A tale of two shadows (Entry 92)

by Hayley Thomas

Dear Diary,

We spent the next few days settling into our new lives in Tarn, so I’ll try to distill only what mattered most — though even the quiet moments felt heavy with meaning after everything we’d endured.

To begin with, I moved back into my old mentor’s house at the edge of the village, right where Tarn’s fields melt into the treeline of Lorewood. Or moved in might be too simple a phrase. Liliana and I practically set about reshaping the place from the moment we arrived — adding new rooms, carving out gardens, sketching the frame of a greenhouse that would take shape once we had the lumber. Terrin kept his half of the house boarded up in the familiar way he preferred, and we simply expanded outward around him like new branches on old roots.

Because I knew the days ahead would be swallowed by construction work and helping Tarn recover from the sudden influx of new residents, I wouldn’t have the time to scout either Rosebloom or the satyr grounds myself. So I sent Fiachna — loyal, sharp-eyed Fiachna — to circle both from the sky.

The news she brought back was… wrong.

The entire valley of Rosebloom drowned under thorns, not merely overgrown but suffocated — every roof, every lane, even Sir Fynn’s keep swallowed in bramble thicker than walls. Fiachna hadn’t dared fly low enough to check for survivors, but she saw no lanternlight, no movement, no hint that anyone still lived there.

The satyr grounds weren’t any kinder on the nerves. According to her, satyrs — a whole cluster of them — were preparing a village there. But Ileas had told us they were nearly wiped out. So what exactly was his “uncle” cultivating on that land? And to what purpose?

Two questions, both stinking of trouble, both demanding answers.

But at least there was one bright spark that cut through the foreboding: a few days after we arrived, Galienne finally woke.

Alistan, who had barely loosened his grip on her hand since we reached Tarn, told her everything — from her final blow against the Black Knight to the fall of Wolf’s Rest. His voice trembled only once.

Gael came to speak with Luke and me about the dreams Dynia had been having since we fled Keralon — strange, too-vivid things for a girl her age. She spoke of places she’d never walked, halls she’d never seen, visions threaded with feywild shimmer: a throne room that mirrored High King Ulther’s almost perfectly, except for the unsettling sense that it was watching her back.

Gael looked worn thin with worry.

I assured him the dreams weren’t dangerous, and certainly weren’t memories clawing their way into her mind. Though I still couldn’t tell him the whole truth — not yet — the reassurance eased something in his shoulders. He let the matter rest, at least for the moment.

The very next day he returned, though this time his concern had nothing to do with Dynia. He needed to perform a ritual deep within Lorewood — a summoning of a Moonshadow — and, well… Gael knows his luck. Or rather, his lack of it. He asked if the rest of us would accompany him, just to be safe.

Naturally, we agreed.

Lorewood was quiet as we entered, too quiet, the way it gets before something old decides to take notice. Once Gael found a clearing bathed in pale morning light, he lifted his flute and played a melody that curled through the branches like silver smoke — haunting, delicate, edged with longing. It should have called a Moonshadow.

Instead, something far more formidable descended.

A winged lion — massive, majestic, terrible — touched down before us, feathers shimmering like hammered bronze. A sphinx of valor. And the first thing it did was level its golden stare at Gael and accuse him of treachery, mistaking him for Vincent.
Gael tried to surrender, hands lifted, voice steady as he attempted to explain.

The sphinx didn’t care.

It lunged.

The fight was short but vicious, a blur of claws, radiant light, and the ringing of steel. When we finally forced the creature to retreat, the clearing looked as though a storm had ripped through it.

We stood there catching our breath, half-wondering if Gael’s ritual had failed — until someone noticed Gael’s silhouette on the ground. Or rather… silhouettes. Two shadows, one crisp and familiar, the other darker, deeper, wrong.

When Gael spoke to the second one, it peeled away from his feet like ink lifting off parchment and shaped itself into a shadow-cat, its eyes two violet pinpricks. It regarded him with a knowing tilt of the head, as if amused by the chaos it had orchestrated.
We left Gael to speak privately with his new companion — or counterpart, or omen; with shadow-things, one never truly knows — and walked back to Tarn.

Gael followed later, now the somewhat bewildered but undeniably proud bearer of not one, but two shadows.

Continue reading...

Entry one: The trials

Entry two: The bramble

Entry 3: Rosebloom

Entry 4: Hearts and Dreams

Entry 5: of ghosts and wolves

Entry 6: Hillfield and Deals with Fae

Entry 7: mysteries and pastries

Entry 8: The scarecrow ruse
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree

Entry 9: A betrayal of satyrs
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 10: The fate of twins
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 11: Cursed twins
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 12: Loss and despair
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Hayley's rules to being a Witch

Entry 13: the price of safety
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 14: A golden cage and fiery tower
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 15: A trial by fire
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 16: Keralon
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Letter to Luke 1

Letter to Luke 2

Letter to Luke 3

Letter to Luke 4

Letter to Luke 5

Letter to Luke 6

Entry 17: I shall wear midnight
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 18: peace in our time
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 19: Caern Fussil falls
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 20: I see fire
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 21: Cultists twarted
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 22: Ravensfield
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 23: The Hollow Hill Horror
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 24: Burn your village
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 25: Ravensfield burns
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 26: There will be blood!
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 27: A happy reunion
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 28: The embassy ball
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 29: The fate of Robert Talespinner
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 30: A royal summons
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 31: of Dogville and Geese
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 32: A boggle named Pim
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 33: A deal broken
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 34: The cost of doing what is right
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 35: A dish best served cold
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

entry 36: Cornu returns?
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 37: A letter from Amarra
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 38: The case of the (not) missing villagers
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 39: A curse broken
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 44: A tale as old as time
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 45: The truth
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 47: The festival
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 49: Quinn's court
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 51: Where is my cow?
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 52: Here be dragons
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 56: The needs of the many...
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 58: wetlands be wet
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Morenthene
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 61: Cypria
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 65: I stand alone
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 66: A day of normalcy
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 68: The Warg King

Entry 69: Chased by birds

Entry 70: Whitewail

Entry 71: Nimmerhold

Entry 72: The menagerie
29th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 73: To the library!
30th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 74: The people's tournament
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 76, The return home
Second of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 77: A week of peace
10th of Mannan

Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
11th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 79: I had a dream
12th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 80: The ritual for Sister Willow
14th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 81: Trouble at the Briar Ring
15th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 82: My day as a crocodile
21st of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

The return of the twins (Entry 83)
22nd of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Earth and Sky (Entry 84)
26th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Wolf's Rest betrayed (entry 85)
30th of Mannon

The end of a chapter (entry 86)
first of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

On the road (Entry 87)
second of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

The Red Knight (Entry 88)
7th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Dear uncle… (Entry 89)
8th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Cut the bridge (Entry 90)
10th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

Home (Entry 91)
13th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

A tale of two shadows (Entry 92)
16th of Edon, 128 Era of the Tree

A tale of two shadows (Entry 92)

Continue reading...

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