being waged in their gaze. With a flourish of his cloak, Kearn turned to leave the chamber.
“Wait!” Antoinette called to him.
“What is it, Lady Antoinette? I have duties.”
“Tell me something before you go,” she said, seeking his eyes with her own. “Why did you take my Book of Alleble ?”
Kearn immediately looked away. “I did no such thing.”
Antoinette ignored his response. “You’ve been reading it, haven’t you?”
“Do not be absurd,” Kearn replied. He opened the chamber door and was halfway through. “What in The Realm would lead you to believe that?”
10
LEGEND OF
THE THREE
P raise to the King that you have returned!” Farix exclaimed as he helped Kaliam with his dragon steed in the pens behind the Castle of Alleble. Farix looked among the other riders: Mallik, Nock, Oswyn, King Ravelle, Thrivenbard, Trenna Swiftfoot, and a few braves from Yewland he did not recognize. “Where . . . where is Sir Aelic?”
“I wish I knew,” Kaliam replied. “He was grievously wounded and seemed near to death, but Oswyn’s skills may have delivered him from that dark door. Yet, Farix, in the midst of treatment, Aelic vanished!”
“You mean, he has gone to the Mirror Realm?”
“I do not know. I need to seek our King’s wisdom on what this might mean.”
“Go, then, to the King’s chambers,” Farix said. “For he is looking for you also. Much has transpired in your absence. More of our allies have come, seeking refuge within our walls. Acacia and the other small realms closest to us.”
“Any word from the Blue Mountains?” Mallik asked.
“Nay. But that is not unexpected. They will be bearing slabs of blue granite and an array of equipment. It will take some time for them to transport such things.”
“True, but please bring word when we hear from them.” Kaliam turned to leave, but Farix stopped him.
“There is one other thing. Our citizens have begun to speak in whispers about the war. They are asking about the Three.”
Kaliam stared. “The Three Witnesses of Legend?”
“Yes,” Farix replied. “Naysmithe and others have been gathering. They are convinced that the Three are abroad.”
“I really need to see King Eliam,” the puzzled Sentinel said, and quickly took his leave.
Several anxious hours later, King Eliam’s throne room doors opened. Brilliant white light spilled into the hallway and Kaliam emerged. He seemed to be staring into a distant place that only he could see. He walked right by Lady Merewen, who had been waiting for him.
“Kaliam!” she called, and hurried to catch up. “Were you going to simply pass me by?”
He stared at her for many long moments before recognition dawned on him. “M’lady Merewen! Prithee, forgive my lack of courtesy. I . . . my mind was in another world.”
“What?”
“The Mirror Realm,” he said to her. “And perhaps, in coming days, all of us will be looking there as well.”
“You speak in riddles,” Lady Merewen said.
“I only echo the riddles spoken to me by our King.”
Lady Merewen took Kaliam’s hand. “Come, my Sentinel. Dark halls lit only by torches are no place to discuss such mysteries. Allow me to bring you to a brighter place where light may be shed on all that is unknown.”
Kaliam mumbled an agreement and Lady Merewen led him past the throne room doors on the right and then left at the next hall. A moment later, she stepped over a threshold and into a passage. From a distance it looked like a solid wall, for the stone inside blended wholly with the stone on the outside wall. At last, they passed through a pair of tall, arched doors that groaned of many years with little use as they moved them.
They entered into a glad green courtyard bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon sun. Tall white statues of fair maidens and strong warriors stood at the openings of flagstone paths that wound their way through a maze of blossoming hedges. Vines with tiny pink, purple, and blue flowers
“Wait!” Antoinette called to him.
“What is it, Lady Antoinette? I have duties.”
“Tell me something before you go,” she said, seeking his eyes with her own. “Why did you take my Book of Alleble ?”
Kearn immediately looked away. “I did no such thing.”
Antoinette ignored his response. “You’ve been reading it, haven’t you?”
“Do not be absurd,” Kearn replied. He opened the chamber door and was halfway through. “What in The Realm would lead you to believe that?”
10
LEGEND OF
THE THREE
P raise to the King that you have returned!” Farix exclaimed as he helped Kaliam with his dragon steed in the pens behind the Castle of Alleble. Farix looked among the other riders: Mallik, Nock, Oswyn, King Ravelle, Thrivenbard, Trenna Swiftfoot, and a few braves from Yewland he did not recognize. “Where . . . where is Sir Aelic?”
“I wish I knew,” Kaliam replied. “He was grievously wounded and seemed near to death, but Oswyn’s skills may have delivered him from that dark door. Yet, Farix, in the midst of treatment, Aelic vanished!”
“You mean, he has gone to the Mirror Realm?”
“I do not know. I need to seek our King’s wisdom on what this might mean.”
“Go, then, to the King’s chambers,” Farix said. “For he is looking for you also. Much has transpired in your absence. More of our allies have come, seeking refuge within our walls. Acacia and the other small realms closest to us.”
“Any word from the Blue Mountains?” Mallik asked.
“Nay. But that is not unexpected. They will be bearing slabs of blue granite and an array of equipment. It will take some time for them to transport such things.”
“True, but please bring word when we hear from them.” Kaliam turned to leave, but Farix stopped him.
“There is one other thing. Our citizens have begun to speak in whispers about the war. They are asking about the Three.”
Kaliam stared. “The Three Witnesses of Legend?”
“Yes,” Farix replied. “Naysmithe and others have been gathering. They are convinced that the Three are abroad.”
“I really need to see King Eliam,” the puzzled Sentinel said, and quickly took his leave.
Several anxious hours later, King Eliam’s throne room doors opened. Brilliant white light spilled into the hallway and Kaliam emerged. He seemed to be staring into a distant place that only he could see. He walked right by Lady Merewen, who had been waiting for him.
“Kaliam!” she called, and hurried to catch up. “Were you going to simply pass me by?”
He stared at her for many long moments before recognition dawned on him. “M’lady Merewen! Prithee, forgive my lack of courtesy. I . . . my mind was in another world.”
“What?”
“The Mirror Realm,” he said to her. “And perhaps, in coming days, all of us will be looking there as well.”
“You speak in riddles,” Lady Merewen said.
“I only echo the riddles spoken to me by our King.”
Lady Merewen took Kaliam’s hand. “Come, my Sentinel. Dark halls lit only by torches are no place to discuss such mysteries. Allow me to bring you to a brighter place where light may be shed on all that is unknown.”
Kaliam mumbled an agreement and Lady Merewen led him past the throne room doors on the right and then left at the next hall. A moment later, she stepped over a threshold and into a passage. From a distance it looked like a solid wall, for the stone inside blended wholly with the stone on the outside wall. At last, they passed through a pair of tall, arched doors that groaned of many years with little use as they moved them.
They entered into a glad green courtyard bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon sun. Tall white statues of fair maidens and strong warriors stood at the openings of flagstone paths that wound their way through a maze of blossoming hedges. Vines with tiny pink, purple, and blue flowers
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