I was standing outside the castle, my home of five years, and watched it burn to the ground. I was astonished that such a thing could happen. Father was still trying to figure out why. A few dragons were standing near by, having helped evacuate everything within a mile, and Shiria was standing near by holding Gabria's hand. Some of the dragons were muttering something about wizards being involved, and my heart skipped a beat because it was the first time I had thought of that possibility. But the wizards just couldn't be involved. It was impossible. Those who hadn't gotten eaten five years ago in the Great War between wizards and dragons were completely blocked out of the Forest.

"Daystar!" Gabria yelled my name, and I spun around to find her running toward me. She immediately attached herself to my leg. My four-year-old sister had tears in her eyes. "Daystar, when's mommy coming home?" I felt tears develop in my own eyes. I couldn't lie to her any more.

"I don't know Gabria, I don't know." She burst out crying and went running back to Shiria. Shiria picked her up, and hugged her. She walked over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Your father will figure out how to fix this, I know he will." Shiria didn't look as sure as she sounded. "And we'll find Cimorine, don't you worry." Just then, father came walking back over to us. He was just inspecting the castle up close using a fireproofing spell Mother had discovered quite a few years ago.

"I don't know what to tell you." He began, a heavy look in his eyes. "I just can't figure out what happened. If only Telemain were still alive..." He smiled reminiscently. Then the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared. "Kazul!" He called out to the King of the Dragons, a very large and magnificent looking dragon. Shiria is Kazul's princess, and mother was Kazul's before that. Kazul came over, a somber look on her face.

"Kazul, could the castle staff, and us of course, stay in the Mountains of Morning until we figure out this whole mess and find Cimorine?" Father asked.

"Yes, of course, Mendanbar." Kazul replied. "As a matter of fact, you can stay in my caves. I have plenty of room, and no use for hardly and of it."

"Thank you very much. Daystar, could I talk to you for a second?"

"Yes father?" I asked as soon as we were a reasonable distance away.

"Take this." He said, and handed me a most glorious sword, the Sword of the Sleeping King, as I had come to know it when I first received it from my mother five years ago.

"But father, why?"

"Because I am going to find your mother. The sword must stay in the forest at all times, and needs protected, especially now. I am sure the wizards are up to something and I know them, they won't stop at anything to get the sword just to get the power of the Enchanted Forest. I want you to stay with Morwen while I'm gone. I can take you there right now."

"But Father—"

"No arguments." He reached out, pulled on a seemingly invisible cord, and the world around me dissolved. It reappeared in a little garden with a ton of different flowers and plants. The small clean-looking house, despite the twelve cats sitting on the front porch, had a sign above the front door, saying: "None of this nonsense, please." I sighed. Here we go again.