The door to her room at the Church of Selenica opened and an acolyte stood in the doorway with a candle. “Excuse me, mi lady, I do not mean to barge in. I heard a cry…”

“It’s all right,” Prudence testified unconvincingly. “Just a dream, nothing more. I’ll tell Galin about it in the morning. Tell him not to worry.”

Silently, the acolyte acknowledged this and, placing the candle on the table near the doorway, closed the door as he left. Prudence reclined to her bed, not wanting to bother getting up and putting the candle out. Mesmerized by the small dancing flame, she thought of her dream and what it could mean until finally she fell asleep once again.

The next morning Prudence was sitting down at the table in the dining room. An acolyte was making breakfast. Prudence had slept late and Galin never did. She told one of the acolytes to fetch him.

Galin the Wise stepped into the room. He was an old man now. He still carried his druidic staff. Of course, his look was more neat than had been when he was a druid. He wore the white robes of the clerics, adorned with outer garments befitting someone of his power and authority. Prudence respected Galin for all his wisdom and experience. And she was grateful to him for taking care of the church while she had been away. “I hear you had a hard night?” he asked as he sat down across from her.

The acolyte set a display of bread, cheese, and cured meats in front of her and left the room. “Oh, like I said, just a dream,” she responded. “But I do need to ask you about it. In my dream there was a cave and I need to find it.”

“Well, if you’re sure you want to…”

“Can you tell me where it is? It was carved into a huge dark gray boulder–nearly a mountain. It’s on a grassy plain and there was a tree in front.”

“A little way to the north, there’s a cave like you just described. There’s no tree in front of it, but I know there’s no other cave carved out of dark gray stone around here.”

“Thanks. I’m going there first thing today,” she concluded, ripping a piece of the bread and eating it.

Galin rose to leave, putting his hand on her shoulder. “After that, maybe you should go find Tomei and settle the score.” She didn’t respond and Galin left the room.

“I’ve got better things to do,” she whispered to herself.

As Prudence approached the cave, she heard the same light mystical melody she had heard in the dream. It blew upon the breeze, barely audible. Boldly, she stepped into the cave.

Prudence saw the dark corridor before her and began to light a torch. Doing so, she descended down the sloping tunnel into the underworld below.

She eventually found herself in an ancient hall with archways on either side. This must have been an old place of worship for the people who lived here ages ago.

A glint caught her eye from beyond the archways on her left. She walked over, through the archway. She looked with concerned eyes on the man she had seen in her dreams. He was on a bed of stone, entwined and surrounded by roots. She uncovered his face and beheld the likeness of Tomei. She stepped away, not exactly understanding what this was.

An apparition appeared beside her. She looked at the familiar figure of her dead brother. “Marcus?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m still here,” replied the apparition. Marcus looked down at Tomei. “He cared for you, Prudence. Even if you don’t love him, don’t let this be the next time you see him.”

“Are you coming back, Marcus?”

“You know I cannot.”

“Will I see you again?”

“No.” Marcus paused for a moment.

“I have your sword,” Prudence drew it out.

“That sword is special. Say ‘ironheart,'” Marcus told his foster sister.

“Ironheart.” And with that the metal of the sword began to change shape. It formed into a metal bow.

“Now we have to say good-bye, Prudence. Just don’t forget me.” Tomei’s body was replaced with Marcus.

Prudence placed the Luckblade on Marcus’ body, in his hands. She lit the wood with her torch and whispered one last good-bye to her brother. She stood silently and watched as the wood burned and Marcus was set free. She stepped out of the alcove and back into
the hallway.