Shadow was dancing in the light of a rising sun, concentrated on her steps and the motion of her sword, and she did not notice as her friend, Shimmering Spark, came downhill from the camp and sat on the bank of the river watching her. When Shadow finished, Spark came closer.

“Good morning! Your dance is perfect as always.”

“Thank you, and good morning!” Shadow bowed. She indeed loved to dance and was good at it, according to Fire Storm, Shadow’s brother, who was an expert on such matters. Shadow could spend the whole day practicing her moves.

Spark was a distant cousin to Shadow but also had eastern blood in her veins. Her hair had the color of dark bark, and her skin had a slightly grayish tan. Two natural markings embroidered her face, like tiny bolts of lightning stroked two paths from her eyes down to the chin. Humans would call such markings tattoos, but these were of natural origin and were common among eastern teheni. Spark looked elegant and cool as always. Her hunter’s costume was decorated with black feathers, and a few others were tied to the braids of her hair.

“I’m not entirely sure who your opponent is,” Spark continued. She stopped next to Shadow and waved a hand in the air repeating the trajectory of Shadow’s sword.

Together they learned battle dancing and archery in the Silver Sliver school, considered one the best schools not only in the lands of Alder but also far beyond them.

“A cutting blow… with its target being quite low, I would say. And then a quick thrusting strike? Strange move and position. You are completely open to a counterattack, but it is not human or teheni you are fighting, so you are not afraid of being hit by a sword? It must be some beast… not a very big one.”

“Correct.”

“I would also guess it is standing on four legs, has a tough shell, and a poisonous tail!”

“You are right again,” Shadow smiled.

On the contrary, Spark was not happy at all. “I know you chose a stone pango as your perfect prey for the Ascension, but Shadow… hunting that beast is too dangerous! Stone pango could kill you with a single strike!”

“I could kill it with a single strike too.” A smile on Shadow’s face didn’t faint. “His shell is not strong enough to withstand a good piercing hit. I will target it right in the heart, which will be enough. Even an arrow from a hunting bow can wound a pango from a short distance. Worry not; I’m well prepared. Last fall, we hunted with Storm not far from the Wind Warden, and I killed two stone pangos. Brother taught me well. This beast is slow and weak. The only real danger is its stone poison, but even that poison is powerful only in the dark. During the daylight, pango must sting directly in your spine to paralyze you.”

No matter how confidently Shadow spoke, she failed to dispel her friend's doubts. Her words had the opposite effect on Spark. “Great ancestors,” she sighed, “what if the sun will set by when you find the pango?” What if your strike won’t be precise enough to pierce its heart? Why take such a risk? I know that you will never choose a turkan or a snap-head as perfect prey, but there are other beasts near Chipped Mountain. The moon owl, for instance. I dream of catching it because I want my new name to be bound to the sky.

“A moon owl? Don’t you feel sorry for this harmless creature?”

“Harmless? Maybe, but also beautiful and proud.“

“I don’t want beautiful prey. I want a strong one.”

Of course, Spark knew she had no chance of persuading her friend, as Shadow made her decision long ago. Soon after they returned to the camp, a group of locals came. These were shepherds from the nearby village: about ten older men and the same number of young. They brought gifts: meat, sheep's cheeses, fahwa juice, noo-noo skins, and dressed leather. Everyone in the Grass Reach knew that the head of the Crimson Alder was visiting the Grass Reach at the beginning of the spring, and generous gifts for him were prepared in advance. Spring Thunder received guests at his tent. Shadow sat next to her father and accepted the gifts with a fitting smile while understanding not a single word of the speech of the village folk. Shepherds bowed and praised the Spring Thunder in every possible way. She could understand why, though. It was only thanks to the Crimson Alder clan that peace finally reigned over this land, which had changed so many lords.

The villagers did not stay for long and were not supposed to. Around noon many from the camp went down to the river to take a dip. It was a sunny and warm day, while clouds were gathering in the east in a promise of rain to come. Spark suggested that everyone play the “urus eye” game. It turned out that she even had a wooden eye with her for this occasion. It was an exciting challenge, and everyone agreed with enthusiasm. They all took their bows and headed towards the sparse willow grove further on the bank of the river.

Among the hunters in the party, there were two more whom Shadow knew very well. The first was Quick Hamster; he belonged to a small clan of the Mockingbird, a longtime and faithful ally of the Crimson Alder, helping it to guard the western border.

With light brown and unruly hair, Hamster was somewhat stoutish, which was quite rare among teheni. No one would call him chatty, and he never was the first to volunteer for any job. Some even said that the lack of confidence was why he never put much effort into anything. However, with all these, Hamster somehow managed to be one of the best archers in the Silver Sliver school.

The second was Clinking Sword. A descendant of one of the eldest branches of Alder, he was a son of a previous clan head who died twenty years ago, succeeding his place to Spring Thunder. Unlike Hamster, Sword was tall and never bent his back when facing a difficult situation. He had dark brownish hair and prominent features and was just twenty-five winters old—younger than Shadow or any of her friends. Yet, at the same time, Sword was the most determined of them in training. He was unlucky with the bow and preferred the art of the sword, as was evident from his name.

The game of “urus eye” was simple: a wooden disk, which was a few inches in diameter and resembled a large eye, was hung from a branch of a lone-standing tree so that it could be seen from a distance. There should be little or no wind for the best result. Then, the “eye” owner walked from fifty to a hundred steps away, marked the starting distance, and picked one of the players to shoot first. If, after a round, no one could split the eye, the one who landed his arrow closer than the others made a few steps toward the target, marked a new distance, and started the next round.

Shadow knew she had little chance of winning, yet she spent the time with delight. The main rivalry, as was expected, raged between Spark and Humster. While Spark hit the eye after two rounds, her arrow only touched it and did not split, so it was not counted as a win. And after another round, Hamster managed to burst the amulet into splinters. The loud cheering followed.

Elders were sitting on the river bank, enjoying fahwa and food and watching the game. When it was finished, Spring Thunder came to Shadow.

“I wish you luck, Gray Shadow,” he said as they walked away from the grove.

Shadow stopped and bowed respectfully.

“Thank you, father! I won't disappoint you, and I'll deserve a good name.”

“I do not doubt this. You are a true daughter of the Alder. You are determined to hunt the stone pango as you decided?”

“Exactly, father.”

Spring Thunder became thoughtful.

“I like your decisiveness, but that could become a real problem, Shadow. You will need all your luck, not only because the stone pango is a dangerous beast, but because it is so hard to find one nowadays.”

“I know, father; our hunters killed almost all of them. But I will succeed. Storm taught everything.”

“He taught you well; I do not doubt that. But even the best of us don’t know everything. And, as it happens sometimes, could forget.“

“What do you mean, father?”

“There is one secret, Shadow, that is well known to everyone. Strangely, at the same time, few people understand its true value.”

“What is it?

“You will get a new name in a few days, which is undoubtedly very important, but it is even more important to appreciate the one you have now, to understand and correctly use your skills. One shall not always strive to be the top dog. Instead, in a battle or a hunt, it is better to be the master of your strengths. You should strike from a solid position and use what you are best at. Let’s take this archers game as an example. Few can split urus eye from the starting position. However, in real life, you do not need to. Instead of shooting from afar, you can steal up close. That’s your strength: you are agile and stealthy. I am sure you can sneak up even to the moon owl without it noticing you.”

“A good advice. Thank you, father. However, I don't want to catch a moon owl.”

“I’m not suggesting you to. I only want to see that you understand your strengths. You always looked up to Storm. It is commendable, but remember that each of us has his way. Your brother is not only an excellent warrior but also one of the clan's best hunters. He hunted stone pango with me when he was not yet fifteen winters old, long before his warrior Ascension.”

Shadow did understand what her father was telling her. Yes, she should know and use her strengths. But what if these very strengths were not what she wanted? What if, instead of being a silent and inconspicuous shadow, she wished to become a bright and brave flame? What name could she get after defeating the stone pango? Fiery Lightning Piercing Cold Darkness Of The Night? Something like that, no less, and Shadow didn't even want to think about anything less.

Shadow brought her bow back to the camp and met Spark—she suggested exploring the surroundings together, and Shadow agreed. Eventually, they climbed the nearby hill, sat together on its top, and watched how the sun was lowering down and hiding behind the warm-golden baldachin that seemed to be covering the horizon on the southwest.

“Have you thought of what you will do after getting a warrior’s name?” Spark asked.

“Not yet,” Shadow admitted. She had been preparing for the Ascension so hard that she did not have time to think about the after.

“Anyway, it is not like you will have many choices initially,” continued Spark thoughtfully. “One way or another, you will be assigned to a border guard.”

“River guard, most probably.” Shadow nodded.

“Yes,” Spark looked at her before continuing: “But I can’t believe you don’t have anything to dream about. There must be something that you are thinking of. Maybe you have a plan?”

“I made no plans, but…” Shadow didn’t finish.

“But what?”

“You know…” Shadow hesitated. “When I think about the future, I always think about some song.”

“A song?”

“Yes, that’s childish, I know, but… I remember when I was a small girl, my father had not yet become a clan’s head and was a warden of the Ridge. That time, especially on winter evenings, I often sat next to the fireplace and listened to one of the guards singing about the old days. Those songs seemed so beautiful and encouraging to me that I dreamed of becoming a part of one someday. So, I guess this is my answer to your question: I would like to become a part of a brave and proud song.”

“A part of a song? That’s weird. Don’t get me wrong… but that’s weird!” Spark hesitated for a moment. “Did you hear what people say recently? The clan of The Roving Urus became so strong that they are considering going north, crossing the Atarana, and retaking the plains from umars. That sounds like a big war.”

“Yes, I heard that.”

“You know, when I’m thinking of big wars, I’m not sure I chose the right path,” Spark sighed. ”Maybe being the hunter was better for me,” she got pensive.

“Then why did you choose the warrior’s path?” asked Shadow.

“I’m not exactly sure…” Spark’s mood suddenly changed, and she smiled openly. “But I know where the right place is for me to figure it out!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when I think about the border guard duty which young warriors are obliged to, I would prefer to be sent to the Wind Warden.”

“You wish!” Shadow smiled too.

“I do,” Spark agreed eagerly.

“Guarding the passes through the Heart of the Ridge – this’s a dream of many, but only the best are taken there.”

“Am I not one of the best archers? Besides, the mountain passes are important, but, more importantly, the Heart of the Ridge guards are commanded by Storm. I think I will quickly become a prominent warrior under his wise command.” Spark laughed.

“Good plan.” Shadow laughed as well.

“And daring too,” Spark nodded. “Do you know, by the way, why Storm doesn’t have a battle mate yet? Many women without hesitation would become one.”

“No... we didn't talk about such things.”

“Why? He's your brother! Could you ask him on occasion? It's interesting!”

They walked back to the camp as the sun hid behind the hills. One of the elders had already taken out a kithara and was singing about the Exodus. It was not the best time in the history of the clans, but the Crimson Alder faced its challenges honor. Flutes joined the kithara, and after the story was over, someone asked: “Please sing about the battle at Alder Pier!”

“Better, about the White Night campaign!”

And warriors proudly sang about past and glorious deeds, although none of the living saw them with their own eyes. But this is what songs are for: keeping ancestral knowledge and passing it to the new generations, guarding the clan’s history.

The fire warmed pleasantly, and Shadow did not notice how she got sleepy. Through her slumber, instead of voices of musical instruments, she heard the sounds of clashing blades and songs of swishing arrows. She seemed to see it with her own eyes, as furious umars were storming the Halls of Urus. She heard the roar of their countless hordes running across the lost land. And to the thundering voices of drums, the archers of the Alder were rising from the grass, and with a battle cry, swelling the cold waters of the Atarana with the bodies of their dead enemies, making the river crimson…