text: Even as quiet as you are, if you head over to her location, you might miss your best opportunity to attack even if you were waiting for a slightly better opening. Still no point in taking chances, you speed yourself up just give yourself that extra edge.
  
  As your blade sinks into the back of one of the eternals you materialize before the rest of their eyes and they look as if they see a ghost. Their surprise doesn't last long, but it's enough for you to chop down another one before they can put up a decent defense.
  
  "Behind you!" you hear a voice shout and you instinctively duck down and spin around to shoot a bolt at whatever might be behind you. You catch an attacker in the leg with it, but from what you can see a bunch more eternals have arrived to help their buddies. This is why you wanted to wait a moment longer before attacking.
  
  One of the eternals in charge shouts at one of his men to go catch the girl that just shouted a warning to you. At this point running might not be a bad option for yourself. If you had your back against something, you might be better able to fight them, but being surrounded and outnumbered like this isn't the best situation.
  
  You make a break for it, but the eternals are wise enough to not all chase you directly, some instead run along either side of you hoping to head you off. It doesn't help that a few are carrying spears and are fairly proficient at throwing them.
  
  You cloak yourself and climb up a tree, which helps lose them. They continue to search the area where they last saw you. Eventually they give up and argue with each other about losing you.
  
  You wait about an hour in the tree before you decide its safe to come down. You head back to the sanctuary cursing your unpreparedness. That speed spell also took it out of you. You feel more drained than you have in a long time; it's almost like the old days when you were complete crap at casting magic. You're guessing your long detachment from Dendrin has made your shadow magic even weaker. At least you can still cloak without too many problems it seems.
  
  Eventually you get back home only to see a visitor waiting for you. It's the girl and she's sitting on a pile of rubble near your secret entrance. Now that you can see her in a better light, she's much different looking from the wailing waif you last saw. She stinks of the swamp like she's been living in it for days. Her face is healed up with a few minor scars, but her eyes display a stare that could be matched by some battle weary warriors. You're actually a little surprised to see her since it implies that she knew where you lived, meaning she's sneakier than you thought.
  
  "Nobody followed me. I lost my pursuer."
  "Did you kill him?"
  "No."
  "Then how the hell do you know you really lost him? Maybe he let you get away, just to follow you at his leisure. What the hell were you doing out there, you know damn well you're no match for those guys."
  "Neither are you it seems."
  "I would've been had I waited a little longer to gather all the information instead of jumping into battle like an idiot."
  "So why'd you jump in like an idiot?"
  "Because I saw you and you were already a factor I didn't need to deal with if you decided to jump in like an idiot. So I did it instead, hoping that was all of them. Apparently not. Still, got a few of them I guess. There's always tomorrow. Now if you don't mind, I'm going inside and I don't need you knowing exactly where the entrance is even if you already knew where I lived."
  
  The girl doesn't move.
  
  "So basically what you're saying is you risked your life to prevent me from getting hurt."
  "No, I told you why I did it. Don't read into something that isn't there, now I suggest you do what I told you to do last time and go home."
  "I can't considering they destroyed my village not long ago. Completely."
  
  You exhale deeply since you heard about that, but of course you had no idea she was from there.
  
  "So that was your village? Was it random, or did they know you were there for the... first attack?"
  "I think they knew. They didn't know exactly what had happened or who was there, but they guessed someone in the village knew something. Some in the village knew what I told them, like my family, Aaron's family, and close neighbors, but nobody gave me up. I sort of wished they did, they'd all be alive right now."
  "If you felt that way, why not turn yourself in?"
  "Because I was scared? Because I didn't want to die? Because I'd somehow beaten the odds and endured something I shouldn't have?"
  "Because you wanted to survive." You say.
  "Yes, because I wanted to survive. Just like I wanted to survive when they started lining up everyone to more efficiently butcher them. I managed to run. I left my mother, my father, my little brother, my friends. I left them ALL behind. I didn't try to save them Maybe I could've I don't think so, but I didn't even try. All I wanted to do is survive. And that's what I've been doing ever since, living in the swamp attempting to survive and plot revenge."
  "Hmm, well you've got the survival bit down at least. So were you the only survivor from your village?"
  "I dunno, I think some others ran. Don't know what happened to them though. So when are we going to attack again?"
  "I'M going to get some rest and I'll attack again when I feel like it. YOU I don't know what you're going to do, but I suggest you go find some place to hide where those bastards can't find you. Now leave. I'm not going to ask nicely again."
  
  The girl hops down from her sitting spot.
  
  "No, I'm not going anywhere. YOU saved me. Twice. Which means right now you're the closest thing I have to a friend and friends help each other out. Besides, I did warn you about that guy going to attack you. Surely that warrants me at least some place to stay. I won't get in the way. I know how to take care of myself. I know I can do a lot more than I used to... "
  "Look this isn't some shelter for lost girls! This is my damn home! I don't owe you shit! Now get the fuck outta here!" you yell and stand directly in front of her, but she's unmoved.
  "You're going to have to fucking kill me then!" she shouts back in your face.
  
  At this point you're more worried about your voices attracting attention. You feel like knocking her out, but that would only be a temporary solution and despite being a fairly ruthless killer, you're not going to oblige her alternative.
  
  You push her out of the way and open up your entrance. She's probably a little amazed that she was so close to it and didn't realize it.
  
  "Well? Don't just stand there with a dumb look on your face; get inside before we attract the attention of something other than Sul Monkeys." You say and motion her inside.
  
  "What's your name anyway?"
  "Lena."
  
  Dendrin's going to have a field day with this and you've got nobody to blame but yourself.
  > lesson One for Lena (A conversation)
  "And this will be your room. You can fix it how you want, but don't make a fucking mess. Also I don't know what combat skills you've learned since I last saw you, but if you're serious about this like you appear to be, you will be training under me starting tomorrow. I'm not taking you along if you don't know how to handle yourself better." You say.
  "Great. It's what I want anyway."
  "Hmm, you'll probably rethink that, once I actually start training you. Anyway, goodni... "
  "Hey I know you have some magic abilities, but are you really a shadow?" Lena asks.
  
  Her question catches you off guard.
  
  "Yeah, I guess. I mean not really. Shit, I dunno. Just go to bed kid, you'll need the sleep because you've got other things to worry about."
  "What sort of answer is that?"
  "The only one I'm giving you right now. "
  "Sheesh, I just figured it would be important if I knew if you were actually what you claimed when you killed those eternals that... assaulted me."
  "What? What did I say? I remember a lot of killing and screaming, but that's it."
  "You said something like I'm the shadow of the past and right now the past is catching up with you. And then you killed one of them."
  
  You now remember that line. That was rather over the top of you, and you're sort of surprised you forgot it so quickly.
  
  "Heh, remembered that did you... but then I suppose it might've been more memorable for you... (sigh). The answer to your question is... complex. Officially I am a shadow, but
  I am not a faithful one as far as the crazy religion is concerned."
  "So you don't believe in Daylin?"
  "Dendrin is his name and I didn't say I didn't believe in him, I just don't worship him. One would think he'd want to leave me alone because of it, but for whatever reason he still insists on speaking with me on occasion. Don't ask me why, I don't know either. Maybe he just finds me interesting because I'm an eternal."
  
  Your statement causes Lena's eyes to go wide. She wasn't expecting you to say something like that.
  
  "Oh don't worry, I'm an original eternal, not like the ones you know about."
  "How did an eternal become a shadow?"
  "Long story and maybe I'll tell you one day assuming you survive training, now that's it for questions for tonight. You better get some rest, I'm serious."
  
  Lena ceases her questions and realizes that she's reached the limit on them for tonight. You leave her and head to your room wondering what the hell you're thinking. You hesitate to sleep just because you don't want to suffer through Dendrin's predictable taunts and questions. So you end up heading to the garden to speak to the only person you can.
  
  "Hi Talia, as you might know we've got a visitor. It's that girl that I saved a few months ago. She seems to think she's a warrior now." You say shaking your head and sitting by Talia's grave.
  
  "Yeah I dunno what I'm doing either, but I figure if she wants to get revenge that bad, then maybe she's earned the right to succeed and I should at least train her properly. I mean hell, it isn't like I have much else to do and it wouldn't be so bad having someone help me again."
  
  You suddenly begin to feel a little nervous.
  
  "I mean of course she'll never replace you. NEVER. I just... um... I look... "
  
  While you sit there trying to explain yourself to a dead woman, you don't even notice Lena entering the garden.
  
  "What's going on? Who are you talking to?" she asks in all innocence and you fly into a rage at being intruded on.
  
  "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING ENTER THIS PLACE AGAIN!" you stand up and shout while walking towards her. You're menacing enough that Lena genuinely fears that you're going to hurt her and she runs out of the room.
  
  While Lena runs back to her room, you calm down a bit and stop yourself at the entryway of the garden and realize that you might've gotten a little more upset than you should have.
  
  "(Sigh) Shit." You quietly say and begin to head towards Lena's room. When you get there you see her trying not to cry and packing what little belongings she owns.
  
  "Where are you going?"
  "I'm leaving, I guess you're right, I shouldn't be here."
  "Lena, stop. Where are you going to go? Back to live in the swamp with eternals hunting for your head? Look I'm sorry, but I haven't had anyone living here for quite a while and you caught me off guard during, well a private time.
  "So who were you speaking with?"
  "Talia, my dead wife. Except I like to pretend she's still alive sometimes. Hmm, now that I think about it, that's not a very strong incentive for you to stay." You morbidly joke.
  
  You sort of expect Lena to agree and continue her attempt to leave, but she doesn't.
  
  "I... suppose I understand. For a while after my boyfriend Aaron was killed, I still couldn't quite accept the fact he was dead either. Sometimes I pretended he was just off travelling for an extended period of time. When the rest of my family died, well I didn't hold that illusion for any of them or even Aaron anymore. I had to accept reality. No point in living in a fantasy land when it isn't real right?"
  "Truer words have never been spoken. I believe you have the right mindset Lena and I also believe your training will go well."
  
  As you turn to leave, Lena can't resist asking that last question.
  
  "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, but how did your wife die?"
  "In battle against the eternals, about ten years ago."
  
  Lena's expression is a puzzled one. Here you just congratulated her on her acceptance of reality, yet you've been drifting in and out of fantasy for a decade. You stop her before she even asks.
  
  "Lesson one, do as I say, not as I do." You remark and leave.