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5

Edda woke with a start, the nightmare quickly fading from her memory. She felt Timber's presence by her side despite not being able to see him with her spirit sight. Absolom had said that it was not unusual for that to happen. It had something to do with the ability to manifest a visible figure, and that Edda was not yet strong enough to consciously command it to happen. The ability was about control, not power. Absolom said she was already powerful enough to use it and that her power would continue to grow. Something in the way he had said that made her trust him. It was like he spoke from personal experience. Edda found that thought a little hard to believe, as everything he did seemed to be done so easily. Like how he had rebuilt the room she was currently sleeping in.

When the two of them had first arrived at the casino, after going up and down several streets, they found it just a shell of a building. Absolom had said that they were being followed, though Edda had not "seen" any sign of a single person behind them. But then, Absolom seemed to have a sixth sense that was unnaturally sharp. He placed her in a corner behind some old metal crates and told her to wait there. Edda sat there for a while as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. When Absolom finally returned, he seemed stronger and more energetic, like he had when the two had first met. Taking her by the hand, the two of them took a closer look at the casino.

The roof of the four story building was mostly gone, especially where the main lobby and casino floor was located. The small VIP hotel located at the back was mostly intact, though the roof was leaking and the next major storm was liable to strip it off. The building was provided electricity by an array of solar collectors only a few yards from the casino. For some unknown reason, the array still worked, with only a thick layer of fine dust covering the solar panels. It turned out that some of the internal connections had been severed, however, and most of the building was without power. Absolom seemed content with everything, however, saying the only thing they needed was food and running water. They spent the first night in one of the dryer parts of the hotel, wrapped in Absolom's cloak, which the cold did not seem to penetrate. In the morning, the gray Guarden got to work. Or rather his ghosts did.

Like a foreman at a construction site, Absolom directed his ghosts to the various projects needed to rebuild the building to his specifications. And only using the resources on hand. To Edda's surprise, they quickly made the hotel livable, with running water and working plumbing. Edda was able to take a bath for the first time since they left the pirate ship. There must have been hundreds of the ghosts working on the casino, all of them from different periods of time and from different cultures, judging just by the way they were dressed. Occasionally, she would see her new protector stop one or two of them and ask questions before sending them back to their assigned tasks. Scavenging from the more destroyed parts of the building, the two of them had a living space by the end of the first day. By the end of the second day, they had power running to that living space. Now a week later, the roof of the casino was once again whole.

Edda still marveled at what Absolom could do. And it always seemed to come to him so easily, with an almost complete detachment that appeared to border on boredom. The Raccoonin girl found out better shortly after observing that detachment. He must have seen the puzzled look on her face for he asked her if she was having any problems. When she had asked him if he was bored, he simply laughed. Then he explained that using so many ghosts to do so many things at one time required a great deal of concentration. And a lot of energy. This draining effect, he said, left him a little lethargic, making appear bored and detached. She left him alone after that, though he would always come over and see how she was doing every once in a while. She did not mind. She found watching her guardian and the ghosts work fascinating.

After most of the building had been reconstructed, Absolom began to teach and test her in magic. And not just about magic, but on math, history, grammar, engineering and etiquette. The last part was the only part she hated. Wherever her guardian came from, he was seemed to be brought up in high society, for he had her walking and sitting like a lady within the first few days. Once again, however, she was impressed with his knowledge, as well as his patience when dealing with her on subjects she did not understand. The fact that they had no books or reference material for her to rely on made things just a little more complicated. But it did not seem to matter. He took his time and let her learn at her own pace. He was being so nice to her, and he seemed to never be too far away. Despite that, she knew that he occasionally left the casino, returning with food that he would cook for both of them. He usually made enough food for several meals, but they remained tasty and Edda found that she did not mind eating the same thing for a few days.

She was never lonely. Not really anyway. She did not have anyone her own age to play with, or talk to. But between Absolom, Timber and the other ghosts, she had plenty of companions to talk to. Absolom kept a few of the ghosts away from her, and those ghosts frightened her, but the others talked to her willingly. Octavia was especially friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. She often helped Edda with the homework Absolom gave her on the days he would disappear. It was Octavia that had helped her with the more complicated etiquette rules and had given her suggestions on how to move more like a lady. She had a sweet, soft voice, in some ways very similar to Absolom's, that only reached the people she wanted to talk to. Octavia also seemed to have some sort of special connection with Absolom.

Absolom had told Edda that Octavia was special. That he had never "claimed" her. Edda was not sure what meant by that, but she was different than the other ghosts. He listened to her more than anyone else, and took her words more seriously than the others. Edda had seen one such incident only a day or two ago. Absolom had given an order to one of his ghosts and that ghost, one of experts on building from what little Edda had understood, had advised against doing whatever Absolom had ordered him to do. When Absolom had grown irritable, and was about to force the order, Octavia had appeared at his side, resting one hand on his shoulder and whispering into his ear. He listened for a moment, then sighed and dismissed the ghost. No more was said about the order. Edda had observed that the Guarden allowed none of his ghosts to get that close to him. Whoever Octavia had been, she had been important to him.

Despite all the beings around her, Edda still missed her parents. It was only natural after all. They had given birth to her, raised her, loved her and protected her to the best of their ability. They did not blame her when she started to loose her eye sight, nor did they abandon her when she had trouble learning braille. And though it had been some time since she had actually "seen" them, Edda missed their presence. The smell of the shampoo her mother used on her fur, the sound of her father's voice, the feel of their gentle hands. It was the small things that she noticed now that she missed. In a way, she had been luck that she could not see when they had died. But her other senses had been working perfectly. She had heard the sound of the pirate's weapon discharging, the screams of terror and pain coming from her parents and the others around her. And the harsh swearing of the brute who had grabbed her, along with his rough hands. Then there was the smell. The smell of the unwashed flesh of the pirate, the burning of ozone from the weapon he carried, the iron tang of freshly spilled blood, and the rancid smell of body waste that had quickly followed.

It was this memory that had woke her up. Now awake, she grabbed the robe that Absolom had gotten her a few days ago and headed down to the casino. Her guardian usually stayed in a room that had at one time been used as a place for private parties or conferences. It was large, with reduced noise insulation in the walls that had once been lavishly decorated. Most of the decorative trims and paintings had been destroyed by vandals, while the remainder had either rotted away or had been removed by the ghosts. Absolom had the room fixed up in a more spartan manner, the carpet replaced with hardwood floors salvaged from one of the upper story rooms in the hotel, the walls stripped of decorations and painted a solid light gray color. What had remained of the lavish furniture had been removed to another part of the building, where it had been unceremoniously dumped into a heap. Edda suspected that it would been torn up and used in different projects

In the place of that furniture a single bed had been placed, with simple blankets and sheets that a few of the ghosts had made from the cloth of other beds and furniture. The same ghosts had done the same for Edda's bed. Absolom hardly used the bed, however, spending most of his time in the only chair in the room. The chair itself was large, cushioned and covered in a fine felt like material, constructed in a fashion that was reminiscent Victorian England on Old Terra. At the far right side of the room, Absolom had placed the refurbished desk that one of the casino executives must have used in a room that had been in a room further down the hall. How he had gotten it, and the attached computer, out of the room without damaging it, Edda had no idea. What surprised her even more was that the chair moved around the room without leaving any evidence of it being moved. There were no scuff marks or scratches on the wooden floor, nor was their any damage to the legs of the chair.

Edda came to the door that led to what had become Absolom's place of residence. Giving a soft knock, she slowly opened the door and peeked in. To her left, up against the was next to the door was the bed. As usual, it was unoccupied and still made up with no sign of it being used. The chair was not next to the bed, so Edda looked to the right towards the desk. It was not there either, though the papers covering the desk showed her that it had been used recently. Because of the nature of Edda's sight, darkness did not hinder what she could see, and this ability drew her attention to something on the wall next to the next. Starting from the desk and traveling down across the wall opposite of the door was a series of scrawls, pictures and notes. Because Edda had not used standard letters in a long time, deciphering the letters was hard, and some of the writings were done in a language she was not familiar with anyway. The line of writings and pictures ended at what appeared to be a drawn picture of what looked like helmet shaped like that of a stylized wolf. Next to the helmet was a big question mark. Not far from the drawing was the chair, placed in the darkest part of the room.

A week ago, Absolom had the far left wall replaced with a series of large, long windows that were nearly floor to ceiling. These windows overlooked the nearly reconstructed main floor of the casino, with the only thing that the floor was missing was the electricity. The chair was currently facing these windows. Edda could see Absolom's left arm resting on top of the chair's arm rest, with the tip of his long snout just visible from behind the large backrest of the chair. The fact that the room was dark meant little to Absolom, as he could see in the dark as he could in daylight. The fact that Absolom was facing away from the door was usually a good indicator that the Guarden wanted to be left alone. And while Absolom had never chased her away, Edda had clearly picked up on the small signs that the man had needed some "alone time", as her mother had called it, before.

Edda hesitated. She did not want to disturb him, but she wanted his company, and hopefully to be held by him. Swallowing, she made a decision and called out.

"Absolom?"

There was no response. Edda hesitated one more moment, then stepped into the room. Though she tried to be quiet in case he was sleeping, she did not try to hide her presence, knowing that he would already be aware of her before she had knocked on the door. Absolom never stirred as she approached, so Edda moved around to the front of the chair and gasped. Absolom's head was angled in just a way so that he would be looking out of the windows. He sat in a half slouched manner with both arms resting on top of the arm rests, the long fingers of his hands curled over the ends of the rests. The hood of his cloak was down and draped around his shoulders, the rest running down the chair behind him until it pooled on the floor behind his feet. There was stern look on his face, but it was not directed at Edda. His eyes were only partially open, with just a hint of the polished gold iris' showing from under the lids. Edda quickly realized that Absolom must be in some sort of trance, and having a soundless conversation with someone just by the way his lips were moving. Someone who was not even in the room.

* * * * * *

Absolom stood in a darkened room that he was all too familiar with. The ancient chandelier, the only source of light in the room, did nothing to alleviate the darkness and in stead deepened it. The fact that almost half of the candles on the chandelier had either burned out or drowned in their own wax further complicated the problem. The wax itself had melted down in such a way that the residue now hung a foot below the chandelier, the drippings making the floor treacherous to walk on. The floor itself was made of large granite blocks, now gray with age, dirt and neglect. Absolom, though he could not see them, knew that the walls of the chamber were also made of the same stone. The ceiling from which the chandler hung could not be seen, despite the presence of the candles. It had been carved from the very mountain that sat above the chamber. Somewhere out in the darkness, the sound of chain swaying in the slight, cold breeze that came in from the open portal somewhere behind him, could be vividly heard in the almost absolute silence that the chamber.

Absolom drew in a deep breath and sighed. He did not bother switching his sight as the darkness in the chamber was absolute. The absolute darkness created by a creature far more older and powerful than himself. But the darkness was itself only a residue of the creature. The thing that had given birth to the darkness, and had been bound in the swinging chains, was now long gone. Absolom should know. He had freed Her, and now part of Her was now a permanent resident inside him. Still, this place was not a place he wanted to return to, but the need was there. The reason way he did not want to be back was simple. It had too many bad memories for him. Memories he had, for a time, been grateful to forget. Now, those memories came flooding back to him, filling him with a whole slew of conflicting feelings. And as he looked out into the darkness, he felt the same thing that he had felt back then. Fear.

It was not the fear of that most people in the same position currently felt. Absolom was not afraid of the darkness, nor what it represented. Darkness, after all, was on the same coin that light occupied, just on the opposite side. It was part of nature. It rested in the hearts of every mortal creature in existence. Granted, some creatures had it in greater measures than others, but it was still there. Absolom had been fighting with his darkness since...since...well, at least as far back as he could remember. His childhood; his time as a young man; these memories were either missing, or so fragmented that they gave him a headache when he tried to concentrate on them. But no, he was not afraid of the dark. He was afraid of what waited in it. A small distinction that not very many people understood. So he stood were he was, and waited.

After what felt like hours, a sound could finally be heard coming from deep within the chamber. The sound of heavy foot fall on stone floors. These were not the sounds of a being wearing heavy boots, but the sounds of something with large paws with long nails or claws. The Guarden could just hear the clicking sound of the nails hitting the floor. But other sounds accompanied the foot fall. The sound of metal rattling, a sound that Absolom recalled as that which accompanied that of a knight or man-at-arms who was moving about. He could also hear the creak of leather and the clink of chain mail. And the last thing he heard was the sound of a large sword being drawn from its scabbard. Absolom stiffened a little, but remained where he was. A couple of heart beats later, a figure moved slowly into the light.

The first thing the gray Guarden saw was two eyes that glowed in the darkness, the iris' of which were the color of molten gold. As the figure stepped forward, the size of the creature became evident. Absolom was considered tall even for a Guarden at almost seven feet. The person in front of him was well over seven feet tall and over twice as broad at the shoulders. Adding to the size of the person were the two large pauldrons mounted to the shoulders via a series of straps and hooks that connected them to the rest of the armor, as well as the leather shirt under the plate. Thick cloth leggings, covered in chain mail pants and strapped on plate greaves and cuishe covered the legs. The legs themselves were double jointed, ending in a pair of large paws, much like those of a wolf, the chipped and cracked nails long overdue for some trimming. Holding all this up was a large thick, black leather belt with a dulled bronze buckle, that might have at one time been decorated.

Over the torso was leather shirt that had been torn open just below the massive ribcage, revealing a muscular belly covered in midnight black fur. Across the chest, a single piece of plate had been shaped to accommodate its owners breasts. This plate was itself connected to a equally large back plate and the pauldrons. Over the leather sleeves of the shirt, which did little to hide the muscles on the arms, were strap on vambraces and rerebraces. The short leather gauntlets, which ended just at the wrists, had a single plate riveted to the back of them. Both the plates and the chain mail had been blued and dulled. Making it hard to distinguish the figure from the darkness that surrounded it. Falling from the shoulders, the clasp of which was hidden by the folds of a large hood, was a large black cloak, the edges of which were torn and frayed. Out of the darkness of the hood sprouted a large wolfen snout, the smooth features of which identified it as a female, as if breast plate of the figure was not enough to implied the sex. The snout, feet and the belly of the woman were covered in lines of white fur that implied numerous scars hiding under the fine fur.

In the woman's right hand, held in a relaxed manner, was gripped a great sword, or zwei-hander as some warriors called it. The long blade was notched and pitted from use and age. Even the decorative crossguard had not been spared the abuse. The stranger held the sword as easily as if the sword was a third of the actual size. In the woman's left hand was the sword's scabbard, the bronze fittings on it dull with age, but still clean. The woman was clearly a Guarden of some sort, but of a type that had been believed to have been wiped out long ago. But what was worse was that Absolom knew this Guarden very well.

"Nicodema," he said in a hushed tone.

Nicodema snarled, dropped the scabbard, and reached up to pull down the hood. As she did so, long locks of wild, pitch black hair fell about her shoulders. She raised the sword into a ready stance, her willingness to use it being clearly telegraphed.

"Traitor," she spat, her voice far deeper and gravelly than any woman Absolom had ever met. The long, horizontal patch of white fur just visible on her throat, gave a very good idea of why her voice was that way. Absolom had never learned how it had happened, but he knew that at one point, Nicodema had her throat slit open. She never spoke of it, nor how she had survived the wound, or how it had been healed, but the male Guarden suspected that her vocal cords had either been cut or damaged. Even from the first time they had met, she had had that rough voice.

"Why have you graced these halls with your accursed presence," she demanded. The growling that came with the words made it even harder to understand her. Absolom was simply use to it, as familiarity made her words easier to understand. When she was calm, it was easy to understand what she was saying. But when she was angry, which was frequently, it could nearly impossible to understand her. Nicodema had always had a...problem with her temper, and was easily excitable. It was both her greatest asset and her greatest weakness. While a near unstoppable force on the battlefield, she was still easy to goad into obvious traps and diversions. It was only through her other "gifts" that she was able to get out of such situations. Absolom was not really surprised to find her here, even as a shade. She always had a knack for surviving, and a will that was made out of adamant.

"Speak, or so help me," the sword moved from the ready stance into a two handed strike stance, "I'll cleave you in two right where you stand."

Absolom sighed.

"You can't harm me, Nic," he said calmly, his soft voice carrying in the silence of the room. "Not here, Not like this. Neither of use are truly here in the first place. It 'is' only a dream."

Nicodema's sword moved from the strike stance to a guard stance. She seemed to contemplate what he was saying to her, but did not trust him completely. Smart woman, Absolom thought. He did have the power and knowledge to overpower her, even in the present condition, but it would be costly, and he was not sure that he would be able to control her afterward. Those Guardens with gold eyes were notoriously hard to control. The irony was that Absolom knew that first hand. After all, he was one of them.

"I'm listening," Nicodema finally said after several heart beats, her voice far calmer, though still filled with her anger.

"I'm looking for answers, Nic," Absolom said. "Something is coming. Something momentous, or monstrous. I can't be sure which. I can feel it in my bones. Something is coming, and I need to know what to prepare for."

"Why should I help you? You led the Dragon's army to our very doorstep. You let them sack and burn her sanctum. You destroyed what we worked so hard to build out of the ruins. You betrayed all of us! We all followed you in the hope of a place of our own, but you had to provoke him by taking back your homeland! You're no better than he was. You were not a liberator! You were a destroyer hiding in plain sight!"

Absolom's face darkened with his own anger, though he was able to keep his own voice under control.

"The Dragon did not understand the game we were playing. The Raven did. That is why he did 'not' attack us and left us alone, despite the skirmishes we conducted on his borders. We also did not have the power to over come him, and The Raven knew it. I didn't until later. His son was not as generous or understanding. The Dragon was filled with spite and hatred. Of himself and all those who opposed him. What happened was inevitable, Nic," Absolom said, his voice filled with genuine regret. "I'm sorry for what happened, but there was no way to stop it. You know that. You were there as well as I."

The sword tip moved toward the floor, and Nicodema's eyes looked down at the weapon, a sad look on her face.

"She's not here anymore," she said. "I can't hear Her voice anymore. It makes me lonely."

"Look, I know-"

"I can't hear Her," Nicodema roared. "You took her from me!"

Absolom sighed again. He should have seen this coming. Though he suspected that there was more going on inside her head, he knew he would have to tackle one problem at a time. There had been very few that Nicodema had trusted enough to open up to in life. In death, she trusted no one.

"You can't blame me for that. You know that very well," he said, the stern tone in his voice causing her to flinch a little. "I did what you were so reluctant to do. I set Her free. Besides, She did not give me much of a choice. She was the one who selected me to receive her 'gift'. She would have given it to you if you had only asked. And had been ready for it. It's a heavy burden, Nic. I'm not entirely sure that I have control over it, or if it has control over me. It might have destroyed you."

"Why you," Nicodema asked, looking away from him. "Why did it have to be you?"

"Nic-"

"Stop calling me that," she roared, her voice amplified by the empty chamber. The chains, almost as if they were responding to her emotions, rattled even loader for a moment before dying down.

A confused look crossed Absolom's face. She glanced up at him, and then away again, looking more like a little girl than the hardened warrior she was.

"Why couldn't we have...," she began haltingly. "We were close once. Why did we have to...I honestly loved you."

Absolom let out a tortured groan. He was not frustrated with her, despite how the groan sounded. This was just the one subject that had honestly hurt. It had been years since he had fled the court of The Raven. He had been take in by Nicodema and The Clan of The Nightwolf, a group of special Guardens, Caernars and Foxlings that opposed The Ravenwolf Empire. She and he had fought together, suffered together, and had become close. Very close. Then Asena had reappeared to deliver her warning and request for help against The Dragon. Everything changed after that. Absolom had seen what was coming for them. Nicodema had not. The argument drove the two apart, and Absolom's new "gift" only deepened the rift.

"I'm sorry," he said with true regret. "I really am. It just was not meant to be."

"Not meant to be," Nicodema repeated. Then her face hardened and she glanced up at him. Her eyes were like golden infernos, her rage simmering just below the surface. Bending down, she picked up the scabbard and slammed the sword into it. Then she looked directly into his eyes, and Absolom was almost certain that she would refuse to help him. Almost.

"If you approach the coming conflict the way you did the one we did, the girl will die. Both her and the blue one. But if you act, if you stay true to your feelings, you may save them both, and one other. Save the girl with the blue eye, Absolom. For your sake as well as hers. Save yourself."

With that, she turned and marched off back into the darkness, her plate rattling the whole way.

"Thank you, Nic...Nicodema," he called after her. "I hope that one day you can find peace and rest."

The sound of her movement faltered and stopped. A pregnant pause followed. For a brief instant, Absolom thought he saw the gleam of her eyes and the white flash of her teeth as she gave him a wicked smile.

"Whoever said I was dead," she called out before the darkness swallowed her.

* * * * * *

Absolom came too with a jolt. For a moment, he was disoriented, his eyes roaming the room looking for enemies. Then they came to rest on Edda. The girl pulled away with a quick jerk as he eyes focused on her, Edda clutching her robe tight around her. The reaction puzzled Absolom for a moment until he realized that his face was screwed up into a fierce frown, scaring the young Raccoonin. Quickly readjusting his expression, he slowly reached out to cup one of the child's cheeks.

"I'm sorry Edda," he said in a kind voice, which he meant. "You startled me. What has drawn you from your bed?"

Edda swallowed.

"I...I had a bad dream."

Absolom leaned over a little to look directly into her eyes.

"About...then?"

"Yes," she practically cried.

Absolom did not say a thing, nor did he sigh or groan. He merely picked her up and placed her in his lap. Wrapping his long arms around her, he gently stroked her hair, slowly rocking her at the same time. For a moment, he remembered a gray haired woman doing the same to him. She had been singing softly to him, but he could not remember the tune nor the words. So he remained silent and just held the crying girl. They stayed that way for a long time as Edda's crying slowly died down. After a while, when the silence had become deafening, Absolom spoke.

"What we need to do," he said quietly, just in case his charge had fallen asleep, "is get you a sleeping companion. What kind of stuffed animal would you like? Or would you like a teddy bear? Or possibly a doll? They were very popular with girls when I was little."

There was a long period of silence, and Absolom had thought she really had gone to sleep. It was just as well. She needed to sleep, and while he could easily put her to sleep, it would not do her any good when she had those nightmares. In fact, the spell might make it worse as it would prevent her from waking up. He might have to find a professional to help her cope with the events that had led her here, for he had no idea what to do. So he sat and thought.

"A wolf," came a muffled response from where Edda's head lay against Absolom's chest.

"I'm sorry," Absolom said, coming out of his own dark thoughts. "What did you say?"

"I want a wolf," Edda said again. "One the same color as you."

The gray Guarden smiled, then kissed the top of her head.

"Very well. I'll pick one up for you tomorrow."

There was another long period of silence.

"Absolom?"

"Hmm," he asked as he looked down. One of her eyes was looking up at him. For a brief moment, as he stared into that pale eye, Nicodema's warning came back to him. He had to save a girl with a blue "eye". The eye had been singular, not plural. Both of Edda's eyes were pale blue, brought on by her blindness and the leaching effect of the magic inside of her. No, Edda had been the first girl mentioned. Absolom was sure of it. The blue one had to be Asena. He knew of no one else who could match that description. That left the girl with a single blue eye. Now who could that be?

"Did you have a bad dream," Edda asked in a quiet, tired voice.

Absolom nodded, to surprised to stop himself.

"Yes. In a way. I was looking for answers and I ended up in a very dark place."

"What do you mean," Edda asked, turning her face completely towards him.

"I'm afraid our time here is coming to an end. Something is telling me that it is time to move on. We may get some visitors in the next few days, so we need to be ready to receive them. But there is more. Something is coming Edda. Something old and powerful. I can feel it."

"Is it going to try and hurt us?"

"I don't know. But remember this, child. I will never abandon you. Even should I die, I will come to save you."

"Promise?"

Absolom gave her a big smile.

"I promise."

Smiling, Edda curled up in his lap and was quickly asleep. Absolom sat in the dark, staring out of the windows that overlooked the casino floor, lost in his own thoughts. Outside, snow began to fall and thick clouds hid the rising sun.

"Never again," he said out load after a long time in silence. "Never again will I abandon some one I care for. This I swear on the chains and bloody teeth of The Nightwolf."

Deep inside him, something stirred, as if with deep rumbling laughter.