When the feasting had finished and Ederyn and the others were seated around the fire, Peter motioned to Sarah:
“Come on,” he said.
“But I wanted to hear Aneryn sing.”
“Never mind that now. I think we ought to go and look at Aunty.”
Peter suddenly looked very serious and Sarah blushed. She had been tempted to selfishness yet again when others were in great need. She remained silent with embarrassment as she followed Peter swiftly down a corridor, the pillars of which were like young saplings filled with the most beautiful carvings of birds.
“Why,” she thought to herself, “there must be just about every bird here that ever was, or ever will be. Oh, and I do like that little Puffin!”
She was wishing she could take a closer look when Peter made a sharp turn into the doorway of a room that she half recognised. It was the room where Peter had been brought out of his trance and one that was kept especially for nursing the sick. Peter having been moved to where Sarah had slept before.
In the glow of several small lamps, Peter and Sarah saw Aunt Myf laid on one of the beds. She was fast asleep and looked very peaceful. No one would suspect the trauma she must have suffered in this latest adventure.
“Except that her hair looks greyer,” said Peter, looking keenly at her.
“They have calmed her.”
Morvith was at their service once more. She stood behind them with a bowl of steaming water, which smelt sweetly of lavender and other herbs. Peter and Sarah stood aside to enable her to enter the room. Morvith crossed to Aunty’s bed, washed her face and hands, plumped the pillows and brought blankets to cover her.
“It was the work of Orddu,” said Morvith, “she thought that she was one of Bloddwedd’s maidens. It is a very good thing Sarah, that you were able to bring her back to Arx Emain. She might have harmed herself without knowing what she was doing, poor thing.”
“Why, what would she have done?” asked Sarah.
“Well, she would have done what all Bloddwedd’s maidens did, of course.”
“But what DID Bloddwedd’s maidens do?” Peter asked, sharply.
Morvith gave Peter a very strange look, as if she expected him to know.
“They were all drowned in a lake!” she said, and tucked Aunt Myf firmly into the bed.
She then signed for the children to leave. They slipped silently out of the room, having given Aunty a kiss. Morvith began to bathe Aunt Myf’s face again with the aromatic liquid.
“I do hope Aunt Myf will recover,” said Sarah.
“Well,” said Peter, as they retraced their steps to the Great Hall, “it happened to me and I’m OK now.”
“Are you?” Sarah suddenly wondered, “Are you sure Peter?”
“I think I am. At any rate, my skin hasn’t gone green and I haven’t grown another head.”
He laughed. Sarah laughed as they tried to make light of it. But thereafter, Sarah and Peter both wondered whether or not there was some permanent change in Peter.
As they re-entered the Great Hall they could hear Aneryn singing. She and Anir stood before Ederyn with the other Elves in a circle around them. It was a truly wonderful sight. A light seemed to glow around the pair. Was it from the many candles around the Hall or from the fire flickering in the hearth? Sarah could not tell, but thought it made Aneryn the most beautiful Lady that she had ever seen.
Anir took his turn with the song, which seemed to have many verses. Sarah took a firm hold of Peter’s hand and led him into the Hall. They tiptoed to a place where they could sit just behind Ederyn and be in full view of the singers.
Anir had been singing in Elvish, but when the children came to sit down, either he had changed the language of his song to sing in English, or Peter and Sarah had gained the gift of understanding in a flash! Either way, this is some of the song they heard.
The road was long, the night was old, The stars shone still, as jewels fair, To brave the dawn light pale and cold, In sky of pearl were shimmering. The wanderer lay sleeping there, ‘Till ray of sun turn night to gold And wake him, light upon his hair, And on his raiment glimmering.
He woke beneath the oak leaves green, To take the road he loves to roam. He walks by many men unseen, Alone through woods, untroubling; Until at last he reaches home ‘Ere winter winds blow shrill and keen. O’er mountains tall and salt sea foam And rushing rivers, bubbling.
With eager feet he wends his way Each spring, from care and sorrow free. He sings all summer through his lay, With field and forest listening. At last the salt wind o’er the lea That tells of water, dancing, gay; Blows him strong towards the sea Where sun on waves is glistening.
And so through Autumn’s misty haze, Sleepy forest, plain and hill, The wanderer returns down ways That long he has been following. To home, beside a mountain rill, That waits for him through summer days. Of memories he has his fill, And now shall rest, not sorrowing.
Anir finished singing. The Elves clapped and then, even though by this time they were half asleep, Peter and Sarah heard Aneryn begin to sing:
A lonely knight imprisoned Was gazing far away, He looked out towards the mountains To where his freedom lay.
He saw the dew fall on the ground And watched the fading light. He longed to wander free once more Away into the night.
But then he caught a fleeting glance, A lady of perfect grace Came wandering. The moon shone dim Compared to the light in her face.
He fell at once in love with her And called to the Lady fair; At last she came towards the tower And found the knight’s cell there.
So every night she came to him, Undying love he swore! Then one day she brought the key To unlock the tower door!
From the evil tower they soon were sped! And passed from night to day; To the knight’s home atop the mountains, And there they would ever stay.
The song ended and there was more applause. To Peter and Sarah it sounded like waves on the seashore, grating over the pebbles.
“Time for small folk to sleep, I think!”
Ederyn had turned around and noticed that they were almost in the land of dreams. He summoned Elves to escort them to their rooms, which were not far from the room where Aunt Myf lay. Soon they too were tucked up in bed and truly fast asleep.
It must have been towards dawn when Peter realised that he was in a dream. He dreamt that he was standing on a large rabbit warren in a wooded dell opposite Arx Emain. It was night.
Suddenly clouds above parted to reveal a full moon and stars. It was good to be outside and Peter thought that he should be feeling pleased. He did not. The air felt heavy, almost thundery, and the night ominous. All at once, Peter noticed something unusual. Around Arx Emain, almost making a full circle, were many huge standing stones. They were like all the stones that he knew could be seen every few hundred yards in this part of Wales.
“That’s funny,” he thought to himself,” I don’t remember seeing any stones here before.”
He was just about to move away from the dell in order to investigate, when it seemed to Peter that the stones moved.
“It’s as if they all took one step forward.”
He breathed heavily. A few moments later, as he waited there, the same thing happened. He found that he could no longer move. Fear crept up on him and rooted him to the spot. Behind Arx Emain, a huge black shadow appeared; not like a cloud, a really thick black shadow.
Peter’s tongue went dry and stuck to the roof of his mouth. He tried to cry out; to warn Ederyn, Anir and the Elves, but he could not. The stones moved again and the black shadow reached out above Arx Emain towards him. In his dream he fainted. When he opened his eyes again, he was still in bed and Sarah was shaking him awake.
“Peter wake up, wake up! You’re having a bad dream, I know you are. Oh do wake up!”
“Hey, hey. I am awake and you are right. I’ve just had one heck of an evil dream. It seemed so awfully real, too.”
“I had a dream as well,” said Sarah, hugging Peter tight.
She sat on the edge of his bed while he woke himself up properly.
“What’s the time?” asked Peter.
“I don’t know, I took my watch off last night.”
“Let’s see. Hang on I’ve got mine somewhere!” he said, squinting in the light of the candle at his bedside, “Four thirty two precisely. Thank goodness for modern science.”
He sat up.
“I’m quite awake now Sarah. What did you dream about?”
“It was weird. I felt as if I was flying over the countryside towards Foel Cwmcerwyn and I passed over a lake. As I went over, I saw Aunt Myf taking a swim in the lake. Then I woke up. Don’t you think that was odd? What was your dream like? Can you say? You were screaming like anything.”
“I’ll say in a minute,” said Peter, fumbling around for his clothes, “just as soon as I find Ederyn or Anir.”
“But it was just a dream.” complained Sarah.
“Was it?”
Peter looked at her, his face twisted into a grim smile so that she could not tell whether he was excited or terrified.
“Was it?” he asked her again, more urgently this time, “I think it’s a warning! Go and find Morvith and see how Aunty is sleeping tonight.”
Sarah turned to go but almost as if ‘on cue’, Morvith appeared at the door with a candle.
“Oh, you are both up already,” she said, “Ederyn has sent for you.”
“Is our Aunt all right?” asked Sarah.
“Yes. She sleeps, but she has been very restless all night. I believe something is happening outside. Ederyn has had messengers. They came through the North Tunnel at three o’clock and Ederyn and Anir have been with them until now.”
“I’ll just get dressed,” said Sarah, and disappeared.
“Do you have any idea what news the messengers brought?” Peter asked.
“No,” said Morvith, “Ederyn will tell you himself. He waits for you in the Hall of the Stone. You must meet him there.”
At length Sarah arrived and Morvith said that she must go back to Aunt Myf.
“I have strict instructions that I am not to leave her alone. My friend Avaun sits with her at present, but I must go back.”
She bowed to the children and walked away quickly down the corridor.
Peter and Sarah walked the opposite way to reach the Hall of the Stone. Peter strode down the corridor urgently with Sarah trotting behind him. When they came to the Hall of the Stone, the doors were open and light poured from the Hall.
Sarah seized Peter’s arm as they came to the doors.
“The light is coming from the Stone!” she cried excitedly.
They passed through the massive doors and found Ederyn and Anir. Ederyn sat in the golden throne. Anir was standing at his right. Peter and Sarah came to the foot of the dais.
“Welcome, my little friends,” said Ederyn, “I am glad you have arrived. We have a most serious decision to make.”
He was staring hard at the children as he spoke, as if to know their thoughts, even before they had heard his news.
“Arddu has begun the attack,” said Anir, simply, “and Gwyn is still over the sea.”
“The scouts tell of the black shadow over Foel Drygarn and countless numbers of his creatures and those of Orddu massing upon the hills of the Prescelly range, and all around. Gwyn would want to move on them before their plans are complete, that I am sure of.”
“The farmers hereabouts are much troubled,” said Anir “the scouts have told me that it is almost as bad as the time that was before this time. They speak, not only of shadows, but also of a great black cat that prowls the hill, killing any animal that gets in its way. It terrifies any human that sees it. And there are other things too terrible to mention when the enemy is closing in on us.”
Ederyn looked closely at Peter and Sarah.
“I see that you are troubled. What is the matter?” he asked.
“Oh, we have both had bad dreams,” replied Sarah.
“And what did you dream?”
“I dreamt I was flying over the countryside towards the Prescellys and as I went over a lake, I saw Aunt Myf swimming in it.”
“Well dreamt, little maid!” cried Ederyn, “It was a message, but one we were expecting. We have already doubled the guard on your Aunt. We do not wish her to fulfill the curse that Orddu has laid on her. She will not be safe until we have defeated all our enemies. What dream did you have, Peter?”
Peter described the dream that he had had as well as he could. When he had finished, Ederyn turned to Anir and whispered something. Anir left the Hall directly, stopping only to bow briefly to Sarah and Peter.
“Where did you send Anir?” asked Peter.
“He has gone to have the south eastern borders of our realm checked for enemy activity,” said Ederyn.
Sarah was surprised that he answered Peter, whom she thought rather cheeky.
“Was my dream also a message?”
“Certainly,” replied the Elf Lord, “but it must be checked to test out the truth of it. That is one of Arddu’s greatest tricks. He will sow confusion in people’s minds until they doubt whether things have happened, will happen or are happening in the present. It is better you put the whole thing away from your mind as it may be that this thing never happens. Arddu is the supreme liar. However, when we leave, we shall leave by another way.”
“Leave!” cried both the children together, quite horrified by this suggestion.
“Yes, leave,” said Ederyn, “Gwyn will need more than all the armies of Faerie put together. He will need the Samildanach, so he will have need of the Stone of Gardar to call them.”
Peter thought he heard a musical sound come from the Stone when it was mentioned by Ederyn. It glowed ever brighter in its niche and seemed to begin a tuneful soft ring or hum.
“But I thought we were told never to leave here, not even in the gravest circumstance,” said Peter.
“That is why I say that we have a most difficult decision to make and one where we do not have much time in which to make it.”
Ederyn spoke softly, but there was an edge to his voice. Could even he be worried as to the outcome? Sarah wondered.
“My head tells me to ride at once to Gwyn and that you should remain here in safety. However, my heart tells me that you, Peter, in particular; are bound up with the fate of the Stone. I believe it is you who must carry it and perhaps even wield it in the battle that is to come. You are the one who may, in the end, decide the fate of Arx Emain and all who dwell within. We must meet with Gwyn before Arddu is ready to make a full attack. Now leave me for the present, little ones. I must consider all things and endevour to choose aright. Elves have a great disadvantage in that they are able to see ‘round all the corners,’ as they say! Now go both of you. Find yourselves some breakfast, and make it a hearty one. I do not know if or when you may have to leave.”
Ederyn bowed his head in thought and Peter and Sarah tiptoed out of the room.
About an hour later, as Peter and Sarah were finishing off rather a large loaf of bread with mountains of butter and honey, Anir came flying through the door and marched purposefully towards them. He was dressed for travelling, booted and cloaked. A long sword showed under the folds of his cloak.
“Hmm, looks like this is it!” whispered Sarah.
“Haste, haste!” Anir called sharply, “You are to get ready right away and ride out with the maniple that will take the Stone of Gardar to Gwyn.”
Peter gave Anir what they called within their family, ‘an old fashioned look’.
“But I thought,” he said.
Anir cut him short.
“Yes, yes! I know and I concur. This puts everything upon a knife-edge. I have spent the greater part of last night putting the opposing argument to Ederyn, but he will not be gainsaid.”
Anir then ‘hooshed’ the children out of the Great Hall and down the corridor towards their rooms, scattering the Elves, who were approaching the Hall in order to take their breakfast, in all directions.
“You at least, Sarah, must stay here. You could help Morvith watch over your Aunt.”
“Oh no, not this time!” said Sarah, “This time I am going with Peter. We shall stick together like glue!”
“Very well, but note this, my friends: I disagree entirely with your presence on this quest. You are only willing to go because you do not know what you will face.”
“That’s not quite true,” said Peter “Sarah and I have both had a taste of the enemy. But anyway I think we have to try and finish Arddu off by whatever means are available to us. I found the Stone so I’d better be the one to look after it for Gwyn, if that is what I am meant to do.”
“I agree with you, Bro,” said Sarah emphatically, “we’re both going and that is that!”
“Well, in the end I suppose it is up to you. It is your choice but if you do choose to ride with Ederyn you had better hurry up and pack. You may be away for several days, out there in the wild.”
Anir bowed and left.
“Several days!”
Sarah’s brain was suddenly jolted back to her real world, the world outside Arx Emain, where people do not deal daily with Elves. What was the date? How long was it to the end of the Summer Holidays, when Mother and Father were due to return from the Summer school to collect them from Aunt Myf’s. With horror she realised that she did not know.
They both had very excellent digital watches that kept good time; even underground in the Elf Kingdom, but they did not have the date. Sarah had not thought until now, that it might be important. Summer Holidays always seemed to stretch on for ever. It was no good asking Peter, he must have lost count weeks ago – WEEKS AGO!
Was it weeks or only days? Frantically she tried to cast her mind back to count the days, as she tried to find another set of warm clothes to put in the sack/bag that Morvith (probably) had provided. But it was no good.
At last she and Peter seemed to have collected all that was necessary and wandered out of their rooms with bags, enveloped in very large cloaks. Peter looked excited, Sarah looked worried. Inside the very large cloak, which bore a large patch in its lining, Sarah felt extremely harassed.
“I must tell Peter,” she thought, “he must think about Mother and Father and the end of the holidays. Some fine holiday this turned out to be.”
Sarah looked at Peter who was watching an increasing number of Elves passing down the corridor, bearing all sorts of gear for making war. Sarah prodded her brother, but he did not respond.
“I bet you’re enjoying this,” she said in a loud whisper, “this is real Action Hero stuff!”
“Eh, What?” replied Peter, whose interest was entirely taken up with the latest group of Elves.
These were carrying some very heavy boxes and Peter was very curious to see what was in them.
“Do you notice it, Sarah?”
“Notice what? Where’s Anir gone? Didn’t he say we’d got to hurry up and now he’s disappeared? He’s always disappearing, usually when we want him.”
“Sarah look at the direction the Elves are taking with the baggage and boxes.”
“Yes, yes, down to the Great Hall.”
“Good girl!”
“What about it?”
“Don’t you see?” said Peter in great excitement, “They are taking everything AWAY from the main gates.”
“Well,” said Sarah, thinking for a moment, “perhaps the Great Hall is a marshalling point.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” answered Peter, hopping from foot to foot, “I think they are going to the alternative exit. Come on, let’s go and see.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for Anir?” Sarah hesitated.
“No, I bet he’s gone to the back door to see how things are going. Don’t you remember, it’s as Ederyn said, ‘We’ve got to leave by another way’.”
“I don’t see why you’re so pleased,” said Sarah, flatly determined to be unimpressed, “it’s only a back door.”
Peter was just going to flatten his sister with a singularly clever remark, when they saw Anir coming up the corridor towards them. He motioned to them to follow him and once again they found themselves in the Hall of the Stone. Anir knelt for a brief moment before the magical Stone in a way that was almost religious.
“As if he were in Church,” Sarah put it afterwards.
Then he took a small bag from within his tunic, placed the Stone inside it and gave it to Peter.
“You are once again the Guardian of the Stone. Ederyn has decided it is right.” he said, bowing deeply, “May you bear it to good fortune, may it bring you strength and power when you need it most and may the power of all powers bring you safely home.”
With this benediction, Anir led them from the Hall and down a tunnel the children had not used before. Instead of going into the Great Hall, they passed down the left side of it. After a while Sarah noticed that they were going down a very gentle, but quite definite slope.
As they walked, Sarah pulled Peter by the sleeve.
“Do you know what day it is today? “
“No,” replied Peter casually, “what day is it today?”
“I don’t know,” answered Sarah, miserably.
“Oh, I thought you were asking a rhetorical question,” said Peter “don’t you know, really?”
“No. And just think about this, while you’re off on your great quest. What happens if Mother and Father arrive to collect us and we’re still away? And how do we explain what’s happened to Aunt Myf?”
Peter frowned. It was true; his thoughts had been too busy with the Stone to think of anything else. He could see that angry parents might pose a problem.
“Got a solution?” queried Sarah.
“No, but I’ll think about it. Perhaps Anir knows the date. I’ll ask him.”
But before they could persue their thoughts, they were distracted entirely by one of the most wonderful things that they had ever seen.
The tunnel had been taking them downwards for some time but now it opened out into a huge cavern, even larger than the Great Hall, if that were possible. The walls were of carved stone, as was the case generally in the Elf Kingdom, but the upper parts were decorated with golden filigree of the most delicate kind.
Flowers, grasses, and insects, particularly butterflies, were described. A huge gold and crystal chandelier hung from the cavern roof and through the centre ran a sparkling underground stream, making a light ford over the pathway.
On the near side of the ford were gathered many horses and ponies. Elves were getting packs together and loading them onto the stouter of the animals. It appeared that here were gathered all the Elves Ederyn had brought from the north together with many of those from Arx Emain.
Before all stood Aneryn, with a great sword. She was dressed in a robe that shone silver, a silver coronet was in her hair and jewels of a deep blue were about her neck and round her wrists. A cloak swirled behind her, also of the deepest blue.
“This was my brother’s sword, Anir. I give it to you. Bear it well.”
Anir took the sword and exchanged it for his own. When it was buckled in place, he bowed to Aneryn once more. Suddenly, she took his hand.
“I hope it will not be long before we meet together once more, then you must promise not to leave us again.”
“Lady, if I am fortunate enough to return here when all is done, then I shall be ready to make you that promise.”
They gazed at each other silently for a moment, then embraced.
“I think they just got engaged,” whispered Sarah in Peter’s ear.
“Ssh!”
Peter gave her a brotherly dig in the ribs.
“Farewell, Anir,” said Aneryn at last.
Then she turned to the children.
“Farewell Peter and Sarah. May you ever ride to good fortune.”
Peter bowed as low as he could. It seemed to be the right thing to do. Elves then surrounded the children and Peter and Sarah were placed on two of the ponies. Anir was already astride his own horse. All were ready to leave. Then a thrill of excitement passed through all who were assembled.
“And there must be several hundreds of Elves here at least,” thought Peter, but he did not have time to count them.
Ederyn appeared at last. He was magnificently arrayed with gold breastplate and shield. He leapt into the saddle and took his place at the head of the procession. Anir bent over towards Aneryn.
“This was my Mother’s. Will you keep it for me?” he said, and passed a brooch to her, which she pinned immediately at the neck of her robe.
Ederyn raised his arm. It was the sign to depart. The legions of the Elves moved forwards. Aneryn remained at the centre of the cavern, waving. They crossed the ford. All minds, except possibly Sarah’s, were on the way ahead.
A passage led them out of the cavern. They all passed out and again down into the dark depths. This passage was only very dimly lit, with small lamps placed onto wall recesses every few yards. They started out riding almost six abreast but as the passageway narrowed they could only ride two together.
This went on for a long time, until Peter and Sarah knew not if it were day or night. Only several hours later did the passage lead them upwards and outwards towards the real world, as Peter and Sarah liked to put it.
Finally the legions rode out into a wood in what must have been late afternoon. Ederyn halted them and bade them rest and eat. Peter and Sarah fell hungrily on some bread, cheese and fruit. Then they lay back on the grass and fell asleep.
“An engagement, definitely an engagement,” murmured Sarah, as she drifted into unconsciousness.