Dark Angel, Lisa Tuter [little red riding hood ebook TXT] 📗

into a large underground room with a series of pools in a variety of shapes and colors, and each with a small statue by it.

There was a diamond shaped pool with iridescent water and a statue of a water sprite holding a bundle of spark leaves. The next was a crescent moon with silvery, swirling water and a air angel holding a lightning bolt. Against a far wall was a pool shaped like a star with blue-green water with a statue of a odd looking golden winged fish. Across from the crescent moon was a flame, if ever there was such, shaped pool with water shimmering from orange to red to a dark red and situated at the tip of the flame was a statue of a winged man holding a fiery trident. But at the very forefront was a pool in the shape of a large round pool that was very ordinary, compared to the others, but for the gold and silver swirling waters, the blue silver orbs hovering above it, and the statue of the Great Mother holding a babe in one arm, a scroll in the other, and a great staff strapped to her back.

It was the round pool that drew my attention, beckoning me to dip my fingers in its swirling waters. As I stepped closer to it, dipping my fingers in I felt as though I were safe in my mother and fathers arms, flying in the sky the wind whipping through my hair, and sitting at my desk, my nose deep in a book, these all my favorite places to be, at once. My father had been watching me, Alanah had too, and they both stepped close to me, one on each side, watching my face. My father laid his hand on my arm, but I didn’t feel it. I was seeing something, going somewhere that only my mind could go.

I was walking through the woods, barefoot the earth beneath my feet rich in smell, covered in the needles from the trees round me. Child…I heard someone say. I looked around, turning in a small circle, but I saw no one. I kept walking, my hand going to my waist for my short sword, but finding nothing. I looked down and noticed I was wearing a white knee-length linen tunic with a belt of silver discs round my waist and a pair of matching calf-length butter soft leather leggings. My hair was left down, and but I felt a weight on my head. Putting my hand to my brow I felt the coolness of metal. Going to a nearby stream, I knelt down, looking at my reflection in the waters. What I saw surprised me. While I WAS a princess, and therefore accustomed to wearing my crown on occasions of state, I was NOT accustomed to the crown I saw in my reflection. It was that of the Queen. It wasn’t heavy, the Queens crown never is so that she might wear it comfortably everywhere, but it WAS slightly bigger and of more weight than that of a mere princess. It was gold and silver in swirling designs with small pearls, sapphires and emeralds here and there.

Childd…..I heard again in my mind. Sure I was losing my mind I stood and spun around coming face to face with a woman. She was of around the same height as my mother, with short black hair streaked here and there with silver. Her eyes were pure black, the whites of them silver instead of white. “Who are you?” I asked warily. You already know who I am, Ceciliana Stormwynd…she said as she motioned for me to walk with her. I did so, but kept an eye out for a large stick that I could use as a staff if need be. She must have noticed what I was doing, because she motioned with her hand and a staff appeared in front of me, small and large symbols carved into its wood. Take it, my child..she said smiling at me, and I noticed that the smile went to her eyes as well, making small crinkles at the corners. Though you do not need it round me, you may have this staff if it makes you feel any better. I can assure you that you are safer with me than with even your own parents. I took the staff and asked, “Who are you? Where am I?” Again she smiled and said…Do you truly not recognize me, child? You have seen me many times, not in person, but in depictions, pictures, statues, and the like. You’re mother looks much like me, and why that is you will know in due time. I have watched over you all of your life, for you are a special child, Ceciliana, and there is MUCH you will do in your lifetime. Her words rung a bell and I was stunned. I was walking with the Great Mother. I was carrying HER staff, and WAS truly safer with her than with my own parents. I knelt down before her, bowing my head. “Forgive me, Mother,” I said, shame in my voice, “I did not recognize you.” She put her hand under my chin, raising my eyes to meet hers. Worry not, little one. I know you did not recognize me. Ceciliana, the time has come for you and your siblings to leave the shelter of your parents home. The time has come for you to grow, my child. For you to grow in ways you have yet to even imagine. I have spoken with your father, and that is why he has brought you and Alanah here today. She will be going with you as well, for it is her duty to protect you, and also for you to protect her. As she said this I felt a slight breeze and it felt as though I were going backwards. “Mother, what is happening?” Learn all that you can from your foster parents, Ceciliana, for what you learn there will help you more than it has ever helped a Dark Angel before. I felt her hand upon my brow and felt a tingling sensation. I have Marked you, my child, so that all may know you have the blessing of Goddess.

After she said that she disappeared altogether and I was looking up into my fathers smiling face and Alanahs worried face. I looked down and I was back in the clothes I’d worn to the mountain. “Did you have a nice visit?” my father asked, his eyes crinkling in the corners from his smile. “How long was I gone, Papa?” I asked, looking round the large room but there were no signs of daylight from the outside. My father helped me sit up and Alanah opened her pack and handed me a fruit and sausage and her juice flask. Taking them from her I smiled gratefully and devoured them in seconds, washing the food down with juice. “You weren’t gone too terribly long, just under a half hour,” he said before he added, “which considering who you were with you were gone a little longer than expected, but I see she gave you some gifts.”

Confused I asked, “Gifts?” Smiling at me my father directed my attention to a staff leaning against a nearby wall, then he helped me to stand and took me to look in the waters of the Mother pool. Looking down I saw markings in the form of a circlet going across my brow, presumably under my hair as well. I touched them, and they tingled just as it had in my vision when the Mother touched me on the same place. Looking up at my father I asked, “What does this mean, Papa?” “What it means, child,” he said, “I haven’t the slightest idea. I suppose we’ll have to ask the Seers when we return, yeshta?” I nodded absentmindedly and replied, “Yeshta.” Looking at Alanah I noticed something about her had changed, for she certainly wasn’t the same as she’d been before my Vision. Going to her side I sat next to her and laid my hand on her arm. “What is it, Lana?” I asked her. Looking at me she smiled and said “I had a Vision as well, but it wasn’t the Mother I saw. I was at the pool of the Father, the winged man with the trident?” I nodded for her to go on. When she did it was with a confused look on her face, “He told me I’m to protect you, as you and I are already much like sisters. He also gave me much the same Mark as you have and a staff much like yours as well. He told me when the time came I’d know what to do with it.”

Shortly after she told me this my father came over to us and told us it was getting late and we needed to return to the palace, and that Alanah could stay the night and he would send a messenger to her parents to let them know she was safe. We climbed back up the staircase and out of the mountainside. When we came out of the hidden passage I noticed that the sky was getting darker, but there was still a goodly amount of daylight. Strapping my short sword to my belt and taking the staff in hand, Alanah doing the same with hers, we took flight in the form of a small V my father leading the way. As we were flying, I felt the same Chill down the back of my neck, the very same chill I’d felt the day before. I drew closer to my father and told him about it. He looked around us and motioned for Alanah and I to stay close by, which we had no problem doing. When we reached the palace gates I noticed that there were more guards on watch than usual. When I asked my father why, he just told me it was a precaution for my birthday celebration, which would begin as soon as I woke the next day and last until I went to bed.

As I was going up the grand staircase to the Royal floor, my father caught up to me. “Ceciliana,” he said,” after you take your things to your rooms I’d like you to change into something comfortable but nice for when you and I go to see the Seers, which we’ll do as soon as you’re changed. I’m sure when you look in your pack you’ll be surprised.” Nodding my head, I agreed to do as he said, curious though about why he said I’d be surprised. When I arrived at my rooms I sat down on one of the couches in the small antechamber to my room, rummaging through my pack and pulling out the contents. There was the oil cloth bag that had contained my lunch, also in the satchel was my juice flask. I’d picked up some crystals and other such things from the woods and creeks we’d stopped by on the way back, these I also took out. That should have been