Chapter 34.

Solea looked at the chalkboard, "You really think this is going to work?"

Anne shrugged. "What have we got to lose?"

Cairbre tapped his chin. "It makes sense."

Ryan helped Giles secure the board to the wall. "Ok, you're ready."

Anne turned to the Bard. "You write the prophecy down. When you're done I'll strike lines though it and we'll see if it makes more sense."

The Brad looked at her with a wicked twinkle in his eyes. "Now where did you learn to do that?"

"I had an amazing teacher." Anne stated. "Mr. Woodland thought outside the box."

The bard looked at the chalk Anne was offering him; "Well then I suppose he'd appreciate this move." The Bard turned toward the chalkboard, waved his hand and the words appeared on it as if he had spent the time writing them down. Cairbre turned to smile at Anne.

Anne spun the chalk in her hand and shook her head. "Thanks that saves us a lot of time." She moved back from the board to get a better over view look. She waved Giles over. "I'm going to stay back here. I want you to put a diagonal slash mark after certain words on my command, okay?"

Giles took the chalk. Ryan, the Bard and Solea took seats behind Anne to give her freedom of movement. She looked at the words and read them over quietly to herself. "Giles, put a slash after the word alone. Good…" she read again repeatedly. "Put the next slash after the phrase be of our blood." She stood back and looked at board again. "Now we have to put the stanzas closer together."

"In arrogance of a High King is born a Shattered Soul.

One fair as the sun, the other of a darker nature.

Side by side, even when not together.

Two roads before them, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal.

One to live, and one to die when the sacrifice of life is given,

That which was separated shall be joined,Two-made-One

The Time of Change will come For The Two-made-One.

The man who channels both souls stands alone." The Bard read the first portion. "That does make more sense."

Anne nodded. "Now read the second part as I've laid it out."

"When Earth, Wind, Fire and Water meet.

When Fallen and Righteous join.

Daughter of the Fallen will battle both Healer and Scribe.

In her alone can the Shattered Soul stay alive.

We will know her when we see her, for she will be marked.

She will come from the west, beyond the Vortex of the World, but be of our blood"

Solea nodded, "I think that's right Lady Anne."

The redhead smiled, "Just Anne, Solea. We are all friends here."

The Water Sprite smiled back. "Thank you."

The Bard watched as the last stanza was pieced together.

"The Shadows now course, and kill.

One did live, and one did die, but both are.

The Time of Change has come.

The man who channels stands alone.

When Healers seeds come to fruit.

When Scribes words tear at the soul.

The great silence will be heard.

The Battle for the Shattered Soul Begins.

Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal." Cairbre read aloud for the group to hear the words. "I think you've got it Anne." He tapped his chin. "Now all we have to do is figure out what has happened and what will happen."

Anne tossed the chalk aside. "That's scroll work, not board."

Ryan looked at the first portion. "Well that's all about the birth of the shattered soul and the sacrifice of life… that all happened before and during the Tourney." He sat on top the table and looked at the board. " The second part has to do with Sarah."

"Duh." Anne teased. "Still I can't see her fighting with Quinn's old Scholar."

The Bard read the lines again, "It says Scribe, not Scholar." He turned to Anne. "It never mentions a Scholar. It says she will battle a Healer and a Scribe."

"Which Scribe, the Fae world is full of them." Anne sighed.

Solea looked at the redhead. "It will be the scribe whose words can tear at the soul of the Shattered." She saw it, and did not want to voice it.

Cairbre shuddered. "Good lord it's looking us in the face and we don't even see it… The Scribes words will tear at the soul and the great silence will be heard." The Bard looked at the young woman with red hair. "You Anne, are the Scribe. It was your words that tore at the soul of the shattered and started the great silence."

"ME?" She gasped. "Wait, what did I do?"

Giles sat down and looked at her with compassion. "You told him he's not the Goblin King. You also more or less accused him of plotting to steal Sarah from Jareth and getting Jareth killed."

Cairbre gave a moments thought to the words again. "The healer's seeds… come to fruit….We need to know what seeds the Healer planted in Quinn's mind. What was it he said…" The bard looked to the others. "What did he say Phineas wanted him to do?"

Giles closed his eyes and said the words. "You were always the stronger of the two sides of the soul. Yours is the power that should rule. You must bury the past! Bury the one time Goblin King deep down so he can never emerge again."

Ryan frowned, "Sounds like he had a clear view of what the prophecy was to begin with. He ordered Quinn to bury Jareth. And Jareth was already weak, and taking refuge deep within."

Cairbre sighed. "When Healers seeds come to fruit, When Scribes words tear at the soul, The great silence will be heard. The Battle for the Shattered Soul Begins.

Two roads before him, one to death beyond dying, one to life eternal"

Anne looked at the board again. "The stanza about Sarah, it belongs at the end of the prophecy." She stated firmly.

Giles looked at Anne. "The key has to be in there."

"When Earth, Wind, Fire and Water meet. What the hell does that mean?" Anne asked.

Solea looked to her husband. "A conclave?"

The Bard looked at her. "That's the only thing it could mean."

"What the hell is a conclave?" Anne asked.

Solea turned to her. "When the representatives of the elements gather. It happens on high feasts. And your wedding day was a High Feast…and there were representatives of all the elements there!"

"My wedding was not a conclave." Anne protested.

"Yes it was." Giles said. "It was a state event, a gathering of all the Kingdoms in essences Anne, it was a conclave."

"When Fallen and Righteous join." Ryan turned to Anne. "Robert Williams is a descendant of the Fallen, and he's now joined with the Righteous."

"Daughter of the Fallen will battle both Healer and Scribe." The Bard read. "Sarah kicked the healer out of the castle, I'd say that qualifies as a battle."

"Well she hasn't battled me!" Anne protested hotly.

"Not yet," warned Ryan.

"And you've been giving her reasons to for a long time." Giles stated.

"What are you talking about?" The Court Scribe shouted. "I've done nothing but be supportive."

"You put yourself between them every change you get. Even before you knew Quinn was impersonating Jareth." Giles stated.

"I have not."

Ryan cleared his throat, "Yes you have."

Anne opened her mouth to protest, then shut it. She sat down. "Sarah is just so innocent." She finally said.

"Is she?" The Bard asked. "She is the one who wished away her baby brother."

"She also battled to win him back!" Anne said.

The Bard sighed. "Anne, you have already referred to Quinn as The Prince of Darkness. You said it would have been better if he had been suppressed. That you don't see his sacrifice as being all that noble, and you even suggested that he did something wrong, and that's why the merge didn't work."

Anne crossed her arms; "I never said that to his face."

"You think he can't read you?" Cairbre questioned.

Anne whispered. "I don't want to battle Sarah."

"You don't have a choice. You're going to say or do something." Ryan stated.

"And Sarah's going to read you the riot act."

"When?" She turned to the Bard. "When…I need to be prepared."

"She missed a chance already. When you dragged her away from the King after learning of the merger failure." Giles said.

Anne closed her eyes. "I didn't even give her the chance to object." She groaned. "I never do."

Solea read the words again, "Well something is going to make her stand up and fight for the King."

"Fight for Quinn?" Anne spat. "She doesn't even know him! He's the reason the man she loves is missing!"