Jewels from the Dark

Meirleach had been watching Laoise as she began to prepare for their next day and their search for Darach. He felt the moment the Shadows had moved into her mind. It was subtle. A shift in her countenance, a quickening of her breath, the momentarily longer blink of her eyes…

At first, he stayed back as he had done countless times before. He had witnessed her be overtaken by Shadow as he had watched over her in the Woods these many yesterdays. He didn’t know what brought them on all the time, but he had learned her process and watched her grow with how she had handled them. He knew she had learned the rhythm of the overwhelming dark – how it came and went. It always came at some point and no matter how long it stayed – sometimes interminably long – it always went. The Nefas knew this, although they loved when the dark Shadows overtook others. It was when they did their best work, manipulating the Shadows, driving those lost in them deeper into the Wilding Woods – to the Wind, to the Void. He had used the power of the Shadows many times.

But not here. Not like this. Not with her.

Meirleach moved closer but stopped when he saw her startle, his heart pinched at her discomfort. Then he settled in, allowing her space as he began to draw the darkest Shadows to himself and away from her. He stiffened at the sheer force of darkness hurled at Laoise and moved into a better position to intercept it.

He knew from this level of assault that someone – his uncle, his mother, or Manadh – must have met with the Void and explained who the Lost One was. There was no other explanation for the vehemence of this wave. It was stronger than anything he had felt her face before, but he knew she had learned to be stronger still. He had seen the inner light glow softly but incessantly against the darkness and knew that whatever had defeated the Void all those yesterdays ago would not let her be consumed now. Yet he still felt compelled to ease the intensity of the barrage.

So again, Meirleach pulled the ferocious inky emptiness of the Void into himself, offering his silent support to Laoise as she fought her invisible enemy.