Aislinn sat by the fire in the main room of Sarah’s small house. She rocked slowly back and forth, her arms around her knees. She was so very tired. It had been a hard day for her.

She had spent the day at the farm of Thomas and Maggie Hodspur. Maggie was pregnant and wasn’t due until the next month. Little Jenny Hodspur had come knocking on the door to Mother Sarah’s house about two hours after sunrise. That was also about an hour after Sarah had left to go near the Choshu border. There had been some recent skirmishes, and her healing powers were desperately needed. Jenny told Aislinn that something was wrong. “Mawma’s reel sick, Missy Aislinn,” was all that Jenny told her.

Aislinn had grabbed her healer’s bag and supplies, jumped on her horse, and raced to the Hodspur farm. She ran inside and into the small bedroom. Maggie lay on the bed screaming, and her sheets were covered in blood. Aislinn immediately went to work.

She needed to calm Maggie down, so she quickly brewed an infusion and forced enough of it in the woman to steady her breathing and lower the beats of her heart. Steadying her own heart as Sarah had taught her, Aislinn lifted her spirit to the sky and felt the presence of Mathern enter her soul. The young healer placed her hands upon Maggie’s swollen abdomen as a bluish light radiated around the mother and unborn child. Aislinn knew the baby had to come out now, or both mother and child would perish. She yelled for Thomas to get clean sheets ready and stay in the other room till she called for him.

Thirty minutes later, Thomas Hodspur cradled his youngest child, Samantha, in his arms. Three hours later, Aislinn stepped weakly from the bedroom. Her face was haggard and lined with tears and blood. Her arms were also covered in blood almost to her elbows. Maggie hadn't survived. She watched Thomas softly rocking his new child. He would be alone to raise Jenny and Samantha now. Aislinn had not been able to save Maggie. Aislinn was skilled; she was just not powerful enough to provide the healing magic that Maggie had required.

Aislinn sate by the fire and slowly rocked. It was well after midnight and she was exhausted. She couldn’t, however, find any peace in slumber. The door to the house opened and Sarah stepped inside. Aislinn could tell by her clothes that Sarah, too, had a hard day.

“Dear child,” Sarah said. “What are you doing up this late?”

Aislinn forced her limbs to move and a smile onto her face. "Waiting for you," she replied. "You look like you could use some tea, Mother."

The problem with having two Children of Mathern in the house was determining which one was supposed to be the mother, at times. Aislinn busied herself with pouring hot water over muslin bags filled with chamomile and other soothing, sweet-tasting herbs. She handed a mug to Sarah and sighed, her crystalline-blue eyes haunted.

"I lost Maggie, today," she said quietly. "The baby is fine, though a little small. I did all I could... I ..." she choked back a sob. Mathern knew Maggie wasn't the first patient she'd lost. Not with the fighting almost on their doorstep, but every death still pierced her heart.

Setting the tea aside, Sarah took her foster child into her arms, allowing her to grieve fully and grieving with her. "Mathern, give us strength," she prayed silently. "Let us both find rest and solace in our dreams, at least for a little while."

"Come, child," she said aloud and started guiding Aislinn toward her bed. "Get some sleep if you can. It will likely be another busy day, tomorrow."

Sarah then went to her room. She poured some water into a basin from the pitcher next to it. She looked through the wall to the direction of Aislinn's room. Moon Mother, she thought. Please guide and protect her.

Aislinn woke in the morning feeling more rested than she would have thought possible. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and smelled the scent of fresh bread that wafted into her bedroom from the kitchen. It never ceased to amaze the young woman how Sarah was able to do all that she did. Aislinn padded to the kitchen and heard the soft and beautiful sounds of Sarah's humming. "Good morning child," she said without turning. "I take it you slept fair enough? Please, sit" She began to hum again and Aislinn took her place at the table.

Fresh bread, honey, fruit and nuts were placed neatly on the table. Sarah brought a glass of tea over and placed it in on the table in front of Aislinn. She sat down and began to eat her own breakfast, occasionally looking up to smile at the young woman. Silently they broke their fast together, and it was strangely comforting...oddly relaxing.

After they had finished Sarah looked at Aislinn. "There are some things I need for you to get for me. Can you go down to the stream after you do the dishes? I need some flaxseed, kingsberry, and bee-balm." Sarah stood up from the table and headed toward her room. She stopped for a moment and turned back to look at Sarah. "Please Let me know when you have returned."

"Of course, Mother," she smiled as she gathered dishes. "I need to replenish a few things myself. I'll return before you know it."

The pain of losing Maggie was still sharp, piercing. Yet focusing on simple, everyday tasks already proved a balm to Aislinn's heart. "As both Mothers no doubt knew it would," she thought with a smile. Life does indeed go on, as the old adage stated.

She finished the dishes and soothed her skin with the lavender and feverfew cream kept by the sink for that purpose. Then, she fetched her herb basket, her hat and her staff and headed down to the stream. The big, floppy linen hat she wore wasn't as dignified as the sturdy straw hat Sarah wore when out herb-gathering or gardening. However, it was a little more practical since Aislinn could just shove hers into a pack without worrying about replacing it.

When she neared the stream, the young woman (though at 27, she could hardly be considered 'young' anymore), allowed part of her mind to wander. One part scanned for the herbs she needed and another part kept a watch out for Trouble. In this day and age, you never knew from which direction it would arrive. But still another part of her mind wandered.

That ineffable sense of restlessness stole over her again. It's come upon her more and more over the past two or three years but it's not something she ever told Sarah about. She didn't want her foster mother to think she was ungrateful or unhappy here. That wasn't the case at all. She just felt that she needed to be elsewhere, doing something else in Mathern's causes. Trouble was, Aislinn didn't know the where or what that entailed. Or even when.

Aislinn knew she was different. She'd heard every whisper there was about her being 'moon-kissed' or 'goddess-touched' throughout her life. Her silver-blonde hair and crystalline-blue eyes certainly didn't blend in with the ruddier people here in Caer Talldyr. There had even been whispers that she was part Choshu several years ago, but those had been put firmly to rest by a careful examination.

Aislinn was all too human, though and it hurt deeply to not be trusted by her friends and neighbors for a while. But it wasn't just her looks that set her apart. She had different ideas about life and living than a lot of the various clergies. She was devoted to her calling and practiced Mathern's tenets as faithfully as she could, but her life was her own to live, as she saw it. Most of the time. The restlessness tugged again.

Moon Mother, if you would please send me some sign. Some direction. I'll gladly follow and do your bidding, she prayed as she gathered herbs. Normally, she wouldn't ask for such precise guidance, but this situation was ... different. She knew it, in the pit of her stomach. It was an instinct she learned to trust.

With a soft sigh, Aislinn stood and took stock of the herbs she'd gathered. "That looks like enough to keep us both or a while. Time to stop wool-gathering and go prepare for what the day holds," she said aloud. She secured her bundles, picked up her staff and made the trek back home.

Aislinn walked up the path towards the cottage she called home. As she followed the last curve that would take her along the cobbled walkway that was lined with simple flowers, she noticed two horses tethered to the hitching post that was to the right side of the door. She recognized one of the horses as Foxglove. He was one of the three horses that Sarah owned. The other, lathered from recent activity, was unknown to her.

As she came close to the front door, Aislinn heard the sounds of a man's voice in conversation with Sarah.

"I am glad, Mother Sarah, that you were here to greet me."

"Blessed Mathern knew", she replied, "that I should be here for your this morning."

"Are you prepared?"

"Are we ever?" she responded.

"No," he said. "I suppose not. What will you tell her?"

"Why the truth, dear brother. I have not raised her to live or speak untruths. What is withheld is not the same as what is withdrawn."

There was a palpable silence that hung in the air after Sarah of Mathern uttered those words.

"All is prepared for the journey, then?" the man asked?

"Yes, I have made everything ready."

Aislinn paused in her walk, briefly. Eavesdropping wasn't a good thing to do, but obviously she was meant to hear at least this part of the conversation. She was torn, but in the end decided it was best to make her presence known. She continued forward, coming in the front door, a puzzled frown on her face.

"Who is going where, Mother?" she asked. "And what are you trying to prepare for, aside from a journey?" Her startling blue eyes turn to the man and she raises her pale eyebrows at him. "Hello. I'm Aislinn," she said by way of introduction, holding out her hand and smiling slightly.

They both rose at Aislinn's entrance to the room. She looked at the man that was standing next to her foster mother. He was a human in his late 40's with dark, thinning hair cropped close. He had a beard that was grayed throughout. He wore simple riding gear that was weathered and dirty from the road. It was his eyes, however, that caught her attention the most, as she had seen those eyes before. She had looked into those eyes as long as she could remember.

"Aislinn, my child, I'd like you to meet my brother. Atreus of Verengaard, my fosterling Aislinn of Mathern."

Sarah's brother, the priest of Verengaard, crossed to Aislinn and grasped both of her hands in his. He held her hands and her gaze for a moment until Sarah's voice broke the silence.

"It is you, dear child, who is going on a journey. You are to accompany Atreus to the capitol of Nordren, to the Temple of the Sun at Banamyr. Atreus would you leave us alone for a few moment."

"Of, course, Sarah." He let go of Aislinn's hands and stepped outside.

Sarah stepped towards the table and extended her hand to Aislinn. "I have already packed everything for you. We don't have much time, my child. I will answer what I can for you.

"Why am I going? How long have you planned this?" Aislinn asked. Her confusion reflected in her eyes. "I'm needed here, same as you, Mother," she said. She searched her foster mother's eyes and face for answers. "How long am I to be gone?"

Sarah looked into Aislinn's eyes. She saw the confusion and the longing. She reached out and gently stroked her face as she pushed the hair out of her face.

"I fear that every answer is going to lead to another question, daughter. Oh Aislinn," she continued. "You were always a daughter to me."

Aislinn saw, for the first time, the depth of love that Sarah held for her.

"You have grown into such a beautiful young woman. I am so proud of you. I remember when he first brought you to me." Sarah could see the question forming on Aislinn's lips. The elderly priestess held up her hand to stay the words. "We don't have much time, I'm afraid. I will tell you what I know, and hope it answers your questions."

Sarah stood up and smoothed the folds of her gown. "You were brought here, when you were just a child. He brought you at the height of our Mother's blessed appearance. I know not of your birth parents, only that he said this was where you needed to be. I was to raise you here, close to the border, and that the Sun would come for the Moon. I know I was hiding you from someone, but I don't know who. You must go with Atreus to Banamyr. From there, you need to seek out he who brought you to me. You must go to Derugar and seek out Goentryx. the Archdruid of the West. He will be able to answer the rest of your questions."

Several questions flashed across her mind, multiplying in the next second, then multiplying again. Asilinn saw however that Sarah didn't have all the answers. So, she made a quick decision, made more from her gut-instinct than anything else. "I don't like leaving you here alone, Mother," she said. "I'll go, but I don't like it, at all. Maybe this is what's been tugging at me off and on, anyway."

"I know you don't, dear." Sarah held her daughter's hands in her own. "I would be lieing if I told you I am happy to see you leave. You are more a daughter to me than I could have ever hoped to birth myself."

She offered up a deep sigh and hugged her foster mother close and tight. "I'll find this Goentryx and find out what all this is about. I'll write or return as soon as I'm able and let you know, Mother. I promise."

"Ever the child to leave the parent and start their own life", Sarah told Aislinn. "With these very words Blessed Mathern binds us all. May you own hearth be ever warm and a place for others to seek solace." Sarah rose to embrace Aislinn and held her for a long time. She walked with Aislinn outside where Atreus sat astrode his horse. She helped Aislinn into the stirrups and the saddle. She turned to Atreus and placed her hand upon his knee.

"I know, brother, that you will care for her. She has never been away from here. It's just..." Her words caught in her throat, and Atrues leaned down to kiss his sister on her forehead.

"I'm not helpless, Mother," Aislinn said with a little laugh. "I've been trained by Mathern, you and the militia. It'll be different, but... Life is about Change sometimes, isn't it?" she continued with a gentle smile.

"She will be safe with me. I will see her safely to Banamyr then to Pelldyr. We are already making arrangements for her safe passage to Portsdale. May Verengaard light your path and guide your steps."

"And may Blessed Mathern always grant thee a warm hearth at night. Now go."

Atreus turned his horse and led Aislinn down the path away from the only home she had ever known.

Before the cottage was out of sight, Aislinn turned around and blew a kiss back to the house. Then she turned to her foster uncle. Her blue eyes were still a little sad, but there was excitement in them, too. "How long will it take to get to Banamyr? What will we do there and how long will it take to get to Portsdale? Where should I go when I get there? Who should I speak with?" The questions came all in a rush, as if she were 7 and not 27.

Sarah had finished the dishes after her dinner. It had been a nice day, all things considered. probably the nicest day since Aislinn's departure last week. She had busied herself with the usual chores and had spent some time preparing for her next day. She had planned on going into Caer Talldyr to follow-up on the patients she had managed to save from the last skirmish near the Rainbow River. She pulled the pot from the hearth and poured herself a cup of tea. She smiled amidst the moment of sadness. This had always been Aislinn's favorite time of the evening, and hers. They had loved to sit here and just talk.

"She's gone, you know." Sarah said to the figure that now stood in her home. She hadn't heard it enter, but felt it's evil presence just the same. "You are too late," she said as she turned to face Paltraxian.

Paltraxian had tracked the young gir's scent to this home, but had failed to pick up her exit due to the strong smell of Atreus' horse. He had shifted from his wolf form into one of his humanoid shapes. Wisps of hair sprung from sickly gray skin. His wicked canines were bested only by the long talons that were his fingernails.

"Gone? Gone? No...you lie, witch."

"Do, I? See for yourself," she said as she allowed him to hunt for Aislinn. Sarah had not known until now why Aislinn had been brought here. She realized that the proximity to the lands of the Choshu and other faear would be the best place to hide someone from a vurginord. These spawns of Traugur had a weakness for the lifeforces that flowed through the spirits of Ysyleth's children. At least Aislinn had a chance now that she was in the care of Verengaard.

Paltraxian rushed Sarah and gripped her throat in his vicious left hand while he slowly raked his right hand across her cheek. Droplets of blood appeared on her cheek.

"Where is she witch?" he asked her as his fetid breath wafted and assailed her senses.

"Sa...safe from you a...and your evil master." She was barely able to get the words out due to the pressure on her throat.

Paltraxian ran the knife-like talons down her neck and her skin opened up to the assault. Sarah fought back the pain as best she could.

"I will know, witch. You will give her up to me either now, or when I devour your life."

Paltraxian sunk his teeth into her and began to take her life, her memories into him. When he was done, her dropped her lifeless body onto the floor of the home and looked to west.

This ends Part 1 of Aislinn's Prologue.