Aidan nodded. He wasn’t about to be taken off guard a second time.
They stood ready.
Once again, Antoinette launched forward, raining down blows. This time, Aidan was ready. He remembered that her slashing strikes came in threes with a slight pause between each series. He blocked and parried, playing defense and backing up-all the while counting her strikes. When she slashed the third time, Aidan snapped his wooden blade suddenly from outside in, driving her sword down almost to the turf. Maintaining control of her blade, Aidan let his elbow collapse in toward his side. Then he thrust forward before she could raise her sword to defend. The tip of his wooden sword stabbed into Antoinette’s pads, and she jumped backward.
“Ouch!” she said. “That was amazing.”
“It’s called a moulinet,” Aidan said, smiling. “A friend from Alleble taught me how.”
“And you said you were just okay,” Antoinette said, grinning.
“Maybe… I’m pretty good, then,” Aidan replied with a wink.
“Well, we’re even,” Antoinette said. “Next strike wins?”
Aidan nodded, and once again they clashed. Wooden blades cracked against each other as Aidan and Antoinette ranged all over the backyard. Antoinette changed her strategy, and her attacks didn’t seem to follow a pattern. She kept her slashes high, and Aidan couldn’t find an opening for a moulinet.
For a moment, Antoinette pressed forward, driving Aidan back. But he countered with creative, sweeping combinations that forced Antoinette into awkward defensive backpedals. No one kept an advantage for very long.
Aidan pushed the attack. He figured Antoinette probably had not faced too many left-handers, so he went one-handed with his blade and came at her from left to right. It seemed to be working. He drove her into a sunny patch of the yard, and her guard seemed to be weakening. A few more strikes, he thought, and then a moulinet!
But as Aidan lunged forward, his foot turned on a tree root, and he stumbled. He went to one knee, and suddenly things went into slow motion.
He looked up at Antoinette, and with the sun directly behind her, her hair became brilliant gold. Details fell into place like puzzle pieces. The lavender poncho, the piercing blue eyes, the golden hair-
“Gwenne…,” Aidan said aloud. His sword fell. But it was so fast that Antoinette did not see. She was already swinging with all her might to block Aidan’s next strike, which never came. Her wooden blade smacked Aidan across the nose, and he tumbled to the side with a yelp.
Antoinette dropped her shinai and knelt beside Aidan. “Oh, Aidan, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Oh, oh no, your nose is bleeding!”
Aidan sat up, clutched his nose, and tried to pinch shut the flow of blood. “Antoinette,” he said nasally. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before! I met your Glimpse in Alleble. Your Glimpse is Gwenne!”
And though his nose throbbed, and the blood flowed freely, Aidan smiled. For it was clear that King Eliam’s plan was already in motion.
9
TRAVEL PLANS
I think the bleeding has stopped,” Aidan said, tossing a red wad of paper towels into the trash. He joined Antoinette and her dad at the kitchen table.
“Y’know this isn’t the first time Antoinette’s done this,” Mrs. Reed said, sitting down with a cup of coffee.
“Mom!” Antoinette exclaimed.
“She and her father were sparring in the basement,” Mrs. Reed continued, ignoring Antoinette’s pleas. “The Broncos scored a touchdown-”
“We had a TV down there at the time,” explained Antoinette’s dad. “I looked over for just a split second to watch the replay, and WHAM, Antoinette got me with a round kick.”
“It was an accident!” Antoinette said.
“Boy, that was a gusher!” Mr. Reed said, absently pinching the bridge of his nose. “I probably should have seen a doctor. I bet it was broken.”
“Dad, I feel bad enough already, okay?”
“I had it coming,” Aidan said. “I shouldn’t have dropped my guard, but when I saw you-that way-I just kind of lost it.”
“So my Glimpse’s name is Gwenne?”
“Yes, but she’s a blond.”
“Y’know, my hair is normally blond. I just like to dye it red.” Antoinette tilted her head back and fluffed her hair like a model. “So tell me more about Gwenne.”
“She is one of the twelve knights who went to Mithegard. We went through a lot together. She’s… she’s my friend.”
Aidan hoped he wasn’t blushing. From the moment he said goodbye to Gwenne, all he could think about was finding her human twin. Now that he had found her, he didn’t know what to say. He certainly didn’t want Antoinette to know how he felt about Gwenne.
“If Antoinette enters The Realm,” Mr. Reed began, “what do you think her mission will be?”
“I don’t know,” Aidan replied. “It might be a mission like mine. I was told that there were many smaller kingdoms and cities still to be reached with the message of Alleble. But-” Aidan looked hopefully to Antoinette, “I was hoping that if you go, you might do something for me.” Aidan held his breath.
“Just name it,” Antoinette said.
Aidan felt a huge weight leave his shoulders. “I have this great friend, back in Maryland. His name is Robby Pierson. Well, when I left Alleble, I had a vision of him, and he was on Paragor’s side.”
Antoinette’s parents stiffened. The room seemed to darken. Only Antoinette seemed unaffected by the mentioning of The Betrayer’s name. “How do you know?” she asked.
“He was wearing the black and crimson armor of the enemy,” Aidan explained sadly. “And his eyes… they flashed red.”
“But it was a vision,” Mrs. Reed asked. “Like a dream? Maybe you’ve just been so worried about him that it affected your dreams.”
Aidan’s stomach tightened uncomfortably. “Sometimes they are dreams,” he said. “But other times they happen when I’m wide awake. They just come over me, and I see things. The events that I see… some of them have come true. I had another vision last night. I saw my friend Robby as an attendant to Paragor himself, and the two of them were setting something free from an underground cell. It was a monster. I’m afraid it will come true if someone doesn’t reach Robby for the King.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, Aidan. Have you spoken to Robby since returning from The Realm?” Mr. Reed asked. “Have you told him about Alleble?”
“I’ve tried, Mr. Reed,” Aidan said. “He just doesn’t listen. He acts so strange on the phone-almost like he doesn’t know me.”
“That doesn’t sound right,” Mrs. Reed said.
“Okay, so you want me to find his Glimpse in The Realm, is that it?” Antoinette asked. Aidan continued to be amazed by her ability to quickly piece things together.
“Do you have a picture of Robby?” Mrs. Reed asked.
“No, but we can get one on the Net. His soccer team is ranked nationally. His picture’s on their web site.”
“I’ll try, Aidan,” Antoinette said. “It’ll be like looking for a needle in a hay stack, but I’ll try.”
“Wait a minute,” Mr. Reed objected. “You’re assuming we’re going to let you go to The Realm.”
“But, Daddy, I’ve got to go,” Antoinette pleaded. “I’ve been called. I can’t just say no thanks, can I?”
Antoinette’s father was quiet but struggling within. At last, he asked, “So, how does this work? How will Antoinette enter The Realm?”
Antoinette grinned. “Oh, thank you, Daddy! Thank you!”
“I didn’t say yes, Antoinette. I just want more information.”
Three sets of eyes turned to Aidan. He took a deep breath. “Like the poem says, Antoinette has to travel the narrow path,” Aidan began. “It’s what Glimpses call the path between worlds. My grandfather taught me to imagine a bridge over a deep chasm. Antoinette will need to picture this bridge in her mind and travel across it. Eventually, she will come to a door, The Door Within. When she passes through that
door, she enters The Realm, and Gwenne, her Glimpse, will come here.”
“She’ll come here-like to our house?” Mrs. Reed asked.
“I’m not sure,” Aidan replied. “But I don’t think so. When I went to The Realm, Aelic, my Glimpse, didn’t go to my house. All I know is that Gwenne told me a person and his or her Glimpse can never be in the same realm at the same time. And that’s another thing… time works differently in The Realm.”
“What do you mean?” Antoinette asked.
“Well, I was in The Realm for almost two weeks in Glimpse time, but when I returned, I discovered that I had only been missing for about five hours!”
“So Antoinette could be back by breakfast?” Mrs. Reed asked.
“Maybe,” Aidan said. “I guess it depends on Antoinette’s mission. But I don’t think there’s any way to compare the time exactly. My grandfather was in The Realm for a month our time. But in The Realm, he experienced two years of adventures!”
“Two years?” Mrs. Reed echoed. “Antoinette, a lot could happen in that time. And you don’t even really know what you’re getting into.”
“You’re right, Mom, I don’t,” Antoinette said. “But you know all I’ve ever wanted, since you first told me about King Eliam, was to do something for him… to serve him-if for no other reason than for the fact that he gave me hope that doesn’t quit! Because of him, I will never be alone!”
Mr. Reed’s shoulders sagged. He took his wife’s hand. “A faithful servant of King Eliam would never ignore his call. It’s just that-” His voice faltered. “The Realm is at war. What if something happened to you? What if you couldn’t come back?”
Aidan stretched out on his bed and looked across the room to where he kept his scrolls. He thought about Antoinette. He wondered if she’d gone yet.
She probably left the moment I walked out the door, Aidan thought. That’s the way she is. Confident, brave, spirited. So much like Gwenne. Then again, Antoinette is not like Gwenne at all in some ways. She is too rash… too impatient.
After dinner, Antoinette had pummeled Aidan with questions about entering The Door Within. He told her about the bridge, about being willing to take a risk and step out there, and most of all, about staying on the path no matter what the voices told her to do! I hope she remembers, Aidan thought with a laugh. She wouldn’t want her adventure to begin like mine did-by having to climb over the mountains of Paragory.
Aidan scoured his mind, hoping he’d told her everything she’d need to know. He’d told her to try to find Kaliam when she got to Alleble. He’d told her she’d need to get fitted for armor. And he’d told her to expect to be trained-hard-for her mission. He hadn’t told her about the chores she’d probably have to learn to do. No, that little tidbit, he’d left out. He wanted Antoinette to experience the joy of “refreshing the dragon pen” just as he had!
They’d printed a picture of Robby, and Antoinette taped it inside the cover of her copy of The Story. She promised to find him if she could. But Aidan knew it would really be a one in a million chance. If she did find Robby’s Glimpse, Aidan hoped she would remember that anything that happens to a Glimpse would have an effect on his human twin. That could be tricky, Aidan thought. Robby’s Glimpse is an enemy knight. What will happen if there’s a battle?
Aidan sat up and looked out his window. I wish Dad would come home soon, he thought. Ten o’clock. He’s really late-and he’s still got Grampin’s diary!
Aidan flopped back on the bed and exhaled. He wished he was the one going to Alleble. He wanted to clown around with Kaliam, Nock, and Mallik again. He wanted to watch the sun rise between the peaks of Pennath Ador and see its rays sparkle in the glorious fountains.
But more than anything else, he wanted to see Gwenne.
There was a soft knock at Aidan’s bedroom door. His mom walked in carrying a cell phone. She did not look very happy.
“It’s your father,” she said abruptly. She handed the phone to Aidan and, without another word, shut the door behind her.
Aidan put the phone to his ear. “Dad?”
“Aidan, glad you’re still up.”
“You’re at the office pretty late. Is that why Mom’s mad?”
There was a brief pause. “Uh, no, that’s only part of it. But listen, I wanted to talk to you. The reason I’ve been at the office is that there are some problems with an account I used to have at Riddick and Dunn’s Baltimore office. We’ve been trying to hash it out over the phone, but it’s just not working. They need me to fly in tomorrow morning. I’ll probably need to be there a couple-maybe three days.”
“So, anyway,” Aidan’s dad continued, “I was thinking that maybe you’d like to tag along. It’ll give you and Robby a chance to talk about some things. What do you think?”
“Are you serious, Dad? I can go?”
“Well, you might have to miss a day of school, maybe two…”
No wonder Mom’s mad, Aidan thought. She never likes me to miss school.
“Uh, I’ll get over it!” Aidan said, laughing. “This is so cool! Thank you, Dad! Thank you!”
“You need to pack, and you should probably call Robby to see if it’s okay for you to drop by while we’re in town. But listen, don’t stay up too late. Our flight leaves at seven A.M. from Colorado Springs Airport.”
I won’t be able to sleep! Aidan thought after he hung up the phone.
As he packed, Aidan thought it was rather funny that Robby was going to get the truth of Alleble from both sides-from Antoinette in The Realm, if she could find him, and from Aidan back in Maryland. And face-to-face, Robby would just have to listen, wouldn’t he?
10
THE DOOR WITHIN
T here it was, just as Aidan had described: a long, narrow bridge of planks and rope stretching across a vast chasm to a destination unseen.
Antoinette could still feel the bed beneath her, and she could still hear familiar house sounds. Aidan had told her that too. Nothing to worry about. Don’t open your eyes. The sounds of your room will go away as you travel across the bridge.
She wondered if her parents would look in on her. Unable to have children, they had adopted three-year-old Antoinette and raised her as their own. Now, to allow their only child to enter a world at war was a huge risk for them, but in the end they trusted King Eliam enough to let their daughter go.
Back to the bridge, Antoinette told herself.
In her mind she walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. It was a long way down-impossible to tell for sure how far to the ground because thick white mist swirled below.
Antoinette found a stone and hurled it out as far as she could. She watched it arc and fall. She saw it disappear into the cloud bank. And then she listened.
Nothing. Okay, so it’s a long, long way down.
Antoinette shrugged. The height didn’t worry her. She looked at the bridge. It looked sturdy. She looked at the sky. It was blue and cloudless, only the slightest breeze. She knew she’d make it across that bridge. In fact, she decided to run across.
Feeling invincible, Antoinette stepped out on the bridge. There, it was just as sturdy as it looked. So, off she went-a jog at first, confidence surging-then, a run. Then, an all-out sprint.
The planks went by in bunches. She started laughing as she reached the beginning of the upslope. Then she stopped running and stood very still.
She had heard something, and it was not a creak or a groan from the hallway or the rattle of the heat kicking on in her bedroom. It was not any house noise. It was a low roll of thunder, deep and menacing.
Antoinette slowly turned her head to the left. The sky, which had only a moment ago been peaceful and blue, had turned to a sickly yellow haze. And the horizon was black and spreading.
Lightning flickered. Thunder followed like the echo of a cannon. Strange, Antoinette thought. Why didn’t I sense the storm approaching? And then Antoinette was afraid.
Lightning split the sky. Antoinette ducked as thunder crashed and echoed o
ff the cliff walls. The wind picked up and swirled. The bridge began to sway.
If the storm caught her out in the open, suspended over the chasm.
… Heavy raindrops began striking her. Antoinette held the Book of Alleble close to her body to keep it dry. Then she stumbled. Shaking, Antoinette knelt there for a moment. She wanted the storm to go away. She wanted to make it go away.
Maybe I should just open my eyes. Then she realized her eyes were already open. She was no longer in her bedroom. It was no longer a vision.
When she looked up, it seemed that there were scowling faces in the clouds. Hideous, angry faces full of hate. Her skin prickled. The air grew chill.
Antoinette stood again, clutched the Book of Alleble, and sprinted, calling out to King Eliam as she ran. Her King would not let it end here, before her mission had really even begun.
The rain came harder now, obscuring her view of the way ahead. She slipped on the wet planks. One foot went over the edge for a moment.
Thunder crashed. It seemed to be laughing at her.
Antoinette pulled herself up and struggled forward. Then, through the sheets of rain, she saw it. The door! She pushed forward until, suddenly, she stood before it. The storm was gone as though it had never been. Antoinette exhaled, wiped back her sodden hair, and whispered, “Thank you.”
The door was tall, hewn from gray stone and engraved intricately with castles, unicorns, warriors, and a long and winding road that led to two mountains. The sun rose between those peaks, and Antoinette’s heart rejoiced.
Seeing the silver ring, she reached down and pulled. Light, fierce and startlingly pure, shone forth from behind the door. Antoinette shielded her eyes with one arm and walked through The Door Within.
Wayne Thomas Batson
The Rise of the Wrym Lord
Passage
The light was warm, and all chill and dampness from the rain left. At last, the light dimmed and flew away to a pinpoint-one star among many in the darkness that seemed to stretch to forever all around her.
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