Prologue

Prologue

The sky seemed to be paved in anger as Halfmoon treaded silently to the house, a scornful but serious look on her pale face. The trees were screaming in agony as their leaves were being brutally stripped. The eagles that roamed around the chalk-streaked cliffs shrieked as if the storm had hit them with bitter remorse. It was a sky war. In front of her, there was a house with curtains drawn and a sinister gloom illuminating the windows. After knocking on the door, a lady appeared. “Halfmoon! I haven’t seen you in quite a while! What brings you here?” the lady asked.

“I’m good, thank you, Dee, but we have matters to attend to.” Halfmoon replied, “This child is in need of a mother. Take him in, behave like he’s yours and don’t mention his history.” Halfmoon opened her arms to reveal a four-year-old child.

Dee picked up the child in her arms. She wondered, “Is this child yours, Halfmoon?”

“No - I am merely the communicator in the process. HE IS NOT MINE!” Halfmoon explained, almost letting out a faint hiss, "Forgive me, Deidre, for I have to go so soon after, as I have more matters to attend to. Goodbye.”

With that, Halfmoon silently stride off. Deidre sighed and held the baby.

“Hello, little one. I guess you’re mine now.”

On the blanket, it bore ancient marks in a language that Deidre and Halfmoon were fluent in. It was Halfmoon’s name in inky-black, with her own personal indenture.

“She wrote her own name.” Deidre gasped. On the back, there was another set of magic-born runes.

It read, in the tongue of the earliest ancients and youth of The Elders,

Take care of him, please, Deidre.

“I will.” she smiled, “I will care for him until I breathe my last breath of life and will still join him when I am in heaven.”

Deidre grinned, gently holding the child, "You are going to be in my care now.”