I knew the road too well. I knew to find the mechanism masked in the stone pillar by the rock with my eyes closed and my minds half away. I entered the cave and looked again at each detail, knowing each rock and ruined piece of furniture and each stain of blood.
I went to where the ray of light that finds way through the roof hits the floor, where Daelith stood in my dream. Stared at the point of light in the roof till my eyes hurt and I stared at the floor, searching desperate a new clue, something I missed in all those times of mourning. I felt so helpless. Exactly as the hound told I would, I was finding only my own bitter memories, and I hated him for it. I was about to cry when I heard Daelith’s voice above, calling my name.
I raised from my knees and took a step back to see better. So it was forthsigth after all!! He was standing on the high pillar in full light of the brave ray that seemed to pierce the rock, just as he did in my dream, but he seemed more at peace, almost like I remembered him in the days before we dreamed all this nightmare could happen. And then he told me I was sleeping, just like in my dream. “Not this time!”. “Yes…” he pointed behind me and, when turning, I saw myself sited by the wall, sleeping. Whaaat??
“I feel the sword is near” he said.
“It is.. and all seem to think it better destroyed” I answered and I looked at him again. “Dae, tell me how to help you! Before you vanish again” dream or not I knew how it ended last time..
He answered calmly “The presence of the blade made the pain stop. But I am here still. In the borderless rooms..”
“You.. should be at peace.. forgiven of all.. what happens?” my fists clenched and I remembered my own words to another elf in another place “..if such elves are not good enough for those lands I will not walk them. For the justice of such lands is not good enough for me..”
“Forgiven..” he tried to smile. “It seems I have understood everything wrong Turuviel.My test was not saving Reiven off the ''dark''. I allowed the darkness within me and took my own life. But I forgot... the blade retained life as well.. and it is now terrible! Remember who resides in it!”
I closed my eyes and shivered. I understood it all now. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together. The spell of Darnur linking sword and warrior. The treachery of fate. The demon received a shelter even if not one he would like. Then the sword was indeed now evil and treacherous. Beyond our dreams.
“The others do not know that”
When I found the strength I put the truth in words.
“The.. thing you thought you killed..”
He nodded and continued the words I dared not say “..is now in the blade... hungry to spill blood!”
He was so at peace, so strong, my old brave and intelligent friend. I looked at him with hope: “What do you want me to do?”
The answer stroked me vanishing hopes: “Turuviel, I fear... there is no salvation for me anymore. I do not know a way. If there is, you must find it...” He was looking down, with crying eyes, defeated, without hope.
“This cannot be! I will not allow it!” ..did I not say this before?
Daelith looked back into the ray of light and seemed weary.
“If there is a way.. it must be in the valley..”
The light seemed again to pull him back into another space where I could not follow. And the last words I more guessed than heard were again of warning
“Beware.. the blade..”
I realized I was staring at the ray of light, seated back to the cave wall, eyes wide open and trembling. The sword had to be destroyed indeed together with what now sheltered, so that the thing could never return. This or Daelith’s sacrifice would have been for nothing and his soul not to find his peace forever, until the end of this world.
