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