Chapter 1 - Tell me...

She sat upon the bridge wall, staring down. Down into what could be her future or her death. And why was she here? She couldn't remember. Remembering had never been one of her… Strong points. In fact, remembering was something that she not only could not do… But in this case, would never want to. She looks back on it, and knows she was wrong… But that was why she was here, wasn't it? Yes, she was sure of that… It was all she was sure of. Or all they thought she was sure of…



As she recalled,It was a bright evening in mid summer, in a small play park meant for little children like Shannara. But what child but her would be here at this time? She sat upon one of the large swings, demeaning her in size, and making her seem far smaller than she really was. She was tall in figure, with two long chestnut brown pig tails protruding from her head, tied with long green ribbon. And she swung, just as would be expected of a young girl in a park, back and forth on the swing. Her long black puffy dress, that almost made her seem like some form of morbid marshmallow, billowed out in the evening wind, a small smile on her day-glowing face. And just as her eyes seem to light up with this new found joy, her hands lost touch of the swing's metal chains, and for a few moments, she flew in the air, her hands outstretched, and her eyes wide in wonderment. But this did not last long, and soon she fell. She expected the ground to come quickly, and for her body to meet the gravel with a sickening crack. But no bones were broken, no bruises were made, as she fell into the arms of someone, someone who hugged her to him, and then placed her gently back on the swing before planting a delicate kiss of her forehead and running away into the undergrowth, with such rigour that it seemed so surreal that he had been so gentle. Shannara looked up, smile gone from her face.

“Thank you…”She said simply, before continuing her swinging, but no answer was to come.



A figure approached her from behind, on the bridge by the water, Startling her from her daydreams by gently tapping her upon the shoulder so as not to startle her. As she turned round, the obvious similarities between her and the little girl were apparent. That same brown hair with the same pig tails…but older. Older than could be imagined, but not to the eye.

“What's the matter?” The figure asked Shannara, in a melancholy tone, not fitting to the situation. The girl only glared, small tears evident in her eyes.

“You know what the matter is. You just won't admit it. Tell me… Please. Tell me!”

The dark foreboding figure only seemed to sigh, and turn away. It said nothing.

“Tell me! Just tell me anything that might even sound like it! TELL ME!”

But the figure spoke no words, only closed both eyes and stayed silent. As silent as he always was.



And so her dreamy flash back continued, as it seemed to do in his conversational absence.A few years had passed, and Shannara had forgotten the figure it had seemed. She was 12, and her father had just begun to teach her his way. Her father's way was something she had always admired. It was a state of great power. Many believed it to be a form of martial arts, or some other kind of mastery, but father would never tell. Father never did tell. None but his precious child Shannara, his eldest, and his beloved, would ever know. It was in the garden where she was training, her father her sparring partner. Left, right, left, punch, recall. She knew the sequence like the back of her hand, it all came naturally by now. But today, and this day only, papa decided to test his little jewel. Left, right, left, punch, recall. Left, right, left, punch, recall. Right, left, right… And then she was lost. Her fathers fist connected with her jaw, harder than he had perhaps anticipated, and she went flying for a few moments, soaring through the air like a bird. And as she anticipated her connection with the earth…it never came. Dark figure caught her, her father staring helplessly as he placed her on the grass, and left once more before her thanks could be given. Her savoir never stayed for a goodbye kiss, and that she longed for.



And thus,she was disturbed once more.

“I could have let you fall. I could have let you die. Is this how you repay me?” The figure bellowed suddenly, head whipping round. And just as he did so, Shannara bounded upwards and ripped away his cloak.

“Tell me! Tell me, damn you!”

There, standing before the now 17 year old girl, was a tall thin Caucasian man, dressed in black, with a pair of soft velvet gloves. His long downwards spiked hair was wiped from his face as he glowered at her.

“Trowa…Tell me…Tell me…Or I'll do it…I swear….”

The figure simply stood there blinking rapidly, before he finally spoke.

“Help me…”

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