On the first night of summer, the townsfolk of Næmyris gathered by the lakeside. Moonlight glistened off of the gentle surface of Lake Emyr. It was a truly serene sight to behold and it filled the thousands gathered with a tranquil peace. Fitting really, as it was the night of a total eclipse of Illyria’s closest moon, Rowan’el, which was said to be one of the eyes of the Goddess.
There were other goddesses, of course, but none were more sacred than the Goddess, whose very name was considered holy, as She, along with the Father, gave life the chance to flourish on Illyria. And an eclipse was especially important to Her, as it brought Her Spiritual Being and the whole Divine Realm into close Resonance with Illyria. So it was that everyone had gathered to offer their prayers to the Goddess with the hopes that together, their small voices would reach Her.
The townsfolk believed themselves to be truly blessed that night as it was perfect for an eclipse. The sky was clear and the air was still and everyone was for the most part, happy. There was one, however, who did not feel so blessed. A young girl warily looked up to the moon, its crimson glow catching on her brilliant red hair which haphazardly framed her alabaster face. She sighed audibly, catching the attention of the woman who sat next to her.
“What’s the matter, Rowan?” the woman asked, painfully aware of the fugue she had been suffering for much of that year.
“Did we really have to come all the way to the lakeside, Ma?” Rowan responded with a hint of complaint in her voice.
“Yes dear. How else am I going to thank her for my beautiful daughters or ask for her to help give you both back your smiles?”
The response came quickly, yet softly so as to not carry too far with the last part being practically inaudible, even to Rowan.
“We could have thanked Her from home,” Rowan yawned. It wasn’t like she was being deliberately indignant, she just didn’t appreciate being roused from her attempts at slumber. She had, after all, been dragged halfway across town for something that she felt was highly unnecessary, at least not in her somewhat depressed state.
Rowan’s mother shook her head with a slight frown. “You know why, Rowan. It’s like music. Together we Resonate, amplifying the voices of our spirits far beyond what we could manage by ourselves. If we want to be heard, it’s better we pray together.
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"Do I need to have a word with Master Idyr? He should have been covering this with his lessons.”
“He might have. Maybe I’d remember better if I was allowed my beauty sleep!”
“Quiet dear! You don’t hear Tehri complaining, do you?”
“Because she’s already asleep! She’s been asleep since before we even got here!” Rowan responded somewhat bitterly as she looked down at her sleeping little sister. The younger girl slept soundly, her head resting on her mother’s lap.
“So she is,” the woman responded, looking slightly put out at being reminded that her younger daughter was indeed sleeping in her lap. ”Still, as the older sister, you should be setting a good example for her.”
“It’s not like she’s going to wake up, regardless of what I do, so what’s the point? She could sleep through a thunderstorm! Not to mention how she probably hates me! Maybe I need to act more outrageously so that she’ll stop ignoring me so that I can be a role model. A-a-and…”
Rowan trailed off. She didn’t really believe what she said. If anything she was to blame for the distance that had grown between them. At this point, all she was doing was venting her frustrations and sadness. She was exhausted and it was making her needlessly irritable. Her sleep had been highly restless for weeks now, and with the summer solstice fast approaching, she felt like it was only getting worse, as if the rising sun was beckoning something to awaken within her. She hated it. She didn’t want to be annoyed with her mother, with Tehri or with her friends. And so she choked back a sob, angry at herself for disturbing everyone else’s peace.
For a moment, it looked like her mother was going to scold her for the outburst. Only, she brought her in for a comforting embrace and sang softly as she stroked Rowan’s hair.
♫Hush now little one
the day is won
Sleep now little one
The sun is gone
Mama’s here
to wash away your fear
Mama’s here
to wipe away your tears♫
Rowan cried in her mother’s arms, and as her tears streamed from her violet eyes, she found herself being lulled almost to sleep by the calming lyrics of the Ferran Lullaby that her mother sang. As Rowan’s eyes grew heavy, she heard people calling out that totality was nearly upon them.
As the eclipse reached its peak, time seemed to stop; a glimpse into the witching hour, the moment that Illyria and the Divine realm were almost touching. In the absolute stillness of that moment, the first screams carried far, only to be followed by the thundering of hooves.