Praise 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 clung to the stonework, benches, statues, and walls, filling the courtyard with sweet smells and a feeling of safety.
“I’d forgotten about this place,” Kaliam said. “This courtyard brings peace to a troubled mind! I do not recognize the shrubs or the flowers that grow here now, but I would wager they have some curative potency. We best not let Sir Oswyn know of this place, or he may dig up all the plants to discover their secrets!”
Lady Merewen laughed. She led Kaliam along one of the green avenues until they came to a small fountain where many of the paths met. The water trickled happily down its three tiers, and its music joined that of the songbirds and the whispering wind.
For a long while, they sat on a stone bench near the fountain. “Now, tell me what troubles you.”
Kaliam inhaled deeply and began. “I brought Fury to the King . . . and the news of Aelic’s strange disappearance.”
“Mallik told me what happened,” Lady Merewen said. “Do you think Aelic still lives? Could he have gone to the Mirror Realm?”
“I do not know. But if he has, his twin, Sir Aidan, will come back to The Realm! If this is so, I would like to know when and where he will appear.” Kaliam sighed and rubbed his temples.
They sat and listened to the trickle from the fountain for a long time. At last, Kaliam said, “We are living in a time when legends come to life. First, the Wyrm Lord is freed. Then, the Seven Sleepers are called from their long slumber. And now, I learn that the three ancient heroes are real as well!”
“Who are they?” Merewen asked. “How will we know them?”
“My very questions to King Eliam,” the Sentinel explained, again rubbing his temples. “The King put his mighty hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘Kaliam, a time will come when all in The Realm will know the identity of the Three Witnesses, for a Herald will proclaim their arrival. So it is written in the Scroll of Prophecy.’”
“The Scroll of Prophecy?”
“Yes.” Kaliam smiled. “At last we gain the answer to one riddle. We know now that the Scroll of Prophecy is what was hidden at the core of the Ancient One. That is why Paragor destroyed that great tree. And now, he has the Scroll in his possession.”
“But why would he want it?”
“The Scroll of Prophecy is an ancient document. It came into existence at the beginning of all things when King Eliam saw the future of The Realm roll out like a blanket before him. He saw events that might later come to pass—if the beings of this world were noble and chose to keep peace. But it also showed what could come to pass if evil arose and The Realm became divided. The prophecy spells out two destinies for us all. With such knowledge, Paragor could bring about the destruction of Alleble.”
The sun slipped below the roofline, and the golden light was gone. Now gray shadow hung over the courtyard.
“Can we not stop him?” Lady Merewen asked.
“The Three Witnesses can,” Kaliam said. “But until they arrive, there is much we must do.”
“I do not understand.”
“King Eliam revealed to me that he has called another young champion from the Mirror Realm. He is to be the Twelfth Knight on a journey into King’s Forest.”
“King’s Forest?” Lady Merewen echoed. “Why?”
“This was another riddle, but not the last,” said Kaliam. “In the heart of King’s Forest, there lives an ancient scribe who served the King long before Alleble came to be.”
“But that would make him—”
“Ancient beyond count,” Kaliam said, finishing her sentence. “He is the only remaining Glimpse who can properly translate the Scroll of Prophecy. If Paragor knows of the scribe, and I fear that he does, he will seek him. The future of all things depends on who gets to the scribe first.”
“Alas, I have delayed you with my questions!” Lady Merewen cried, rising to her feet. “You must prepare the team!”
“Nay, m’lady,” Kaliam said. He took her hands in his and brought her to sit again at his side. “We cannot depart for King’s Forest until the warrior from the Mirror Realm arrives. Your questions have helped to clear my muddled mind. In the days to come, I will have much need of your sage advice.”
“What do you mean, my lord?” she asked.
“The final riddle,” Kaliam replied. “But by King Eliam’s request, I cannot share it with anyone.”
Lady Merewen looked up. Her teary eyes flashed blue. Kaliam put a hand gently under her chin.
They were interrupted by the slamming of the doors, heavy, frantic footfalls, and then a voice. “Lord Kaliam, Lady Merewen, are you here?!”
And suddenly, Elspeth appeared from one of the paths. She was out of breath, but that did not stop her from talking. “I thought I might find you here,” she began. “You must come to Guard’s Keep right away! Our messenger brings distressing word from the Blue Mountain Provinces: Paragor has Ludgeon under siege!”
