The Books of the Shadows

FROZEN SKY - 7 - Iris of Warchild and Shadows's Assassins

When Tianu took her out of his castle in that boat he paddled and paddled until he let the river take them into the next life.

He set down to the floor of the boat and took the baby in his arm.

It was she that got his mother killed, and it was also she that got her mother killed. So now they were both without mothers, without the angels to love them in this world. What they would do all alone from now on? He wondered.

He did not know how much time passed until he heard the boat hitting the shore.

He took her and ran leaving the boat just where the waters washed them away. He ran through the forest that was covering the shore and in the middle of it there was that magical place where he could just stay in wonder looking at the power of nature.

The beauty of it. The serenity, unlike the human world.

In the middle of that place, there was a pond and he could already see the fireflies flying around.

He sits there for a little while, tired of running when the child awakened and opened her eyes.

Those blue eyes were melting his heart, carrying him to another realm, away from this dirty bloody earth where people around him were dying.

-You did not get to have a name, the boy said to the child. Holding her in his arms, her eyes were as blue as the flowers he could see all around the pond. They were irises, blue irises. Maybe I can give you a name, he said. I will call you Iris. Yes, now you have a name too, Iris. We need to get some food for you now.

The road on the water had helped them get fast into the next city but there was a danger they could be found so he was cautious.

He looked for houses, looked for people to find a mother then started begging on the streets and knocking on the doors until he found a mother willing to share her milk. He learned what he needed to learn and left. They could not spend much time in just one place.

"I am cold, brother!" Iris looked up at him. She was now 3 years old. Sleeping on the ground, in the forest, looking in the distance at the city of Done. He took her in his arms, covering her body with his to keep her warm. He was 11 now.

He just gave them a good meal, made up from some squirrels he could hunt with his bow.

He was proud he became quite good with it, and that soon will teach Iris too. Already made a little bow for her too, and she was trying to practice every day in the woods.

She always made him laugh with her clumsiness and she was so small.

All life changed with her coming into his life, all-time revolved only around her, she was his reason to live.

"I am hungry, brother!" Iris looked up at him. She was 4 now.

They were living in Naru for the last 2 weeks now and it has been quiet.

He heard on the streets of Lundun there was a monk living there.

He was living here as a beggar as he was blind, and there was no need for a blind guard that could guard no royal blood.

When they found his house, Tianu asked Iris to stay close but not to get into the house and nowhere close to the monk. " Monk? She asked. What is a monk?" "you will see", he said to her smiling.

He just got close to the blind man when he felt like he was measuring him up already without even seeing him.

-What do you want? The monk asked.

-I need training. What do you want? The boy asked.

-What do you mean? The monk did not believe he could hear the right question.

-I mean what do you want in order to help me get what I want? The boy replied sincerely and simply, without wasting any time. I know what you are, he also added.

The blind monk raised his head in the direction the boy was talking from. He had also heard a second move behind him, the delicate scent of a child but the strong presence of stormy air around them.

He accepted to train Tianu in exchange for them begging for him and getting the food ready and cleaning the house and doing all the things he could never do for himself due to being blind.

They wondered how could he do it so far until now, but they did not say a thing.

Both of them were working and training and listening to him and he was not backing up from keeping his part of the deal.

Children were calling him "uncle", and that was the longest time they had to spend in one place, almost 4 years.

The monk knew they were hiding under the bed when they would hear royal guards, yet he never asked a thing.

He knew the little one was going out in the woods close to the city to hunt, and the brother would be looking for her worried sick.

He knew they were both training like their life would depend on it and he would help with all his knowledge, as if they would be the monk's children, in training for their first rank test to come.

He asked no questions, and he was happy with the arrangement until the day he received a visitor.

The Warchild monk questioned him about feeling any saruman demon in the city. The blind monk said that he did not, and knowing that both kids were out in the village he started to feel anxious for them. Trying not to show, praying they would come back home for now.

-Why would you be looking for a demon in here? He asked the Warchild monk.

-Because brother, it has been reported that a strong dark saruman shows himself in a child from time to time in the cities, and the appearances follow a pattern. The last time we received news about it, was in Naru, long ago. And if this child is caught by the wrong hands, it can die brother.

-A strong saruman in a child, brother? The blind monk asked. How can that be?

-What we have learned in the coven is different than reality brother. As your eyes could learn for themselves.

-But at such age, the dark demon would kill the child, no child can sustain such life form, the blind monk said.

-This one can, as is a very dark one.

-Dark? how dark?

-As a Warchild dark, brother.

-Wait, but the king... the blind monk shut up.

-Yes, the King might not kill the child if I am there at her arrival. But if the guards or the other houses catch her... I can not tell what will become of her.

-Then is her...? the blind monk spoke out loud realizing.

-You have seen her!

-She comes by from time to time. How would you protect her?

-I will do my best but then, I need to be the one bringing her in, or otherwise, I can not answer for anything, the Warchild said. Let her know and send me the word the way you know.

-And the Order...?

-They know. They are also looking for her but she vanished the day she was born. From time to time we have received word that a dark saruman able to destroy an entire city is making itself known in the big cities. Could not be caught, we don't know if she can use any power so far.

-I will be watching and doing my duty, brother, the blind monk assured.

The Warchild monk looked at his brother thinking as if he did not know for sure if he would really do his duty. It looked like he did not really trust the old man.

Before he took his leave, he put into the blind brother's hand a feather.

"I will be waiting for news, brother. This is her only chance".

The blind monk sat at the very same table, waiting for the children to come back.

When the kids came back later at night, they had a long conversation.

The training for the first level - the same as the monk children were receiving could be completed in a few days' time, as Tianu was not a stranger to the sword skill and was now 16, and the princess was a wonder, fast learner.

The training for her was fast all these years, as there was nothing she could not do and if there was anything that she could not do from the first time, she would succeed the second.

She loved weapons and her moves were so fast and agile, that even the monk was finding himself in difficulty sometimes when they were training.

She would have mastered the bow, the sword, and the daggers already, and they were hunting in the woods around the city during the day and then only coming back home at night to sleep and not drawing much attention from the villagers.

One night, when they were approaching the town coming from the woods, they saw riders from the Assassins House close by.

They seemed to be heading to town when Tianu saw his cousin on the horse yelling his name.

He wanted to show himself when Iris put her hand covering his mouth and pushed him into the tree close to the wall of the first house. They were too close to the road, and they can be easily seen, so he instinctively camouflages them both invisible as the riders passed by.

He looked at her perplexed, wondering, but did not move a muscle as she was the only one he would trust.

And then, he saw the reason why she acted like that. Right after the Assassins passed by them, in the shadows, there were royal guards following their trails.

They could not get to the blind monk's house in time. When they reached it, it was already burning to ashes.

The monk was never to be found again, and they did not stick to finding out, as instructed.

They just walked away and kept away from the cities. Hunting wildlife to feed and training more. Until one day when Iris brought up the words.

-What do you think brother, should we go?

-He would kill us, you know he will.

-Well, he will kill us even if we don't go there, at least we get a chance to see ...

-What do you want to see? He looked at her wondering.

-I want him to pay for what he did to you.

-But he is your father, and he wants to kill you too.

She looked at him seriously as always and answered:

-I do not think he will.

Tianu looked at her worried as if she got sick in no time. He even pretended to take her temperature.

-What? Are you serious right now? He is trying to kill you ever since you were born. Remember Lundun when they shot arrows when you yelled at them you are the princess? Or maybe you don't remember Kondai, where that Royal guard put the knife in your shoulder? Or maybe...

-I remember. But I have a plan, the princess said.

-You have the plan to die faster than that?? Why did I keep you alive all these years??

She looked at him thinking as if she did not hear the ironic remarks he made earlier.

-Look, if we can kill his royal guards, he can use us for his shield. And if he can make use of us, he will not kill us. What do you think?

-I think you hit your head. He will never need some children, did you see his guards? And then, did you look at yourself? They are like the big strong bears and you are like this monk's feather! How can we kill them? Even if we get inside the castle, we will never get to him, really. They will catch us!

-Not if we catch us first! With the crazy look in her eyes, Tianu was scared. She was too brave for her own good, there was nothing she would be afraid of, never.

-Iris, no!

-I did not ask you, brother. I want you to live in your castle so we do as I say this time.

-You are smaller than I am Iris, you will listen to...

-Enough, brother. I am the royal blood and you follow.