Black Shadow looked around the room and picked up one of Espoir’s toys. He held it straight out and dropped it. It began to fall like normal, but after a few inches it slowed and stopped. He did this a few times before realizing that something froze everything around him, yet he was not frozen. Then he placed his hand upon Espoir’s arm, and she immediately unfroze.

“Daddy, please help me.” She said tears dripping from her eyes. Black Shadow noticed the bright blue of her eyes were even brighter, almost white.

Black Shadow took this opportunity to do when he thought was best. He took his hand and grabbed the knife, pulling it from the man’s hand. He then helped Espoir move from the grip of the man, and led her from the room to outside.

There was a squirrel jumping from their tree frozen in the air. A fox stood upon a fallen log just feet from his house. Leaves of all color, red, orange, yellow, and some even green, fell from the trees, all suspended in the air by some magical hands.

“Dad, what’s happening?” Espoir asked, the fear in her voice growing. Black Shadow did not answer, but grabbed Espoir and began to run.

It did not matter how far they ran, everything was frozen. A group of bandits fighting another caravan was frozen, one man’s sword imbedded within the chest of another, an arrow notched in the string of a simple oak bow. Not one thing moved.

Black Shadow’s full sprint, nearly 90 miles per hour, would be held strong for almost four hours, trees and animals, falling leaves and sticks, deer, foxes, wolves, and even bears would zip by motionless. When one thing appeared to move it was merely imagination, something made up in the frantic and panicking mind of Black Shadow.

Fear gripped his mind. Who was this man? How did he find him? What was so special about this bow? Why would he have to kill him? Why did his contractor not tell him to bring him the bow? Why did he hire this new man to do the job? So many questions, yet there were no answers. Without a way to communicate with him, there was also no way to get these answers.

Black Shadow would not stop moving, running for their lives, he had a target, the monastery that Koli now lived. There the monks would take care of Espoir. She loved Koli, he was the “cool uncle that everybody loves” to Espoir, and every time she went to stay with him there were many more stories to tell. When Black Shadow reached the monastery, he dropped Espoir off and told her to talk to Koli.

Black Shadow had one goal… he would kill this man, and find the anonymous sender.