He was awoken by light. It invaded his mind, chasing away the darkness within the forest. He followed the light to it's source, and discovered a girl. Smaller than most, but smarter and likely swiftr to combat this. This light he felt rolled off her  and into the forest like waves from a body of water spilling over the boundaries and onto the beach. 

"Young One. . ." He called, his voice hoarse and gravely from decades of disuse. 

Her innnocent light began to recede, as dark waves of fear overpowered it.

"Child I mean you no harm-" But it was tooo late. The fear overran her youthful curiousity, and she bolted back down the path. She had been young. He sighed. Too young. She had not yet learned. He "watched" her light until it dissapeared from his land, hopeful she might come back. But all that returned that night was the darkness.

---------------------------Many days later------------------------------------

Eliza picked silently at her dinner as she had the past few nights, ever since what she had started calling "the forest incident". Finally, she grew tired of the conversation, the laughter, the clinking of silver against china,and she opened her mouth to ask for permission to leave, but instead the words, "What's in the forest?" slipped from her lips.

The others around the table went instantly silent and stared at her. Finally, her father, the eldest, rasped, "What do you know of the forest? You are but four harvests old, and have not yet taken your pilgrimage."

"I went in." The gasps from around her simply caused her to raise her chin in a challenge. "A voice speaked at me. I runned. What was there?" 

Those around her began to whisper, and she only caught scraps of thought from each cluster. ". . . won't be. . . " ". . . why would. . . " ". . . take her to. . . " "Mustn't we. . . " He father raised a hand, and the whispering ceased. "Eliza. Do you realize what you have done?"

She crossed her arms and grumbled, "If I did, I would be in bed." 

"You have awoken the Great Shadow. Last time he awoke, he destroyed the entire village. He burned our crops, consumed our livestock, left our homes in shredded pieces. He snuffed our light sources, blotted out the sun, and made our lives a living night. He did not stop until he got what he wanted."

Eliza was fascinated. It was like her own bedtime story! "What was that?"

"He who entered the forest and awoke him. It happened many decades ago, when I could do naught but toddle. A small boy, Nilas, was told to go fishing, but he could not find any fish. Until, that is, he entered the forest. He was spoken to as well, and also fled. The Great Shadow mad a proclamation one week later. He demanded the child, and threatened our village if we refused. We did, and he began the torture. Each night, he would blot out the moon and announce, "Give me the child." We continued to refuse, and he continued to harass. Eventually, the elders gave in, and passed over the young child. We never heard from poor Nilas again."