"So you're going to help us?" Galrion asked.
"I haven't said that", Sandra calmly answered. "If I shall, then I have to find out what it is that you want me to help you with."
"True", Olórin agreed. He signed to Sandra that she should sit down as he rose.
"A long time ago, I believe it's been 2000 years, there was a girl named Freedom", he began. "She was the daughter of Aslan, the great lion, and the right heir to the throne of Valinor. Like a light makes a shadow the dark creatures came into this land, Valinor, as soon as she was crowned. But she was brave and fought them. That also her heirs did when they got the throne."
"When Freedom was about 200 years old she accepted a mission in mine and Olórin's homeland, Deverry", Galrion continued. "The enemy was superior and won battle after battle. In one of these battles the enemy killed two of Freedom's best friends. In another one, Olórin was killed."
"But that can't be true", Sandra exclaimed. "Olórin stands right here!"
"None of us know why it happened, but I returned here even though I shouldn't have", Olórin answered. "Anyway, when Freedom saw those closest to her being killed she didn't want to live anymore. You could say that she allowed the enemy to kill her."
"Didn't she return, like you did?" Sandra asked. Olórin sadly shook his head.
"No, she didn't return. Neither did her friends."
"About 1000 years from now one of the queens didn't get any female heiress, which is necessary for the survival of Valinor, and she had to marry one of the princes with the princess of the Emerald, the forestland", Galrion narrated. "With her the princess brought her councillor, Andena. Just weeks after the wedding an army dressed as Valinor's attacked the two other countries, the Crystal and the Ruby. The royal families decided to talk some sense with the new king, but where killed along the way. Also the royal family in Valinor's castle where killed and the councillor showed who she was, the icemagician Andernilwen."
"Didn't you just say that only the good ones are called magicians?" Sandra asked.
"True", Olórin nodded. "Andernilwen is an exception. She was born evil, that's why she's called a magician. Only if you turn you change from magician to witch or wizard."
Sandra nodded, she understood what they meant.
"Andernilwen knew that the magicians would be her greatest enemies, but realised that they could also be an advantage", Galrion continued. "That's why she began to capture magicians, magicians from all the four countries. To suffocate also the people's will to fight her she made the snow fall forever."
"So that snow's been there for 1000 years?" Sandra said, surprised.
"It's renewed all the time", Olórin explained.
"How come you've not been captured?" Sandra asked. The brothers looked at one another.
"I've realised that you're magicians", Sandra muttred. "Answer my question, please."
"We do not know", Galrion answered. "Personally I think it's the Alliance that protects us so well."
"So you're members of the Alliance?" Sandra asked. The men nodded.
"Remus too?" Sandra continued. Another nod.
"It's quite a miracle that you managed to help him and the others escape", Olórin said. "No one's ever done that before."
"I believe it was surprise that gave me and Remus the advantage", Sandra calmly said. Galrion nodded thoughtfully. At the same moment the door opened and Remus stepped inside.
"How are you?" Sandra asked and rose. He smiled weakly.
"I'm fine, thanks", he answered. "But I have to leave after the meeting tonight. If I manage to get across the border I'll be safe for the next couple of days."
"The meeting?"
Sandra looked surprised at Remus, before she looked at the elder magicians.
"The Alliance has a meeting tonight", Galrion answered. "In a secret glade."
"If we'll make it there, we better leave soon", Olórin said. Remus nodded. Sandra looked at them one by one.
"Do you want me to come along?" she asked.
"Of course", Remus answered. "It was you who saved about one hundred magicians from Andernilwen. Everyone would want to meet you."
Sandra nodded solemnly. Of course, if savings where that unusual people would like to meet the one who managed to carry them out.
"I could never have done it without you", she said after a while. Remus smiled briefly.
"I'm not so sure, the only thing I did was to take advantage of the situation", he answered. "You didn't have any time to go through with your own plan."
Sandra grimaced.
"Honestly, I didn't have a plan."
The men smiled as if they understood her, before Galrion looked out through the door.
"It's time", he said. "Sandra, take that cloak on. It's pretty cold outside."
Sandra did as he said and put on the brown and grey cloak. Then all four of them left the room.
They went through a long, underground corridor lighten up by white balls. Sandra had no idea how long they'd walked when they suddenly stopped. Olórin raised his staff and knocked with it on the roof. Then a ladder slid down to them. With her forehead wrinkled Sandra climbed up after the magician. They now entered another corridor, this one lightened up by torches.
"Pull up your hood", Galrion mumbled to Sandra. She did as he said as they came out in another corridor. Now people passed them and greeted them with nods, but no one seemed to see Sandra. She was glad about it. Olórin turned into a new corridor and stopped.
"We'll have to run for some metres", he said in a low voice. Sandra swallowed. She'd never been too good at running, especially not since she injured her knee three years ago. Now she had to. The older men began to run through the corridor, as easily as any trained men. Remus and Sandra ran in a slower pace.
"Why… do we have… to run?" Sandra asked.
"It's a… magical… wall", Remus answered, before he suddenly fell forward. Sandra stopped. The man tried to get back onto his feet, but fell down with a low moan. Both of the elder men had already disappeared.
"Continue without me", Remus said. "I'll… be fine."
He whined and sank down on the floor.
"I won't leave you", Sandra said. With all the strength she could use she pulled him up and helped him forward. He whined every time he put down his left foot.
"You have to continue, Sandra", he whispered. "I can't…"
"I wouldn't leave you if it was between you and this country", Sandra muttred. "Come on!"
They hadn't come far before they walked into a solid wall. Sandra said a quite curse.
"Is this the magical wall?" she asked. Remus nodded. With a small sigh she allowed him to sit down, before she touched the earth with her hand.
"My hand pricks", she said in a low voice. "Really magical."
"Sandra!"
The call came from the other side of the wall. She stopped.
"Olórin?" she said in a loud voice.
"What happened?" the magician asked.
"Remus is injured", Sandra answered. "We can't get through."
"Leave Remus, he'll be alright", Olórin called back.
"Not for this whole land of Valinor", Sandra answered and stepped back. "Damn wall, go away!"
She gasped as the wall disappeared in front of her. Remus and the elder magicians stared at the new emptiness.
"Okay, maybe I have some kind of power", Sandra carefully said.
"I believe that 'some kind of power' is the wrong way of describing it", Olórin said with a smile. "You truly are the right person."
Sandra didn't answer; she just helped Remus to stand up and walked across the place where the wall had been. When they'd passed, the wall came back behind them.
"It might have been some kind of a password as well", Sandra said when she saw the wall behind her.
"Maybe", Galrion agreed. Sandra felt that he didn't believe it, he believed that the girl in front of him carried some power. She didn't believe it though, it was absurd. She, a girl from Norwish, couldn't possible carry some power that was used in this world. No way! In front of her Olórin disappeared up a ladder. Galrion followed, but stopped halfway up to help Remus. Sandra came after and helped him from behind.
When they came out in the cool nightair she felt the tense disappear. They could believe what they wanted to believe, she was still herself. Olórin led them out into a snowcovered glade. There where several people, most of them had hoods that covered their faces. Some showed who they where, but Sandra didn't look at them. Still, she wondered who they where. Olórin and Galrion seemed calm, just like Remus. Suddenly one of the elder magicians stopped. They where in the middle of a circle made of the people. A man with dark hair and greyblue eyes stepped forward. After him came a shorter person with the face hidden.
"We can't have two chosen ones", he said solemnly to Olórin.
"Who do you bring?" Olórin asked.
"She came through a portal", the man answered.
"So did our chosen one", Galrion said solemnly. "She opened it herself."
"That gives her a lead", the man admitted. "Is she willing to try?"
Sandra wrinkled her forehead. What did they talk about?
"Excuse me?" she said. "What are you talking about?"
"I was about to ask the same", the other girl said. Sandra recognized her voice.
"One of you is the chosen one, the person who can wield the Golden Sword", Olórin answered. He moved a bit and pointed at a long sword placed in a rock. Sandra gasped and took a step backwards. She recognized it, it was the sword that she had seen on the painting in Candracar.
"That sword?" she whispered.
"Why do someone decorate a sword with gems?" the girl next to her muttered.
"Shut up, L", Sandra muttered without thinking. The girl twitched.
"Sandra?" she said, surprised.
"Lilith?"
They pulled off their hoods and stared at one another.
"Okay, so you're also a part of this weird dream?" Lilith said with a grin.
"I'm afraid that this isn't a dream, sis, but I have to admit that it's a bit confusing", Sandra answered with a smile.
"Do you know each other?" Olórin asked.
"True, she's my sister", Sandra answered. Galrion seemed to have something to say, but a glance from Olórin kept him silent.
"Well, should we pull out that sword?" Lilith asked.
"I'll give it a try", Sandra said. The others stepped aside and left her alone with the sword. She walked up to it with tense steps and a heart that pounded in her throat. Finally it was within reach. Slowly she reached out and touched the hilt. The warmth she'd felt in Candracar came back and she snatched, but then allowed her hand to slid upwards and grab the sword. A gigantic wave of fire came up from the rock and surrounded her. By some reason she wasn't afraid. She lost herself in the sword's warmth and safety. Then she saw it, Valinor as it had been before Andernilwen had transformed it. Wide green fields lay before her, just a few steps away. Far away lay the ocean and everywhere she saw animals and creatures. Without moving she got closer to the sea and saw the castle where she'd met Remus. In this picture it was built of beautiful, shimmering stones. The roofs glimmered in the sun and instead of a line with prisoners outside the gate was a line of people that wanted to see the queen. Down on the beach laid mermaids with their fins in the water and collected shells that they put in their hairs. Soldiers that passed them greeted them, which made them giggle and wave.
"Sandra!"
The call made her turn. Through the fire she saw Olórin looking at her. By some reason, the man didn't sound right. When she thought about Galrion that wasn't right either. Why? She looked at the sword again, before grabbing it with both hands and pulling it out from the rock without problems. The fire disappeared and she was back in the cold nightair. Everyone stared at her and the sword.
"Gods, you did it!" Galrion exclaimed. Sandra didn't answer, she allowed the sword to rest in her hands for a moment before she looked at Olórin.
"Who shall have it?" she asked.
"You", Olórin answered. Sandra stared at him, before laughing nervously.
"You're kidding. I mean, I can't use a sword. Also, I can't kill anyone."
"Sandra, you're not the one with bloodfright", Lilith said. "At least you can look at different shows where there are blood."
Sandra didn't answer, she just dropped the sword to the ground.
"I can't", she said quietly. "You have to find another chosen one."
"There is just one", Galrion solemnly said. "That person is you."
"Listen to me, I can't!" Sandra called out. Lilith stepped up in front of her sister and placed herself like a shield. Why did she compare her with a shield? A shield wasn't anything living. For her inner gaze she saw the woman on the painting in Candracar and how she made a shield out of a golden fire, the same fire that had come out of the rock, and how it placed itself to shield her. Sandra gasped and stumbled backwards.
"Sandra?"
Lilith had turned and looked at her sister. Why did it feel wrong to call her that? Sandra looked around. Nothing was like before.
"You're okay?"
Lilith looked worried. Sandra nodded solemnly, before looking at Olórin. He hadn't said anything for a while now.
"Who are you?" she asked. He raised his eyebrow.
"Remus has told me his right name, but you haven't and neither have someone else", Sandra continued.
"What tells you this?" Olórin asked. Sandra opened her mouth to answer, but then realised that she didn't know. She shook her head.
"I don't know, it…"
"We haven't dared to say it just in case you where someone else than we hoped", Olórin said. "I am Gandalf, by the elves I'm called Mithrandir."
It sounded better. Why? Sandra didn't know.
"Who created this sword?" she asked. Inside she knew the answer before Gandalf said it.
"Freedom, daughter of Aslan, the great lion."
Sandra nodded. Then she reached down and picked up the sword again.
"I'm not saying that I'll use it, but I'll take care of it", she said calmly. Gandalf nodded.
"I've never understood you", Lilith muttered. Sandra smiled.
"Sometimes it's hard to understand yourself", she answered. They used to say that quite often, none of them knew why. Galrion stepped forward and gave Sandra a sheath to carry the sword in. She took it and met his gaze. For a few moments it was like he looked right into her soul, before he broke the contact and went back to his place. Sandra opened her mouth to call him back, but then closed it when she realised she didn't know why.