Chapter 51 - The Great Reunion

Andres’ day had begun just before sunrise, when he led the charge against the black knights. The fighting had been fierce, and the battle had been bloody--for about five minutes. But Dor-ko’s army soon realized that the white knights, though far outnumbered, had no intention of retreating. They had come to fight till the last man. And so it wasn’t long before the Black Knights--who were much better at intimidating than actually fighting--turned tail and ran.

Some of the Black Knights simply ran back into the woods and tried to disappear. Others just got down on their knees and begged for mercy and for a drink of water. The remainder--those who were still mounted on their horses--organized themselves and retreated back to the Eastern Road. Andres figured that they would try to retreat to Dor-ko’s castle. Realizing this, he bellowed out at the top of his lungs, “Forget the wimps on the ground, men! They’re not going to hurt anyone! Let’s chase the rest of ‘em! We’ve got to destroy them before they get back to their castle!”

So the white knights charged onward, a hundred men chasing a few thousand. Andres had to pinch himself a few times, just to make sure he wasn’t imagining this. But every time he shook his head and looked around, the scene was the same: The enemy was on the run. So Andres, his sword raised to the sky and pointing forward, urged the men on.

Andres and the White Knights pursued Dor-ko’s army for about an hour when they suddenly came to a halt. The Black Knights abruptly dismounted from their horses, cast their weapons down, and surrendered. Just like that, the battle was over! Andres was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. He was glad that his enemy had given up, but he had rather enjoyed the chase. He dismounted and walked over to one of the blubbering Black Knights who was on his knees. “What’s wrong with you guys?” Andres asked. “You come, you fight, you run, and now you just give up? What happened?”

The Black Knight looked up at Andres and said, “We’re trapped! Dor-ko didn’t tell us about no trap! We can’t fight if we’re trapped! And I don’t want to die in no trap! So please just let me go and don’t hurt me and I’ll never do anything bad ever again and if you let me join the White Knights I’ll be the bravest knight there ever was but please let me out of this trap!”

Andres just shook his head and remounted his horse. After riding through the scores of surrendering Black Knights, he finally saw what had stopped them in their tracks. Ronaldus had set up a wooden blockade across the road! He had led about fifty of the faithful followers of King Maximilian down the road and blocked the retreat. These brave souls had stacked some trees across the road, then stood behind it and launched a hail of arrows into the retreating mass of men. It didn’t take long before the Black Knights, attacked from the fore as well as the rear, were persuaded to give up.

Andres found Ronaldus and gave him a big embrace. He wanted to talk with him a bit, but Ronaldus wasn’t ready for any chit-chat. He simply said, “Prince Andres, please give my best to the King when you see him. But we’d best take care of these Black Knights while their spirit is broken. With your permission, sir, I will lead them back to Dor-ko’s castle. The dungeons are currently unoccupied, and it would probably be best if we fill them with Black Knights. If we offer them a good meal and a chance to sleep in peace, I don’t think they’ll put up much of a fight.”

So Andres followed Ronaldus’ counsel. He dispatched Legs and Pipes to corral the Black Knights and herd them down the road to prison. The Black Knights were remarkably agreeable and followed Ronaldus quite willingly. In less than an hour, the Black Knights were marching back to the castle from whence they came, and Andres was galloping back toward Cliffton.

On his way back, Andres happened to see an enormous Black Knight lying on the ground and shaking. As Andres got closer, he could hear the man crying out, “Mother! Oh Mother, save me! I want my Mother!” He said this over and over again, his large body seeming to bounce up and down on the ground as he did so. Andres thought the voice sounded vaguely familiar, so he dismounted and walked up to the strange fellow. He soon realized just who this poor soul was.

It was Chub.

Andres wanted to be mad at this man who had done so much to create this mess. But with victory in hand, Andres figured he’d be sympathetic rather than vindictive. So he walked up to Chub, knelt down by his said, and said the highest-pitched voice that he could muster, “It’s your mommy, dearest Chub. Thank you for being such a brave warrior!” Then Andres gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

Chub never even opened his eyes. He just said, “Thank you, Mother! Oh thank you!” Tears came streaming out of his eyes, a smile crept across his face, and the poor soul fell asleep. Andres shook his head, remounted his horse, and continued his ride back.

As he rode, Andres observed that the landscape was littered with black cloaks. It was like they were rained from the sky. After pondering this for awhile, Andres figured out what must have happened. These were probably the remnants of the creatures that had filled the air just the night before, with ghastly cries that had filled the men with fear. But after Andres had heard the resounding trumpet sound followed by the great explosion, the cries had disappeared. Something about the trumpet must have quenched the spirits of these creatures. They were to be feared no longer.

A nagging thought suddenly came to Andres’ mind. What happened to Cable? The last memory he’d had of Cable was when Pipes and Chub were kidnapping him. Though a hood had been placed over his head and he could see nothing, Andres had known that Cable was following him. But after entering the dense Southern Woods, Andres had never heard from Cable again. After seeing pathetic Chub again, this thought began to weigh heavily on Andres’ heart.

The thought didn’t weigh heavily for long, however. For after Andres returned to Cliffton and passed through the village gates, who should be waiting for him but Cable himself! He was sitting on a log that had been fashioned into a bench, with a plate on his lap, eating some kind of meat. Andres yelled out, “Hey Cable!” and then ran up to his brother and gave him a hug.

“Hey Andres!” Cable replied. “But be careful. I don’t want to drop my chicken.”

Andres wanted to get a little upset that Cable seemed to be more concerned about his chicken than about his own brother. But he quickly let it go; today wasn’t a day to be too concerned about the small stuff. “How did you get here?” Andres asked.

“She led me here,” replied Cable. While holding a drumstick in one hand, he pointed behind him with his other hand. A few yards away a giant horse lay on the ground. Nestled up against the horse, lying sound asleep, was Remmaline.

Andres shook his head. How did his sister get into these messes--and somehow get back out of them? He couldn’t figure out how someone who liked to get all dressed up and have tea parties could also run around the countryside in the middle of a battle. He wanted to ask her these questions, but he figured he’d just let her sleep. Besides, if she was awake, she’d talk a lot, and Andres needed some peace and quiet so that he could catch up with his brother.

So Andres and Cable spent the next hour or so exchanging stories about their adventures. Cable marveled at how his brother had escaped from prison and ended up leading an entire army into battle. Meanwhile, Andres was pretty impressed that Cable had plunged off a cliff into a river, and he was even more impressed that his brother could play the trumpet. “You know something,” Andres said. “Our dad--well, last night, when he was getting ready to start the battle, he just waited. It seemed like he waited forever. He wouldn’t even budge until he heard the trumpet. I guess he was waiting for you, Cable. If you hadn’t blown the horn, those wicked creatures might still be surrounding us now, and we might never have crushed those guys.”

Cable absorbed this news for a moment. “So the creatures disappeared after I blew the horn?” he asked.

“Yup,” replied Andres. “And that was when Dad motioned for me to come and lead the charge.”

Cable felt a bit better after this revelation. He just kind of nodded his head while munching on more chicken. Andres suddenly felt great hunger pangs invading his stomach. “By the way,” he asked, “where did you get that chicken?”

Cable’s mouth was full, so he couldn’t reply right away. As a well-mannered prince, he’d been taught long ago not to talk with his mouth full. But he did manage to point off to his right. Andres followed his finger and saw Annala approaching.

“Annala!” cried out Andres, running toward her. “I’m glad to see you’re all right!” As he gave her a big, princely hug, he whispered in her ear, “By the way, do you have any more chicken?”

“Prince Andres, I’m so glad to see you’ve returned from battle!” replied Annala, returning his hug and giving him a kiss on his forehead. “Of course, I’ll be glad to get you whatever you’d like. But tell me--did you see any sign of Gregorex?”

Andres was about to reply when the sound of galloping hooves was heard just outside the village gates. Two horses soon came trotting in. Atop one of the horses was Samek and a woman that Andres didn’t recognize. Atop the other horse was Gregorex and a man that Andres also didn’t recognize.

However, it became immediately clear that Annala recognized everyone. She ran over to the woman and cried out, “Mom! Oh Mom! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!” As her mother--whom we know as Susannah--dismounted, Annala cloaked her in hugs and kisses and tears.

Andres walked over and sat next to Cable to observe the family reunion. Andres figured that Annala would go over to Gregorex after she greeted her mother. But he was wrong. Instead, she walked over to the man that had ridden with Gregorex. She held the man’s face in her hands, gently kissed him on the forehead, and gave him a warm embrace. The man broke down and wept in Annala’s arms. He never raised his eyes from the ground. Andres thought he must be the most dejected man he’d ever seen.

Cable then piped up and whispered to Andres, “I’ve seen that guy before! Andres...just last night, that guy was about to get thrown into the fiery mound! He tried to run away, but he got caught and was carried away by Slumbutter himself. I...I don’t know how he ever made it back!”

Andres then turned his attention back to Gregorex, who leaned against his horse while watching Annala and the man (whom we know to be Philip) talk for a few minutes. Andres pointed him out to Cable. “You’ve got to meet that guy,” said Andres. “He and I were in prison together for awhile. He’s maybe the best horseman I know, next to Dad. And the man is fearless. I...I don’t know how he ever made it back, either. He disappeared in the middle of my first night here, and we all figured he’d gotten captured or killed.”

Finally Annala turned her attention to Gregorex. As Philip turned and walked away, Annala faced her man and held her arms open wide. Gregorex ran to her, swept her up in his arms, swung her around a couple of times, and then kissed her. Andres stared with his mouth wide open. This had to be the longest kiss he ever remembered. His first instinct was to be repulsed by the passion. But then he thought to himself, “For some reason, this kind of thing doesn’t seem as gross as it used to be. I guess I’m growing up.” So he just patiently watched.

After what seemed like hours, Andres heard someone clear his throat. He turned and saw Samek, who just didn’t seem comfortable about this phase of the reunion. He didn’t actually say anything; he just kept coughing and clearing his throat. Soon afterward, Gregorex and Annala stopped kissing and just held each other in their arms. Then the coughing stopped.

Soon everyone just gathered together and started introducing themselves and exchanging stories. Susannah told about her harrowing trip with Dor-ko that ended in the cave. Gregorex then told about his encounter with the flaming furball that knocked him off his horse and ended up leading him to Susannah. As he wrapped up his tale, he said, “I...I don’t know what happened to the king. He pointed me back to the village, and then he mentioned something about having to attend a great party. After that, he disappeared. I was hoping he’d be back here.”

Then it was Samek’s turn to speak.

“The king will appear when he sees fit,” said Samek. “He works in his own time. He always has, and he always will. But let me tell you something...the strangest thing happened during the battle,” he said. “While Andres led the charge, I saw someone galloping from right to left well behind the enemy’s lines. The horse wasn’t moving too fast, because it appeared to be burdened by a heavy load on its back.

“Well, Andres seemed to have everything under control. So I broke off and followed the mysterious rider. I figured I could catch him within a few minutes. And I had a sneaking suspicion that it might be Slumbutter himself, since he’s too much of a coward to actually stick around and fight.

“I never did actually catch him. But after about an hour of trotting through the woods, I did run into his horse. I grabbed the horse by the reigns and led him down the path, where I thought I heard some voices. Sure enough, there were Gregorex and Susannah and Philip. I pulled Susannah up on my horse, while Gregorex and Philip mounted Slumbutter’s horse. Then we all followed Gregorex, since he knows these woods better than anyone.”

Samek paused a moment from his narrative. Turning to Andres, he asked, “Hey, there is one thing that’s been nagging at me. We’re all glad that Susannah is safe and sound. But why did you stab Dor-ko, knowing that she was in danger and might never get found again?”

Andres said, “Oh yeah, I never had a chance to explain that. You’ve got to understand something. When I first met Annala, she played all sorts of word games with me. And so when I read the note from her mom, I had a feeling that it might have some words games as well. So I just stared at the note and studied it. I couldn’t take my eyes off it! Here is what it said:

So Love Abounds. You

Have Inflamed My

heart

today, even now.

trust me, believe me now,

Or Whenever Love

is seen.

“I looked at the first two lines and saw that all the words were capitalized. The thought occurred to me that maybe these letters were supposed to spell something. And sure enough, they spelled ‘SLAY HIM.’ Well, that seemed clear enough. And the next word said ‘heart.’ So I thought to myself, ‘She’s saying that I ought to send my sword right through his heart.’

“Well, I started to think, ‘Should I wait till she’s safe before I kill him?’ But her note answered that question for me. She said to do it ‘today, even now.’ And she said to ‘trust me,’ meaning that I ought to do it, even if it seems like it could put her in danger.

At this point Samek interrupted, “But how did you know that she would be okay? How did you know that she wasn’t just telling you to kill him, even if it meant that she might never be saved?”

“Because of the next two lines,” Andres replied. “She started using capital letters again. It spelled the word ‘OWL.’ And then the next line said ‘is seen.’ So she was saying that she had seen the owl--the great messenger of the high king. Cable and I met him in our first journey to Aberdeen, and he guided us every step of the way. So I figured that if she’d seen the owl, then she must be all right. So I did what she told me to do and plunged my sword into Dor-ko’s chest.”

“You did well, Prince Andres,” said Susannah. She walked over to him, bent her knee before him, then stood and gave him a great embrace.

“It...it was nothing...” he stammered. “It was nothing that anyone else in my place wouldn’t have done.” Then, looking desperately to change the subject and avoid the emotion of the moment, Andres asked, “Hey Cable, whatever happened to the trumpet that you played?”

Cable paused and thought for a moment. “You know...I can’t remember,” he said.

“You can’t remember?” bellowed Andres. “That’s a big deal, Cable! Can’t you keep track of anything?”

The scene threatened to degenerate into a moment of sibling squabbling. But suddenly the air was pierced by a trumpet sound. It was perhaps the worst-sounding blare of a trumpet that anyone had ever heard. It was garbled and unsteady and shrill. “Man, that’s awful!” declared Andres. “It sounds like a gargling giant.” Then looking around he asked, “Where did that sound come from?”

Cable then said, “Oh yeah! Jimbo took it! I’ll bet that was him!”

Andres was about to ask who Jimbo was, but before he could form the words in his mouth he saw an odd character appear at the village gate. In a curious accent, the man declared, “I hope you enjoyed my introduction! I’m sure you can’t believe that was the first time I’ve ever played this melodious instrument.”

“It sounded more like a cow with a stomach ache than a trumpet,” declared Andres. “Give that thing to Cable before you kill someone with it!”

Jimbo stared at Andres. “I’m hurt by that comment,” he said, though Andres was pretty sure that he wasn’t hurt too badly. “Because you see, I really didn’t play this instrument just for your hearing pleasure. I played it to announce the arrival of...”

And as Jimbo spoke, from around the corner of the village wall appeared the king.

Chapter 50 - Gregorex Returns

Gregorex sat on the ground, his back against a tree, his head lowered. He was exhausted and frustrated and uncertain. He was too discouraged to continue his quest, and he was too tired to go back to Cliffton. So he just sat and waited for something to change, feeling utterly powerless to do anything.

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

His quest had begun about 36 hours earlier, when he was mounted atop Spartacus and traversing the Great Swamp. He had offered to ride back to the castle as fast as he could to tell King Maximilian of the impending attack. He knew that Cliffton was no match for Dor-ko’s army, so he rode with great swiftness to plead for help. He felt it was the village’s only hope for survival.

When he was midway through the Great Swamp (which Spartacus alone knew how to traverse), he caught a glimpse of a flash of light off to his left. He turned and saw what appeared to be a ball of fire hurtling out of the woods in his direction. Gregorex urged Spartacus onward, hoping to get out of the fireball’s path. But there was nothing he could do. The flying object struck him in the side and knocked him from his horse.

Gregorex landed in the swamp and immediately panicked. Slowly but relentlessly the swamp started to drag him under. The more he struggled, the more entrapped he became. Soon his feet were devoured. He was nearly down to his knees when he paused briefly from his struggle and stared across the swamp. In the woodland beyond the swamp, about 40 yards away, he could make out a glimmer of light. It appeared as though the object (or creature) that had knocked him from his mount was residing in the woods. And to his amazement, as long as he stared at the light, he no longer sank into the swamp.

Gregorex turned around to call for Spartacus. He felt, if he could grab hold of his horse’s neck, Spartacus would be able to pull him out of the miry mess. But as soon as he turned to look for Spartacus, he began to descend further into the Great Swamp. It didn’t take Gregorex long to stop searching for Spartacus and to look back toward the glowing light in the woods. He now realized that his only hope of salvation from the swamp was to keep his eyes on the light and to pursue it with all his strength.

So Gregorex began to move toward the illumination. Moving was excruciatingly difficult, yet he seemed to gradually emerge from the muck with each feeble step that he took. Within minutes, Gregorex emerged from the swamp and entered the woods.

For a moment, Gregorex was filled with great anxiety. He had felt as though the safety of Cliffton had rested upon him and his mission. He feared that his inability to notify the King meant that Cliffton--along with all his friends, old and new--was doomed to destruction at the hands of Dor-ko. He felt like a failure.

However, a strange joy came over him as he peered deep into the woods in search of the light. When his eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of the mysterious object, he was filled with hope. He had an inexplicable feeling that, if he could just place his hands on the object, then everything would be all right. So with his hope renewed despite his feeling of physical exhaustion, Gregorex pressed ahead into the woods in pursuit of the fireball.

Throughout the night and all the next day, Gregorex chased after the mysterious object. No matter how fast he moved, it stayed ever before him--bright enough to draw his intention, but not bright enough to reveal what it was. Gregorex lost all track of time as he dashed headlong through the woods, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around the light. Yet try as he might to fulfill his all-consuming quest, he was frustrated at every turn. The object was too elusive.

The pursuit continued through the second night. Gregorex had now been without sleep for over two days. His throat was parched from thirst, and hunger gnawed at his belly. He felt overcome by fatigue and weariness. Yet still he pressed on.

Until he came across a path. And then the mysterious illumination disappeared.

Gregorex stood still. He looked down the path in each direction. He neither saw nor heard anything. He peered into the woods, desperately searching for the light. He saw nothing. It appeared that the terrain rose abruptly on one side of the path, as though he were near a hillside. So he clambered up the hill in hopes that, from a higher vantage point, he might be able to see the light. But again, he saw nothing. So Gregorex trudged slowly back down the hill. He sat down on the ground, leaned his back against a tree, and sighed. Until the light showed itself again, his quest was over.

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

As morning dawned the next day, Gregorex thought he heard a noise in the distance. He looked around for any sign of the light but saw none. He then put his ear to the ground. Sure enough, he heard the sound of approaching hoofbeats. A horse was galloping down the path in his direction! Gregorex quickly got to his feet. He was desperate for food and water, and this rider might have some of both.

Gregorex then remembered that he was in enemy territory. If anyone was coming, it was certain to be one of Slumbutter’s soldiers. He didn’t figure it was a whole platoon; as far as he could tell from listening, it was a single horse. But Gregorex didn’t take any chances. He looked around and saw a large rock, tucked into the hillside and situated just a few feet from the edge of the trail. He quickly climbed atop the boulder and waited for the horse to approach.

Within a minute, the rider came into Gregorex’ view. As he passed by the boulder, Gregorex leaped out and grabbed the rider. Taking hold of the rider’s cloak, Gregorex fearlessly yanked him off the horse. The two tumbled to the ground in a heap. As he fell, Gregorex looked behind him. He saw the startled horse kick up his hind legs, release a large pack that was on his pack, and flee down the path.

Gregorex turned his attention back to his adversary. “Are you a friend of King Maximilian?” cried out Gregorex as he attempted to pin him to the ground. “Tell me now!”

“Curse him!” replied the cloaked man.

An infuriated Gregorex drew back and tried to slug the insolent man in the jaw. But the cloaked man had no interest in fighting. Instead, he simply tried to escape. He crawled and slithered and twisted and writhed his way out of Gregorex’ grasp. He came to his feet and started running down the trail after his horse. Gregorex desperately tried to chase after him. He started to dive in one last attempt to grab him. As he did so, however, he tripped over an object that lay in the middle of the path. He fell at his fleeing adversary’s heels. He tried to grab an ankle, but all he did was grasp the man’s robe. The man slid out of his robe, leaving it in Gregorex’ hands while he continued his flight down the trail.

Gregorex lay on the ground, out of breath and out of strength. To his delight, he noticed a waterskin lying on the ground next to him. It must have fallen down along with the robe! He quickly uncorked and and took a long drink. Even though it was warm, it was the most refreshing drink he could ever remember.

He put the cork back in the wineskin, figuring he’d better save some for later. He then took a look at the robe that he’d grabbed. The inside of the robe was lined with a faded purple dye. A large golden “S” was embroidered into the fabric. Gregorex quickly realized who he’d just fought.

The faded purple was the cheap dye of phony royalty. It had been Slumbutter himself.

Gregorex shook his head in frustration, angry that he hadn’t managed to capture the rogue rebel king. He stood to his feet and walked over to the object that he’d tripped over. It must have been the pack that had fallen from the horse. It was long and large and...

Gregorex gasped. It was a body. Slumbutter had been carrying a body on the back of his horse!

Gregorex stooped down as he approached the body. Its hands were tied behind its back, and a hood was draped over its head. Gregorex immediately reached for the hands and untied them. To his relief, the body moved slightly, and Gregorex could hear a groan from under the hood. The person was alive! He started to reach for the hood when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a light off to his right. He eagerly stood up and looked into the woods. Once again, he gasped in surprise.

The rock that he’d climbed before jumping on Slumbutter had mysteriously moved! It revealed the entrance to a cave. And from insight the cave shone a bright light.

Gregorex was momentarily paralyzed. Should he stay and unmask the man that lay at his feet? Or should he complete his quest to find the source of the mysterious light? As he pondered the dilemma, he noticed that the light from the cave was fading. The longer he waited, the dimmer it got. He got the feeling that, if he unmasked the man, he might never catch sight of the light again. So he bellowed out, “You’re free, mister! Unmask yourself!” and then dashed into the cave.

Gregorex had never been a big fan of caves. Though he was a mighty hunter and a fearless warrior, he had a rather obsessive fear of bats. But he took comfort in the knowledge that the light itself had probably scared the bats away, so he pressed on.

The light grew brighter and brighter as he meandered through the cave. Finally, he rounded a corner and came to an open area. There, standing in the middle of the opening, was...an owl. A warm light radiated from it. The owl cast an unblinking stare at Gregorex as he entered the chamber. Gregorex knew immediately that he had found the one that he’d been searching for. His quest was over.

But as Gregorex’ eyes adjusted to the light, he noticed that there was something else in the cave as well. Leaning against the owl, resting in peaceful slumber, was...a woman.

Gregorex looked at the owl. He wanted to ask if it was okay to come closer, but he didn’t dare to say a word. He just stood there, waiting. Momentarily, though no words were actually spoken, Gregorex got the impression that it would be okay to approach. Slowly he walked toward the owl. He felt compelled to kneel down before the owl, for--as odd as it seemed--he sensed that he was in the presence of royalty.

The owl seemed to acknowledge the bow. He then slightly turned his head, as though beckoning Gregorex to tend to the woman. Gregorex walked toward the back side of the owl and looked at the face of the one who lay there. Yet again, Gregorex gasped.

Though mud and grime covered her face, there was no mistaking her. The woman was Susannah, the wife of Samek, the mother of Gregorex’ beloved Annala. She was alive!

Gregorex gently shook her shoulder. Susannah opened her eyes. She didn’t act startled or surprised in the least. She just smiled gently and said, “I knew that help would come. I just knew it. Gregorex...it is so good to see you.” Then she slowly came to her feet and hugged Gregorex, who fought back tears as he clung to one that he’d once feared was dead at the hands of Slumbutter.

Gregorex took Susannah by the hand and led her out of the cave. The owl did not follow them; he just stood where he was and provided enough light to enable Gregorex and Susannah to find their way through the labyrinthine cave. Once the pair exited, the light from within disappeared.

Susannah’s eye was immediately drawn to the path. She took a couple of brisk steps over to the body that still lay on the path. The hood was still draped over its head. Susannah quickly reached up and pulled it off. As soon as he did, the man turned his head toward her and coughed a couple of times. Susannah quickly leaned over and embraced the man that lay before her.

For it was her son--Philip.

Gregorex was shocked and repulsed. At his feet lay the man that was nothing short of a traitor. He had betrayed not only Gregorex, but his family--not to mention the entire village of Cliffton. He wanted to tell Susannah to get away from her son. He wanted to tell her what a rotten wretch her son was, and how he was responsible for a battle that was probably even raging as they spoke. He wanted to tell her that many people--maybe even her own husband--were likely dead right now because of Philip’s treachery.

But Gregorex held his tongue and walked away. He needed some space, or else he’d say something that he’d regret. He stood a short distance away, stewing and staring blankly into the woods. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Startled, he jumped in the air and then turned around. He found himself staring at King Maximilian himself.

“Well done, my friend,” said the king softly with a gentle smile on his face.

Gregorex immediately took a knee before the king. “My lord!” he cried out. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“It was I who rolled the stone away,” replied the king.

Surprised, Gregorex replied, “Then why didn’t you just go in an rescue Susannah?”

The king smiled and answered. “Rescue her?” he said. “Gregorex, she was not the one who needed to be rescued. Susannah was just fine. You were the one who needed to be rescued. If you had pulled that hood off, Gregorex, you would have brought great harm to Philip. It would have caused great regret for the rest of your life. You needed to get drawn away.”

The king paused before resuming. “You did well to leave the body and pursue the light. But make no mistake--your obedience was more to your benefit than to hers.”

The king then grabbed Gregorex by the shoulder and raised him to his feet. “You have done well, Gregorex,” he said. “Come with me. A great party and splendid reunion await us. Victory is ours!”