When Lillian returned to him, Gawain was deeply chastened. 'I thought …your touches…meant something else…but you were just being kind, weren't you?' Lillian nodded. He shifted uncomfortably. 'I am such a fool, such a fool!' Lillian laughed and he gave her a pained look. 'Yes Gawain you are a fool; you are a fine young fool and someone that any woman would be proud to call her own. You do not need the challenge of another man's wife. A woman's heart is challenge enough for any man to meet.'

Lillian looked to the cloudless sky and sighed. 'I have done all I can do for them,' she said out loud. Gawain looked distinctly uncomfortable at the mention o the quest. 'Sorry Gawain, I will not speak of it again. This is not the best place for you, you are struggling to keep your mind clear.' Lillian was suddenly silent. The sound of footsteps came from within the castle and she turned to see her own boy standing there.

'Ayden.' she cried, 'what are you doing here?'

'Father has brought me,' answered her son with a troubled look.

'And where is he my boy? She asked scanning the ruins.

'I do not know, he told me to come to you.'

'Lillian hurriedly turned to Gawain. You need to go back to The Brandes Smithy now,' she said.

'Arthur ordered me to protect you. I am bound to stay.'

'She does not need your protection!' Brand's voice rang out and the man himself appeared, like a ghost amongst the ruined castle walls. Lillian drew Ayden down to the ground to sit beside her. Brand stood before them in full armour bearing the crest of the winter tree and in his hand a great sword, every bit as magnificent as the one he had given to Arthur. Brand did not look at Lillian but strode up to Gawain and threw down his gauntlet.

'Brand!' exclaimed Lillian. 'What are you doing?'

Gawain gave him a grave look. 'Sire, he said with studied courtesy. I have no wish to fight with you.'

'Pick it up,' commanded Brand.'

Gawain stood and held out a hand to Lillian so she could rise from her seated position. She did not take it. But Brand's eyes glittered with fury. 'Do not touch her,' he said in a low menacing voice.' Gawain stepped forward and looked up at Brand. 'If have wronged you in any way I am truly sorry my Lord and I acknowledge that I am bound to give you satisfaction, but first do me the courtesy of naming my offence.'

'Do not think to sweeten me with false deference,' said Brand with all the gravity of a king. 'As to your offence I will not name it. It will signify nothing to hear from me that which your conscience already knows.'

At this Gawain allowed his show of ignorance to fall away. He cast a brief look at Lillian then scrutinised Brand, trying to ascertain the true nature of his temper. Then the young knight knelt before the Blacksmith King, took off his helmet, and lowered his head. Brand stared at him. 'What mockery is this?' he asked. Gawain did not look up at him but remained with his head bowed. 'Sire,' he said, 'I must be confess that I have coveted your wife,' Lillian shot a fearful glance at Brand and saw his grip tighten on his sword.

'I have wronged you,' continued Gawain. 'It would not be honourable to fight you. You must do with me as you wish.'

Brand gave Lillian a bewildered look. 'Stand up and fight man,' he growled. Gawain lifted his head. 'No Sire, you are not the first man I have so insulted so strike a blow for all those who have suffered like you.' 'I cannot kill a man in cold blood,' announced Brand. 'You must fight me!' Brand's voice had lost its edge of fury.

Lillian rose to her feet. She held Ayden's hand tightly and stepping between the two men she glared at Brand with a look of unbridled fury. Her eyes stung with tears of anger that would not come.

Enough! She declared. And turning her back on both men she mounted her horse, lifted Ayden to sit before her and set off over the moor.

*

The three seekers of the stone stood in abject darkness, the light from the door was soon swallowed up. Then like a false dawn, a second light appeared as though rising across a horizon. Rupert stood on the left of Arthur with Merlin on the right, as always slightly behind. Arthur tapped Rupert to indicate they should stand back to back, but had to manoeuvre Merlin into position. The three now stood facing three ways, if anything approached them one at least would know of it. But the attack did not come from any face of the triangle they made but from above. Silently something swept down on them. It hit Rupert first. He reacted instinctively at the first touch that scraped across his breastplate and only avoided a second blow by a fraction. The light in the room was brightening and now they could see their assailant. A great silver bird with an almost human face was hanging in the air above them its wingspan as broad as a tree. It lunged for Rupert again and Rupert with his sword arm lowered simple stared at it transfixed. Merlin caught him roughly by the shoulder and hauled him down to the ground. The bird's terrible talons slashed harmlessly at nothing, Merlin barely escaping them as they parted the air.

'Are you alright Rupert? Said Arthur; shocked that Rupert of all people should freeze. In the growing light the three men surveyed their field of battle. The chamber was not in fact a room at all but a ring of blue stones under a summer sky. An outer ring of irregular stones tall as a castle tower and a centre stone shaped like a doorway. The three men made for cover beneath the nearest monolith. 'What's going on Rupert?' asked Arthur. 'You almost threw you life away.'

'I'm sorry sire...' said Rupert breathlessly, 'I was taken by surprise. I know this place. It is part of my estate. And this creature...' Rupert paused.

'Well we have to defeat it Rupert so if you know something... '

The bird let out a terrible scream and descended on them it's talons stretching forward like a cluster of giant knives. The three held their swords aloft; the sound of metal on the blades of its talons sent a shattering screech around the stones. 'Well Rupert?' shouted Arthur impatiently.

'The bird killed my son sire. All I know is that it cannot hold its prey but tears the throat to kill and devours its victim on the ground!' Rupert said all this quickly and with the calm precision expected of a veteran warrior, but in his mind the picture of his son came sharply into focus. Ever since he had learnt the mind of Brandóm he knew the truth about his sons death but now, at this moment it ceased to be merely a fact lodged in his memory but became a tangible reality taking root in his heart.

'Arthur was aware of what Rupert had just confided but had no choice but to talk strategy. 'We will stand our ground and fight it,' said Arthur, his eyes scanning the sky for the creatures return.

'Yes…sire ' said Rupert, recovering some of his composure. 'But I believe that this task is mine. It's only really tried to attack me so far. I am sure it is I who must defeat it.' Arthur looked at his mentor, the man whose skill he hoped to one day emulate. 'If anyone can overcome ten swords with one it is you Rupert,' said Arthur. 'But I think we should stick together.'

The sound of claws against rock ended their hurried talk; they looked up to see the bird standing above them its feet sliding on the stone, its curved beak wide in a terrible silent scream. As one they reacted, rolling out of its reach before the great beak tore at them. As its fearsome head swept down Arthur saw a livid hatred in its human eyes and knew that Rupert was right: the creature was bent on his destruction. They fled to the centre stone, shaped like a doorway and as they did so Arthur and Merlin passed through it and disappeared. The great bird hauled its wings into the air, Rupert prepared to stand his ground he breathed slowly and deeply, and soon did not have to think about his shield or the path his sword should take through the air. He allowed his body to take over. As the great bird stretched out its feet of blades towards him Rupert of Ficere saw the scar on its breast, the wound his dog had made on that fateful summer day and with one deft movement he launched him self up to meet the monster and plunged his sword into its heart.