Hewin was sitting on the anvil boulder, his feet dangling. Sunrays glimmered between the trees and the forest smelled of tree resin, pinewood, and moss...and of strawberry jam. Hewin licked it from his paws and then submerged them again in the jar. Just like his mother told him not to do it.

Eleven-year-old Enyar made a backflip from the stone and landed smoothly. He grinned at Hewin: "Your turn, Hew! This time you can land on two!"

Hewin frowned. Enyar was right, Hewin could do a backflip as well but he always landed on his four. This ongoing flipping and jumping contest was a great source of fun, but lately also of frustration as Hewin wasn't able to stick the landing.

"C'mon tiger! You can do it!" Enyar encouraged him.

You bet I can, this is it, Hewin thought and stood up on the stone. He swung his arms forward and back a couple of times and he jumped. In the air, Hewin rotated, bent his knees, and then extended all four limbs. He landed on his four like a cat. Grrrr, he was furious.

He expected Enyar to be rolling on the ground laughing. But after Hewin had scraped down the dirt from his paws sticky with the jam, he looked at his friend and Enyar just stood there, surprise on his face.

"Enyar? Are you ok?" Hewin flicked his tail in curiosity.

Enyar looked around as if he just realized he is in the middle of the forest. Then he made a few steps and touched the anvil boulder fondly. Enyar met Hewin's eyes and whispered softly: "You have to remember this day, it is the most important one and the last one. Find me here."

Hewin woke up in Falyar's house in a cold sweat. His shoulder was throbbing with pain. Shenian has managed to pop it back and Lynxarians are healing fast but even so, his arm would be stiff and in pain in the days to come.

Hewin was trying to remember the dream and the memory from his childhood but it was slipping away from him. Except for the last Enyar's words 'You have to remember this day, it is the most important one and the last one. Find me here.' What does it mean? Why would Enyar say something like that? His head started to hurt as well.

He sighed and opened the window shutters. The morning sun was peeking above the hills, it was still early and the air was cold. He saw Falyar sitting near a campfire, guarding the house with Lynxbright.

Yes, they needed to talk about a lot of things. But they buried the bodies first and Falyar decided Hewin and Shenian must have some rest. Falyar certainly needed rest as well but he insisted on relaxing by a campfire, with his sword in hand, watching for the enemy, this type of rest. After they had buried the bodies, something changed in Shenian. She stopped speaking and making eye contact. She only nodded occasionally but otherwise was absent. Hewin was not that surprised, his first encounter with a deadly accident in the mine had left him shaking too.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Let's do this, Hewin took a deep breath and went down to talk with them.

***

Silence. Shallan was looking away to the forest. Falyar poked the fire with a stick with a frown on his face. Hewin had told them everything. About Enyar telling him he is from the Void, about the events at the mine, what happened at home with Flesha and his parents, about the Voidsword and the attackers speaking Lynxarian, and lastly, about the dream from the last night.

Falyar stretched his shadowy leg. It seemed to behave as a normal limb, although it looked sinister.

Finally, Falyar spoke: "Well one thing is certain. At least I hope Shenian sees it the same otherwise I am a madman. I've never had a son, there is no Enyar in my family."

Shenian was still looking away but eventually, she replied in a distant voice: "There is no Enyar. Something is wrong with you."

Hewin's temples began to pulse.: "Thanks, Shen." She just shrugged.

That can't be it! He was...is my best friend! Hewin's mind raced.

Falyar gave his daughter a concerned look. Then he asked Hewin to show him the Voidsword.

Falyar observed carefully the blade that looked like polished obsidian: "I think that what is happening with you has something to do with the stars, they have power in them, you know. And you were exposed to the fallen star in the mine for some time." Then he looked at the inscription on the grip Utke ndærmůr. Werr ndærmůr. Palwø ndærmůr.

"What language is this"? Falyar asked.

Hewin raised an eyebrow: "You don't recognize Lynxarian?"

Now Falyar's eyebrow went up: "I do, boy. But this isn't the language. I've never seen anything like that."

Hewin stood up from the wood log and shivered despite the warmth of the fire.

"Steady, it will be alright. There IS an explanation, I am sure there is. Let's just try to find it," Falyar tried to calm Hewin down, but this was distressing to him as well.

Hewin fidgeted with his claws and then asked: "Tell me how to say 'I greet you old prince' in Lynxarian."

Falyar didn't need long to remember and spoke in Lynxarian: "Fu chyâf chyîchy nay lîhefhe."

The hissing sounds sounded vaguely familiar to Hewin but he sat back down and rubbed his temples, eyes closed.

"How would you tell it, boy?" Falyar asked, curious.

Hewin kept his eyes closed and said: "Wa nenùtlæ kænhuhe."

"My claws, stripes, and tail! That is definitely not Lynxarian!" Falyar exclaimed.

"Your human friend, and the people we buried...They spoke this language too?" Falyar asked, scratching his chin.

"They did," Hewin said softly.

Shenian looked at him, the fur underneath her eyes soaked by tears. Then she stood up and ran crying to the forest.

Falyar shook his head: "What's gotten into her?"

Hewin ran after her.