Shadow

We had to return home before nightfall. The road lay deserted, a lonely path where many unseen perils might lurk. In the wild, hidden in the shadows, beasts of prey could well be lying in wait. In my old world, each passing day saw another species fade into extinction, yet here, the land teemed with creatures in a richness long forgotten. Within the dark caverns dwelt sabre-toothed lions, bears striped like tigers, and many other perilous beings I had neither seen nor heard of before. Though I had not encountered them with my own eyes, I had learned of them through Daneel.

I had no desire to meet such creatures. Fearsome though they were, they rarely ventured close to human dwellings. From what Daneel had told me, certain hunters sought them out, capturing and selling them, be it alive or dead. But such things were of little concern to me. What mattered now was traversing the mountain path with utmost caution.

I turned to Arwa. She was weary, her mind wandering after the long and exhausting journey. Seeing her fatigue, I shifted all the baskets into one hand and offered her my other arm, hoping to lend her some support. Arwa, noticing my gesture, gave a small smile. With her cane tapping against the ground, we resumed our walk.

Lost in thought, Arwa suddenly turned to me with a faintly mischievous smile.

"My dear, did you take a liking to the girl I told you about? I have known her since she was but a child. She would make a good wife for you," the old woman said.

At her words, for some reason, my heart pounded wildly. A warmth crept up my face, my cheeks flushing red. Arwa must have noticed the change in me, for she let out a knowing laugh, her wrinkled face breaking into an almost impish grin.

"Arwa," I muttered with a slight grumble, "as I told you before, I am far too young to be thinking of marriage. Besides, Walma is a few years older than me—it would not be proper."

Arwa let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. "Alek, soon you shall be a man grown. Do you not wish for a wife to look after you? She may be older, but she is fair and capable. She will keep your belly full and your home warm. There is no need to rush, just think upon my words," she said, her eyes gazing deeply into mine with a sincerity that unsettled me.

I did not wish to argue with her. I chose silence instead, for sometimes silence was the best reply. Arwa, sensing my unwillingness, merely responded with a triumphant smile. And then, after a long pause, she began to sing in a voice softened by age yet still carrying the echoes of an old melody:

"There was a shepherd's son Like a shadow on the hill And he went out one May morning To see what he could kill

And sing, blow away the morning dew, The dew and the dew! Blow away the morning dew, How sweet the winds do blow

He look-ed high, he look-ed low, He cast another look And then he spied a pretty maid Aside the watery brook

And sing blow away the morning dew, The dew and the dew! Blow away the morning dew, How sweet the winds do blow"

With Arwa's song carrying through the cool evening air, the soft whisper of the wind intertwined with her voice, wrapping the moment in an ethereal, otherworldly calm. Though her voice was frail and slightly off-key, I found myself wishing the moment would never end. There was an enchantment to it, as though the very land was singing with her.

Yet not all moments are destined to last.

From nowhere, Siri's mechanical voice rang coldly in my mind, slicing through the peace like a knife.

"An unidentified creature is approaching within one hundred metres. Due to insufficient data, its nature cannot be determined. The creature may be dangerous. Immediate evacuation is advised…" Siri's emotionless voice pronounced.

But for the first time, something was different. Was it my imagination, or did I detect the faintest tremor of worry in its usually unshakable tone?

"One hundred meters ahead, an unidentified creature is approaching. Due to insufficient data, classification is impossible. Caution advised: the creature may be dangerous. Immediate departure is recommended..." Siri's monotone voice rang in my mind, but this time, there was something different.

A trace of… urgency. An emotion I had never thought to hear from a machine.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. Slowly, I turned my gaze toward the dim-lit trees in the distance.

Then, I saw it.

A shadow moved between the trees, at first indistinct, a mere ripple in the darkness. But it grew larger, solidifying into a form. The faint rustling of leaves became overshadowed by another sound—a low, guttural growl, like distant thunder rolling across the hills.

Arwa, unaware, continued her song. The melody, once carrying a trace of mirth, faltered slightly, a discordant note slipping through her tune. She must have sensed something too.

Then, the moment of stillness was broken.

Siri's voice echoed in my mind, colder than ever before:

"A creature of undefined origin is approaching within one hundred meters. Due to incomplete data, identification is not possible. However, the entity may pose a significant threat. Immediate action is recommended..."

For the first time, I detected something new in Siri's voice—a hint of tension, perhaps even concern.

And then, upon the jagged rock ahead, a shadow loomed—dark as the void, still as death.