Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions by H. Chambers (summer beach reads txt) 📖

Shade lived in Trimain, a small village in the North West corner of Korin, close to the edge of the ancient forest of Pandean. Her mother, Summer, was the wise woman of the village and like Shade, beautiful. Beauty wasn't the only thing they possessed. Summer had taught Shade everything she knew about healing: what herbs and plants to use for everything from headaches to infections, spots to indigestion, sewing up wounds with horse hair, splinting broken bones and of course delivering babies. Now she was sixteen she was considered a wise woman in her own right. But there was one thing she thought she would never learn. Her mother had brought her a young kestrel when she was twelve. She was to train it, and this had been the hard bit, to 'mind merge' with it. Her mother had taught her how to meditate and visualise the kestrel in her mind, trying to feel its feathers, claws, wings, trying to see through the kestrels eyes; learning to let her spirit fly. The kestrel will probably die of old age before I get the hang of this, she thought. Her mother had been very patient with her. 'If it was easy, everyone would be able to do it,' she used to say. Well, after four years the kestrel was well trained and she no longer fell asleep while meditating, but she was no further at mind merging. Until one cold winters day whilst sitting in front of a roaring log fire, staring at the flames not really thinking of anything at all; Shade closed her eyes about to doze off and found herself looking at the snow falling. Feeling desperately cold, she shook her feathers.

Shade was so excited, her mother had finally agreed to let her go into the great forest by herself. Usually her mother went with her and even that was considered very foolhardy by the rest of the village. Everyone knew that the great forest of Pandean was filled with ghouls, ghosts, ogres, imps, nymphs, dark elves, bad spirits as well as wolves, poisonous spiders and snakes. When Summer kept being told how foolish she was, she would smile and remind them that as a wise woman, she had certain gifts herself and therefore felt very much at home in the forest. Sometimes the villagers never quite knew whether they should be afraid of her or not. It also seemed to confirm their beliefs about the forest and its unworldly inhabitants. Some of the men went in to hunt deer and trap rabbits but even they never went in too far and would never have stayed in after dark. This suited Shade and her mother as it meant the forest was more or less left alone, unlike the smaller forests which were sadly getting smaller each year. Shade knew her mother felt it was time she started taking over from her as the wise woman of the village. The responsibility daunted her. She knew enough, but putting it into practice with someone’s life depending on it, well that was scary. This morning though she did not have to think about any of that and picking up her basket she headed off to the forest, repeating again in her mind the list of plants and herbs her mother had asked her to get.

Shade's kestrel flew overhead, he would not go into the forest with her as he frightened the other birds. Shade entered the forest along a well-worn path her mother had used over the years and headed straight for the little clearing where a huge rock sat in the middle. Climbing up onto the rock she crossed her legs, closed her eyes, lifting her head slightly to let the spring sun warm her face. With the sun making her already strikingly blonde hair look as if it was streaked with silver, her pale delicate skin and elfin features, you could be forgiven for thinking she was some exquisite woodland creature.

High up in the branches Gadolin lay back against the tree and sighed, he had a perfect view of her. He had fallen in love with her mother many years ago. Summer used to sit on that very same rock and he on the same branch. When one day Summer had turned towards the tree and asked, 'How many more years are you going to watch me before you decide to say hello?' Gadolin had said nothing, he did not want his dreams to be shattered, where she fell in love with him and he held her in his arms. He was too afraid for the reality of her reaction if she saw him. He would wait until she was much older, when she stooped and her hair had gone grey and her teeth had fallen out. He put his head in his hands. One day, one day he would stand before Summer. She if anyone would understand.

Shade's kestrel screamed through the trees sending birds flying in all directions. He flew wildly around Shade, too wild for Shade to connect with him. She knew that only something wrong with her mother could make him act this way. Gadolin had exactly the same thoughts. Shade clambered down the rock and began running back through the forest. Gadolin, who was not usually one to panic, was throwing himself from tree to tree. Shade had only been gone a couple of hours. What could have happened? As she came close to the edge of the forest she could see smoke. Increasing her speed she ran out and had a clear view of the burning village. Thantos soldiers seemed to be everywhere. Running down the hill she began screaming for her mother. Their home was closest to the forest and she could just make out her mother standing there waving her long wooden staff at the soldiers. Shade shouted, not expecting her mother to hear, but her mother turned and looked in her direction. She made a gesture which Shade understood telling her to go back to the forest. Shade was still running, the momentum making it hard for her mind to think straight, she could not turn and leave her mother. As the thoughts came to her about what she would actually do when she reached her, a rider saw her and turning his horse he started to head in her direction.

Summer brought up her staff and with every ounce of strength she could summon, hit the horse and rider. The horse reared up unseating the rider who fell badly at her side. She raised her staff again but the soldier rolled out of its path. Shade stopped and stared, the terrified horse ran past her mother knocking her to the ground. Slowly both her mother and the soldier got up and faced each other. The soldier's right leg was injured but now with sword in hand he hobbled towards her mother. She lifted the staff again but was no match for the trained soldier. The staff came down towards his injured leg, he managed to knock it away with his sword. Again and again Summer tried, each time the soldier was ready. Summer, weakened now, tried to send a blow to his chest. He caught hold of the staff and pulled her towards him, the blade of his sword going straight through her stomach.

For a second the world around Shade went deathly silent. Then the whole forest behind burst into the most uncanny sound, birds flying up screeching, wolves howled, the very trees themselves seemed to emit a low grumble of despair. Everyone turned, soldiers and villagers alike, towards the forest. The soldier still with his sword through Summer's stomach turned towards the forest. As he turned he saw not the forest but the huge talons of Summer's golden eagle aiming straight for his face. The speed at which the eagle hit him sent him crashing to the ground losing the grip on his sword. The few seconds the soldier was winded and disorientated was all the eagle needed, talons dug deep into the neck while the beak tore at his face. Shade just stood and stared unable to take in what was happening, the huge eagle spread its wings and rose up from the soldier covered in his blood, it let out a terrible cry, an arrow caught the bird in the chest. As one, all the sounds from the forest stopped, the eagle fell to the ground; Shade fell to her knees. Gadolin didn't fall, he could not leave the forest, he would never introduce himself to Summer, he would never see her again. He turned and slowly climbed down the tree and headed deep into the forest.

Shade looked up as a shadow touched her. A handsome young man, with thick untamed dark hair, hazel eyes and strong jaw got down from his horse. No knight in shining armour, no saviour, but the man who shot down her mother’s beloved eagle. Her mother, if only she had stayed in the forest, if only she had stopped when her mother signalled her, it was her fault.

Kerdred looked down at the woman before him. His heart stirred, she had potential, she was beautiful and everything else about her was sound, she may prove suitable to bear his sons. He already had one bride, another beautiful woman with stunning