It was just a week till Sovven, and the nights were 
turning chill 
And the battle turned to stalemate, double-bluff, and 
feint and drill 
When a shadow drifted northward, just a shadow, nothing 
more. 
No one noticed that the shadows grew all darker that 
before. 
No one noticed that the shadows seemed to creep into 
the heart, 
But from then the fight for freedom seemed a fool's 
quest from the start. 
All the hopes that they had cherished seemed unreasoned 
and naive 
Nothing worth the strength to pray for, or to strive 
for, or believe. 

And the shadows stole the sunlight from the brightest 
autumn day, 
As they sang a song of bleakness that touched every 
heart that heard 
As they whispered words of hopelessness, all courage 
fled away, 
And they wove a smothering blanket over all, that lived 
and stirred. 

Herald Vanyel came upon them, and he sensed a subtle 
wrong, 
And there was some magic working; deeply hidden, yes, 
but strong. 
And it moves and worked in secret, like poison in the 
vein 
Like a poison meant to weaken, this was magic meant to 
drain. 
Herald Vanyel saw the Shadows, and they turned their 
wiles on him 
For one moment even he began to fell his spirit dim- 
But he saw their secret evil, and he swore ere he was 
done 
He would stalk and slay these Shadows, and destroy them 
one by one. 

Herald Vanyel, Shadow Stalker, hunted Shadows to their 
doom 
They turned all their powers upon him, turned away from 
other men 
And although they strove to take him, he unwove their 
web of gloom. 
So the Shadows fled his anger, their creator sought 

Herald Vanyel faces the Singer who had sung them into 
life 
And she sang to him of grief and loss that cut him like 
a knife. 
And she sang to him of self-hate, and she wove a net of 
pain 
With her songs of woe and hopelessness bent to be 
Vanyel's bane. 
"So now what is there to strive for?" was the song she 
sang to him. 
And the shadow came upon his heart, the world grew gray 
and dim. 
But the Singer of The Shadow did not know the foe she 
fought, 
Now how dear he held his duty, nor by what pain power 
was bought. 

Herald Vanyel looked upon her, and he saw through her 
disguise 
And she strove then to seduce him into death or madness 
sweet. 
Herald Vanyel looked within him, and he saw her songs 
were lies, 
And he gathered up his magic then, her powers to 
defeat. 

Herald Vanyel raised his golden voice and sang of life 
and light, 
Of the first cry of a baby, of the silver stars of 
night. 
Herald Vanyel sang of wisdom, sang of courage, sang of 
love, 
Of the earth's sweet soil beneath him, of the vaulting 
sky above, 
Sang of healing, sang of growing, sang of joy and hope 
and dreams, 
And the Singer Of The Shadows felt the death of all her 
schemes. 
It was then she tried to flee him, but his song and 
magic spell 
Struck her down and held her pinioned and she faltered, 
and she fell. 

Then the Singer Of the Shadows saw her Shadows shatter 
there, 
Saw her lies unmade before her, saw her darkness turned 
to day 
And how empty and how petty was the spirit then laid 
bare- 
Like her Shadow then she shattered, and in silence 
passes away.