Authors Note: I am very very very sad to say that I don't have my books here with me! They're at my house and I'm writing this out of town so any EF perfectionists please be kind. My descriptions are as I imagined them without the help of the books.

Special Note: There has also been a HUGE HUGE plot change and improvement. To fully understand the events in this chapter and the following please read the Sarcasm Queen's story Fairy Tale With a Twist. I promise you won't be bored, the story moves quickly and it's very good.

To DumbOldDork: You reviewed all my stories!!!! You have no idea how hyper I was! (and trust me you don't want to have an idea). Thank you soooooo much!!! Therefore i dedicate this chapter to you.

This is the Betad version.


Chapter 5: In Which There Is a Stop-Over

The two princes trudged along the forest paths, chatting amiably about anything and everything. Each asking each other about their adventures and previous experiences.

"Have you ever met a wizard?" Daystar asked.

Gavin shook his head, "Can't say that I have. Why?"

"They're very annoying. Father had a large problem with them about a year back. They're not the easiest people to deal with. Not to mention the staffs they have suck up all the magic in the Enchanted Forest."

"Really?" Gavin asked with interest, "You mean that whenever a wizard comes, the Enchanted Forest loses all of it's magic?"

"Not all of it," Daystar replied, "Just the magic in the vicinity. And it
doesn't all happen in a flash either. You see they have this sort of 'suck-up' spell which absorbs all sorts of magic. They always used to leave dry patches in the Forest. Father had an awful time patching them up. But his sword helped."

"Sword?"

"Yes. It's called the Sword of the Sleeping King... or at least it was called that, when father was sleeping."

Prince Gavin shook his head in confusion, "This is going all a little fast for me, you'd better start at the beginning."

They walked on, Daystar narrating the story about the adventures of his father in the Enchanted Forest. From the time when Cimorene ran away, to his own adventure with Shiara.

"A fire-witch, huh?"

Daystar nodded, "Yep. You'll never come across another fire witch who can be as fire-witchy as Shiara. You'll know what I mean when you meet her. She's Kazul's princess."

"Even though she's not a real princess?"

"Well if Kazul says she is, she is. No one will argue with the King of Dragons about whether to have a princess or not, that is, not if they want to keep their skins. Most Kings of Dragons don't keep princesses though."

Gavin sighed. "Your friends are so unorthodox. I've been brought up most of my life thinking I was the only one who was different. Now I meet all of you who are much worse than I am, in that sense, and it's starting to scare me."

Laughing the other prince retorted, "It takes awhile but you'll get used to it. Trust me."

"I'll take your word for it," Gavin said with a grin.

"Oh shoot!" Daystar exclaimed suddenly after an hour of walking. "I was supposed to tell Telemain something. We'd better make a quick stop-over at Morwen's house. I think that's where they're staying this week."

"Who's Telemain?"

"He's a magician and his wife, Morwen, is a witch. They live in two places since neither was willing to give up their own homes," Daystar shrugged, "They switch houses every week or so."

Walking in silence, Gavin followed Daystar's lead. Telemain was a magician which reminded him of his friend Remanan who was a magician also. The trees still loomed tall, hardly any sunlight was able to break through causing a visual lack of flowers and underbrush. As they continued on however, the shafts of sunlight grew more abundant and the soil soon became covered with moss.

"Ah, here we are," Daystar pointed. "Welcome to Morwen's cottage."

In front was a little gate that held a sign: SALESMEN REFRAIN FROM ENTERING. Pushing it open, Daystar walked up to the wooden door of Morwen's house. Gavin followed hesitantly. Witches weren't exactly fond of Princes, were they? He shrugged. It was Berald talking again. Surely there must be a way to get his old instructor out of his head! One of the first things Gavin noticed when he walked past the gate was the cats. They seemed to be everywhere. They were on the benches in front, perched on the trees, zooming across the lawn, and some just lazing in the sun. The door creaked open and Gavin saw a short brown haired woman in a practical black robe, a cooking apron and rimmed glasses.

She smiled warmly, "Hello Daystar. Has Mendanbar finished all of that cider I gave him already?"

Laughing Daystar replied, "Actually he has. But I came here to tell Telemain something... something about the you-know-what that was supposed to happen but never did."

Morwen raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Odd that you should mention it, I seemed to have found the you-know-who of the you-know-what."

Daystar frowned, "What? Really? That has to be more then coincidence. We must be missing something."

"Yes indeed," was the witches thoughtful reply.

Our hero understood not a single sentence of what the two were talking about. What had started out as a simple quest to rescue the annoying princess Aerida had turned out into a full fledged adventure!

"Oh yes!" Daystar exclaimed hitting his head with his hand, "I'm sorry Morwen, this is Prince Gavin Leldor, Gavin this is Morwen." Gavin bowed his best princely bow with which Morwen returned with a speculative nod.

"Come in, I've got another guest but I think there's room."

Past the door was a large kitchen. The first thing Gavin noticed about the interior was the cats. Just how many did this Morwen have? Our prince hoped beyond hope that his body didn't have the sudden urge to become allergic to felines. There was a large stove and a wooden table in the center of the kitchen. Sitting at the table was a girl. A princess by the looks of it as she was stunningly beautiful. She however, definitely wasn't dressed in traditional princess clothes, rather in a peasants. Nor was she wearing a crown or tiara of any sort. Gavin realized in shock that she wasn't lamenting and spouting poetry
over her desolate state. Actually she was eating ravenously (if not slightly
un-princessly) at a tasty looking dessert. The princess looked up as they
entered and gave Morwen a questioning look. Morwen didn't answer immediately, instead she closed the door and told one of her cats to get off a chair. She motioned for Daystar and Gavin to take a seat.

Morwen introduced Daystar to the princess who choked on the piece of dessert she had just put in her mouth. "Daystar!?" she exclaimed, "You mean the Prince Daystar of the Enchanted Forest?"

Morwen nodded, "And this," she continued, "is Gavin."

"Oh, hi. I'm Shera." Shaking her hand in turn the two princes took a seat.

"Telemain should be home shortly if you want to wait Daystar." The prince in question nodded.

Immediately Daystar and Shera hit it off. She asked him about his adventures in the Enchanted Forest and he of hers. Gavin could tell she was smart and he would bet his Book of Spells that she had a sharp tongue to match it. Apparently she had decided to go on an adventure as a traveling saleswoman and had met Morwen barely a few days after. Soon Morwen joined them.

Daystar turned to Gavin, "Show her the Stone. It's OK, you can trust her," he added when he sensed Gavin's hesitation.

With a frown, he drew it out of his pocket. As soon as it was in the light it started to glow. First a light white, sort of surprising, it then expanded into a brilliant gold. It seemed to sing, like the sound of a sword ringing out of it's scabbard. Then as sudden as it had started, it faded into it's usual foggy-grey.

"Well," Morwen commented after a moment of astonished silence, "there does seem to be something rather amazing about that stone." She gave Gavin a fierce, piercing look. "I think I had better explain something."



Oh I am soooo happy!! I FINISHED IT!! Next chapter all will be revealed. So now you must ALL review and tell me how horrible I was to leave you at a cliffhanger. Go on! Go on!