It was just a week till Sovvan, 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 than before

No one noticed while 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 naïve

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 moved and worked in secret like a 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 again

Herald Vanyel faced 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

Nor 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 shadows then she shattered, and in silence passed away