A full golden moon hung in the middle of the dark sky, casting a mysterious, smoky half-light over the quiet nighttime land.
The forest was silent, filled with the breath of dewy freshness: no grasses rustled, no birds sang, no trees whispered. Only the night flowers—children of underground springs—chimed softly. They greedily stretched their sharp, dark-violet petals toward the moon, soaking in its glow, flaring up, then scattering as melting sparks in the air before falling still.
Amber streams flowed downward, straight through the open window of a stone house nestled at the forest’s edge, splashing in waves across the room.
In the room, curled up under a thin blanket on the bed, lay a young woman.
The moonlight fell upon her golden hair, spilled across the pillow, and kissed her delicate, trembling eyelids, wiping away the deep shadows of sleep.
The young woman rolled onto her back and, with a soft sigh, flung a slender white arm to the side.
– Ayna… my soul… wake up…
Her thick lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Was it a dream?
– Ayna… my soul…
The whisper drifted through the window on a gentle lunar breeze, infused with the scent of blooming grasses.
Ayna smiled, rising slowly from the bed, revealing to the moon her graceful, enchanting figure, partially veiled by the sheer fabric of a light nightgown.
How had he dared to come to her window at night? Two walls away, her mother slept, and just beyond the door was her nanny.
The nanny was kind; she wouldn’t tell. But her mother would be horrified to learn that a man was lurking outside her daughter’s bedroom window.
But Lemi wasn’t just any man—he was her fiancé. On the autumn equinox, exactly nine days after she came of age, their wedding would take place…
So, what harm could there be in wandering the forest paths nearby for a little while?
The night was tender and alluring, and the full moon beckoned so insistently into its embrace, caressing her with warm, healing light.
Her mother would never know… Though, her mother, who loved her unconditionally, might understand the impulses of a young woman’s heart. Her brother, on the other hand, definitely wouldn’t! It was a stroke of luck that his rooms were in the other wing of the house, far from hearing this quiet whisper.
Ayna wrapped herself in a blanket and, stepping lightly on the moonlit floor, tiptoed to the window.
There he was, her beloved—a dark silhouette among the trees. Ayna waved to him, and the figure immediately retreated into the black shadow of the forest.
Quickly dressing in a comfortable short dress for walking, she eased the door open.
In the depths of the hallway, an oil lamp glowed faintly, casting pale, wavering shadows on the walls.
The nanny wasn’t sleeping right by the door but against the wall, on a wide chest, covered with a light embroidered blanket. She snored softly and smacked her lips in her sleep.
Ayna smiled tenderly. The nanny had probably downed a bottle of her favorite cherry cordial before bed. That meant her sleep would be sweet, peaceful, and long.
Ayna, who could walk almost without touching the ground, slipped past the nanny like a shadow and darted toward the side stairs, praying to the heavens that no one would notice her.
But everyone in the house had long since fallen asleep. Only from the darkest corners, where no light reached, came occasional sounds: a faint tapping, a creaking, or a cautious rustling.
Ayna had grown used to these mysterious noises long ago. In the stone crevices of the house, ghostly entities had dwelled since time immemorial. On moonlit spring nights, they emerged from their hiding places and wandered aimlessly through the vast house: invisible and silent…
The small door in the wall didn’t even creak as she opened it and slipped outside.
– Ayna…
– Lemi! How could you take such a risk? – she said with feigned sternness, pulling away from his hand. – What if my brother wakes up?
– Saim’s gone, my soul! I saw him riding down the road toward Cripplewood Forest, and I couldn’t resist the urge… I just had to see you…
– When did he leave? – Ayna asked, surprised.
– As the nightingale sang in the grove...
– That’s so strange, Lemi! He left without saying a word to anyone… It scares me… What kind of reckless impulse drove him out on the road? Where could he have headed?
– Maybe he just couldn’t sleep, so he decided to shake off his restlessness. Boredom and sadness don’t wait for the right moment; they come whenever they please.
– But what would he be doing in Cripplewood Forest? Unless… – Ayna couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought and fell silent.
– No, my soul, Saim isn’t a fool. He wouldn’t dare venture into the valley of the Dry Channel before the appointed time, – Lemi replied, guessing her thoughts, – not without making offerings to water and fire, not without receiving your mother’s blessing…
Ayna looked into her fiancé’s eyes and, unable to resist, reached out to touch his blond hair with her fingers.
They had been engaged for several years, but sacred traditions strictly forbade a young woman from being alone with a man, even her betrothed. She must step across the threshold of marriage untouched, or the God of Fire would not bless their union. The displeasure of the God of Fire was a terrible punishment. Only through his favor did fertility and prosperity come to both family and domain.
– I can’t stay with you long, Lemi. Mother’s asleep, the nanny’s asleep... I’ve begged the heavens for forgiveness. I’ve pleaded with the God of Fire not to punish us for these rare, secret meetings… – Ayna shook her head softly, – My heart is uneasy now. Saim’s strange departure won’t let me breathe easy.
– Don’t worry, my soul, my darling… Your brother is a leader and a wise man. He knows much that is hidden between earth and sky, so he knows what he’s doing. We won’t lose the gods’ favor… Don’t worry.
Ayna longed to rest her head on her beloved’s shoulder, but she didn’t dare, fearing to anger the spirits even more.
The night breathed gentle warmth, and serpents of lilac mist coiled among the fern thickets, dissolving as they settled in dewdrops on the lacy leaves.
And then, somewhere in the distance, breaking the majestic silence of the night, a mournful, drawn-out cry echoed from an unknown creature—whether beast or bird, no one could tell.
Rarely did the people of Ethelana hear its voice, and no one knew where it came from, where it lived, or what it looked like.
The wise men of the southern lands claimed that the lonely nocturnal cry of this unknown being always heralded some calamity.
– Lemi! Do you hear that! – Ayna exclaimed, seized by mortal dread, flitting among the trees like a light, weightless shadow, – It will bring grief and disaster to our lands!
– No, don’t say that, my beautiful darling! Think back… It cried out during the spring thaw too, and nothing happened…
But Ayna trembled all over, pressing her hands to her heaving chest in unspeakable agitation, not even noticing that Lemi, trying to comfort her, had lightly wrapped his arm around her slender waist.