Part Five

 Part Five

When Shard stepped into the house, Nathalia was already back from her trip. “Wow. That was fast,” Shard commented. “I didn’t realize you were back.” Shard took off her cloak and hung it up by the door. 

“I didn’t need much. Why weren’t you here when I returned?” Nathalia asked sternly as she unloaded the bundles in her arms. 

Shard shifted uncomfortably. “You said you’d be gone for hours. No rules against a little exploring,” she muttered sarcastically. 

“You shouldn’t wander on your own,” Nathalia said grimly. “It’s not safe.” 

Shard scoffed. “Tell me about it! You’ve got a wolf problem out there. I nearly got mauled.” 

Nathalia straightened and held out a parcel. “There aren’t any wolves in these parts.” 

Shard blinked at her. “Didn’t you hear me?” Shard tilted her head. “I just saw a wolf with my own eyes! I know that’s probably not something you-”

“It was your imagination,” Nathalia interrupted, still holding out the package. She waved it up and down a few times before Shard took it. 

“I didn’t imagine it,” Shard said, becoming angry. “I know what I saw.”

“So you’re lying?” Nathalia asked. 

“What? No! I really saw it! Why- why?” Shard dropped the package in her bewilderment. She desperately tried to comprehend why the woman didn’t believe her. “Is it so hard to believe I could be telling the truth?” Shard asked. “I have no reason to lie.”

“You will.” Nathalia’s response was calm and detached as she continued putting away the things in her parcels. “Everyone has something to hide. Deception is expected. Might as well start applying that lesson now.”

“Why… why would you say something like that?” Shard asked quietly, crestfallen and confused. “Why won’t you listen to me?” 

“I could ask you the same,” Nathalia said, suddenly stopping her task and turning in Shard’s general direction. “Where did you see this imaginary wolf? You weren’t in the woods, were you?” 

“I… well… yes,” Shard finally answered. 

“Aha. That’s what I thought.” Nathalia turned away. 

“Don’t treat me like a little kid!” Shard said, anger returning. “I’m just fine on my own!” 

“Except, you’re not.” Nathalia turned back to her. “I pulled you out of the lake you almost drowned in. I pulled you out of the storm you almost froze in. I can’t leave you alone for two seconds without you getting into trouble.” 

Shard’s eyes narrowed. “I… I pulled myself out of the water.” She shook her head. “You weren’t there…” 

“I was,” Nathalia insisted. “You were unconscious. I reached into the lake and pulled you out. You would be dead if it weren’t for me.” Nathalia stepped closer. When her foot bumped into the package Shard dropped, Nathalia picked it up and held it out to her again. “I’ve only ever tried to help you.” 

Shard didn’t take the item. She stood thinking, conflicted. I pulled myself out. She wasn’t there. I protected myself in the storm. She wasn’t there. I saw that wolf. She wasn’t there. I didn’t imagine it. I’m not misremembering… Doubt froze her in place. No. I know what I saw. I know what happened. She’s lying. It’s a test and she’s lying. But why would she lie? Why does she think I’m the one lying?

“Shard,” Nathalia said in the same direct tone as before. “Listen to me.” 

Shard’s head snapped up to look at Nathalia, giving the woman her full attention. 

Nathalia continued, “You are a child who has no concept of the new world she is in. You don’t understand the dangers. You don’t know the customs. There are real monsters waiting for you outside that door. You can’t wander around with your head in the clouds. This is the real world and you don’t know the first thing about living here.”

“I would if you’d let me outside every now and then!” Shard shouted. “If I could see the world for myself, I’m sure I’d figure it out!”

Nathalia laughed. “And let you get eaten by a beast or shanked by a stranger because you can’t protect yourself?”

“Well… I-”

“Do you even have any idea how to use your gift?” Nathalia asked. 

“N-no, but I-”

“Trust me, darling,” Nathalia cut her off again. “I say these things to protect you. You won’t survive on your own.” 

“No!” Shard finally had enough. “I can. I will! I don’t need you or your help!” Shard turned and marched to the door. “I’ll be just fine! I’ll figure it out! I can protect myself!” She grabbed the cloak and pulled the door open. 

“Shard,” Nathalia said. Shard stopped. Nathalia lifted the package. “At least take these with you. I spent good coin on them, after all.”

Shard should have walked out. She should have left. She should have marched straight out the door and into the world she so desperately wanted to be part of. But what about the wolf? What about the dangers she had yet to face? What other monsters were lurking beyond the house? What was she supposed to do against those? She couldn’t really protect herself, she knew that much. Shard should have walked out. Instead, she closed the door and walked back to the woman. Shard took the bundle and opened it to see new clothes neatly folded and two more pairs of boots. “Thank you,” Shard muttered. 

Nathalia chuckled. “You really are a handful, aren’t you?” Nathalia sat on the couch and patted the spot beside her. 

Shard sat, staring at the clothes in her hands. “Will you teach me?” she asked quietly. 

“Teach you what?” Nathalia asked.

Shard huffed then glared at her. “How to live in Thorae. How to use my ice powers. How to protect myself.”

“You really want to learn?” Nathalia asked with a smirk. 

Shard frowned. “If it’ll get you off my back let me finally leave this crummy house, then, yeah.” 

Nathalia suddenly sat up straight, an odd grin on her face. “Then swear it!” 

“What?” Shard felt her stomach churning as she leaned away. “Swear what? I don’t-”

“Your undying loyalty, of course!” Nathalia’s grin grew wider. “If you want me to be your teacher, you have to promise never to turn on me.” 

“Oo-kay,” Shard said hesitantly, an eyebrow raised. 

Nathalia held out her hand. “Promise.” 

Shard stared at Nathalia’s open hand for a moment. What choice did she have? Shard took the offered hand. “I promise never to turn on you.” Nathalia’s fingers clamped around Shard’s hand. Shard tried to pull away, but Nathalia didn’t let go. “I promise,” Shard repeated. Nathalia’s grip finally softened enough for Shard to yank her hand back. She rubbed her hand with a frown. “Maybe you need to learn to ease up on that vice grip of yours.” Shard muttered with distaste. She glanced up to see dark streams from Nathalia’s blindfold. “Your eyes are bleeding again.”

“Ah, seems so.” Nathalia stood up with a pleasant, although distant, smile. “Be a darling and start on lunch, will you? There should be plenty of food now.” Nathalia left Shard and went into the next room. She shut the door behind her and locked it. She stumbled to the chair at her desk and sat, holding her head in her hands. After a moment, Nathalia slammed her fist on the wooden surface. “That didn’t change anything,” she whispered. 

Part Four

 Part Four

The storm lasted two more days. Shard didn’t bother trying to escape during that time. Nathalia was correct, of course. If Shard tried to leave, she would only get caught in the blizzard again. When the storm finally settled down, the door was blocked with a pile of snow that Nathalia and Shard had to dig their way out of. By the time they were finished with that, the weather had taken a turn for the better. Sunlight broke through the overcast sky and glistened off the fresh snow. 

“There’s a town called Riftwood not far from here,” Nathalia said as she wrapped herself in multiple layers. “I’m going out for supplies. I’ll be back in a few hours. Try not to get yourself into too much trouble before I get back. Okay?” 

“Sure, sure,” Shard muttered carelessly before chomping down on a scone and drinking hot tea, her breakfast for the day. Shard wasn’t going to tell Nathalia, but she was planning to completely ignore the woman and leave anyway. 

“Shard,” Nathalia said, tone direct and commanding. “Do not leave sight of the house.” 

Shard blinked at her. “Okay, I get it.” 

Nathalia smiled pleasantly before heading out the door. When the door closed, a shiver went down Shard’s spine. Nathalia had not spoken in such a tone before and it set Shard on edge. Shard shook off the feeling and finished her breakfast. Shard pulled on her boots and cloak. She was going to leave the house either way. She had been stuck in this stuffy room too long. It might not have been so bad, if Shard was allowed to explore the other rooms, but Nathalia kept it locked at all times. Meaning, Nathalia had privacy whenever she wanted it. Shard had no such privilege. Debt or not, she was fed up with her accommodations. 

It was bright and the sky was clear when Shard stepped outside. She took a large breath of fresh, brisk air. When she let it out, a puff of steam escaped from her wide grin. A trail of footprints indicated which direction Nathalia had gone, but all the snow around it was untouched. Shard pulled the door closed behind her with a smile. The sky was blue and the snow sparkled in the sunlight. It was the first true view Shard had of what the outside world was like. It didn’t look all that different from Earth. Shard’s boots crunched as she stepped away from the house. The house itself wasn’t all that large, appearing just as small on the outside as it felt on the inside. The area was clear around the house, but it truly was in the middle of the woods, trees towering all around the little clearing. Shard glanced at the trailing leading away from the house. She didn’t exactly want to follow in Nathalia’s footsteps for fear of getting in trouble, but there didn’t seem to be any other direction she could take away from the house. Not a clear path in the front anyway. Instead of following the trail, Shard turned and decided to explore around the outside of the house instead. She circled the house twice. She found a second door in the back, much to her surprise. Shard tugged on the handle, but it was locked from the inside. She frowned. It seems Nathalia had a way of leaving the house and returning without ever needing to use the front door. “Weird,” Shard muttered and continued exploring. Behind the house was a wooden fence marking off a rectangular plot of land. Posts, pots, and weird shapes under the snow caught Shard’s attention. She leaned over the short fence and brushed the snow aside to find evidence that the little plot had been a garden at one point. 

Beyond the fenced plot, the woods encircled the house. Only then Shard noticed a gap between the trees wide enough to follow. Another way out. She followed it immediately. As she went along the path, it started to curve between the trees. Shard stopped and looked back. She could still see the house between the trunks, but a little farther ahead she would lose sight of it entirely. Do not leave sight of the house. The words echoed in Shard’s mind. Isn’t that what Nathalia said? What a strange thing to say. Was it a warning or a command? What did it matter? Shard wasn’t bound to Nathalia. Shard could leave at any time and go as far away as she wanted. So why did she stop? Shard looked ahead into the forest. There was no sign of danger, only trees and snow and sunlight. Shard tilted her head. There was no sound either. No wind. No birds. Only the sound of her own breathing with each puff of steam. Shard looked back at the house again. This is ridiculous, she chided herself. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just keep moving. Shard lifted her boot to take another step. That was when she heard it. A low growl. 

Slowly turning back to the path in the woods, Shard spotted a wolf in the middle of the path. Where did that come from? How did it sneak up on her? Shard gulped and took a small step back. The wolf growled again and stepped closer, head low and teeth bared. There’s no way I can make it back to the house in time, Shard thought. I can’t outrun that thing. I can’t fight it either. The wolf inched closer, snarling. Move! Run! Fight! Do something! Do anything! Don’t just stand here! As much as she mentally yelled at herself to do something, Shard could not move. She stared at the wolf, unblinking, unmoving. She even stopped breathing. 

The wolf snarled again and leapt at Shard. With a squeak, Shard dropped to the ground. She covered her head with her arms, squeezed her eyes shut, and wished for a wall to protect her. Shard expected to feel the vicious wolf attack her. Instead, she heard a thump and a yelp. Waiting a moment, Shard remained curled on the ground. She didn’t feel or hear anything more so she opened her eyes. Her wish for a wall had been granted as a shield of ice jutted in front of her. “No way,” Shard whispered, cautiously rising and staring at the wall. Shard stepped around the wall to look for danger, but the wolf was already gone. With a sigh of relief, she inspected the ice barrier. There was a crater in the middle with cracks around it, the point of impact where the wolf smashed into it unexpectedly. Shard swept her hand over the ice. Plain, normal, frozen ice. There didn’t seem to be anything mysterious or magical about it at all, aside from the fact that the wall appeared out of nowhere. Shard knocked on the wall with her knuckles. Solid. Shard frowned and stared down at her hands. If she could make a wall appear, what else could she do?

Shard turned to one of the trees closest to her. Standing her ground, Shard focused on the trunk and punched the air in front of her. Nothing happened. She looked at her hand and punched the air again with the same results. “What’s the secret?” Shard asked aloud. “Go go ice powers!” She punched the air. “Ice, ice, wall!” She scooped her hands toward the ground and pulled them up. Nothing. Shard frowned again. “What am I missing?” Looking back at the ice wall, Shard’s gaze drifted to the snow on the ground. That gave her an idea. Shard walked back to the garden fence by the house. She scooped up a bunch of snow in her hands and packed it into a ball. She set the ball on top of one of the fence posts and squished snow around the base so the ball would stay in place. Scooping snow off the ground again, she made a smaller ball and set it on top of the first, making a two tier snowman on the fence post. She collected a few twigs to give the snowman arms, eyes, and a smile. She stepped back and looked at her creation. She rubbed her palms together and blew hot air into her cupped hands. She took a few more steps back and stared the happy snowman down with a determined expression. “Ok, little guy. You’re going down!” Shard punched the air in front of her again, aiming to send an icicle into the adorable creation. Again, nothing happened. She punched the air three more times and still came up with nothing. Shard glared at her hands. She narrowed her eyes at the happy snowman. Marching up to it, Shard adjusted the twig forming a smile, turning it into a frown and giving the snowman angry eyes. 

Shard walked back to her original spot and focused on the angry snowman. She took a deep breath and tried to picture exactly what she wanted to happen. Did she want to impale the snowman with an icicle or knock him off his perch with a snowball? Neither, really, she finally admitted to herself. Shard folded her arms and stared at the makeshift enemy. His angry little face wasn’t as intimidating as she was trying to make it out to be. Shard huffed and stared at her feet. She thought about the storm and the wolf. Looking back at the snowman, she tried to picture it growing into a huge monster and coming to attack her. Shard turned and threw her hand out to shield herself from the imaginary assailant. When she looked back, there was no ice wall, just an angry little snowman staring back at her. It was no use. The little guy wasn’t scary enough. “Sorry, buddy. You’re too cute.” Shard walked up to the snowman and knocked him off the post with the back of her hand. Shard gave up and went back to the house. She was tired. It was too cold to stay outside playing in the snow and she was sure the wolf would turn up again sooner or later. She had entirely forgotten about leaving. 

Part Three

 Part Three

It was dark when Shard opened her eyes. The fire was completely out and there was no light in the room. Shard sat up with a wince, thick blankets still holding her down. She shoved the heavy fabrics off only to be met with a wave of cold air. She shivered and rubbed her arms. A fresh set of clothes was laid out on the chair beside the couch. Shard quickly changed into the new clothes and stuffed her black, ragged tunic into the empty fireplace. While the cotton long sleeve shirt and pants didn't fit perfectly, they were better than what she had previously. Pulling on wool socks and leather boots, Shard stood and looked for anything else lying around the room she could use. The door to the adjacent room was closed and Nathalia was nowhere to be seen. Shard rummaged through a few boxes and containers sitting on the shelves and benches. In the end, she found a loaf of bread and a few old apples. She shoved them in a wicker basket and snatched a heavy cloak from a peg by the door. Stopping to think about it, Shard also grabbed one of the lighter blankets from the couch and shoved it over the food in her basket. The little music box on the couch caught her eye. Debating about it for a moment, Shard decided to take it with her. She moved quickly and quietly, assuming Nathalia to be asleep in the room behind the closed door. When Shard thought herself sufficiently prepared, she moved to the outside door and pressed her hand against it. The door was cold. Leaning her ear to it, she could hear the wind howling outside. 

Shard frowned. Storm or not, I’m not staying here, Shard thought, opening the door. A blast of icy, cold wind and snow hit her. She grabbed the door and pulled it shut behind her as she left the little house. Pulling her cloak tight, Shard trudged forward into the storm. It didn’t matter what direction she went as long as she kept moving. The wind stung and the snow pulled at her feet, but she had to keep moving. Clumps of snow stuck to the bottom of her cloak. Her nose and ears started to go numb, but she had to keep moving. Shard pulled the cloak as tight as she could and gripped the basket as though her life depended on it. She kept moving. Each breath of cold air hurt her throat and lungs. Each step forward was met with resistance. Still, she moved forward. She didn’t see the dark forest in front of her until she was nearly under its shelter. It wasn’t much, but it was better than being out in the open. 

Shard moved from one tree to the next, still moving forward. The wool socks helped, but it wasn’t long before Shard’s feet started to feel cold and numb. She didn’t dare stop, even when the wind screamed in her ears and whipped against her face. Even when the cold seeped into her bones. Even when she had no idea where she was going. She had to keep going. Shard stumbled over an object buried in the ice and fell. Bare hands full of snow, Shard lifted herself from the ground, grabbed the basket and kept moving. As tightly as she wrapped the cloak, she could not stop shaking. The trees thinned, but Shard still could not see anything in the storm raging all around her. Had she gone straight through the forest? Was it another clearing? Had she accidentally doubled back? She couldn’t tell. She pressed forward into the open storm. 

Shard fell again. Her clothes were wet and frozen. She couldn’t feel her hands, arms, feet, legs, or face. She clenched her jaw shut to keep her teeth from chattering. She tried to grab the fallen basket again, but her hands didn’t work as she wanted them to. She slammed both fists into the frozen ground. “NO!” Shard screamed, though her voice disappeared in the storm. “I’m not dying here!” Shard struggled to her feet and left the basket behind. She didn’t make it two steps before falling again. She curled into a ball in the snow and started crying. “No. Please,” she begged to no one in particular. “Please, I can’t die here… Please...” For all the willpower she had, she could not make her limbs move. Yet, she could not stop shaking either. The wind howled. The snow swallowed her. Was there ever going to be an end to this storm? What she wouldn’t give for a wall between her and the elements. “PLEASE JUST STOP!” Shard screamed. She felt a surge of energy leave her. Instantly, the howling and the snow stopped. All was quiet. Shard opened her eyes and sat up. She found herself sitting inside an icy dome, a shelter that sprang up from the ground to cover and protect her. A shield from the elements. Shard blinked at the icy wall in confusion. Where did it come from? The swirls and frosty pattern on the ice held a strange beauty. Shard reached out to touch the ice, but faltered. Her head felt light and her ears rang. Shard collapsed into unconsciousness inside the globe. Outside the ball of ice, the storm raged on. An old, gray wolf watched from the tree line. 

*********************

Nathalia threw a log into the fire before sitting on a wooden chair. The lump on the couch under a bundle of blankets did not move. Taking a whetstone from her pocket, Nathalia started sharpening one of the many daggers she kept on her person. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. The bundle wiggled a little, but Nathalia didn’t see it. Instead, she heard a muffled groan as Shard woke up. Shard’s bleary eyes opened slowly, her vision returning. She stared at the mountain of blankets covering her with hazy incomprehension. Shard was back in Nathalia’s house, back on the couch. Scrape. Scrape. Scrape. The sound helped Shard out of the fog she was in. “What happened? How did you find me?” Shard asked. 

“You didn’t make it very far,” Nathalia answered. “You’re going to have problems if you continue to run headlong into danger like that.” Nathalia set the tools down and turned in Shard’s direction. “If you want to survive this world, you need to start using your head. Ambition and stubbornness won’t save you.” Shard glanced away. Nathalia resumed sharpening her dagger. “That’s twice now I rescued you,” Nathalia said with a smirk. “But who’s counting?” 

“Apparently, you are,” Shard muttered with an eye roll. 

“That was a nice trick you pulled with the ice dome,” Nathalia said. Shard looked back with wide eyes as Nathalia continued. “It took me a while to chisel you out. I thought you might suffocate before I got to you. Had you used a little forethought, you could have made a nice setup in the woods.” 

“That was real? You mean, I…” Shard stared at the woman, not quite convinced. “I made the ice wall appear?” 

“Of course. I did say you have a gift.” Nathalia smiled at her. “And that was without study or training. Must be nice, being naturally tuned to the elements from the get go. Maybe Thorae likes you.” 

Shard frowned. “The blizzard didn’t seem to care.” 

Nathalia shrugged. “Once you learn how to control your ability, maybe you’ll be the one making blizzards.” Nathalia put away the tools and stood up. “You’ve got a nasty rebellious streak though. I hope you grow out of it. Where were you planning to go anyway?” Nathalia asked. 

“Anywhere,” Shard said quietly. 

In truth, Shard had nowhere to go. Outside the storm, she didn’t know what was beyond the house and the trees. Were there towns or cities close by? Were there other people who could help her? What creatures should she expect along the way? Were they dangerous? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. She only knew that she had to get away. Something about Nathalia screamed at Shard to run, to escape, though she did not know why. Aside from the incident with the knife, which could be chalked up to paranoia and extreme safety measures, Nathalia hadn’t really done anything. Sure, she was mean and harsh, but Shard was free to leave at any point. Right? Nathalia provided shelter, food, clothes, and safety. Nathalia provided information, something Shard was desperately lacking. How much of the information was true could not be determined. Maybe she was still on Earth. Then Shard thought about her Original. No. This was real. Wherever she was, it was far, far, away from the land she grew up knowing. Still, Nathalia provided for Shard and saved Shard’s life. Twice. She wasn’t exactly nice, but she wasn’t unkind either. She couldn’t be all bad, right? She was blind, after all. How much of a threat could she really be? The only reason Nathalia got the jump on Shard in the first place was because her hands were tied. If it came down to a real fight, Shard was sure she could overpower the blind woman. So the narrative in Shard’s head started. Shard pushed aside the instinctive warning in her gut. Nathalia helped her. Nathalia was spiteful, but she wasn’t a threat. Shard owed her, right? At least stay long enough to repay your debt, then you can leave, Shard thought. 

“You won’t be going anywhere for a while,” Nathalia said, interrupting her thoughts. “Not with that storm outside, anyway. When it clears, we can see about getting you some proper winter clothes and restocking our food supply. You are free to leave, but at least try not to get yourself lost in the blizzard until we get you settled, okay?”

Shard suddenly thought about the basket she took. She sat up and looked around the room. She was surprised to see the basket sitting on the floor beside the couch. Strange. Maybe I held on to it after all. Shard dug into the basket and pulled out the wooden box. “This music box belongs to you,” Shard said while handing it out toward the woman. “I’m sorry for taking it. That was wrong and selfish of me. I wasn’t thinking clearly.” 

“Keep it.” Nathalia smiled and stood up. “Let the music remind you of what does and doesn’t belong to you.” Shard blinked at the woman, suddenly feeling threatened again without concrete reason. Nathalia continued, “Get some rest. Eat if you need to. You’ve spent a lot of unnecessary energy and your body needs time to recover. We can talk again when you feel better.” Nathalia walked into the other room and closed the door behind her. 

Part Two

 Part Two

Shard watched the dark liquid stream down the strange woman’s cheeks from her blindfold. 

Nathalia sighed. “It’s the price I pay for my gift,” she said. Nathalia wiped her cheek and rubbed the liquid between her fingertips. “My curse…” Nathalia suddenly turned to Shard with a smile. “You have a gift too. Did you notice?” 

“What do you mean?” Shard leaned back against the couch, watching Nathalia with wide-eyed suspicion. 

“Ah, forgive me, you probably don’t have the strength for it yet,” Nathalia said pleasantly. “Are you hungry?” 

Shard nodded her head. It took a moment for her to realize Nathalia was still waiting on a verbal answer. “Oh, yes… sorry, I-” 

“Good,” Nathalia interrupted while going into the other room for a moment. When she returned, her face was clean and the cloth over her eyes was replaced with a fresh one. 

Nathalia stirred a pot hanging over the fire. Shard remained on the couch, mouth watering as she sniffed the air. Whether Nathalia’s cooking was decent or not had yet to be seen, but Shard was famished. Shard watched the woman spoon the food from the pot into smaller bowls. She wasn’t sure how Nathalia accomplished the task while her eyes were covered. In truth, Shard couldn’t tell if the woman was actually blind or not. She didn’t stumble or jolt around her environment. Then again, who knew how long she lived here. She probably had the layout memorized to perfection. Shard watched in silence all the same. Nathalia placed the bowls on the table close to the couch along with wooden spoons. As hungry as she was, Shard didn’t touch the bowl in front of her. Nathalia sat, picked up a bowl and spoon, and stirred the contents. She raised a spoonful of food and paused, as if frozen in time. She sat like this for a moment, listening. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Nathalia asked finally. 

“No,” Shard answered. 

Nathalia huffed then shoved her own spoon of food toward the young girl. “Eat.” Shard pulled away, keeping her mouth shut. Nathalia frowned. “You sure are a handful,” Nathalia muttered.  

“I don’t trust you,” Shard finally admitted. “You did hold a knife to my throat, after all.”

“You were being rude.” Nathatlia returned her spoon back to its bowl and set the food on the table. “How long will you question me?” Nathalia asked. “I found you in the snow, alone, unloved, cold, hungry. You would have died had I not intervened.”

Shard glared at her. “I didn’t ask you to save me.” 

“Of course not, you were incapable of it,” Nathalia’s tone was sharp, but she appeared calm. 

“Then why did you?” Shard asked, still glaring. 

Nathalia took a breath, let it out slowly, then smiled. “Would you like to hear a story, Shard?” Whether or not Shard was in the mood for a story didn’t matter. Nathalia started one anyway. 

“A bee once fell into a stream of water and would have drowned had a duck not seen it. The duck plucked a leaf from a branch and held it out for the bee to climb out of the water. The bee was saved. The next day, a hunter came to the forest. He saw the duck and prepared to shoot it. When the bee saw him, it flew to the hunter and stung his hand, saving the duck.” 

“Ooooh,” Shard said in comprehension. “So I owe you now? Is that it?” Shard crossed her arms. 

Nathalia shrugged with a smile. “I simply ask that you repay kindness with kindness.” 

Shard wondered if it truly was kindness that saved her. It didn’t feel like it. Something about the analogy bothered her. Don’t bees die after they sting? Shard thought. Am I expected to one day save her life at the cost of my own? Maybe I’m reading too much into it. It’s just a story. Just a stupid kid’s story.

“Besides,” Nathalia interrupted Shard’s thoughts with a cheery voice. “I’m a weak, frail, blind woman living alone in the middle of the woods. I have every right to be cautious until I’ve gotten to know my company.” She smiled again. “I promise I’m not trying to poison you.” With that, Nathalia picked up her own bowl and resumed eating. 

Shard waited for any sign of deception before finally giving in and taking the second bowl. It was a red stew with chicken and vegetables. Once Shard tasted the first spoonful, she devoured the bowl as quickly as the wooden spoon would let her. When Shard was finished, she didn’t set the bowl down. She held onto it, wondering if she could help herself to seconds without appearing rude. She wasn’t keen on getting threatened again. 

“Would you like more?” Nathalia asked, refilling her own bowl first. 

“Yes,” Shard answered. 

Nathalia held out her open hand. “Yesssss….?” 

“Yes, please,” Shad answered, handing her the bowl. 

“Good girl.” Nathalia smiled. She refilled Shard’s bowl and handed the food to her. 

Shard ate the second bowl a little slower. Between bites, she took the time to look around the room they were in. There was the couch she sat on, shabby and covered in blankets. Dried herbs and plants hung from the log beams holding up the roof. The walls were white and smooth, reminding Shard of chalk. Wooden shelves, benches, and chairs lined the walls, but the only table to be seen was the short one in front of her. The sole window in the whole room was covered with a lace curtain. There was a doorway to a second room, but Shard couldn’t see into it from her current position. “Do you really live here alone?” Shard asked. 

“I do,” Nathalia answered. 

“Don’t you have any family?” Shard asked, ignoring the fact that now she too was alone without family. 

Nathalia smiled. “I did. Two sisters.” Her smile faded. “The first died shortly after this world was created. The second remained on Earth.”

Shard ate another spoonful before asking, “Why are you here in…?” 

“Thorae,” Nathalia answered. “I came to find my sister. Unfortunately, I was too late.” 

“Wait.” Shard tilted her head. “You said when this world was created? When was that?”

Nathalia turned her face to the fire. “Over two thousand years ago,” she whispered. 

“What?! There’s no way!” Shard put her empty bowl down. “You don’t look much older than me and I’m only sixteen. There’s no way you’re over two thousand years old!” 

Nathalia turned back to Shard, smirking. “Oh, I’m much older than I look.” She laughed then leaned back in her seat. “Tell me something,” Nathalia said softly. “Did your Original have a good life? Before you woke up here?” 

Shard crossed her arms, tightly hugging her ribs, and looked away. “I… er… she did,” Shard corrected herself. “I could complain, but honestly…” Shard shook her head, not finishing the sentence. “Maybe if I hadn’t… maybe if I…” 

Nathalia stood up. “There’s no reason to blame yourself for something that wasn’t yours to control,” she said with a shrug. “You’re in this world now. Time to make the best of it.”

Shard nodded. “Thank you for helping me.” She went to stand only for her legs to buckle. “Yikes!” Shard was on the floor staring blankly at the wood pattern on the floorboards in front of her. She was lucky she missed hitting the table on the way down. 

“Seems you’ve not quite recovered yet,” Nathalia said, helping Shard up and back onto the couch. “Take it easy. Even if you could walk on your own, a storm is coming. You’re better off staying here for now.” 

“Thanks again,” Shard muttered, still not sure why her body felt so weak. Nathalia helped Shard lie down and put a blanket over her. 

“Don’t worry,” Nathalia said with a smile. She softly patted the top of Shard’s head. “With as much spirit as you have, you’ll be on your feet in no time. For now,” she picked up the little wooden box and placed it in Shard’s hand. “Rest.” 

Perhaps there was something in the stew. Perhaps it was the socialization. Perhaps just the energy it took to sit up and eat was too much. Whatever it was, Shard was drained. She turned the key on the music box and listened to the metallic notes play as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. 

Part One

 Part One

Cedars of Northreach, Thorae; December 20, 2005

Silver moonlight fell upon the fresh snow in patches. Crooked tree branches swaying little in the wind. Silence clung to the bitter air. Between the dark tree trunks, a pair of yellow beast-like eyes watched the empty forest clearing. Snow deceptively hid the surface of a frozen lake in the center. An old wolf stood in the shadows waiting. Watching. This place had never been tied to a rift before, still the wolf waited. Others were known to show up in the strangest of places upon creation. And an Other was sure to show up here, the wolf could sense it. The wind picked up, whipping away some of the snow from the lake’s glassy surface. 

The surface of the lake shattered, the sound swallowing the silence of the night. A figure broke through the black waters, coughing, gasping, flailing, clawing at the ice. Finally pulling itself up, the shape crawled to the bank and on to solid ground. The figure collapsed under one of the trees, shaking violently and dripping with black water. The creature’s breathing shifted from gasping to sobbing. “WHY?!” the figure screeched. The wolf watched. “...why…?” The creature’s sobbing slowed and eventually stopped as it slipped into unconsciousness. The wolf finally emerged from the shadows and approached the figure. A young girl, not a child and not an adult. The age did not matter to the wolf. The prone figure lying in the snow was still prey. 

*********************************************

Nathalia could hear shuffling in the other room. She set down the mortar full of dried herbs and stood up. She gently stepped across the worn, wooden floor, hands reaching for familiar guides. The table. The chair. The doorpost. Nathalia stopped in the doorway and listened. Pops and cracks came from the fire to the right, but on the left she could hear someone struggling and mumbling. “About time you woke up,” Nathalia said, stepping closer. She reached for the chair already located next to a worn couch and sat down.

“Do you always tie up your guests?” an annoyed female voice responded. 

Nathalia smirked. “Only if they have as much spirit as you. What’s your name?” she asked.

“Irritated! Now let me up before I melt under this thing!” the voice snapped back. 

Nathalia could tell the girl was wriggling under the heavy, fur blanket. Nathalia drew the blade on her belt and held it next to the girl’s throat. “Name,” she repeated. 

The girl froze in place before she muttered her answer through gritted teeth. “Savannah.” 

Nathalia frowned, but put the blade away. “You would lie to me?” She shook her head. “Not a good start.” 

“It’s not a lie!” Anger seeped into the girl’s voice. “That’s my-”

“That’s your Original’s name,” Nathalia interrupted. “I asked for yours.”

The girl was silent for a while. “I don’t… I don’t know what you mean…” 

“Oh, but you do.” Nathalia reached over and grabbed the heavy blanket covering the girl. With one pull, she yanked the heavy thing off and set it aside. Nathalia grabbed the girl’s bound hands and cut through the rope. 

The stranger let out a breath and sat up, rubbing her wrists. The girl looked down at her black clothes. She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and stared at it. The honey brown color in her hair disappeared as it finished shifting to black. “Why is my…” Her eyes went wide and she turned to Nathalia. “What did you do to me?!”

Sitting still, Nathalia shook her head. “Nothing. Your body is adjusting to its new form on its own.” Nathalia shrugged. “It happens sometimes after creation. It’s normal.” 

“...creation?” the girl asked. She looked down at her hands and began to cry. “But… it was a dream… a nightmare… I didn’t really… How could she just…” She put her face in her hands and continued to cry. 

“It’s odd you remember.” Nathalia moved to sit on the couch next to the lost child. “Most Others don’t remember their Original at all. You must have had a strong connection. Intriguing.”

Nathalia reached out a hand only for the girl to flinch and lean away, tears still flowing. “Who are you?! What happened to me?! Where am I?!” 

“It’s all right, child,” Nathalia said softly. “You’re in a world called Thorae. It’s a mirror dimension to Earth and what you experienced is what happens when a human decides they don’t want you any more. It seems you had a particularly rough trip.” Nathalia smiled at the end.

The girl turned away. “So I’m just… garbage…?” 

“One world’s trash is another world’s treasure.” Nathalia patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Come closer, child.” The girl frowned at Nathalia, but she stopped pressing into the corner of the couch as much and relaxed a little. Nathalia stood up and stepped toward the fire. Lifting a hand to the mantle, she ran her fingers along the length of the shelf until she reached the corner. Nathalia pulled something down from the shelf and went back to the couch. She sat and patted the spot beside her again. Nathalia opened her hand to reveal a little wooden box. Reluctantly, the girl scooted closer. Nathalia offered the box to the girl and continued speaking. “You’ll find Thorae’s full of rejects and outcasts. I wouldn’t put much stock in what the Originals on Earth decide. Most of them don’t even know we exist.” 

The girl took the box and inspected it. As Nathalia anticipated, the girl found a metal key on the side of the box and began to turn it. Nathalia smiled when she heard the metallic notes playing. The girl continued turning the key, letting the music play. When the metallic notes stopped, Nathalia spoke again. “Now then, everyone has a name and everyone knows their name. Yet, you sit before me nameless.” Nathalia smiled. “We can’t have that, now, can we?” 

“If what you say is true,” the girl said somberly. “That I’m just the embodiment of everything my Original rejected…. What’s it matter what you call me?”

“It matters,” Nathalia reassured. “Names are important. Though I suppose it doesn’t really matter what I call you so long as you answer. Would you like me to give you one?” The girl shrugged. Nathalia held out her palm. “Give me your hand.” The girl placed her hand in Nathalia’s. In an instant, Nathalia saw visions of the power this child held. Magic. Strength. Suffering. Pain. Death. Nathalia jerked back her hand with a gasp and held it close to her chest. She let out a ragged breath and her hands trembled. 

“What’s wrong?” the girl asked. Nathalia stood up, ignoring her. She stepped closer to the fire and held her hands toward the flame, trying to warm them. Nathalia had seen hundreds of lives. Perhaps thousands. Many live were happy. Many lives were sad. Many ordinary. Many spectacular. But there was something in this child Nathalia had never seen before. Something was different. There was a darkness about the girl even Nathalia could not see through. Nathalia considered herself all too familiar with fate, even friends with it. Fate could be fickle. Fate could be cruel. But never had Nathalia been so utterly terrified of it. Something in this child’s future shook Nathalia to the core, but she could not see what it was. “Are you the one?” Nathalia whispered. 

“What?” the girl asked, not clearly hearing the whisper. 

“Shard,” Nathalia finally said and turned back to the girl. “I name you Shard. I leave it to you to decide if that is because you are broken or because you are part of something bigger than yourself.” Nathalia turned back to the fire. “The sands of time are shifting in Thorae. Change is coming. Great change. You are part of it, but I do not see the whole picture.” 

“...Shard…” the girl repeated softly, mulling it over. “I guess that works. Sharp and to the point.” The girl was silent for a moment before she looked up at Nathalia. “You didn’t tell me your name.” 

“Nathalia,” she responded. “My name is Nathalia. You should know the name you fear.” 

“I don’t fear you.” Shard said, trying to sound tough.

“You will,” Nathalia said as she turned back to the girl and smiled.

“The cloth over your eyes,” Shard said softly, eyes wide. “...it’s…bleeding.”