s lazy! He prolly went to sleep or something while I was looking for you.”

Riaan leaned back against the cool rock wall. Let the Shie search the shadow. She wasn’t good at that anyway. Now, if they needed to make a fire, she could do that. But looking for someone who had power over shadows? That was more suited for people such as Èseth and Etli.

Silently, a hand clamped itself over her mouth, blocking her scream. She groped for her stick, but another hand wrapped itself around her arms, pinning them. Her vision darkened as blood sang in her ears. Terror filled her, pushing out all thoughts of using her fire. She struggled as best she could, hoping Èseth would hear the noises she made through the muffling hand.

He turned, looking in her direction, but making no move towards her. She tried to scream louder, to tell him she was here, to make him help her. However, instead of rushing to her aid, he started to laugh. Indignation rose up, followed quickly by confusion. What was so funny? Couldn’t he see someone was trying to kidnap her? When Etli started to laugh, anger took over. These were her friends! Friends didn’t do things like this!

Flames licked the edges of her fingers and danced in her eyes. They flowed up her arms, becoming a corona of fire around her small body. She was not burned, however, which only added oddity to the sight. The person holding her let out a curse, letting go and retreating back before the burning form. She whirled on her attacker. Anger mounted, ready to be released on him in a ball of flame.

“…Ranthin?”

Heat and fire vanished, replaced by confusion. She blinked. Èseth and Etli were still laughing merrily, while a new figure had appeared, hunched over the stream. Several rude comments about the temper of the Faslami, as well as insults that would be considered scathing to young children, came from the boy bathing an arm in the cool water. Tears of mirth rolled down the other two’s faces. He stood up, glared at them, then bent again to care for the wicked red mark appearing on his skinny arm. One of the sleeves on his robe had been burnt through, leaving only scorched edges where black cloth once was.

Riaan approached him. “Sorry Ranthin,” she said quietly. He didn’t appear to hear her. “You really scared me…”

“Yeah? Good. That was kinda the point.” There was weak venom in his voice.

Èseth finally quieted his laughter. “Aw, both of you calm down,” he said, wiping his eyes on a sleeve. Behind him, Etli did the same, grinning madly. “Ranthin, she was scared. ‘Aan, you should’ve known better.”

The Faslami blew a raspberry in his direction. “You gonna be okay, Ranthin?” Etli asked, coming over to them. She took his hand and examined the arm. “Doesn’t look that bad…”

Blush crept into Ranthin’s cheeks. He was the youngest, and was usually embarrassed by the others and their “mothering” as he called it. He’d heard the word from some older, wiser person, and refused to stop saying it as a result. “I’m fine,” he said defiantly, pulling back his arm. “Wasn’t even that hot.” A nervous chuckle escaped him.

No one disagreed. There was no desire in any of them for a fight. Instead, their talk turned to the cavernous space around them. Plans for everything from a fully fortified stronghold to a place just to get away from the rigors of childhood in Ethgruin ranged freely in their young minds. There were places where food could be stored, water kept in times when the stream ran dry, and plenty of shade. Riaan scrambled up into the carved, shallow bowls in the walls, to test their depth. Etli and Èseth sketched vague wall ideas in the packed sand. So far, the ideas consisted of blocking up the rear entrance far downstream where the roof was wide and the floor too far to leap down to. That way, they would only have to worry about foes from the woody side. It would be work, but they were willing. They were so deep within their plans that when Ranthin cried out, they didn’t hear him at first.

“Èseth! Èseth! Something’s wrong with the water!”

They turned. At first, it appeared that Ranthin’s arm had gotten worse, spreading across the rest of the limb. From fingertips to the burn, redness covered the whole arm. Èseth approached, only to stop short of the stream. Something was wrong.

Riaan scrambled awkwardly down from her perch. Etli was already on her way over. Before they could get to his side, Èseth stopped them with an upheld arm. His gaze was on the stream.

Originally, the water had run clear and clean, bubbling out of the cool darkness to the desert outside. They could see the taint clearly now. What was once good was stained a bright crimson.

Blood.

Bright blood now bubbled along the streambed, mingling with the water, while staining rocks red. Small gasps of horror escaped their throats as Èseth nodded in confirmation. Someone was sick. “It… it’s not…” Etli murmured. “How’d… it get there?” she cried when no one would deny what she saw.

“Maybe a deer got eaten…” Riaan suggested, her voice quavering. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ranthin frantically wiping his arm on the ground. His eyes were wild with disgust and fear. “Like some jackals or something got it…”

“No… we would have heard the jackals then,” Èseth said. There was a finality in his voice unlike any ever found in a child. “Something bad happened…”

The girls pulled Ranthin over to their side of the stream, staying as far from it as they could. He was the most shaken out of them all. They could not afford to scare him any worse than he was. Ranthin was sat down on a rock, told to stay calm, that they would be going home soon. Despite the reassurances, he rocked slightly where he sat, his head down near his knees. Nothing they could say would bring him any comfort. “Etli, you take Ranthin back home. Okay? He’s not doing too good,” Èseth called from where he still stood, apparently lost in thought.

“What about you? And ‘Aan?”

He turned to them. “She’s coming with me. We’re gonna go see what happened.” A mischievous light came into his pale eyes. “If it’s jackals, we’ll have some fun. If not…” He trailed off with a shrug. “we’ll come home I guess.”

Riaan started to protest, but the look on Èseth’s face stopped her. He was in a mood again, lost in some distant world of ideas. It was impossible to get into his head and change his mind once he was off flying beside the moon. She shot Etli a look and the other girl nodded faintly. Ranthin stood cautiously, as if he expected the blood they’d seen in the water to leap out and swallow him. His eyes occasionally strayed to his arm, only to wince, then look away fast. You could still see the drying blood on the boy’s pale skin.

They watched their two friends leave until they were out of sight. “C’mon,” Èseth said, motioning her forward. He approached the green wall, searching for a way to pass it quietly.

She shook her head. “Èseth… I have a bad feeling…”

“It’ll be fine. Maybe we’ll save someone.” He allowed himself a low laugh. “We’d be big heros then ‘Aan. With a party you could go to, too.”

That was intriguing. She joined him in his search. “With a bonfire?”

“Why not?” A pause. “Here, follow me. I found a way.” With that, he knelt, crawling into the brush to disappear. A soft rustle was all that could be heard from his passing.

She followed, hesitating at first. Did she really want to know what lay on the other side? Whatever it was had bled into the water. Therefore, whatever they were going to see had something wrong with it, probably something of the gorey sort. That wasn’t what she wanted to see, even if it was only jackals. But what if something were to happen to Èseth if she didn’t go with him? He had a tendency to get into trouble.

With a sigh, she crawled after him, trying her best not to make any noise as she went. He was still in sight, moving slowly so as to make the least amount of sound. Pale eyes met hers, then turned forward to continue.

Overhead, no bird sang, and no wind blew. It was an ill omen. Green light filtered down, splattering against the ground into puddles. Leaves rustled faintly under their bare hands and feet. Had their errand not been so fearful, this place would have been beautiful. The scurrying feet of some small creature startled them at times, but they kept going forward. To turn back now would be shameful.

It was when they heard the crack of something large being broken up ahead, they stopped. They’d found their jackals. Even Èseth’s breath was coming faster than normal, though he did well to mask it. Riaan was not embarrassed by her nervousness in his presence. They were friends, she didn’t care what she did with him. Warily, he eased up into a sitting position, peering over the foliage. He squinted briefly. “Can’t see,” he hissed in a barely audible whisper. “Going to the wall.”

With even greater care, the two inched towards the overshadowing wall of the ravine. The line of little trees and shrubs stopped almost exactly where the shade began, giving them a clear line of sight, as well as a place to hide. Èseth went first, then pulled her behind him, his eyes closed in concentration. Riaan had to fight down a startled and indignant squeak as he held her in place next to him. Within moments, a veil of shadow covered them. He shot her an apologetic smile despite his face being taut with concentration. Their hiding place was complete. It was only then they ventured to really look at the place they had entered.

At first, it looked like any other part of the ravine. The rocky bottom was bare of plant life, with scattered pebbles and animal tracks in patches of sand near the wide, bubbling stream. Sandstone walls rose up to the pure blue of the sky, obscuring the jagged line of the mountains behind them. At first, they were disappointed. There were no jackals, no yelping pack, nothing that would hold any interest to two excited children. At first, Riaan relaxed. There was nothing frightening here. Only boring walls and sky. Èseth blew a bored wisp of hair out of his eyes. They turned to leave because, at first, they did not see the dead man.

He was easy to miss, really. Hung close to the copse of trees that marked the cave, his half-clothed body blended with the foliage. His arms were stretched above his head, which was slumped forward onto his chest. Below him was the stream that wound through the rest of the ravine. Blood ran from a gaping wound in his chest to drip red into the water. The mark on his forehead showed him to be a Shie. His pale eyes gazed skyward, blank, unseeing, frozen forever in the wide stare of death.

Stifling a cry, Riaan buried her face in Èseth’s shoulder. She felt a shudder run through him. He did not look away.

“Èseth… Èseth let’s go!” she pleaded, her voice muffled by his robes. “Please!”

Silence was his answer, as it was so much of the time. He did not move. She shivered and dug her fingers into his robe, as if to drag him away from here. Quiet descended. Even the birds kept their songs to themselves. Time seemed to slow, and sounds became distorted, echoing, as if they were hearing them from a great distance away. When one moved, it was sluggish, unreal. The children sat there, crouched in the protection of the Shie’s shadows, waiting for something they didn’t understand.

It came in the form of a woman. Afterwards, neither child could say when she appeared. She stepped into the sun from behind the trees. Her skin was too pale for her to have been in the Shie lands for long. Black hair hung in waves down her back, matching her eyes. She was not Shie, nor was she Egyptian, though she wore the clothing of the native people. Her eyes scanned the body, as a dark smirk crossed red lips. She spoke to the dead man, though her voice was too low for either of them to hear. Moving with a strange, preternatural grace, she cut the body down with an unseen knife, laying it on the sand. A large bowl appeared, also from a place unknown. This was set next to the body.

What happened then, Riaan didn’t know; Èseth turned her head away. She heard a wet, tearing sound, but that was all. A coppery scent rose in the air, blown by a whispering wind. He allowed her to look back then, his face tinged green from some atrocity that had transpired. Nervous, Riaan looked back toward the body.

There was a red lump in the woman’s hand. Riaan didn’t need to ask. She knew, her instincts told her, what it was. It made her sick, but she couldn’t look away.

The Shie man’s heart was placed in the bowl with the utmost care and concentration, as if to place it some other way would render it useless to her. It then appeared the woman was finished with her gruesome task, for she rose, peering at her bloody hands as if she had just noticed them. With quick, mincing steps, she approached the stream and casually washed up the mess.

She looked up, and their blood froze.

Black eyes seemed to pierce the veil of Shie shadow. The eyes bore into their souls, emptying out their secrets for later viewing. Riaan wanted to scream, but found she couldn’t. Nothing in her would move. No muscle would stir, nor would her eyes move away from being devoured by those bottomless pools. Beside her, Èseth made a choked sound. She couldn’t see him, so it was impossible to tell if he had been trapped too. Desperately, she tried to struggle free. But this was no joking Ranthin, this was something more powerful than she had ever encountered before.

Air rippled and folded as the woman stepped towards them. Standing before them was a man now, powerful, pale as snow, with black hair and the same, empty eyes. The garments had changed to, becoming a bizarre combination of furs and leathers that neither child had seen before. It had been almost instantaneous, the change, looking as simple as if this thing had just stepped into the sun. The man still came towards them, never looking away, keeping them still. They would not get away. He approached, stepping into the sun, and he blinked.

Somehow, in the instant the man’s gaze was broken, Èseth had found his legs. He grabbed her, and bolted, dragging the Faslami girl behind him. She ran as best she could. They crashed through the brush, not caring as branches whipped their skin or burrs stabbed their feet. On they ran, through the cave, out into the thin crack of the ravine. Bare feet thudded on mud. At one point, Èseth had to pull Riaan up from the ground when she tripped over a barely visible stone. Regardless of scrapes, they kept on. The walls of the ravine seemed to close in around them, as if trying to lock them inside its prison. Odd to think that only a few minutes ago, this place had seemed a haven. Even the plants looked withered now.

Riaan couldn’t see. There was sand and grit in her eyes. She would have stopped, had not the great instinct for flight taken root in her. Evil was behind her. Safety was before her, in Ethgruin, in Èseth’s grip on her arm. He would not let her fall again. No matter how tired she was, she couldn’t stop.

They rounded a bend. Here the ravine came to an incline, narrowing to a passage wide enough for only one person to pass at a time. It barely slowed them down. Adrenaline shot through their bodies, keeping them going on raw fear. Pieces of wall clung to their clothes, holding them back just long enough for panic to set in. Both had tears running down their faces, but no sobs escaped their throats. Both were too stubborn, even in fear, for such things.

Èseth released her arm, scrambling up the wall. He stopped partway and grabbed her arm again, intending to haul her up with him. She needed no such aid. She was even with him when he began climbing again. It wasn’t far, and soon they were both sprinting across the sands, walking sticks lost, making a desperate break for home. Ethgruin loomed on the horizon, its grey buildings beautiful to frightened eyes. The children dug into their last reserves.

Reaching the city, they were caught by strong arms. Riaan buried her face in Rethlin’s shoulder, as Èseth clung to I Dorro’s hands. Neither would speak. Behind the adults, Etli looked on with worry on her face. Ranthin was nowhere to be seen. The guardians took their charges inside, closing heavy gates to keep out the desert winds.

No one said a word.

~ ~ ~

It seemed Ethgruin was doomed to insomnia that night.  Shie usually slept during the early part of the night, between sunset and the time when the moon reached the zenith of its journey across the sky.  However, for those in the vicinity of three particular houses, there would be less rest than usual.   For, each time Riaan or Èseth closed their eyes, dreams of a bloody desert would come.  Ranthin was the same.  Etli slept fitfully, troubled by vague dreams she could never grasp.  The other three would wake, screaming, and only the comfort of their trusted adult companions would ease their fears.   A healer was finally called to the houses to give the children something for a dreamless sleep.  

Now, the moon shone bright from the cloudless sky, bathing Ethgruin in silver.  Most Shie were awake now anyway, reveling in the shadows of the night.  Those that had been awake earlier were sleeping, their rests finally untroubled, either by dreams or by cries of terror.   However, for two, there would be no rest this night, and likely none the following day.  They sat on the roof of I Dorro Shie’s small manor, drinking in the cool moonlight as well as wine.  It was quieter out here, and there was a smaller risk of disturbing Èseth’s fragile peace within the house.  

“What do you think it is they saw?” asked the younger of the two men.  He was paler, if that was possible, as well as wider.  Years of being shut in with his precious books had made him better suited to staying within the boundaries of the city than most Shie.   He was a scholar first and foremost.  “I’ll be the first to say, Dorro Shie, that Riaan is an imaginative child, but…”

“As is Èseth,” agreed the other.  His voice was rich, laced with a subtle power, and unaffected by the years.  Small strands of gray were visible in his dark hair, mimicking the lines around his eyes and mouth.  He was not old, merely filled with the cares and duties of his office.   A position like his was not taken lightly.  

“Yes, and Ranthin is prone to nerves.  Together they could send a Telisan spinning.”

“Stick to your strong suits, Rethlin,” I Dorro admonished.  “Sarcasm is not one of them, nor is it what we need.”  He folded leathery hands.  “You are right, though.  I do think something happened out there.  It’s impossible to think otherwise.”

Rethlin nodded.  “If I could talk to Riaan about it, I would.  But she wouldn’t speak of it,” he said.

“Èseth was the same…”  A strange look came into I Dorro’s face, then passed.  “They act as if they want help, yet refuse to tell us what they need help with.”

“Maybe they came upon some predators and their dinner.”

“It makes no sense.  A boy such as Èseth does not have nightmares over jackals preying on antelopes.  Ranthin perhaps, but not my brother.  I doubt Riaan Fasli would either, otherwise she would not have been as welcome here.”

I Dorro stood then, staring out over the city, his hands clasped behind his back.  His face was hidden from Rethlin’s view.  “There is little I can do to reassure you that this will not affect our relations with the Faslami, Rethlin.  And I know how important their account of their banishment was to you.”

The other man shrugged.  “I’m more worried about the girl’s mind, personally, than I am about what her brothers have to tell me.  Right now, at least,” he smirked.  The look faded too quickly to have been genuine.  Even jokes were tired tonight.   “Sir, all I ask is that when Èseth speaks with you about today, you pass his information on to me-”

“He will not speak of it.”

Relthin raised an unkempt eyebrow.  “Oh?  Why not?”  His surprise, unlike his earlier smile, was real.  “He is your younger brother.  Certainly he will be able to speak of it in the light of day.”

I Dorro shook his head, pale eyes closed.  “Èseth will not speak of today, because he is ashamed,” he said, his tone making the statement sound hard to force out.  

“What has he to be ashamed of?”

“His fear of the Dark,” answered I Dorro. The word “dark” was pronounced harshly, putting a note of disgust as well as unease into it. Despite the weight of his words, Rethlin snorted in disbelief.  I Dorro turned on him. His eyes were hard, angry.   “I do not mean some weak fear of a room without light!  Not even Shie infants fear the shadows.  Do not mistake my brother so easily, Rethlin!”  

The silence of the desert reigned for a little while as Rethlin regained the ability to speak. I Dorro poured some more wine, his movements making little sound, save the creaking of aging joints. Taking a deep breath, Rethlin was finally able to continue.

“No one has spoken of Darkness in many of our years, I Dorro Shie,” he said, quietly. “For that reason, I mistook you. Forgive me if you will. If not…” The younger Shie’s attempt at a casual shrug was lost in the night.

“Darkness has indeed been spoken of, Rethlin, just confused with shadow,” answered I Dorro. Pausing, he held his wine glass up, and gazed down at the shadow it cast on the ground. “Shadow, my friend, is a direct result of light, as you know. Our opposite governs us, just as it is with all elements of the earth and the heavens.” He moved the wine glass, hiding it within his own shadow. “But, take away the light… and what are we left with?”

Rethlin hesitated in his answer, unsure of how to answer.

“Darkness.”

A trickle of understanding came to him. “You mean evil.”

“But of course.” I Dorro turned, heading back into the house, his wine glass forgotten on the small table that stood between them. “Without light, you have darkness. Without good, you have evil.”

“Why mention this to me now?  It doesn’t seem to have much to do with what the children saw…” Rethlin complained to I Dorro’s retreating back.  

“It has everything to do with what the children saw.  Look to your books, man.  They will speak, if we never hear the truth from Shie mouths.”  He never paused in his strides.  “Something Dark is approaching.”

Rethlin allowed a trace of irritation to permeate his speech.  Clearly, I Dorro was too tired to speak rationally.  “If we had reason to fear Darkness, why was this not mentioned earlier?”

The older man stopped in the doorway.  He turned back, half his face consumed by shadows, the other half shining with moonlight.  Both eyes were sad, distant, and, deep within them, afraid.  “Because, earlier, the moon was shining.  Now, it has passed behind a cloud,” answered I Dorro Shie.   “And I am afraid things will get far darker yet.”

With that, he slipped inside, leaving a bewildered scholar to find his own way off the roof.