Chapter 1

C H A P T E R 1
A Cottage In The Wood

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The sky loomed gray, hanging dully about the heavens with misty portent. A pale and watery sun sank feebly past the top of a tall tree. Its foliage danced a macabre dance of glee, blown by wind howling a frenzied cacophony to the surrounding forest. Tingeing the breath of the wind was a shadow of frost. It dusted the tips of the reveling leaves with crystals of ice.
Along a narrow path, two young travelers on horseback picked their way carefully through piles of fallen rock. Their breath was clearly visible in the cold afternoon light.

Jarrett looked up to see sharp needles of rain pierce the forest, rendering the visibility minimal. He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter against the bitter wind.
“I fear the air freezes colder with each passing moment," he called to his companion, a pale wisp of a woman wrapped in an oversized wool cloak.
"Aye, Jarrett,” she shivered, her teeth chattering in spite of herself. “I’ve n . . . n . . . never known that cold could be thus, pinching every nerve in m . . . m . . . my body. And these rocks, they are so s . . . slippery, I’m af . . . f . . . fraid for Chevalle.”
Jarrett nodded grimly. His horse was also having difficulty on the sharp, wet granite. Once again, he glanced at the Gemstone gripped in his fist. This time, his eyes widened when he saw it gleamed ruby-red against his palm.
"The stone!” he cried, “‘Tis glowing, and it sends out a warmth that tingles through my fingers. It has lain inert 'til now! Allys, we dare not stop now. Should this stone cease glowing, we've gone and lost her . . . an' I dare not do that."
He tossed his head back and spurred his horse forward. In the dim light he looked like a pagan God, tall and well set. His long, reddish-gold hair framed his handsome face in disarray, obscuring his firm jaw and the steely glint in his eye. The handle of his sword shone with a brief flash of a sunbeam glinting at the edge of his hip. His arrogant stance was that of a warrior - one who was accustomed to winning whatever game life deigned to throw at him.
True to his word, Jarrett insisted that they continue. The evening's pale light gave way to night's grim cold . . . and cold it was. The wind continued its howling devastation, and the rain had become a driving sleet They could see nothing ahead of them save more blinding snow. They were but two-dimensional figures on a white drawing board.
Finally, Allys could stand no more. It was all she could do to fight a persistent urge to sleep.
"Jarrett," she whispered as she slumped down in her saddle, "in God's truth, I think I go no further." She started to topple off her mount. Jarrett had not heard her cry over the wind, but he could see she was in trouble. He pulled his horse to a stop and swung down, snatching Allys's reins as he did so. As her horse halted, she slipped from her saddle to fall at his feet.
"Allys . . . Allys . . ." Jarrett repeated her name over and over in his head. "What have I asked of you? At what cost?" His thoughts tumbled angrily on, refusing to grant him any peace.
He reached around to shelter her as much as possible, then it occurred to him that his Gemstone was really the only warmth around. Suddenly inspired, he brought it up to her lips, and then gazed, astounded, as the color flowed back to her face.
"Bless Ye, Gods . . .this stone will keep us from the Dark Night of the Soul. No wonder she entrusted it to bring us to her. Methinks it may also keep us alive to get there!" he exclaimed.
Still regarding the stone with awe, Jarrett slid his gaze to Allys's face. Her long silver hair floated around her as if it were bewitched, while her pale lashes trembled against her cheeks. He could see the bloodless quality caused by the wind and cold.
Allys Terran looked very dead. Beautiful, as always, but definitely dead. She was passing onto the Dark Night of her Soul. Jarrett pulled at her frozen little hands, and closed her fingers around the Gemstone. Immediately, he felt an intense cold he had been previously oblivious to. His back and neck felt numb, and he could feel a chill as if it came from the center of his soul. He cursed himself for his stupidity.
While he had been protected by the Gemstone, Allys had borne the full brunt of the weather. He had never even been aware of what she had been subjected to, and now he prayed that he was not too late. Wrapping his hands around her stiff fingers, he closed his eyes and said a deep prayer to the Goddess of Ice.
Whether the Goddess heard and answered, or the Gemstone had penetrated Allys's hands - one of the main portals of the soul - he did not know . . . nor did he much care as her eyes opened, and she stared at him in bewilderment.
"What’s happened, Jarrett? How did I get here? I must have fainted . . . it was so cold and now 'tis warm . . . I feel so tired . . . I just want to sleep . . . please let me sleep, Jarrett."
With this, she once again closed her eyes. Jarrett shook her until she opened them again. Excitedly, he told her of the strange properties of the Gemstone. Allys fought to stay awake and listened in astonishment.
"Then it is as legend says!” she exclaimed. “The Gemstone will always return to its owner!" Jarrett nodded his head exultantly.
" Aye, my love, she did leave us with something, though she may not even know it. We are lucky we found the Gemstone in her bedchamber. Listen carefully, Allys, we must be very careful. This is a more dangerous situation than I could have ever imagined. We must pass the Gemstone back and forth between us if we are to live, for otherwise I fear that we will freeze to the Dark Night of our Souls, and quickly, at that."
The wind continued howling, mercilessly flailing Jarrett from every side. It left Allys untouched. She groped for his hand, trying to return the life-giving Gemstone, but he refused to take it, saying that she had not had sufficient chance to recover. In truth he was still ashamed of holding the magikal stone while Allys had been freezing to her Dark Night.
Further travel was futile, for visibility was non-existent in the swirling snow. They tried to rest behind the scant shelter of a boulder on the side of the path. They were now too tired to see straight, even if they could have forced themselves to continue. As if in acknowledgment of this fact, Jarrett’s feet and hands became numb, followed swiftly by the rest of his body. He felt himself slipping into that somnolent stage which sometimes precedes the soul's descent into the Dark Night.
Allys had succumbed to the stone’s mysterious ministrations. She reached for Jarrett's reluctant hand and pressed the stone to his palm. Thus continued the long and cold night, with each passing on the magikal Gemstone just as the other started to answer the seductive summons to a final sleep.

Eventually, the bitter wind rustling through the trees became a soft sigh and the blackness of the night sky vanished. Pale dawn paced stealthily across the horizon, slowly enough to let their eyes become accustomed to the morning's light. In the far corner of the frosted landscape they saw the trailing wisp of fire smoke, unmistakable even at this distance.
Each stared at the other with apprehension, then cast a glance at their unusually quiet steeds. Their horses lay cozily curled together, snuggled tightly to defend themselves against the merciless weather. They had not survived.
The warning cry rang out loud and clear through the cold white forest. Jarrett and Allys should have been laying there too, cold and inert as their lifeless steeds. They shuddered at the fate they had only narrowly escaped.
Jarrett put his arm around Allys and said,
"There's only one thing to do, Allys. We must investigate who's out there." Allys nodded her agreement, for with no horses they had but little choice in the matter. They started toward the direction of the smoke, each with a silent prayer that they would encounter some form of help, and not further disaster.
They trudged along until they were close enough to see where the smoke was coming from. They were taken aback to see an ordinary village cottage in the middle of the wooded area.
They crept closer and peered around a few bushes to see the cottage. There was a driveway leading to the front door. It all looked perfectly normal . . . except that it was located in the middle of nowhere. Its very existence in this spot placed it in the realm of the unknown.
They watched as the front door opened. A tall, skinny old man walked over, close to where they hid. Instinctively they pulled back, but he came no further. Instead, he gazed up a sky still filled with ominous clouds. He shook his head, then walked over to the cottage and reached up to wrest some weeds out of a flower box fixed to the window. He tugged away for a bit, then suddenly seemed to sense that someone was watching him. He let the weeds drop from his hand, glanced around with a fearful look on his face, and scurried into the front door. There was a loud noise as if he were shooting back several bolts, then there was only silence. Even the smoke from the chimney gave a last few brave puffs and ceased altogether.
"Now we've done it," said Allys. "We should not have come up upon him like this. Now he thinks we mean to harm him."
"I don't know, Allys, but methinks he's afeard, and not necessarily of us. Actually I do not think he even saw us. Perhaps he has good reason for caution, I know not. But I do know of one way to find out. You’re shivering again, and though the stone has kept us alive during the storm I must admit I feel half-dead. I have my sword and you have your arrows, I think we should we take our chances."
Thus saying, he strode forward without waiting for Allys' answer. Not willing to be left behind or to be considered cowardly, she curled her fingers tightly around her bow; with her other hand clutching the Gemstone, she ventured onward in Jarrett's footsteps.
They reached the front door, and Jarrett knocked boldly. The door was answered by an old woman. She regarded Jarrett quizzically then said,
"You’ve returned! Come on in then, I’ll fetch my husband."
"No! Er, I mean, yes, well . . ." stammered Jarrett. He was startled at the woman’s exclamation. Neither he nor his young companion had been in this area of Madur before.
Jarrett was reluctant to enter, but Allys, not hearing the old woman’s words, pushed ahead of him and stepped into the doorway of the cottage. Jarrett had no choice now but to follow her. The woman smiled to herself as she closed the door behind them.
A bright fire was crackling at the hearth. Allys crept closer to the flames, in an effort to ward off a chill which had penetrated her very bones. She seated herself on a footstool and stuck her toes out as she regarded her surroundings.
The small cottage room looked welcoming, with pretty chintz curtains at all the windows. There was a furry rug near the hearth, on either side of which were two cozy armchairs. A huge part of the charm of the cottage lay in the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the room. Allys suddenly realized how hungry she was.
Jarrett strode over to the window and peered out. The brilliant sun drifted across the horizon, causing the icy scene outside to glitter as if frosted with diamond dust. He continued to stand there for some time, as though he were not quite sure of the reality of their surroundings.
The old woman bustled into the room behind them, clucking like a hen over Allys's state of disarray.
"What have you done to this poor little child?" she asked Jarrett, who stared at her coldly.
"In faith, ma'am, I do not know who you are or why you care about our troubles. I cannot see that it is any of your business. I wish only to purchase some horses, either from you, or from any neighbor who might be able to accommodate us. We must then be on our way. We are in a great hurry, and have no time to dawdle. Where is the old man, anyway? Tell him to hurry!"
Jarrett's voice was harsh, and his eyes looked as cold as the fabled ring of the Ice Goddess herself. At his words, the old woman's face crumpled. She looked frightened at Jarrett's tone of voice, and perhaps a bit hurt. Her eyes misted over as if she were about to cry. Jarrett cursed himself for the second time that day. Was he so obsessed with his quest that he had taken to ordering around old women? He suddenly felt ashamed of himself, and tried to redeem the situation.
"Here, old woman, I meant not to be rude to ye. It's just that we have no more time. I'm tired and hungry, and I believe we almost lost our lives out there in the storm. Please forgive my uncouth behavior, and help us if you can. Without any aid I fear our quest will be doomed."
The old woman looked slightly mollified as she took a large handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her nose. She gave several small sniffs and then walked over to the mantelpiece.
"Aye, as ye ask so nicely, I will help ye, young man, that I will," she said, as she took down an oddly shaped clock. Allys noticed that the clock said ten, which was probably the correct time, judging the course of the sun. But then the old woman did a very strange thing. She rewound the hands once around, until it said ten again. Allys noticed that she had wound the hands backward. How was that supposed to help them? Perhaps the woman was as mad as a hatter! Her next words seemed to confirm this diagnosis, for the old woman crooned,
"There, there, now you don't have to worry. I've just given you twelve hours of time, a precious gift to be sure, but it is what you said you needed. Mr. Tibbens will be with you directly, and he will help you get to where you're going. Not to worry, young lad and lass, you can rest now, for you look as though you sorely need to."
"B . . . but how can you do that?" questioned Jarrett, his heart starting to pound. A cold knowledge told him that she had done exactly what she said, for it awakened in him some dark and somnolent memory. He felt sweat drip from his forehead, but could not even lift his hand to wipe it off.
"Never you mind about that," she said slyly. "Sufficient it is that it is done, and in return, I will ask a small favor. Promise me that you will honor my request." She stared directly at Jarrett and Allys. Not quite knowing what else to do, they both nodded their agreement to her terms.
"You must promise not to tell my husband that I have changed the time for your benefit. I am not supposed to ever use that clock. You won't tell, will you?" This time Jarrett and Allys both shook their head in unison, beginning to feel somewhat like marionettes.
"Good, then we understand each other. My name's Glinda of the Green Circle, but you may call me Glinda. What do you call yourselves?"
"My name's Jarrett, and this is my cousin, Allys. Is there any way that I could know for sure that the time has been reversed? I know what you've said, but it seems awful hard to believe."
"No doubt, fine sir, but seeing is believing. Look outside!" So saying, Glinda strode over to the window. Allys and Jarrett blinked their eyes and stared. The sky had darkened and become night in just a few minutes.
"Is this witchcraft, Glinda? What is happening?" Allys looked troubled as she asked this question.

It was with good reason that Allys was worried. Black witchcraft was a crime punishable by death. Of course, it had to be proven that the witchery was black, as well as the witch or warlock had to be found and charged with the dark spells. Invariably, the only ones ever arrested were the very inept or inexperienced, for any necromancer worth his salt could easily evade the law. Still, the ancient art was frightening at its best, and unmentionable at its worst.

"I told you not to worry, child. It is not of the black arts, but from something almost as ancient, and though not evil in itself 'twas used in evil ways. We are not using it to gain power, so there's naught to be afeared of. Very soon Mr. Tibbens will come to talk to you. Don't forget your promise! Don't tell him about me fussing with the clock, for he will be very angry. He knows how the device works but he will not ever use it, for he wants to save its workings for some rainy day. Well, methinks that rainy day is upon us now, for has not the Queen herself disappeared with nary a trace?"
Jarrett and Allys looked at each other. The question mirrored in their eyes was clear to each of them. How much could they trust the old woman, Glinda? Jarrett decided that he would rather err on the side of caution than indiscretion, so he gave his head a barely perceptible shake. Allys caught his drift and looked demurely to the floor.
To the side of her eye she saw a movement and turned her head towards it. She found that she was looking at the doorway, and what she saw there was a pair of well polished old leather shoes under a pair of tweed trousers. She raised her gaze and saw that the trousers encircled a considerable girth which was then covered by an enormous green cardigan that fit its owner perfectly. The head attached to this strange apparition was equally plump, with red rosy apple cheeks and a smile that made her feel warm all over. His eyes caught hers with a twinkle, and he put a finger to his lips to let her know that he didn't want the others to know he was there. The gesture was too late in coming, however.
"Come on in, Mr. Tibbens" Glinda chortled. "He's always creeping up on me, but I always know where he is. Mr. Tibbens, we need your help, come sit by the fire an' I'll bring in some tea." With that, the mysterious Glinda Tibbins of the Green Circle disappeared into the kitchen.
Mr. Tibbens walked over to the armchair with a surprisingly graceful bearing for one so large. He lowered himself down and said with another huge smile,
"Tibbs Tibbens at your service, what can I do for ye? Call me Tibbs."
"My name's Jarrett, an' this is my cousin Allys. We go in search of a lost friend, and we need a pair of horses to take us much further North. Would you be so kind as to help us?" Tibbs rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he replied.
"In truth, the thing that will be your main problem is this constant night sky we have around here. Every morning I get up to find it's time to go to bed again. I could have sworn I just got out of bed three hours ago." Tibbs glared at the darkened sky with an intensely puzzled look, shaking his head all the while. Allys could hardly contain a grin at Mr. Tibbens’s discomfort with the time change. Jarrett's eyes became a trifle glazed.
"I know, sir, that there will be many perils to overcome but we must start somewhere, and that place is here, and that start would be two horses. Do you have any we could buy from you?"
"Well, yes, I do. The storms will be blowing colder and colder as ye travel further North, so mayhaps I should lend ye a wagon to keep ye warm."
"But what of the horses, they will surely freeze!" blurted out Allys, with horrible memories off their solidly frozen steeds.
"They need to be accustomed to this climate, or indeed they will be very uncomfortable," responded Tibbs reassuringly. "As well, they must be fed properly, and should be wearing thick blankets. They must not be allowed to fall asleep, but should be kept moving all the time. It's a simple matter of caring for them and knowing what to do. For ye too, lad, ye must be aware of how to survive in that weather. Methinks I’ll send ye my son to guide ye to your destination and bring back the wagon."
Allys looked so upset that he stopped in his speech, and asked what was the matter. She suppressed a sob and turned to Jarrett.
"You tell him, I can't bear to think of what we did to our poor horses, because we were in such a hurry that we didn't have time to stop and prepare and . . . and . . . " Here she broke down completely. "And we could have been killed!" She continued to wail for some moments, while Jarrett had the grace to look thoroughly abashed.
"You see, kind sir, we hail from the south of the land of Madur where ‘tis uncommonly warm. Our horses were used to warmth and sunlight, and they had no coverings to shelter themselves from the great storm of last night. They froze to their deaths."
"Well, Jarrett, 'tis mighty rare for a horse to freeze to death. Even those steeds used to the heat of a desert can survive brutal temperatures, and it was not that cold last night. But you, how did you survive that storm if your beasts, sturdier animals than you by far, have perished? There's somewhat mighty strange going on here."
Jarrett decided that the whole matter was becoming too complicated to attempt to keep up the masquerade. He felt confused, and he had a sense that he could trust Tibbs and his strange wife Glinda. He decided to tell them some of their story, leaving out only the identity of the woman they sought. He realized that Allys was relieved at his decision. Because of her uncanny ability to sense people, she had felt safe from the moment she had stepped into the cottage.

After a long session with Tibbs and Glinda, many things became clear. The Gemstone was known to them, and they explained how it formed a link between itself and its owner. This link caused it to glow in the presence of whoever owned it, and so could lead others to them. It also formed a protective aura around its owner. Even when parted from the one who owned it, a deep bonding still existed between the two, and the Gemstone could provide the means by which to find the other. If the owner died, however, the brilliant ruby stone became a mere worthless pebble.
"At least we know that she has not descended to the Dark Night of her Soul!" exclaimed Jarrett joyously.
"But it gleamed strongly in the woods, and there was no one else there,” said Allys.
"That's because she ye seek is close," Glinda answered unhesitatingly. "Some things are close in another plane, and thus they are close even though we cannot see them. Some may claim to see ghosts, or apparitions or even creatures from the stars. But often 'tis but a rip in the fabric, either the fabric of time, of space, or even other dimensions we cannot comprehend. If the Gemstone glowed so brightly, she must be close but we know not the dimension she's in. 'Tis a good thing ye chose to confide in us or I fear you would have been lost, or killed or both. But it is still wise of ye to be careful who ye trust."
The two traveling companions were silent after this piece of information. The enormity of the mistakes they had made and could still make weighed down on them heavily.
"How do you know of these things? It seems that you have a large working knowledge of many mysteries," asked Allys, with a great deal of curiosity. To so stumble on this unlikely cottage, and then find that the inhabitants were conversant with the Gemstone, struck Allys as very odd.
Jarrett was glad Allys had asked about their new friends, for, though he was curious, he would not have inquired simply because he felt ashamed that he was not being completely honest with them.
"Well, it's a long story, " began Tibbs, "but I will tell you somewhat of what you need to know. Many, many hundreds of years ago, the Peoples of this Earth prospered. They had an abundance of strange lore, amulets, scrying stones, and radogems, which is what they would have called your Gemstone. But all that has now vanished. Major earthquakes remodeled the Earthenworld, and changed its face forever - and much that had been written of those times has been destroyed. There is a book I have that tells of these things I speak of. I also have a few items which seem to be of magikal origin by the way they work, but according to the writings that came with them they follow all natural laws. The only differences between them and magik is a different arrangement of their parts. Do ye follow me?"
"Aye, somewhat. You're telling us that the Gemstone, or the radogem, is a relic from our past?" asked Jarrett, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and with disbelief. He suddenly made up his mind. He looked at Allys for confirmation, saw her nod, then asked with great import.
"Do ye know who it is that we seek?"
At this question a strange languor hung in the air. It was the Queen herself that they were in search of.

Jarrett and Allys were the Queen’s cousins - they had grown up together, and had known her long before she had ever been crowned Queen of all the Lands, and been given her Name of Power.
They were not allowed to use or say her Name of Power aloud - it was illegal and dangerous. They were also not allowed to use her birthing name of Taliesin any longer, as she had now ascended the throne. She had been kidnapped before her naming ceremony, when her Queenly name would have been bestowed upon her. Consequently, it was difficult to know what to call her.

When the Glinda’s reply came, it shocked them.
"Aye, we do know who it is that ye seek, Jarrett and Allys. We've known all along who ye were, and all about your plight."
"H . . . h . . . how?" stammered Jarrett, now thoroughly convinced that his new friends were great magicians and mind readers. He wasn’t ready for this answer, either. Tibbs replied softly,
"Well, ye told us yourselves, young Jarrett, an' ye cautioned us to speak nothing of the fact that we knew ye unless ye'd bring it up yourself. Well, now ye have an' now we did." Complacently, he settled into his armchair with a wise nod at everyone. Glinda added,
"Truly, you have come a far way this time. It will never be for strangers that Tibbs and I will put ourselves out like this. The last time we saw ye, which was the first time, ye were with the Queen herself, and my son was along with you. We helped to hide ye, and then ye left. Don't ye see, young Jarrett and Allys . . . ye fled from danger after ye'd rescued the Queen, and then you pushed back somewhat through time for shelter." A foreboding gripped their hearts, and they knew that the Tibbins’ spoke true.
Jarrett began to understand what had happened to them, and Allys too nodded in comprehension, as she realized that the security she had felt in the cottage was a reflection of the warmth she sensed from Tibbs and Glinda. Some things were beginning to make sense . . .and the impossible was becoming their new reality.
"So! This means that we will rescue our Queen, and return here for shelter. Well and good, then. As your son is with us when we return, I can only assume that he leaves here with us in search of our fair cousin. So perhaps we will still set out with the same plan we started out with. One question, good sir, we saw an old man outside your house when we arrived, but he seems not to be a part of your household. May I inquire who he is, and what his business is here?"
Now it was Tibbs and Glinda's turn to be surprised.
"There is no one else who lives here save ourselves. Even our son lives some distance away. I know not who this could be, and I do not like it." Glinda turned her troubled eyes to Tibbs. He too looked worried.
"Methinks ye'd best leave right away. You have had your tea, and rested somewhat, perhaps ye'd best just pack up and go. I’ll send for my son, and you should be off within the hour. Have ye had enough to eat?"
Jarrett and Allys nodded vigorously, remembering the hot fragrant tea laced with honey, and the warm bread covered with freshly churned butter. Glinda had also laid out a tray of cold roast beef, ham, some fresh cheese and fruit. Now she bustled about, putting together a hamper of food and a stack of blankets. Tibbs went to the window, and with the aid of a dark cloth and the lantern, summoned