i thought i understood the water,
the silver whispers of stream,
dying the way sadness sighs  
like a star.

the water didn't bring me to
you or you to me.

you were not the shimmer of a
fish.

you were the light reflecting,
bold splashes of colour
on a bold canvas. you

were night when i could
hardly bear the night and you
fell through me

like twilight bringing black
marble moons and watery ghosts.

i thought i understood the water.
i thought the stars painted your
reflection on my lips,

but the silver whispers were not
sad they were happy and
i wondered how i ever
found them sad.

The screams of fear and joy echoed throughout the ravine where the Violet Cascade waterfall fell.  Solan awaited Alston and his boys as they slid down the spiral ice bridge with a smile on his face.

Alston and his boys reached the bottom of the waterfall with eyes wide open with fear only to scream with joy and laughter.  Solan begin to laugh with them as he helped them on their feet. Alston then then turned to Solan.  " We must have saved a day in a half sliding down the waterfall like that! Yes, my friend, we can follow the riverbank to the gold dusk road bridge.  We should be able to reach the bridge at a steady pace by midday."  Leaves begin to fall beginning to write the lyrics of an autumn song soon to have melodies and verses. By midday the gold dusk road was reached.  The bridge was alive with caravans, vendors, tents, fires, small battalions and the moving of folk throughout the land all trying to reach the castle city of Oinotna.  Solan then spotted a Council of wizards deep in discussion smoking silver grass. Solan spoke out to the group.  " I will go into discussion with my fellow coven members and seek out knowledge of what they have experienced as well as share what we have seen. Very well Solan, I'll find us a place to camp nearby and find us some food. Alston, if chicken is burning somewhere please fetch me a thigh. Very well!"

Solan approached the Conclave of wizards as the smoke of the silver grass swayed through the air like a magical haze only dreams could conjure. Solan knew of three wizards there in discussion.  Rizen, from the coven Sun-wind. They wore the color red throughout the lands. Wizards that specialize in fire and wind spells. Olian, from the coven Metals of the light. Wizards that specialize in invocations, blessing weapons with immense powers and abilities. They mostly cloaked themselves in the color gray.  And finally, Tersia, from the coven Wings of the moon, Sorceresses specializing in the magic of water and healing. Wearing a pale white moon colored cloak.  As Solan arrived a wizard in a gold cloak called out to him " Solan from the coven 3 Stars shine." Solans coven had only three members which the other two members being his brother and sister.  3 stars shine specialized in ice magic as well as combustion magic.  " Come and sit with us Solan, Join the discussion."  A clump of silver grass was given to Solan as he fetched his pipe from his pocket.  He huffed up a huge smoke cloud and added to the magical haze that swirled about and joined the discussion.

loving you is like waiting for the spring,
the love that winds around my fingers

a stream that will fill with the most beautiful light.
when you open your eyes to my kisses,

i fill with the summer and the bright stars,
so chill with loneliness, leave.

i forget that the moon hangs like a
silver leaf in a sky of swallow's song,

while the rose that winter stole,
that died in my lovelorn arms,

left like the impressionist the water loved,
until all i could see was the dreams

of the water, and all i could feel was
the sleeping of the dark.

The young wizard and his new friends journey together finally reaching the purple river waterfall "Violet Cascade." Conversations ramble on through the morning sun.

" My boys and I have been calling you Mr. Wizard. So, what is thy true name? " The young wizard cracked half a smile and spoke out.
" Although I do enjoy Mr. Wizard! My name is Solan."  Both the boys smiled, and Liam spoke out. " So, Mr. Solan it is!" Solan smiled and laughed. " No just Solan will be fine."  

Solan then turned to Alston and asked of his journey.  " May I ask why you are travelling to the castle city?"  Alston smiled faded and explained their journey.  " Our town of Egnur was destroyed by an army of dark creatures.  My wife Miria and the boy's mother woke us in the night. She was part of the watch and a great fighter.  She took us out of town and instructed us to get to her sister in Oinotna.   As we fled our town, she went back to help the other soldiers get families out.  It was the last time we saw her. Kanan then spoke out about his mom. " Mom is the best fighter ever! She can kick anyone's ***! " Solan smiled and agreed. " I'm sure she could! " Alston then spoke. " I was a woodsman. I could build anything. I once built Miria's father a weapon shed, and she came to observe my work. It was at that moment we fell in love with each other. A warrior and a woodsman.  She was way out of my league. But the stars aligned that evening. I suppose we were meant to be." Alston smiled and looked to his feet as he followed them on the journey.
" May I ask why you journey to the castle city Solan?" Solan then explained.
" The monsters and the creatures. The attacks on towns like yours and mine. Something is not right with the balance of things.  Even magic and invocations are being affected in such a way we cannot explain.  New spells are being discovered at an alarming rate. While creatures never seen have somehow come to life with malice and hate. The lineage of the wizards will be gathering at Oinotna for a council of thoughts. Wizards from all over the lands are making the same journey I am.  Hopefully together we can find this imbalance." The sound of Violet cascade sang through the air.   Alston then spoke out. " The waterfall. We must now head west down the blue and green trail. Should take about a day to reach the bottom of the mountain.  Solan then smiled. " I have a better idea! Frostias Platformais Sliadia! Translation (Ice bridge slide). A huge ice slide fell to the bottom of the waterfall in a beautiful spiral formation.  Without hesitation Solan slid first with screams of joy echoing across the ravine as he slid to the bottom of the waterfall.  Alston and the boys followed with both screams of fear and joy!

you grew out of the tangling black,
those carefree tides that lead to the moon.

the stars i thought were silver knots
would not unwind, danced on the horizon,

softened like the white mist that gathered
the sky and the dark rose of your eyes.

you filled with the quiet of the hills
and i watched as your ghost

started to tell me goodbye, that
ghost whose seas were frozen in the night,

the ghost i loved, and everything that
was fire in me carved the words into

the night's magnolia net and the words
were; " i don't want you to go".

" Your new blade needs a name." Said the young wizard to his new warrior awoken friend.  The blade gleamed with magical permanent glows and luminescent courage.  It also seemed lighter in weight when Alston held and wielded it.  

Liam and Kanan awoke from their slumber oblivious to the cursed night they slept through.  Alston stoked up fire and broke out the pans for cooking.  Eggs sizzled to both the boy's delight.  The sun broke through the clouds and the young wizard soaked it up in his staff. He walked back toward the campfire to the smell of eggs sizzling under the morning sun.  Alston retained his fatherly appearance, and the warrior was hidden and dormant inside the new unlocked chamber of his soul.  Birds sang their morning melodies and rabbits hopped to an unheard song of nature.

The four of them ate breakfast through the beautiful morning with the boys laughing at the funny faces the young wizard was making at them.  The young wizard also had egg yolk on the sides of his mouth.  Although formidable in the uses of the magical arts the young wizard table etiquettes were not so proper.   Alston then fetched some toy soldiers and horses for the boys to play with while he and the young wizard packed up for the journey ahead. After everything was packed Alston then lifted the sheathed sword and looked to the young wizard.  

" I will name this blade "Awoken." Together this blade and I awoke parts of us that had always been there, yet fear kept them from awakening. Awoken has vanquished that fear.  Now I must learn the way of the sword.  My brother-in-law is the commander of arms in Oinotna.  I will learn from him when we arrive.  Let us journey together my friend."