Book III
                                               The Prophecy
                                               Chapter Two
                                          By Lady Faelyn Rose


     Shana Rose folded Dominic’s black woolen cape into a neat square and placed it inside the wooden chest at the foot of her bed. She sadly gazed upon the garment one last time, before closing the lid of the chest and locking it.

     "Perhaps it is for the best that we do not meet again."  Shana thought.

      With a heart so heavy that it seemed to slow her steps, Shana made her way down the stairway to the first floor of the Journey's End Inn. She could hear the rest of her family in the dining room, having their breakfast.

     Patrick's voice boomed and the children squealed with laughter, as Shana crossed the tile floor of the entrance hall.

     "I wish that Shana would hurry and come down to breakfast." Katie Rose was saying "I am dying to find out what it says!"

    Shana stopped in the door way of the dining room. Seated around the table were Bronson and his wife, Shana’s cousin, Jeanne Rose. Across from them sat Shana’s sister, Katie Rose, and her husband Patrick. Enthroned securely upon Patrick’s lap, was his infant daughter, Ayla Rose. The baby’s chubby hand held a large spoon, which she tapped loudly against her father’s pewter plate.

    Charging in and out of the kitchen, dressed in armor and carrying a wooden sword, was Bronson's five year old son, Angus. "Shana's here!!" Angus announced upon seeing her. “Now we can find out what her quest will be!!"

   The room suddenly became as quiet as a tomb. Even the infant, Ayla, cease her joyful babble and sat still; the wooden spoon momentarily forgotten.  All eyes turned to stare at Shana Rose as she stood, looking confused, in the doorway.

    "My quest?" Shana asked.

   "Aye, Shana." Angus answered, and took Shana's hand; pulling her towards her seat at the table. "You have a message from Lord British!! Look!!” he told her excitedly.  “He wants to send you on a quest!"

   "Nay, Angus. The message is not from Lord British" Jeanne Rose laughed, as Shana sat in her chair and helped Angus onto her lap.

    "What are you talking about?" Shana asked. But Angus was already reaching onto the table and grabbing a parchment scroll, tied with a red ribbon, which had been placed next to Shana's plate. The child held the scroll beneath the young bard's nose.


    "See the royal seal?” Angus told Shana. “This must be from Lord British."

     Shana took the scroll from Angus and inspected the red wax seal "Who is it from, Jeanne? You seem to already know."

    "I can not tell you exactly who sent it.” Jeanne replied with a smile "But I can tell you that it was delivered by a servant dressed in black and red."

    Shana gave a soft gasp and slowly rose to her feet. She let Angus slide from her lap, as she clutched the parchment scroll. "I must read this in private."  she said, glancing around at her silent, curious family. "Please excuse me" Shana breathed, before hurrying out of the room and up the stairs.

   Once Shana was safely behind the closed door of her bedroom, she sat on the edge of her bed and carefully untied the red ribbon, which secured the parchment paper. She broke the wax seal and unrolled the scroll. A marked recall rune tumbled out of the parchment and landed on the floor with a thud. Shana picked up the rune and turned it over, checking the inscription for the rune’s destination. It read “Ravenswood Castle”.

   Shana’s heart pounded within her breast as she turned her attention to the writing upon the scroll.

  "Lady Loria of Ravenswood,” she read aloud "respectfully invites Lady Shana Rose and her family to attend a feast to be held in honor of Lord Augustus..."

  Shana stopped reading and looked up from the scroll "Dominic's mother is inviting me to a feast?" A thousand questions raced through her mind. “How can this be?” She asked the empty room before continuing to read the invitation.

  "Ravenswood Castle tomorrow night!" she exclaimed.

   A wave of joy washed over Shana. The memory of Dominic, smiling across a snow covered clearing in Felucca, flooded her mind. Without realizing it, Shana pressed the scroll to her heart and a smile lit her face for the first time since yesterday’s trip to Britain.

   On the heels of this memory came another; one which cast a shadow over Shana’s happiness.

    "Regina." she whispered.


                        *************************************************

    The sun was setting as Torren approached the thatched roof cottage of the Seer, Kerwyn. The tiny building huddled among the trees in a forest north of Trinsic, in Trammel.

   The city of Trinsic, and the forests which surrounded it, were as familiar to Torren as the back of his own hand. He had grown up in a blacksmith shop, just outside the city gates. His foster parents, Kahan and Flora, had raised Torren and trained him as a smith from childhood.

  The couple had provided food and shelter, but little else. Torren had been an unwanted burden upon the household, and was required to work for his keep alongside the adults, each day, from sunrise to sunset.

   Torren had met Kerwyn many years ago, while running errands for his foster father, Kahan. The child had become lost in the forest, while delivering a suit of armor, to one of Kerwyn’s neighbors, and had knocked upon the wrong door. The Seer had invited the tall, thin half breed child into his small cottage to share a meal of bread and cheese. The kindly old man had given Torren directions to the home of the neighbor, who had purchased a suit of armor, and sent him on his way.

    But Torren had returned to visit the kind hearted Kerwyn many times after that, and the two had become close friends. Now, after many years, Torren was looking forward to seeing the ancient Seer, once more.

   Nearby, a party of heavily armed Lizardmen crashed through the underbrush; patrolling the perimeter of their swamp kingdom. Torren passed them undetected; invisible to all. Stealth was a skill with which he had been born. From childhood he had been able to vanish and reappear at will. It was a trick which had greatly vexed Kahan when Torren was a child. But it was a skill which had served Torren well since he had settled in the wilds of Felucca.

    As the party of reptilian warriors moved away to the south, Torren knocked upon the wooden door of Kerwyn's home. The sound of shoes shuffling across the floor inside confirmed that the old man was still alive. The door swung open and Kerwyn appeared; his long white hair and beard nearly covering his faded blue robe.

   Kerwyn squinted through his gold rimmed spectacles at the huge man, in a grey hooded robe, on his door step "Come in, Torren. Come in my son." the old man said, and toddled away towards the small stone hearth "I have been expecting you. Sit, sit!" he commanded, lowering himself into a fireside chair.

  "I have not visited you in a dragon’s age, Kerwyn. How is that you were expecting me?" Torren asked, folding his tall frame onto an undersized chair.

  Kerwyn blinked at Torren through the thick lenses of his spectacles. His blue eyes were magnified, giving him the appearance of an owl "I am a Seer, my son. I have had knowledge of this visit for many months."

  "Of course." Torren chuckled. He reached into his pack and pulled out a parchment scroll which was yellowed with age "Then you know why I have come."

  "Aye, the Prophecy." Kerwyn answered, taking the scroll and carefully unrolling it "It is written in runic script and you need me to translate." Kerwyn’s lips moved silently as he scanned the writing upon the scroll.

    After a moment he mumbled "Ah yes, so long ago.”

   "Tell me again" Torren requested in a somber voice "I must be sure."

   Kerwyn tilted the parchment towards the firelight in the hearth and began to read.


From the strength of the trueborn son and the fire of his forge, will the Golden Skye rise.  In the land of dishonor shall the trueborn son labor until an honorable man reveals the path. A maiden with the courage of a dragon and beauty which shines like the stars in the night must he discover.  She, alone, can wield the Golden Skye. And unto her must the trueborn son be bound. As evil was evoked through the weakness of a woman’s sorrow, so shall it be driven back into the abyss by the strength of a woman’s love. Only then will the curse of Daegan’s greed be lifted and his people set free.

    When he had finished translating, Kerwyn looked up at Torren and asked "May I see the Golden Skye?"

    Without a word Torren reached into the folds of his robe and pulled forth a piece of oil cloth. He placed the oil cloth and its contents across the lap of the ancient Seer. With withered fingers, the old man opened the oil cloth exposing a gleaming katana of gold. The magical glow from the weapon lit the Seer's face like a lantern, as his eyes widened with wonder.

     "It is truly the Golden Skye" Kerwyn chuckled, as he ran his fingers over the design covering the blade "Only one can wield it." the Seer lifted his gaze to Torren “The path has been shown to you? You have found her?”

     "I am to meet with a maiden, tonight, whose brother wishes to buy the weapon. But how can I be sure that this woman is the one, Kerwyn?" Torren asked. He took the katana from the old man's hands and wrapped in his oil cloth "How will I know her?"

    Kerwyn cackled with glee. He leaned forward and tapped his finger against Torren's forehead "You will know it in here, my son." he moved his finger to tap upon Torren's chest "And you will know it there. For she will be as brave as a dragon and as beautiful as a star filled night."

                               ****************************************

    Torren appeared near the stone stairs of Ravenswood Castle at the appointed time. Still cloaked in his grey hooded robe, he climbed the steps and approached the two armed guards flanking the entrance to the fortress.

    Upon hearing the stranger's name, one of the guards ordered Torren to follow him through the iron doors and down a short corridor. The guard opened a wooden door on the right side of the corridor and told Torren to enter the room. Once inside the room, Torren heard the door closing behind him. He glanced around, checking his surroundings.

   The room which Torren had entered, was a library. The walls were lined with polished, oak shelves. And upon those finely crafted shelves there was an astonishingly large collection of leather bound books. A huge hearth, on the far side of the room, was ablaze; giving the room a warm cheery glow.

   Two men stood near the hearth. One was the warrior, Dominic. The other man appeared to be several years younger and sported a completely shaved head. Beside the hearth, in a large wooded chair, sat a dark haired woman dressed in a scarlet gown.

    "Welcome, Torren" Dominic greeted him. The warrior came forward with his hand extended in friendship. Torren cautiously shook Dominic's hand, but said nothing.

     After a moment of silence, Dominic cleared his throat and turned to the other man in the room "This is my cousin, Michael." The younger man nodded to Torren, but remained where he was standing.

    "Did you bring the weapon, Torren?" Dominic asked.

     "Aye" Torren answered, looking past Dominic at the woman seated before the fire. She slowly rose to stand just behind Dominic.

    The young woman was taller than most; slender and graceful in her movements. Her beautiful face was framed by a mane of shiny, dark hair, which flowed past her shoulders and down her back. Her dark eyes studied Torren, without fear, as she moved forward, offering her hand in welcome "I am Regina" she said. Her voice was soft, but assertive. "My brother has told me of your skill as a blacksmith."

    As Torren took Regina’s hand, Dominic withdrew to his place beside the hearth. In a low voice, he spoke with his cousin about a recent battle. But the eyes of both men remained fixed upon Regina and the stranger.

    Torren pushed the hood from his head and watched Regina's face closely. He was accustomed to being shunned by women, and waited for the look of shock which he knew would follow.

    But it was not shock that he saw upon her lovely face. Regina smiled, revealing a deep dimple in her left cheek. In her eyes he saw that she was aware of Torren’s ploy to shock her with his unsettling appearance. She was not only aware, but, he realized, found it amusing.

   The intelligence, which Torren saw in her eyes, filled him with admiration. She was fearless and quick witted; her body sound and agile. Regina indeed had the makings of a fine warrior.

  "I am Torren, my lady" he said, and knelt before her. Torren reached into his robe and drew forth the golden katana. He displayed it to Regina; holding it lengthwise across both hands.

   Regina gazed down at the weapon. Its magical glow radiated out; touching her face with golden light "It is beautiful" she said in awe "I have never seen the like." Regina looked into Torren's black eyes; she was no longer smiling "This weapon is blessed by the Gods, is it not?"

    A tremor of astonishment hit Torren. She knows! He thought.

   "Aye, my lady." Torren answered.  “The weapon was inspired by those most holy.”

   "I fear that I am unworthy of such a gift." Regina admitted, as she surveyed the engraving on the blade, of a garden beneath the sun.

   "Fit it to your hand before you decide." Torren coaxed her.

   Regina slowly reached towards the katana. As her slender fingers wrapped around the hilt, Torren felt a surge of intense energy course through his body, taking his breath away.

    Regina gasped and pulled her hand from the katana. A feeling of warmth, deep in Torren's chest, lingered as he knelt before Regina. Their gazes locked.

  "Such powerful magic!" she said, softly. Her hand, he noticed, covered her heart, as if she, too, had felt the jolt of magic energy. "You would give this weapon to me?"

   "The Golden Skye has chosen you." Torren answered.

   "The Golden Skye" Regina pronounced the name. A dimpled smile showed upon her face. Again she reached over to take the katana from Torren's hand, ignoring the magic energy that spark, blue between them. Regina lifted the weapon and spun away, into the middle of the room.  "It is a perfect description of this treasure." She tested the balance of the katana, with expert precision; performing several practice movements in rapid succession.

  “If, indeed, the Gods have sent this weapon into my care, then I have no choice but to accept it.” Regina said, brandishing the blade in the firelight.

   Regina stopped and held the weapon up to the light; studying the intricate etchings once more. The katana glowed, reflecting in the young woman's eyes like a thousand stars in the night sky. And, in that moment, there was no doubt in Torren's mind that he was witnessing an event which had been foretold by the Seer, Kerwyn. Regina was as brave as a dragon and as beautiful as the stars in the sky.

  "To you and no other shall we be bound." Torren whispered a vow, which only the Gods could hear.

    Regina took several steps in Torren’s direction, as she continued to gaze at the Golden Skye. "Have you other weapons like this?"

   Torren gave a short laugh "I have many weapons, but none compare to the Golden Skye."

   "You may think me bold, Torren, but I asked this because my father, Lord Augustus, will be celebrating the day of his birth tomorrow night. I would very much like to give him something created by you." she said, smiling down at Torren, as he continued to kneel. "Could you select something, fit for a Lord, and bring it here, to me, before the feast?  I will pay you a fair price."

   Torren stood; towering above the maiden. "I will bring my finest weapons for your inspection."

    "Thank you, Torren" Regina said, and extended her hand to him, once more. "You will, of course, stay and join us for the feast."

     Torren hesitated for a moment, not wanting to accept an invitation to a large public gathering. But he needed a reason to return. Now that he had found Regina, and had bound himself to her, Torren must have a reason to remain in her life, until their task together was completed. He took her hand and bowing over it said "I would be honored."

  Without another word, Torren turned on his heel and left the room. He had much work to do.

                      **************************************************