The next week passed uneventfully while Vell and Senar practiced as much as possible with their swords. Somehow they felt that they were nearing the end of this leg of their quest. For a few days they rode through open hills until they reached a forest of dead trees. Vell and Senar looked at each other, but continued on, feeling pulled by a stronger force. Late that afternoon they reached the end of the barren forest. Before them stood a huge cliff. Something caught Vell’s eyes. Looking closely at the cliff face she saw a shimmer of purple.

She nodded to Senar and they both dismounted then tied their horses up. They made their way over fallen stones and tree branches. When they reached the mouth of a cave they both stood transfixed. The interior of the cave was covered in purple crystal. Neither of them knew what to make of it. After a moment Senar took a closer look at the stone.

“It’s amethyst,” he observed in a whisper, “but it doesn’t form this way.”

Vell assumed he had learned this from his mother. “Let’s go.”

They entered the cave and walked down the corridor. The purple shine began to make Vell’s eyes hurt. In a few minutes they had reached a large opening. Something was pulling them and they stepped into a large cavern. Vell realized it was the same one from her dream.

It appeared to be a workroom. A desk was in one area, a bookcase in another. In the center of the room was a glass box on an elegant stone pedestal. The same man in red-black clothing stood with the shadow figure. They were looking into the glass case. Vell squinted at it and had to fight from gasping. She nudged Senar and nodded to the case. His eyes widened.

Inside the case, nicely arranged, sat two rings. One was blue and the other was golden. They both glittered in the light that appeared to be coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

The case held Kalinisia and Roelandi’s wedding rings.