Exercise: Dwindle

10 minutes, 511 words. I did better at making up names on the spot than last time, yay!

Dwindle

I can't remember when it finally went away. I remember when I first noticed it growing smaller, the shadow it cast upon the garden dwindling day by day. And I have vague memories of what it looked like when it was there. But now, I can only remember the shadow, and the vague feeling of peace I felt when in its presence.

I was working in my garden when I heard footsteps behind me. A shadow fell upon the grass. Not its shadow, but the shadow of a person. I put down my trowel and turned. I saw a woman I could not recognize, although her features were hidden in shadow by the sun behind her. It lit up her hair from the sides, making it seem to glow in a red aurora.
"Greetings," she said.
"Um, greetings," I replied. "Who are you?"
"That is not important. You are the songmistress Alleya?"
"Yes, I am."
"I have need of your services. Come with me." She stepped back, looking at me expectantly. I could see more of her face now. She looked like someone with noble blood, possibly even blood from the Ancients.
"Wait, but what do you want me to do? I'm not doing any more deaths," I said as firmly as I could."
"You are not wanted for deaths. I and my colleagues merely wish to find out some information from you."
"What sort of information? I can't think of anything I know that's interesting enough for mysterious people to show up in my garden."
"This involves your garden. You played host to a Visitor for a while, did you not?"
"A Visitor?"
"Yes. You probably do not remember it clearly, but our sages tell us that it dwelled here for a space, and then vanished. We need to find it."
"The... the thing in my garden?"
"Yes. So you do know what I am talking about."
"I don't know what it was!"
"I am sure you know more than you think you do. Come with me." She began to walk towards the garden gate.
I stood my ground. "I don't trust you, you know."
She turned around. "You are being difficult. This will only make things harder on yourself." She reached into the pouch by her side and pulled out something that glittered with an inner light.
"What -- what is that?"
"You cannot be so incompetent a songmistress as to not recognize a Lehyr Blade, can you?"
"A Lehyr -- Get away from me!" I didn't think those things still existed, but they were deadly poison and could kill with even a scratch. I scrambled away from the woman, intending to jump over the fence and get away.
"Numen! She is attempting to escape!"
Just as I reached the fence, I felt something grab me with cold, clammy hands. I didn't want to look behind me, so I closed my eyes. "This can't be happening... Why?"