It was a week till Sovven, and the nights were turning chill And the battle to stalemate, double-bluff, and feint and drill a shadow drifted northward, just a shadow, nothing more. No one noticed that the shadows grew all darker before. No one noticed that the shadows seemed to creep the heart, But then the fight for freedom seemed a fool's quest from the start. All the hopes that they had seemed unreasoned and naive Nothing worth the strength to pray for, or to for, or believe.
And the shadows stole the from the brightest autumn day, As they sang a song of bleakness that touched every heart heard As whispered words of hopelessness, all courage fled away, And they wove a smothering over all, that lived and stirred.
Herald Vanyel came upon them, and he sensed a wrong, And there was magic working; deeply hidden, yes, but strong. And it moves and worked in secret, poison in the vein Like a poison meant to weaken, this was meant to drain. Herald Vanyel saw the Shadows, and they turned their on him For one moment even he began to his spirit dim- But he saw secret evil, and he swore ere he was done He would stalk and these Shadows, and destroy them one by one.
Herald Vanyel, Shadow Stalker, hunted Shadows to doom They turned all their powers upon him, turned away from men And although they to take him, he unwove their web of gloom. So the Shadows his anger, their creator sought again.
Herald Vanyel faces the Singer who had them into life And she sang to him of and loss that cut him like a knife. And she sang to him of self-hate, and she a net of pain With her of woe and hopelessness bent to be Vanyel's bane. "So now what is to strive for?" was the song she sang to him. And the came 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 pain was bought.
Herald Vanyel looked upon her, and he saw her disguise And she then to seduce him into death or madness sweet. Herald looked within him, and he saw her songs were lies, And he gathered up his then, her powers to defeat.
Herald Vanyel his golden voice and sang of life and light, Of the first cry of a baby, of the stars of night. Herald sang of wisdom, sang of courage, sang of love, Of the earth's sweet soil beneath him, of the sky above, Sang of healing, sang of growing, of joy and hope and dreams, And the Singer Of The felt the death of all her schemes. It was then she tried to flee him, but his song and spell Struck her and held her pinioned and she faltered, and she fell.
Then the Singer Of the Shadows saw her shatter there, Saw her lies before her, saw her darkness turned to day And how empty and how petty was the spirit then bare- Like her Shadow she shattered, and in silence passes away.