Chapter 1 Whispers In The Wind

• The quiet village of Silverbrook was a haven for those who sought peace, far removed from the chaos of the wider kingdom of Elandor. Nestled between lush forests and winding rivers, its cobblestone streets were lined with modest cottages, their chimneys releasing trails of smoke into the crisp morning air. For as long as she could remember, **Ariella Valenwood** had lived here, tending to the sick and wounded with her grandmother, a healer known for her wisdom and gentle touch.
• Today, however, the village felt different. The wind carried an unsettling chill, rustling the leaves of the ancient oaks that surrounded the healer’s cottage. Ariella stood at the edge of her herb garden, a basket in one hand and a sprig of lavender in the other. Her emerald eyes scanned the horizon, where dark clouds loomed like a warning.
• “A storm is coming,” she murmured, her voice barely audible over the breeze.
• Behind her, the door to the cottage creaked open. **Grandmother Linnea**, frail but ever watchful, stepped onto the porch. Her silver hair was tied back in a simple braid, and her sharp eyes studied Ariella with concern.
• “It’s not just the weather,” Linnea said, her voice heavy with meaning. “Something stirs in the world, child. You feel it, don’t you?”
• Ariella hesitated. For weeks, she had been plagued by strange dreams—visions of fire and shadow, a voice calling her name from an unseen void. Yet she had dismissed them as the imaginings of an overworked mind.
• “I don’t know,” Ariella admitted, turning back to the garden. “It’s probably nothing.”
• Linnea’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before she sighed. “Finish your gathering, then come inside. There’s something I need to show you.”
• ---
• Inside the cottage, the scent of dried herbs and freshly brewed tea filled the air. Ariella set her basket on the wooden table and looked to her grandmother, who stood by the hearth with a small, intricately carved box in her hands.
• “This belonged to your mother,” Linnea said, her voice tinged with sadness. She opened the box, revealing a delicate silver amulet shaped like a crescent moon. Its surface shimmered faintly, as if imbued with a life of its own.
• Ariella reached out hesitantly. “I’ve never seen this before.”
• Linnea nodded. “It was hidden from you for a reason. Your mother wanted to protect you from the truth. But with the queen’s growing power, I fear it’s time you learned who you really are.”
• Ariella’s heart raced. “What do you mean?”
• Linnea placed the amulet in her hand, its cool metal sending a shiver up her arm. “You’re not just a healer, Ariella. You come from a bloodline older and more powerful than any in Elandor. This amulet is the key to unlocking that power. But you must be careful—power attracts attention, and not all of it is kind.”
• Before Ariella could respond, a loud knock echoed through the cottage. Linnea’s face darkened. “Stay here,” she whispered, moving toward the door.
• ---
• Outside, a lone figure stood in the rain, cloaked in shadows. Kael Drakemire pulled back his hood, revealing sharp features and piercing gray eyes. His jaw was set, his expression hardened by years of exile and regret.
• “I seek shelter,” he said, his voice low but commanding.
• Linnea hesitated, her instincts telling her to refuse. But something about the man’s presence—his aura of danger tempered by desperation—made her relent.
• “Come in, then,” she said, stepping aside.
• As Kael entered, his gaze swept over the modest cottage before landing on Ariella. Their eyes met briefly, and in that instant, something unspoken passed between them—a flicker of recognition, though neither understood why.
• “I won’t stay long,” Kael said, breaking the silence. “I just need a place to rest before I continue on.”
• Linnea nodded cautiously, but Ariella couldn’t shake the feeling that his arrival was more than coincidence. As the storm raged outside, she glanced down at the amulet in her hand, its light now glowing faintly, and wondered if her quiet life in Silverbrook was about to change forever.