The Lost Shadow
Chapter Two

Princess Marie put her hand on the carriage door. “Are they hurt?”

“Stay inside, Your Highness,” came the quiet reply.

Marie did as she was told. She couldn’t blame Captain Damalis Lynch for being overly cautious. Only two months ago, King Robert of Vorgravia received a worrying report that a crime ring consisting of dark mages was stationed between Vorgravia and Redasniel, and had dispatched several of his King’s Mages to deal with the problem. Several Bird, Cat and Bear athrú had gone to help as well. The crime ring had been defeated and the ringleader killed, but not all of the criminals had been captured. Marie’s father hadn’t wanted to take any chances with his children’s safety after that.

Besides, if this person was hurt, Captain Damalis would be able to help. He was one of the most powerful King’s Mages in existence, and his secondary magic was Healing.

“It’s a woman, sir!” Mage Eugene called.

“Is she all right?”

“She can’t stand, sir.”

Marie peered out of the window to see the Captain dismount his horse and head for the carriage. “Would you be willing to help, Your Highness? She might feel safer if there’s another woman around.”

“Gladly, Captain.” Marie hopped out of the carriage and followed the Captain towards Mage Eugene and the prone figure.

The young woman was pale as ash, with long dark hair that was matted and tangled and her clothes were shapeless rags. When she saw Captain Damalis and Marie approach, she pressed her bare feet against the dirt in an attempt to get up, only to give a cry of pain and slump into Mage Eugene’s supporting hold.

“Easy,” Captain Damalis said soothingly. “You’re safe now. What’s your name?”

“Eb…” She swallowed and tried again. “I’m Ebony.”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to help you.” Captain Damalis pointed at a white building just visible above the low stone wall. “Your…Marie, could you go to that mill and see if anyone is there?”

Marie was already moving, her pale brown curls dancing in the wind. She hurried through the narrow gateway and looked around frantically.

Someone was approaching, a large sack of something on one shoulder. The sun shone on his golden-blond hair. When he saw Marie standing in the yard, he faltered and said: “Can I help you, Miss? Sorry, Milady.”

“We’ve found an injured woman,” Marie said. “Please can we bring her here while we tend to her? It shouldn’t be for long…”

“Yes. Yes, I’ll just go tell my family.”

He raced towards the cottage while Marie went back to the others just in time to see the Captain carefully scoop Ebony up in his arms. 

“They say yes.”

When they reached the cottage, the miller’s wife and daughter had already cleared the kitchen table. Captain Damalis lowered Ebony onto it. Through the window, Marie saw the horses and carriage being taken into the yard so as not to block the road. She wasn’t worried about the carriage being recognised, since the emblem of the royal family wasn’t on it - and nobody would suspect these “guards” were actually King’s Mages.

“I’m going to start the Healing magic now. All right?”

Ebony nodded. The Captain gently placed a hand on her shoulder; sparkling red magic started to glow all around Ebony, then settled into her body.

“Will she be all right?” It was the young man who’d spoken to her earlier.

“Yes. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Should…should I get some water?”

Marie turned to speak to him - and found herself unable to do so. She couldn’t look away from him. “I…yes, I think that would be a good idea.”

As he hurried away, she looked back at the patient, silently hoping nobody could see her blush.

“What happened?” the miller’s daughter asked, taking a tentative step forward. “Where did you find her?”

“Stay back, Annette!” Her mother put a hand on her shoulder. “Let them work. Actually, go and tell your father, Trent and Roger what’s going on. They’ll be back any moment.”

As Annette disappeared out the door, her brother returned with some water. Ebony propped herself up, with a little assistance from Mage Eugene, and took the cup with a grateful smile.

“Thanks, David.”

David’s handsome face creased in a frown. “How do you know my name?”

“We’ve met before. You just…” Ebony grimaced. Another flutter of healing magic surrounded her and she relaxed. “You just don’t recognise me as a human. My curse is broken now.”

“Your curse? What do…” The frown disappeared like clouds after rain. “Shadow?”

His mother’s mouth fell open. “You’re…you’re our barn cat?”
Ebony nodded. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell someone, anyone, but I couldn’t.”

Marie put a hand to her mouth. She couldn’t imagine anything more horrible than to be completely trapped and unable to get help.

Wait.

“Were you transformed into a cat, or are you an athrú who was trapped in Cat form?” she asked.

Captain Damalis and the other mages exchanged sharp, alarmed looks.

“It was the latter,” replied Ebony.

“I think that’s enough talking from you,” said the miller’s wife. “You’re tired. You need rest - and feeding too, from the looks of you. Those mice and rats can’t have been very filling.”

Ebony chuckled as she closed her eyes. 

****

Marie wandered outside the cottage. It was a comfortable-looking building, but there were a lot of people inside that small room.

No wonder her older sister always retired early from social gatherings - at least, as soon as it was polite to retire early.

A figure stood admiring one of the horses attached the carriage. It was David.

“You can stroke him, if you want,” Marie said. “That one’s quite gentle.”

“Thank you, Milady.” David ran a hand down the horse’s chestnut neck, which the horse allowed. “I knew she was a girl,” he murmured. “Will she be all right, Milady? Sorry, I’ve already asked you that, haven’t I?”

Marie nodded firmly. “She will be. Captain Damalis will see to that.”

She had never been so close to anyone so tall before, yet she wasn’t afraid. Being close to him felt…peaceful. He would never harm her.

“You have a lovely home here,” she said.

“Thank you, Milady. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Sometimes Marie wondered what her life would have been like if she hadn’t been born a princess. Would she and her family have lived in a mill like this, or a little cottage somewhere peaceful, or a house in a larger town?

They still would have had their share of trials and troubles, like every family did, but they would have been happy.

“It was very kind of you to stop for Shad…for Ebony, Milady,” David was saying. 

“We couldn’t just leave her lying there.”

David’s blue eyes were sad and serious. “Others would have.”

If some of the nobles Marie had encountered at court were anything to go by, David was not wrong. 

“Not everyone would let complete strangers into their home to help someone who’d been hurt, but you and your family did.”

He blushed.

“My lady. If I could have a moment?” It was Captain Damalis.

Marie stepped away so he could speak to her.

“I want to hear more about this curse, Your Highness, but Ebony is in no position to tell us anything at this moment or to travel over a long distance and my first priority is to get you safely home. The inn here in Oldwyn has no rooms, but the one in the next town might.”

Ebony would need more than a place to rest. She would need new clothes, and at least one pair of shoes.

“I think we have enough to cover that.”

As Captain Damalis went back inside, Marie looked at David one last time. He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

She wouldn’t be forgetting this gentle young man.

Find all the chapters here.