Chapter 1 | The Child
The moon that night was beautiful.
It shone down on the town of Feh'hau, illuminating in a stunning red-gold light the fruitfulness the Four Clans had been blessed with since the beginning of time. At the very center of the sprawling lands sat the Feh'hau Tree, for which the town was named, with its glowing orange leaves that stayed alive through all the seasons. Usually the rise of the moon didn't end the day for the people of Feh'hau, who gathered on most nights to whisper legends and exchange stories about the day.
However, on that night, as the Bleeding Moon rose into the sky, shining bright amber, no one sat under the shade of the Tree, making wishes on fallen leaves and listening to the Elders tell stories of the Great War years ago and of their ancestors long dead.
No one walked the roads, peddling snacks and sweets to the little children.
Everyone was instead gathered outside the household of the oldest son of the Sau' Clan, waiting.
Watching.
As the numbers gathered outside the home mumbled, maid- and man-servants scrambled, serving refreshments and magically cooled water to ease the agitated crowd.
Inside the House, things were even tenser.
Lord Naul, oldest son of the Sau' Clan, paced a hole in the raffia mat as he waited for news. Any news... His brothers and sisters sat at a low table in the far corner, quiet, watching.
When Naul had taken the witch Eleiya as his wife just over a year ago, the Clan members had praised the move as a strategic piece in the plan that, when completed, would ensure the Child Blessed would be born into their bloodline. Said wife was in labour right then, and Naul continued pacing, waiting for news.
And then there was a cry.
The cry of a child.
Naul stopped mid pace, stiffening.
His sisters, Meri and Eryah, were the first to rise. They walked past their brother and disappeared behind the curtain that separated the main hall from the room the mid wives had sectioned off for the delivery.
Naul's twin younger brothers, Lek'i and Uz, came to stand beside him, and they each put an arm on his shoulder, offering silent support as they waited for news. Outside, the crowd's mumbling rose to a roar.
They wanted to know.
They needed to know.
Eryah emerged first, shadowed by the tiny, short haired assistant to the midwives.
"It's a girl..." she said, green eyes lowered.
Naul's shoulders fell. All this time... and the gods had given him a girl child. "And the other?" he asked.
Eryah smiled faintly. "He hasn't come yet..." she said and Naul's eyebrows went up. "The midwives are a little worried since he's coming out with his feet. But they're confident it's a male child..."
Naul's shoulders sagged, this time with relief. "Oh... Praises..." he muttered. "The child Blessed may still be born into my House after all..."
Eryah and the assistant disappeared again behind the curtain, and after a few minutes, another cry was heard, stronger and louder than the first. Naul didn't wait to be invited; he walked beneath the curtain.
The Lady Eleiya was a beautiful woman, with long hair dark and fluid as molten bronze, and dark skin polished to a sheen with sweat. Her face was tired as she lay on the feathered pallet swathed in blood stained linens, but her eyes, the shocking silver of all the F'reu Witches, shone with barely leashed power. In her arms, she held one wrapped bundle, and the heavy chested midwife held another. Naul headed for his wife, who shifted to reveal the face of one of his children. Naul smiled at her.
"A girl..." Eleiya said in her quiet voice. "Our first child. She has the mark of the Bleeding Moon, Naul. She is a Witch of the F'reu Clan..."
Naul had to fight to keep the disappointment of his face. "And our son?" he asked, straightening and turning to the midwife.
She bowed briefly. "A breech, my Lord. Came into the world feet first and almost tore the Lady wide open."
Naul grinned. "He landed on his feet. He'll be a great warrior then."
The midwife nodded. "He will. He has the eyes of the Bear Shifters of your Clan, as well as the Sun mark on his thigh. The blood of a F'reu Witch runs through his veins, as the Prophesy foretold. The blend of the two worlds..."
Naul nodded, satisfied. "And born on the night of the Bleeding Moon... My son is the child Blessed."
"What shall we name him, Naul?" Eleiya asked, drawing his attention back to herself and the Witch child she'd borne him. Naul smiled.
"Kai..." he said. "Blessed in the language of our fathers. He is the child Blessed so it is only appropriate."
"And the girl?" his wife asked.
Naul hesitated. He had no use for a Witch in a Clan of Bear Shifters; Eleiya was only his wife because a Witch was required as prophesied to bear the child Blessed. But he didn't want to offend her. Her mother was still the most powerful Witch in all of Alanus.
"You should do the naming, my love." He finally said. "Name her in the language of her mothers. Since she is now the Moon's daughter..."
Eleiya seemed satiated by the idea. "Her name is Reya... the Billowing Sands. Just like her great grandmother..."
Naul nodded, shifting on his feet. "I shall go break the news to the other Clan Lords. Please..." he gestured to the midwife holding his son. "...bring Kai. Eleiya, if you can stand... please come. You are the mother of the child."
Eleiya nodded and, handing her daughter over to the short haired assistant, let Naul pull her to her feet. The Lord and Lady of the Sau' Clan walked then beneath the curtain to break the joyous news to the people of Feh'hau, leaving their other child behind.
The young assistant stared at the babe in the arms for a moment, letting herself be immersed in the child's unusual glow. The babe was beautiful, with the smooth skin of the F'reu Witches, though she was slightly fairer, and wispy dark hair on her head. Her eyes only fluttered open occasionally, but the brightness of her glowing silver eyes shone from even behind closed eyelids.
There was a loud cheer outside, and the assistant jerked as if from a trance. Hurrying to the prepared crib in the corner, she placed the baby as carefully as she could amidst the soft clothes, gathering folds of cotton to cover her nakedness. Another cheer and the assistant hastened.
She had been working all night in the Sau' household and she wanted a break to go out with the town and enjoy the festivities.
Glancing out the window on the other side of the large room, she noted that the Bleeding Moon was almost at its highest point of the night. It would be a reaping ground of power for all the Witches in the town that night.
Finally she was done. She ran a hand over her short brown hair, patting down the fuzz at the sides. Pausing at the door on her way out, she cast a glance back at the child in the crib, alone on a night of joy, and almost pitied her for being born.
Just then the Moon rose to its peak, and the townspeople cheered once more. The assistant tore her eyes away, and left the room.
A ray of light, amber from the hue of the Moon that night, stole into the room through the open windows, falling on the child sleeping alone in the bedroom. She writhed in the sudden brightness, and her swaddle clothes fell off her body.
Her eyes fluttered open, shimmering green and silver and amber, and she mewled pitifully. There was no one to attend her, and thus no one saw the birthmark on her side flicker, then start to glow. Her cries intensified.
The amber light of the Moon wrapped round her like a warm blanket, and the child started to quiet, then fell silent. She stared with silver eyes up at the ceiling of the room, and a light hearted gurgle rose from her throat as she watched the light move, dancing around her tiny form.
Outside, Feh'hau cheered for their new found hope; and inside, the baby Reya's eyes slid shut sleepily. She fell into her slumber peacefully, the tiniest of smiles playing on her face.
The crowd cheered on.
