And Then

prologue

Prologue

A singular touch, light, at the beginning of existence will grow to flood the world and save it from a missed moment.
Seer Fawn 3rd age

Feeling her light cascading down inside her soul Lauren shivered, and valiantly tried to steel herself against the unwanted thoughts haunting her. She obsessed about her doubts, fears, and unanswered questions plaguing her every waking moment. She detested not having an understandable vision of what lay ahead for them. Their mission always predicated only on what they hope to find, and not on what they knew they would find.
Four times the moons had risen and waxed in the sky since the small party set sail. The maps they were using were vague outlines of islands in vast expanses of water. Lauren did not trust the captain or his navigator. This increased the turmoil during the voyage leaving her skeptical about this port where they docked. Captain Walden guaranteed to wait at the port for them. She would send word as they made their way inland. The ship departed their third night ashore without forewarning. The sole survivor, besides her started the journey inland. Is this the island where she finally, located the knowledge and resources she needed?
She found her mind pulling back remembering one day so long ago…
          She had been excited when the invitation to visit her mothers’ private chambers came to her apartments that morning. It was the day before her Naming Ceremony. Everywhere decorations festooned the city in her favorite colors. Light morning mist gauze draped the windows. Her favorite iridescent aquamarine set against deep midnight sapphire, fluttered in pennants and flags. Even the carpets laid out shimmered with as many shades of blue that the dyers could conjure. Everyone rushed through the halls tending to the myriad of details concerning her celebration.
         The only shadow to cross her day was her twin sister Anne. As usual, she was in one of her snits about her dress, her hair, anything to gain attention.  Anne was the second daughter by only minutes, and forever relegated to stand behind Lauren.
  The butterflies were still fluttering in her stomach from that day. Gently tapping on the door and hearing the strong clear call for her to enter, all her fears evaporated. How foolish, she was elevated seeing Martin, Mikhail, and Jobie in the room. Looking back, Lauren reflected all the signs were there. Her world was changing irrevocably. She could do nothing but accept.
  “Lauren, thank you for arriving promptly, I know you have been busy with all the preparations.  Please sit” her mother’s tone was brisk and formal. The light around her pale compared to how she always appeared.
         “I am sorry I have waited this long to talk to you. I was hoping…” after a heavy sigh she started again. “I am going to ask a great deal of you. We have run out of time and there are no other alternatives.” 
         She could still hear the words, echoing crystal clear in her mind. Lauren realized all their attention focused on her. Settling into the chair, she surveyed the room and noticing a small table with a strange ornate box, books on the desk and pilled on the floor, cabinets this locks, everything in the room was both familiar and strangely out of place…
         Time stopped as her mother unfolded her new destiny. Even after all these years, hundreds of miles, friends lost, her memory of that half hour in time was clear and concise.
“What I am going to tell you is known by very few. None of the other ruling families knows the whole story. Even my information is circumspect.” Her mother adjusted her position again, trying to get comfortable. Martin’s eyes flashed his impatient look.
  “Our world suffered a massive catastrophic earthquake over one thousand years ago, and everything had to be rebuilt on the rubble of what was left. The survivors established Temples to preserve all the knowledge. They are the ancestors of the Seer’s. They have been working to find the lost knowledge and preserve it. They were also the ones who preserved the Stones and they have been teaching their descendants and finding new students with the gift.
  The elders kept the darkest of secrets hoping their fears were unfounded. The evil that caused the destruction survived and with a vengeance wants to destroy this world. The Risenstar families with the Seers are guardians and we have been waiting for its return.”
  “The fog” Lauren whispered the words, startled by her own voice.
  Her mother flashed a sad smile but continued, “Yes, the cursed fog, that really is not fog. You will be getting firsthand experiences with it soon. We believe our adversary created it, but we have no idea how or why. Its followers once called it the Messenger and it is a master at manipulating people through greed and fear. We know the Stones will aid us in the final confrontations with it. I also know we do not have the right Stone here. The one we need is far to the north.”
         “Now you have heard all the dire news” watching her daughter’s face, she went on. "You are needed to fight this ancient terror. We need you gathering in and using the resources that are out and bring them back here. Later today I will tell Ann that I am naming her to take my place not you. We need you to find the Stone.”
Lauren took in her breath, looking from one face to another. They knew, they had known for a while. No, they had always known she never would be the queen. She looked down at the floor, out a window anywhere but at them. Finally, she stilled all her emotions “yes” she said with studied calmness, “you will be sending me north.”
  Her mother was smiling, but it did not hide the sadness in her eyes. “Martin you and I were right, she can do this.” They had drawn closer to the table and the box.
         “Lauren, you have extraordinary abilities and they are only magnified when using the Stones. Martin believes you have not explored all of your potential. You will start by travelling to all the islands around here honing your skills. Mikhail and Martin will go with you. You will lead rescue missions on the islands engulfed with this fog. What little you learn here about our enemy will help us hold until your return. We need you to find the correct Stones to end this conflict once and for all or we will lose our world.” Her mother started to pace around the room.
          “I will announce to the court that Anne will be the next Queen, and you have chosen to continue your studies. I am giving you the Celenta Stone, not Anne. I will take your first Stone. Martin will put it in a safe place for your children. Anne has no knowledge of our arrangement or of any of what we have told you. It is imperative we keep this amongst the five of us. Anne and everyone else will believe I am handing over the ruling Stone to her. Lauren I am giving it to you now. It is the only way to keep it safe, and I know you will need it.”
  The room felt stifling hot the high noon sun heating the air around them. Lauren felt her world tilt again. Everything she had planned, all of her dreams evaporated into a vague unease. From now on, her life moved down a drastically different course.
  A group of elite Warriors and Seers spent the next ten years trying to penetrate the mysteries of the fog bound island. Lauren lost friends, family, and warriors. Martin and Mikhail added Timora, Marlex, and Radon to the final mission north. On the third full moon of the New Year, only two days before their planned departure, her mother vanished. Martin insisted they sail immediately, boarding their ship and setting out into unknown.
  Someone inserted a traitor into their group. Marlex a Wisdom Warrior was the last one to come aboard and Lauren heard Martin arguing with him until Mikhail vouched safe for him. Everyone thought it strange he did not bring his horse on board the vessel.
          Lauren was the only one to hear the strangled sounds coming from below deck. She arrived in time to witness Mikhail strike the fatal blow. Her hope was who ever sent him failed to realize she was there to perform the sending ritual as Marlex’s life departed. She condemned him to the void not wanting him to travel back to his master. Lauren now held his memories with the reason for his being on the ship. His betrayal she buried deep in her mind leaving it free to haunt her dreams. She made a silent vow to find the truth one day.
  It was a strain keeping up the constant vigilance. Martin shared her feelings. Someone knew where they were going. The captain sailed with the prevailing winds, watching currents keeping to a northerly course.
         Martin brought dozens of scrolls with information where Stones might be found on the islands to the north. His scrolls recorded the strange tale of cold ice bound places and the Source leaving the Stones as a gift to the survivors all over this world. The first month out, in her dream walk to meet her sister, she got the startling news; Anne sentenced all of them into exile. Lauren read the declaration “Let it be known everyone traveling with Lauren Risenstar will not be welcomed back in court …” tacked on her door at home.
  In the dreaming, Anne gave her a plausible reason. She wanted to force them to discover the other islands and not come back until they did. With memories from Marlex and the plot, he was involved in; Lauren was troubled not knowing what to believe. Anne was unaware Lauren knew Marlex's secrets.
  Jobie carried the gift of healing and the youngest of the group. She fell ill in the second month finally succumbing to fever. They survived two storms with considerable loss of the crew including Timora, Warrior Seer, swept overboard trying to recover the sail, ripped loose in gale winds. Radon their other dream walker, failed to wake up, wasting away in less than a week. She buried him at sea in the third month.  Afterwards sleep became a series of nightmares. She never found a safe place to rest even for a short nap to walk in dream space to check on what was happening in Celenta.
  The last person to disappear was Mikhail her guard from childhood. He had been her shadow, always by her side. He was the one protecting her in all her adventures and misdeeds. Everyone was elated when the crow’s nest called out  “land on the horizon”. Captain Wilden had a celebration on deck. Lauren yielded and tried some of the wine he said he was saving for the occasion. Late the next morning, Martin told her something suspicious happened during the night.  The captain was blaming rough seas for the disappearances of Mikhail and Nevis.  Lauren would not believe they did miss Mikhail yelling for help. Mikhail did not receive the proper sending or sharing of knowledge. How does anyone measure what is lost with no answers as to why? 
Now here she was, after spending four long months sailing through uncharted waters following antique maps, sailor’s stories, and legends found in old books. Their numbers reduced to Lauren, Martin, Willow, the spare horses, baggage, and trunks.
  After following the coastline for three days they sailed into Havenhall, a port town set at the deep end of an inlet with several smaller ships already tied up at the docks. Martin felt the strong presence of the Stones. Lauren immediately saw halos of soft light marking their existence. Risking discovery she opened up her inner sight and caught in a whirl of light. Lauren was quickly over whelmed by the dazzling brilliance she saw everywhere.
  She was grateful for firm ground beneath her feet. The first setback came with the discovery the ship set sail after dark. Martin took the departure in stride cajoling her to admit she was relieved, he was gone.
The first week they stayed at the largest inn, going out for short rides. They gathered supplies, listening to the local gossip, and acquired a map of the country. With Stone site, Martin marked out several brighter concentrations hoping to find a temple or school. At the start of the journey, they traveled across northeast to one of the larger land holdings. The people they encountered offered little information on the Lord of Langdon, Cardom, or Windinhill. Now they were moving closer to their ultimate destination, a meeting with the Queen of North Weldon.