Uthe Vowel of Security (Part I)

The next morning, Bran and Bryn were awoken by sobs. They rushed down the ladder and saw
Odhran and his wife sitting in their chairsOdhran was comforting his wife, who was crying into her
hands.
Children, did you hear anything strange in the night? Odhran questioned as Bran and Bryn knelt
before them. They shook their heads. Our children are missing, all three of them. Gone from their beds, no
clue as to where they disappeared to. I have already asked everyone in the village who may have seen
them, but no one has.
Perhaps they went into the forest? Bran offered. Odhran shook his head. Or maybe down to the
river to play or fish? It isnt too far from here.
I have checked the forest and the river, there is no sign of them.
Bran and Bryn pondered the situation for a time, trying to think of where the young children
could have gone. They were not much older than Branin fact, the eldest was only a year older, and the
youngest was the same age as Bryn.
I think someone stole them. There have been cases of children being stolen all over the country
side, from many different villages. None of the children have been seen again. Oh no, what did we do to
deserve this? We were good parents, good neighbours, and we were loving! Odhran sobbed with his wife.
Bran and Bryn didnt know what to do. They were concerned for the children, and they wanted to help,
but what could they do to find them?
Odhran pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Bryn. Here, take this. It will help you
on your quest. You must get going before you too are taken. Please, be careful out there, I would hate for
your parents to lose you like we have lost our own children.
Bran and Bryn hugged Odhran and his wife, feeling sad at their loss. As they closed the front door
behind them and stepped into the sunny village square, they looked at each other.
We have to help them. Bran stated. Bryn nodded.
But where do we start?
Right here in the village. Odhran couldnt have spoken with every villagerhe said he spoke to
anyone who could have seen them. That doesnt mean everyone. And maybe he didnt ask the right
questions. Maybe he only asked about the childrenwe should ask anyone, and everyone, if they saw
anything suspicious last night or this morning.
The children went around the village and asked everyone they sawman, woman, or childif they
had seen anything or had heard anything that might have been suspicious. Only one person came forward,
a teenage girl with red braids.
I saw a strange shadow last night when I was walking home from my friends houseit was shaped
like a man, and it stood right at the childrens window at Odhrans house. I thought perhaps he had
dropped something, so I didnt stop.
Thank you. You didnt happen to see where he moved on to after Odhrans?
It looked like he was headed back into the forest, but I didnt see anyone else with him. The girl
moved on after apologizing for not having any more information. Bran and Bryn didnt know what to do
with that information, but they knew something that Odhran hadntthey knew there was a shadow man
lurking around the village. They decided to camp out near Odhrans house that night, without anyone

knowing, and hoped they would catch the shadow man, or at least follow him to wherever he was keeping
the children.

Night fell, and the temperature dropped. Bran and Bryn were cold and hungry as they huddled
under the childrens window. Bran opened his cloak and pulled his sister under it to keep her warm as
they watched the forest. Not too long after the sun set, they saw a figure emerge from the forest down a
ways from Odhrans house. They stood from the ground and followed the figure, grateful that the villagers
had cleared the pathways of snowthey wouldnt have been able to sneak quietly through the village with
crunching snow under foot.
The man didnt have any featureshe was just darkness. He also carried something strange in his
arms, a piece of fabric that shimmered in the light and reflected the scenery around them. Bran and Bryn
followed him to another house, where he stood outside a window and tapped on the glass. A small face
appeared, and tiny fingers unlocked the frame. The shadow man opened the window and whispered
something to the child inside. Bran and Bryn watched as the child climbed out of the window and jumped
onto the snowthe shadow man wrapped the child in the strange fabric, and just like that, the child
disappeared. Bran had to keep his hand over Bryns mouth in order to keep her from alerting the shadow
man.
Sshh, we need to be quiet if we are going to find the other children. Bran whispered. Bryn
nodded. Promise you will stay quiet?
I promise. Bryn whispered back. Bran started to follow the man, and Bryn followed. They walked
behind him at a safe distance, far enough that he would not worry if there was a slight sound of snow
crunchingit could have been anything, and could have come from anywhere. Soon, they were out of
sight of the village, and the only light that they had to see from was the sliver of a moon in the sky. Bryn
was getting scared, she didnt know what to thinkwho was this man, what did he want with the
children? Where did he take them, and what was that strange fabric he covered the child with? So many
questions, they were starting to hurt Bryns head!
Soon, the man stopped at a small opening between two rocks. He unwrapped the child and
directed him into the opening. Bran pushed Bryn into a bush that was behind a tree and hid there while
the shadow man looked around for anyone that may have followed. Satisfied that they were alone, the
shadow man entered behind the child. Bran turned to his sister and put one finger to his lips.
Stay here, Bryn. Do the owl call if you see anything or anyone. Stay hidden in this bush, but keep
an eye out. I am going to go find out what is in that hole. Bran sneaked out from the bush and over to the
hole. Bryn watched as he peered in.
He couldnt get a good enough look in the darkness, so he decided to take a step in. Maybe his eyes
just needed to adjust to the lighting of the cave. When he stepped in, the cave lit up with torches. He
looked out, but didnt see the light or any shadows on the snow outside. He followed the torches down
underground until he heard voices. There was crying and cooing, and two adult voices too.
Quiet those children! A voice yelled. It was an old womans voice, harsh and gritty like a rock
rubbing against another rock. Bran rounded a corner and saw a hunched woman over a big pot, the
shadow man in the corner with the children, and what must have been a dozen children tied up with
ropes. As he turned around to leave to go back to the village and bring some adults to rescue the children,
the old woman stopped stirring her pot. She sniffed the air and slowly turned to face Bran.

I smell a child. She said. The shadow man moved away from the group of children and started to
look around the room. The old woman lifted her bony hand and pointed a finger at Bran. There, by the
entry.
The shadow man grabbed Bran from behind and dragged him into the big room. Bran couldnt
figure out how he had gotten behind him, but that was the least of his worries. He had to figure out how he
could get out of this, and rescue the children. He looked at the old woman and saw that she was blind
how did she know where he had been standing? He had to think of something fast, before the old woman
made stew out of all of them!