Getting Answers

Any time Sahanah was confused about anything, she would go to the one person who was always there for her. The one and only friend she had made in her whole life. Maghenta Candur. She was considered an Stuligna because of her lack of powers, but she still was a long descendant of the famous Candur family that hunted a very powerful Hidden many generations before. She guessed the powers occasionally skipped a generation. Still, Sahanah always went to her in time of confusion from her tattoo, over-heightened senses, even the physical appearances that she did not share with her parents. And she believed it was more than just being adopted. Even adopted children looked something like their parents even if it was only facial expressions.

Maghenta lived only a few blocks from where Sahanah did, and almost half way across town from her parents. She loved them, but every child has their limits as to how long they are willing to be on the same street, let alone the same house as their parents. After dropping off the bagged head on her parent's doorstep, she headed to Maggi's, keeping her a secret. They don't need to know that she has a friend, or that she tells her everything, or that the reason she lives so far is because of this friend. Though, over the years, she has noticed Maghenta was leaving something important left unsaid. Sahanah was very uncomfortable with that.

She took the fastest route there and knocked on her door trying to be patient. When Maggi opened her door, she looked at Sahanah and immediately let her in knowing something was even more wrong than ever. It was written all over her face. Normally Sahanah kept a cool mask on but it seemed Maggi had earned her trust since Sahanah always let her guard down around her. Maggie listened closely to the questions that were coming from Sana. That was what Maggie called Sahanah when they were together. Maggie knew that most of the questions asked were rhetorical but she knew it was time to explain...

Sana walking in, sat down, stood back up and walked around while explaining everything that had happened that morning from leaving for the mission, receiving the Katana, and talking with the old man. Her attention perked at her brother's name.

It was truly time to explain. If her brother Teiran was involved, then there wasn't much time left. Maggie barely noticed the katana that Sana brought with her but now taking it in fully there were truths that needed to be revealed. And now was the last chance before...

Maggi sighed knowing she was not going to slip by telling half lies this time. Except for one. Teiran would be her secret. Even with all of the incoherent talking Sahanah did often, Maggi still understood her and knew what answers she was looking for. It was always the same. It is a very good thing Sahanah's parents knew nothing of Maggi. "Fine. I will explain all I know but you may need to stay the night. Call your parents and tell them you are going on a week vacation. Some friends from work are taking you out of the country or whatever excuse you can come up with." Then walked to the kitchen to put on the kettle for tea leaving no room for questions. When the tea was prepared, she carried it out to the living room. Sahanah was done with her phone call who was staring out the window.

Maggi, who was normally in good spirits, saw in her reflection of the window that she suddenly looked tired. So many half lies, untold truths to be told. Her hair, normally the color of ginger, seemed to have grown darker. Though, she thought, it could be just because of the darkness of the windows as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon. Maggi got lucky getting eyes the same color as her hair. When she saw her skin tone, she noticed she seemed blanched. She was truly not ready for this encounter.

Sana noticed Maggie in the dim reflection of the window, turned toward her. She thanked Maggie for the tea, took a sip, and looked expectantly at her best-friend.

"You seem pretty calm for someone who is going to find out the biggest secret your family has ever kept from you." She murmured. Sana looked slightly confused, probably catching only a few words, but Maggie waved a hand of dismissal. "Never mind. Let's get on with it. But let me tell you, if you try to interrupt, I will stop where I am and you will not hear another word from me about the subject. Do you hear?" Sahanah nodded, set her tea down and paid close attention to Maggi. "Good. Now, where to start. If I remember, you are 25, right? You said it was speaking two names, unlike all other weapons. It was calling to the name you go by and one other, correct?"

Sahanah nodded at every question. "Did the man say when it started speaking both names?"

"Yes. He said 23 years ago." Maggi nodded at the reply.

"Yes, it makes sense. I know your parents for they know mine by experience, but they do not know me since I wasn't yet born. Our family was given the task of watching them by some important people you will not need to worry about." Yet. "My parents were watching them for almost a year before Father saw them bring you home. They adopted you at the age of two. That was 23 years ago. Now, it would have started saying both names if the name you went by had changed from the original name given to you by your birth parents.

"It is a lot to hear, I know. If you have yet to figure out though, you are a Hidden, Hun. You have untapped powers. You can wield weapons the way no other Hunter can, you can hear and smell things and people you should not be able to hear and smell. These are the basic characteristics of a Hidden. Except for the untapped powers, of course. You became adopted when your current parents came back from a mission of killing a Hidden couple. None of the Hunters had any intel that your birth parents had a child. So, my guess is they found you after everyone had gone home and brought you back instead of killing you.

"Now as for that tattoo of a birthmark. It is passed down from Hidden parents to Hidden child. That tattoo is a combination of your parent's tattoos. If you wanted to you could track your lineage for many generations. As for this sword, it was made by the greatest Hidden and your ancestor. She or he who rightfully carries it would bridge the gap between the Hidden and the Hunters. That is the words she spoke before she died after making this Katana. She being the master smith for the royal family. She was also a daughter of the King. Or so the stories go. Long story for another day. The sheath is made from the same gem types as her family crest. Yes, I do remember they are the same gems that you favor. But, more importantly, these gems are from your lineage. The woman who created the Katana and the sheath was your third generation grandmother.

"Now for you put the rest of the pieces together on your own. Take the room on the left for tonight. Stay there and think things through, and if you need paper to write it all down, take what you need from the drawer in the corner of the room. Good night, love."

Maghenta strode from Sahanah to her own room. She needed to make plans fast. It would not take long for a certain someone to realize that she told the most dangerous person alive about her family. And she was not about to talk about her brother-in-law either. Not yet. They may be a few years older, but she didn't hyphen her name when she married because the Hunters would realize that she was connected to the Hidden and be hunted even without powers. She was close to them only because of Sahanah. Maggi's brother is a Hidden and her parents have ties to their culture. Still, she did not want anything to do with the Hidden.

Sahanah still had two questions as she made her way to the room she was given. Sahanah needed to know who Teiran was, and how she could find him. But Maggi didn't leave any room for discussion. Which was a little odd for her. Usually, Maggi was more open, kind, and forgiving. Today though, she was relentless. It was unlike her friend. She shoved it into a box in her mind to save for later. Right now, she needed to look at her present problems.

She entered the room on the left of the hallway up the stairs. It was simple, sky-blue walls, a bed in the middle of the left wall, a window with lavender colored curtains near the middle of the back wall and a six drawer dresser in front of it. On the wall to the right connecting to the wall with the door, in the corner, was a small desk. She walked to the desk, looked in the top drawer and sure enough, there was a pencil and a small stack of papers. She pulled out the pencil and a piece of paper. With it she wrote a small diagram of everything and how they connected. She placed her name in the middle and branched from there. So I am a Hidden, raised as a Hunter, supposedly powerful receiving a powerful weapon. Birth parents are dead. Mom and Dad killed my birth parents. I am prophesied to bring together the Hidden and Hunter worlds and cause absolute peace. I have two names. One is Sahanah. The other... She turned in the seat and looked at the Katana. Even now it spoke both names. But the other name seemed to be in another language. She couldn't understand what the name was. She knew she needed to find someone who could speak the name for her. For now I'll put a question mark.

Then, there is Teiran Hartsgn. How does he fit into all of this? Maggi didn't even mention him. How was she to find him if her best friend wouldn't talk about him? Maybe she didn't hear me mention him. Well, it seems I'm going solo for now. No work either.

It was with that thought in mind that she looked at all she knew with Teiran's name circled with a question mark and "Hidden?" next to his name. She folded the paper, put it in her bag next to the Katana, which was propped against the bed, and climbed in. Over half the night she stared at the ceiling waiting for sleep to claim her. Finally, she fell asleep, not knowing her best friend was leaving as she drifted into the darkness.