| abstract | - The Womans shoes made the useal sound as the hit the stone floor and carpet of the Abby..the woman walked by a few presits and old men who greeted her as she passed the woman..or rather Girl, entred the Libary part of the abby and greeted the Librarian. the girl wandered with a purpose towards a bookshelf and reached for a book titled "The Mark Of The Light" in gold lettering...it slipped from her hands and fell behind the case. the girl sighed and began pushing back the shelf...and found a tresure trove of items...the first was a a child's toy..... A woman with Fair hair stood cradleing a child deep in conversation with a Abby Preist. "Im telling you she might not be well! she dint Cry Properly!" the cathederal Preist looked frustrated as he told the woman this. the woman stared daggers at the preist and cradled the sleeping child and smiled down on her. the preist sighed "Miss Cornith...the child may have something wrong with her!". the baby woke and began crying...more accuratly tears streamed from her eyes and her mouth remaind still, the woman pushed a small teddy to the girl who hugged it and fell asleep again. " You woke her." said the woman looking annoyed, "and she Did..Not..Cry." the preist said looking smug. "shes only a child she doesnt really understand." the woman stroked the little girls forehead. the prest bent down and picked up the teddy the little girl had thrown off her in her sleep. "she will understand...ill make sure the abby nurtures her so she not surrounded by these soft...TOYS!" the bad tempered preist flung the teddy over his shoulder where is slid under a book case. "Now look what youve done!" the woman said keeping her voice low as her baby woke "i wont be able to get her to sleep properly now without it. get someone to retrive it for me okay?" the preist nodded and watched the woman leave. "someday...im going to learn whats up with that woman and her child..." The girl picked up the teddy and her eyes began to water she quickly wiped them away and serched the teddy for a marking...there it was! sown on to its feet where the initials K.C. the gilr stared at the teddy for a long moment then placed it gently in her pouch. she reached for the book again and the next object grabbed her focus. Kate Corntih watched "i still dont hear anything.." she said. Craig lowered his hands and stared at his wife. " i swear on the love of the light she laughed!" his wife looked unimpressed. "tell you what ill go and get the preist so he can examin your head.". a few minutes later she returned with one of the junior preists, craig took no notice busy playing peek-a-boo with his daughter, everyone in the room jumped as a childs laugh rent the air. "i told you i told you! she laughed!" craig was overjoyed he grabbed his wife and did a merry jig, the preist on the other hand looked interested "she never opened her mouth...can you repeat that?" the couple nodded looking happy but puzzled and took it in turns to play peek a boo. "in here brother cahrol" Kate cornith opened a box it was filled with scrap paper most had one word or two scrribled on it in a childish way "this is it?." asked the preist, kate nodded "all she has ever said to us since she was born.". "Remarkable" said a ageing Preist "a child so young learning to write? and possesing something else? i was right the child is not right in some way...place this box in the cabinet..i will inspect it later. first, get me the childs parents." The girl blew the dust off the tiny chest there was a catch she flipped it and yellowing paper fluttered out. she grab the peice as it fell. the word "mummy" was written in childish handwriting but the girl knewwhos handwriting it was. she closed the box carefully and placed it next to the small teddy in a pouch. She reached further and pulled out a book. its pages had been ruined by water but as the memory drifted to her she remembered it had been long ago... "scaredy cat scaredy cat!" the children chanted as a boy put his toe in the water and pulled it out quickly. "i can do it!" said a black haired girl she dived in the pool and began swimming. "stop showing off! said some of the children." a blonde haired girl wandered past carrying a book. "hey. watch this" said a boy on the opposite bank to his mates, "OI! blondie! cat got your tounge?! wats the matter too DUMB to come play with us?" the girl turned looking angry "!" said the girl looking very annoyed she threw a stick at the boy and missed "better luck next time kitten!" said the boy he and his frends swam from the bank to the girl and began pushing her around. "whats that youve got pretty face?" the boy grabbed the book under the girls arm and looked at it. "i cant read this stupid thing" he said Throwing it over his shoulder into the middle of the pool, "!" the girl struggled in the grip of the much older boys and kicked the leader in the shin she broke free of their grip and paddled into the pool after the book. "Prayher? Prayher! where are you?" kate cornith looked for her daughter, she say her swimming in the pool grabing something then trying to make it back...but fully clothed and having one hand occupied was too much for her and she began to drown "PRAYHER!" kate started to run yet she was too far away to do much help. "this is too far..." said one of the gang "Go help her!" antoher said the leader looked at the struggleing girl "oh...bugger.." he dived head first into the water and swam to the girl hauling her up to the bank the same time prayhers mother arrived "Prayher! prayher! are you okay?!" prayher clung to the book coughing "thank the light your okay...come on...i have something to tell you...". "but hes not comming back?" the words struck a blow to Kates heart "no Prayher daddy wont comeback." Prayher looked at her miraculaly dry notepad water and tears dripping on to it...she began tearing up the pages one by one creating a miaasive pile next to her. the pad remained in the same state as it had when the conversation had started. "Erm...miss cornith? We're sorry about...you know.." a group of boys huddled in the doorway of the cornith home looking in various stages of shame and dissapointment "its okay...nobody got badly hurt...do me a favoru and take this book prayher had with her to the libary to dry." she looked at the title "how to avoid snakes" she smiled " thats my girl" she said softly handing the book to the boy "always thinking ". Present Day. Prayher looked at the book remembering that day she wiped her eyes how it had ended up here she didnt know but she remembered it like it was yesterday. the next item near was a silly mask painted green. she remembered that day too. "Anything to share miss cornith? or are you working and not passing notes?" Prayher looked up from her work and scrribled "no Sir" on her pad, a grey eyed girl tittered near the front "Since you find this so funny miss Bellmarsh perhaps you can tell me what the main export of the abby is?" the smile faded from Suzannes face and she responded quickly "sir the main export of northshire is its wine sir from the vineyards.". the preist looked non plussed "good work miss Bellmarsh. it seems both you AND miss cornith dont get put down a class" he sighed "oh and miss cornith see me after class.". half way through her work prayher recived a note " Dont get me into Trouble again! S.B" she sighed and kept working..deciding to keep a little distance from Suzanne in the future. in the libary later that day someone jumped out behind a bookcase in the libary wearing a green snake mask scaring prayher from where she had been reading "you where suppost to go see the teacher today" said the boy id go see him now before he gets angry. the bow threw the maask away. Prayher pushed the door open and stepped in the study. "Ah. Prayher.i hope i didnt cause you too much trouble in class?" the ageing Presit smiled. Prayher shook her head. the Preist smiled again "well.ive seen your test results so far and there proving well....but i wanted to talk to you about your gift. we think it is best none of the other children knew about it do you agree?". POrayher nodded mutely. "come now...you know ive heard you use it no need to hide it from me then?", Prayher looked around for a moment "Yes sir." she said without opening her mouth. once more the preist smiled knowing that only he heard her... Prayher grinned and pulled the mask outand placed it beside her. she grabbed the next item.. a medal made of greening copper again she smiled when she remembered it. "hey look its the new girl.." a Girl clung shyly to a man in a white robe as they walked by...prayher watched them pass. she had seen the girl and the man around for the last few months apparently the man was important as hed been given a good room. "Trials coming today children! after your tests are marked you can go and watch. theres even one for children i think." the preist looked at his class of 12-14 year olds "okay so your not children anymore. light forgive me." he addmited after a class of withering stares "anyway heres your results", he started from the front of the class and ended at the back calling names and scores. "Bellmarsh,Suzanne 100%...larry sentin 75% see me later boy.." and so on and so forth until he reached prayher "Cornith,Prayher 94% well done" he moved on and prayher swallowed the lump in her throat. "there it is there it is!" the kids ran to the ring to watch everyone train and fight...and prayher watched the ne girl be put into the ring with a boy whoed won twice already. Prayher prayed silently that shed win...another mute around was nice to see but the girl needed confidence she thought. "the boy won the first round or two and then he accidently hit the important man on the head with his wooden sword. prayher grinned slightly as the girl charged at him and battered him sense less, prayher did a silent cheer then someone tapped her shoulder it was her mum. "prayher do you want to try out one of the spell ranges theve set up?" prayher shook her head and wrote "but i cant cast!" her mother smiled a little "i know you cant but come and try okay?" Prayher walked beside her mother and stood at the ranges, some children were fareing better than others some managing sparks others falling back after burning themselves after fireballs, arcane missles blew through the dummies and ice bolts froze the targets. "Prayher! how many time have i said you not to hide your face?" prayher looked upand her mother brushed stray hair out her eyes. "ive had enouhgh of you hiding your face. here." Prayher looked embarresed as her mother bent down and smothed her hari away from her face. "i saw the nice man with his daughter do this i thought it was nice so lets see how you look" Prayher looked around to see if any of her freinds were watching as her mother bunched her hair in a ponytail "hmm...to far down...this is better!" Kate Cornith moved the pony tail further up her daughters head and turnered her around "much better...now try to hit something.". Prayher stood up to a line and faced her target down the line "Wats the matter girly? cant hit a target?" one of the boys from the gang that had annoyed her when she was younger was watching her bounced a fireball from hand to hand, he threw it ant it impacted on Prayhers target a acolyte put the fire out. "so dumb and dumber think you can do better than that?" Prayher brushed tears of anger from her eyes and turned to the target...she tried a fireball...no reaction the boy laughed she tried ice..arcane and still nothing the boy rolled on the ground in stitches. Prayher brushed more tears from her eyes and made a cat like growl in the back of her throat "whats new pussycat? your useless if you cant cast or fight." Prayher growled again and bunched her fist she felt something flow into her like thousands of pins and needles she raiseed her arm and unleahed the power she felt. no smoke or fire and no ice came but a flash happened and a speeding ball of yeloow erupted from her cupped hand and hit the target square in the centere blowing it apart. the boy gaped...the Acolyte gaped..prayher stood mouth open staring at her hand "prayher you did it you did it!" her mother ran forward from a conversation and hugger her and prayher stood still in shock a preist came up to her and her mother and said "that...was the best shot so far...and since were closing i think you deserve this.." he pinned a medal to prayhers tunic and left after sayiong to Kate "oh and a preist wants to speak with you about.." he glanced at the statue still Prayher still looking at her hand puzzled. Present day Prayher blinked and grinned placing the medal in her pouch. how had it got here she wondered. she remembered the shy girl and grinned again she knew who it was. she saw the last two items..a small box and a year book...she picked up the yearbook and opened its cover...the first page was full of signatures...the first that caught her eye was hers. she looked for others and smiled she turned the pages and found the sketch shed been after... Northshire Abby. Mid afternoon. "annnddd we're done!" the artist looked up at the group of people in front of him some girls but mostly boys. go and collect your certificates. the boys and girls filed off to collect there things and there certificates Prayher spotted her classmates disscussing something and walked over. "yeh we can throw things if there rubbish" "i saw them they dress funny" "bah only a few old duffers.." the group disbanded and she saw suzanne and her freinds head towards the place where the "Scarlet missionarys" where setting up a rudimentry stage. "hey prayher want to watch?" one of the boys she knew called to her and she shook her head she didnt want to get into trouble if she did go and got cught throwing something. "miss cornith ive been talking to you for a while an i think we agree that this should be the course of action" The preist looked at Kate and she nodded "it should be right...i dont know how much longer im going to be here so i thhink we should get it over with. YOU CAN COME IN NOW!" she called over her shoulder prayher pushed the door open slightly and walked in...at 16 sehe hadent changed much still blonde and still blue eyed. "i wonder how you get time to yourself dear if i was a boy id be chasing you trying to get you to kiss me." Prayher smiled at her mothers comment. "well...to business " the preist leaned over his desk and said "remember the range a few years ago?" prayher nodded "well. you know that was the power of the light you called on?" Prayher shook her head. "i see." said the Preist well...for three years we at the abby would like to train you to be a preist would you like that?" Prayher nodded she wanted to be a preist since she was seven. "well as we already know you want to be a scribe too?" prayher nodded again "well we can fit that in. training begins tommorow come see me then." "Suzzane Bellmarsh..Pass..lenard scopes pass..." the preists voice droned on in the ceremony "prayher Cornith..Pass." after the awards prayher looked at the yearbook and signed it she began running home. Shed passed! she could get a job here or at the big cathederal in stormwind! shed passed!.rounding the bend to her perents hous she saw a few preists milling outside she slowed down to walking pace. one walked over and put a hand on her puzzled shoulder "Prayher im sorry but.." Prayher dint hang around...she ran forward shunting past the preists to her mothesrs bed. Kate cornith lay there on her bed peacefully preists outside jumped when they heard a cry rent the air a few tiles fell from the roof rushing inside they heard sobbing and saw Prayher huddled in a corner crying with preists comforting her. Prayher shut the book and picked up the box she opened it it chimed a familiar chime and a small model twirled on a stand...it was her mothers old box..a note inside said "To my daughter." Prayher gripped the box and fell to her knees this cant have been... "Ahh...Prayher such a long time? whats the matter?" Prayher looked up from her corner in the libary...and old man with a walking stick stared at her then at the moved bookcase "ah...i see you found your mothers *Cough* fabled keepsake spot...we thought she was lying when she said she had one. yet i fail to see where the mask came from..." he trailed off then smiled "come now...no need to cry whats that?...oh i see.." prayher showed him the box he smiled kindly. "ive taught you since birth young lady and THAT was your mothers gift to you for when you got your preist Diploma. it seems she never had the chance to give it to you. have you looked properly at the figure or have you been blinded by tears?" prayher wiped her eye staring at the aged tutor and opened the box again...the childhood lullaby as she now remembered it as tingled in the air. prayher stared at the figurine she pulled the note away to get a better look and saw a tiny brass square with the same words enscribed on it she wiped her eyes so to look at the figure and gasped it was her! holding a tiny book down to everylast detail it was correct...she was wearing her preist robe. "i think ill explain to the cathederal for you my dear go and see your mother.." he smiled as prayher nodded and when she left picked up the mask "STANLEY!" he shouted "ive got something of yours...." Prayher stood silently looking at her mothers grave "Thank you" she wrote and dug a small hole beside her mothers head stone filling it with the paper and dirt. she stood for a long time...
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