Their dinner was full of lively talk and long tales, and when they were finished and Iownan had said good night, they returned to the sleeping house tired and happy. Alex slipped away to the stables to check on Shahree.
“In this fine stable again,” said Alex as he stroked Shahree’s neck. His thoughts returned to when he had first entered this stable at night and spoken to Iownan. Could it really have been more than a year ago?
“I see that you are not yet broken,” Iownan said from behind him.
“Not yet,” replied Alex, turning to face her.
“And I see you have gazed into the crystal.”
“Only because need forced me to,” said Alex with a bow. “I ask your forgiveness. The crystal was not mine to use.”
“Though it served you well.”
“It did,” Alex said.
“Come,” said Iownan, taking his hand. “You need your rest. Tomorrow I will speak with your company about your pledge.”
“The pledge is fulfilled,” said Alex happily.
“Not quite,” Iownan replied. “You still hold the crystal, though I do not doubt its return. I know what you had to go through to reclaim this treasure for me.”
“You told me I would be tested,” replied Alex, his thoughts returning to the night he’d fought the wraiths.
“You are troubled by something,” said Iownan, turning to look into his eyes.
“It was something the wraiths said,” Alex answered, meeting her eyes. “I didn’t think about it at the time because I knew they were full of lies.”
“But now you wonder if they did not speak at least a little truth,” Iownan finished for him.
“They said you saw something in me—something that made me different.”
“I told you that I could see many things in you,” replied Iownan. “But you were not ready then to know everything I saw.”
“Am I ready now?”
“I believe you are,” Iownan replied after a short pause. “What I saw, but did not tell you, was that you are not completely human as you believe yourself to be.”
“Then what am I?” Alex asked in surprise.
“You are a blend, a mixture of many races,” said Iownan thoughtfully. “I cannot say how much of each race is in you, but I see in you human, elf, and dwarf. And other things as well.”
“What other things?” Alex questioned, worried.
“It is difficult to say for sure,” replied Iownan, turning away from Alex. “It is strange. I have never met anyone like you before.”
“If you do not wish to say—”
“I would tell you if I could,” said Iownan, cutting him off, a troubled look on her face. “But it is beyond even my powers to see all that you are, or all that you might become.”
“Forgive me for asking,” said Alex.
“Come,” said Iownan, her smile returning. “You need your rest.”
Alex didn’t ask any more questions. He knew Iownan spoke the truth and that if she could have told him more she would have. He accepted her hand, and together they left the stable, walking back to the sleeping house.
The next morning, a young man named Thomas appeared as they were finishing breakfast. He told them the Oracle would like to meet with Bregnest and his company in the gardens by the fountain. He also said that Thrain, Melnoch, and Nitek would be called to the Oracle after the midday meal. Alex quickly retrieved the crystal in its blue-velvet wrapping from his bag and followed Bregnest to the gardens.
“You have returned from your quest successfully,” said the Oracle as they approached.
“We have,” Bregnest replied, bowing to her.
“And are you prepared to fulfill your pledge?”
“We are,” eight voices answered.
“Who among you carries the crystal?”
“Master Taylor has the honor,” said Bregnest, gesturing to Alex.
“Let him come forward,” the Oracle commanded.
Alex walked forward, carrying the crystal carefully in both hands. When he reached the Oracle, he bowed, then removed the velvet cover and held up the crystal for all to see. Once more it was like a ball of light, shining in the morning sun.
“Do you return this of your own free will?” she questioned, looking at Alex.
“I do,” replied Alex.
“Do any here make a claim on this crystal?”
“We do not,” eight voices replied.
“Then as the Oracle of the White Tower, I accept this
crystal from you. Your pledge is fulfilled and your honor is enlarged,” she said solemnly, taking the crystal from Alex’s hand as he dropped to one knee and offered it to her.
The Oracle turned and walked away from them, returning to the White Tower without another word.
“There is great power in the Oracle,” said Arconn, as they watched her walk away.
They all murmured their agreement, slowly filing out of the garden and returning to the second house.
“It seems strange,” said Alex as they sat around the central table. “She asked us as Iownan to return the crystal, but then accepted it from us as the Oracle.”
“Not so strange,” said Thrang. “As Iownan, she could ask us to return the crystal. As the Oracle, she would have had to command us.”
“Would anyone say no to an oracle?” Alex wondered out loud.
“Perhaps not,” Arconn answered. “Though by making it a request and not a command, she allowed us to choose.”
They said nothing more about the crystal, because Thrain, Melnoch, and Nitek walked in, dressed in their finest clothes and looking nervous. They hardly ate anything of the midday meal, and Skeld and Tayo took great pleasure in teasing all three of them.
After the meal, Thomas arrived to take the three dwarfs to the Oracle. He told the company that Iownan would not be able to join them for dinner that night, but would come the following night.
When Thrain, Melnoch, and Nitek rejoined the company for the evening meal, Alex could tell they were happy with what they had learned. Thrain seemed ready to burst with excitement. He looked like he was hoping someone would ask him what the Oracle had said, but nobody did, and as he ate, his excitement seemed to cool, but only slightly.
The three young dwarfs said they would be leaving in the
morning and were disappointed that they couldn’t stay another day.
When morning arrived however, the excitement and happiness of the three dwarfs had returned in full strength. They thanked Bregnest and the others for allowing them to travel with them to the White Tower and then said their farewells.
“Perhaps we will ride together again some day,” said Thrain, winking at Alex and Andy as he mounted his horse.
“Perhaps so,” replied Andy with a knowing smile and a final farewell.
The next night, the company dined with Iownan and their meal was mixed with laughter and talking. Arconn told of Alex’s encounter with the wraiths, his recovery, and the feast the elves held in his honor. Alex was glad Arconn left out the part about how he almost took Calysto with him across the wall, though he suspected Iownan already knew about it. After all the stories had been told, Iownan wished them all good night and then asked Bregnest for a private word.
“What were you two whispering about?” Skeld asked when Bregnest rejoined his companions in the sleeping house.
“Planning another adventure already?” Tayo guessed.
“Nothing so grand as that,” Bregnest replied with a secretive smile.
“What then?” Thrang questioned.
“When we were last here, I sent a letter,” replied Bregnest. “Iownan wished to tell me that an answer had come.”
“What was this letter about?” Halfdan asked.
“No secrets among the company,” Andy added loudly.
“You will find out tomorrow morning,” said Bregnest, acting suddenly tired and laying down on his bed. “Now, I think I will get some sleep.”
The others yelled and demanded an answer, but Bregnest would say no more. As Skeld and Tayo tried to wrestle an answer from Bregnest, Alex left the sleeping house to say good night to Shahree. He knew before he reached the stables that Iownan would not be there.