It was just a week till Sovven, and the nights were turning chill
And the battle turned to stalemate, double-bluff, and feint and drill
When a shadow drifted northward, just a shadow, nothing more.
No one noticed that the shadows grew all darker that before.
No one noticed that the shadows seemed to creep into the heart,
But from then the fight for freedom seemed a fool's quest from the start.
All the hopes that they had cherished seemed unreasoned and naive
Nothing worth the strength to pray for, or to strive for, or believe.
And the shadows stole the sunlight from the brightest autumn day,
As they sang a song of bleakness that touched every heart that heard
As they whispered words of hopelessness, all courage fled away,
And they wove a smothering blanket over all, that lived and stirred.
Herald Vanyel came upon them, and he sensed a subtle wrong,
And there was some magic working; deeply hidden, yes, but strong.
And it moves and worked in secret, like poison in the vein
Like a poison meant to weaken, this was magic meant to drain.
Herald Vanyel saw the Shadows, and they turned their wiles on him
For one moment even he began to fell his spirit dim-
But he saw their secret evil, and he swore ere he was done
He would stalk and slay these Shadows, and destroy them one by one.
Herald Vanyel, Shadow Stalker, hunted Shadows to their doom
They turned all their powers upon him, turned away from other men
And although they strove to take him, he unwove their web of gloom.
So the Shadows fled his anger, their creator sought again.
Herald Vanyel faces the Singer who had sung them into life
And she sang to him of grief and loss that cut him like a knife.
And she sang to him of self-hate, and she wove a net of pain
With her songs of woe and hopelessness bent to be Vanyel's bane.
"So now what is there to strive for?" was the song she sang to him.
And the shadow came upon his heart, the world grew gray and dim.
But the Singer of The Shadow did not know the foe she fought,
Now how dear he held his duty, nor by what pain power was bought.
Herald Vanyel looked upon her, and he saw through her disguise
And she strove then to seduce him into death or madness sweet.
Herald Vanyel looked within him, and he saw her songs were lies,
And he gathered up his magic then, her powers to defeat.
Herald Vanyel raised his golden voice and sang of life and light,
Of the first cry of a baby, of the silver stars of night.
Herald Vanyel sang of wisdom, sang of courage, sang of love,
Of the earth's sweet soil beneath him, of the vaulting sky above,
Sang of healing, sang of growing, sang of joy and hope and dreams,
And the Singer Of The Shadows felt the death of all her schemes.
It was then she tried to flee him, but his song and magic spell
Struck her down and held her pinioned and she faltered, and she fell.
Then the Singer Of the Shadows saw her Shadows shatter there,
Saw her lies unmade before her, saw her darkness turned to day
And how empty and how petty was the spirit then laid bare-
Like her Shadow then she shattered, and in silence passes away.