Aglanthol 3 - The Castle of Saelethiel (The Law Cannot Be Shaken) - 22. Chapter 22

Neldor and Leandor stood in the main hall. The only window in the room had been opened. Light fell into the hall and illuminated it. The brethren had left the hall and they had taken Ogol with them.

"I thank you, Master Neldor, that you followed the call," Leandor said.

"Unfortunately, I understood a bit late why fate had summoned me here," Neldor replied.

Leandor smiled.

"You understood it all in time, Master Neldor," he said.

Leandor pointed at the window.

"A ward guards this window. Two birds passed the ward. A black crow and a white dove flew into the hall," he said.

Neldor nodded in understanding.

"The time had come for the two men," he said.

The two old men stood in silence for a while.

"Where do they take Ogol?" Neldor asked.

"To a chamber, a cell, where he can meditate until he is ready to work with the brethren," Leandor replied.

Neldor nodded slowly.

"He will stay in the castle and not leave it again?" he asked.

"No, he won’t leave it again," Leandor said in a sober voice like stating an obvious fact. "This is the decision he took. This is his fate and his destiny that is written in the book of time."

Neldor gave another nod. The old men exchanged a look. Leandor smiled.

"I will take you to a chamber where you can rest for the night. Tomorrow morning we will talk again before you will leave the castle. Your task is not yet finished," he said.

Neldor smiled.

"I wonder why fate summoned a man of my age," he said with a sigh. "But, yes, I will accompany the two men back to Tanmil. I need to reassure the poor man. He must have faced the darkest night of his life."

Leandor returned a faint smile.

"He could have stepped on the path of magic. But his heart decided differently. His soul wished to face the truth early. His wish was granted. This is the law," he said.

"The law cannot be shaken and is valid for all times," Neldor completed Leandor’s sentence.

"Yes," Leandor said simply.

He made a gesture with his hand and then led Neldor out of the main hall. He led him to a small chamber where the wizard stayed for the night.

Neldor departed at noon the following day. He had not seen Ogol again. The wizard walked slowly. He was pondering. All had happened in the right place and at the right time. The old wizard felt content and at peace.

Neldor reached the camp in the afternoon. He found Qildor and Magath in an unexpected good mood. Neldor smiled inwardly. Qildor had raised the shattered man’s spirits. The man had already accomplished half of what Neldor had thought was his task.

‘No man can avoid his destiny and every man has a mission,’ he thought as he entered the camp.

~~**~~

Ogol meditated in his chamber and explored the depths of his soul and his heart. An old man worked with him for many weeks and initiated him into the secrets of Saelethiel. When all was said and all was done, the old man suddenly fell ill and within one day died of his illness. But fate had in time summoned his worthy successor. Ogol took his final oath.

Twenty men always live in the castle like it has been since the time of the early wizards. The guardians of the castle watch out and enforce the law. The Castle of Saelethiel is hidden from the eyes of an average man and only the wise men know where to find it.

~~**~~

Neldor, Qildor, and Magath left the Western Mountains and rode back to Tanmil. Neldor and Magath now and then talked, but Qildor was the one who reassured Magath and raised his spirits again. They arrived in Tanmil a week after they had left the mountains. Neldor spent two days with Qildor and Magath, and then the old wizard bid them farewell and returned to the royal court of Aglanthol.

Qildor spent a few days with Magath. Then he rode to the fortress. The soldiers had returned to their lax discipline. They had not expected Qildor’s return so soon. Qildor resumed his efforts to enforce discipline and he tried to be leading by example. The men set out and explored the area. They watched out and guarded the frontier.

The Khalindash had waited in vain for the return of their powerful magician. A few men tried to take Ogol’s place and augment their own power. They fought each other. But the disputes and quarrels weakened the Khalindash even more. As time went by, the Khalindash gave in and stopped their attacks, and some of the Khalindash even retreated farther north.

~~**~~

Magath finally repaired the roof. He resumed his daily routine and it reassured him. Slowly, step by step, Magath recovered. He had experienced the darkest night of his life and this experience had left a mark on him. Magath did not forget. He remembered every detail of what he had experienced in the pitch-black abyss. Magath, however, was not a man who made a lot of words. He kept the details all to himself. He was not a man who pondered and brooded for many long hours. But his experience had touched him deeply and it influenced his outlook on life and his outlook on certain things and persons. It influenced his judgement as well. But Magath felt no need to talk about his insights and musings. He did not discuss them, neither with Qildor nor with his neighbour Gwyn.

The old woman had soon given up on questioning him. She realized that Magath preferred to keep his experiences to himself. The woman did not press him to reveal his reflections and musings, but Gwyn realized that a shadow had crossed Magath’s heart. She tried to reassure Magath and make him feel happy again. And the old woman did it her way.

One morning, she stood outside and looked up. A cold wind was blowing and heavy clouds covered the sky. Gwyn wrapped her cape tighter around her shoulders. She looked at the sky with concern. She feared that heavy rain would soon fall and that hail would devastate her vegetable garden. Gwyn spotted Magath who was just coming back from a visit that he had paid his neighbour Dran. Gwyn waved her hand and called out his name. Magath turned around and spotted her. He waved back and smiled at the woman, and then he approached her.

"I rode over to Dran," Magath said. "He’s doing fine. How are you doing, Mistress Gwyn?"

Gwyn smiled at him.

"I’m fine, Magath," she said, yet then she pointed at the sky worriedly.

"I fear heavy rain or even hail will spoil my vegetables," she said.

Magath followed her look.

"Cant’ you just cover the beds with some planks?" he asked.

Gwyn shrugged.

"I fear the rain is getting heavier soon. I can’t arrange the planks so quickly," she replied.

"Don’t worry, Mistress Gwyn," Magath said cheerfully. "I know where the planks are. I’ll arrange this for you."

Magath hurried to the back of Gwyn’s house. He took the planks from a wooden hut and quickly put them up. He rubbed his hands.

"Just in time," he said with a look at the sky.

"Thank you, Magath," Gwyn said with a smile. She felt very grateful. "I was just wondering. Would you like to come in and have lunch with me?" she asked.

Magath smiled and accepted Gwyn’s offer. It did him good. They had picked up on their daily habits and routines. He followed Gwyn inside and sat down on the wooden bench. He watched the woman cover the table. Gwyn placed plates, mugs, and a jug of water, wooden spoons and forks on it. Then she brought a pan filled with ham and scrambled eggs. She brought radish and cucumber and a loaf of bread. Gwyn sat down in a chair. She smiled warmly at Magath and pointed at the food in front of them.

"Eat, Magath. You must have left early this morning. You must be very hungry," she said.

Magath smiled. He took a wooden spoon and pushed ham and eggs from the pan on his plate. He poured water from the jug in their mugs. It felt good to sit and eat with Gwyn. His life was going back to normal. They ate and talked about the weather, the fields, and the harvest. They talked about the fortress, the Khalindash, and their endeavours to cross the frontier and steal the crops. When they had finished their lunch, Gwyn made tea and offered honey cake to Magath.

"I need to give you back something that you gave me some time ago," Magath said out of a sudden.

Gwyn gave him a questioning look. Magath pulled Gwyn’s amulet out of the pocket of his tunic where he had kept it since he had returned to Tanmil. He held the amulet out to Gwyn.

"It made me see in the darkest night of my life. It made me see where I belong. Thank you, Mistress Gwyn," Magath said. His voice sounded serious, yet he smiled at the old woman.

Gwyn looked at the amulet, and then she raised her eyes and looked at Magath. Magath just looked back. Gwyn looked at the amulet again. She nodded, and then she reached out her hand and took the amulet from him.

"I’m glad it helped you through that night," Gwyn said. Her voice was shaking slightly.

Her dream had spoken true. A shiver ran through Gwyn’s body. She looked at Magath. His look was serious and grave. Gwyn nodded in understanding. She placed the amulet on the table. She did not say a word or comment on Magath’s revelation. Gwyn knew all too well that some things went without words.

"Any more tea, Magath?" Gwyn asked warmly.

"One more cup of tea would be fine. Thank you, Mistress Gwynn," Magath replied.

His serious look had disappeared. Magath smiled again.

~~**~~

Leandor and Ogol were standing in the main hall of the castle. They were looking out of the window.

"When in darkness we go, we don't see a light. When the light is bright, we don't think of the night," Leandor said thoughtfully.

"When all is null and all is naught, when the darkest hour for a man has come, when all things end, then the ultimate truth is revealed to us," Ogol said.

Leandor turned to Ogol. He gave a grave nod.

"The wise men know," Leandor said. "But this truth is not hidden from the sight of an average man. It only waits to be revealed. Whoever has eyes ought to see."

Ogol gave a serious nod, and then the two men continued looking out of the window.

Silence hung over the Castle of Saelethiel.

THE END