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diamond shaped
from the lead patterns on the outside. There were many ornaments on
the various sills, large cabinets and chests of drawers. One was a
small statue of a woman, wearing a long green dress and holding her
arms out as if wanting to give a hug. Another was of a ship, the
rigging and sails exquisitely rendered. The man caught Jared’s
wandering eye and chuckled. “You like my
boat?”
     “ Yes, errr…it’s very
good. ”
     “ Thank you,” he
replied smiling and then, “My, my, where
are my manners,” he tutted to himself.
Putting the rag he’d wiped his hands on into the pouch on his
apron, he extended his hand. “Fellicone,” he said beaming and
shaking Jared’s hand hard.
      Mordalayn had finished wrapping up his
items and he turned around. He was hugely tall and was dressed in
green leather trousers and calf length brown leather boots, buckled
severely. He wore a brown jerkin with several pockets adorning it,
over a green shirt of some heavy looking fabric with the sleeves
rolled up. He had what looked like a silver coat of arms pinned to
the left breast. The buckle on his belt was large and had a carving
of a hand, with a crown in the centre. Writing above and below said
“MANUS HAEC INIMICA TYRANNIS.” The cat face showed no emotion. He
gestured for Jared to sit down . “Please, we owe you an explanation and I do not
want you to be afraid.”
      Jared
thought that being afraid was something he might have to get used
to but took the proffered wooden chair and sat, looking from the
smiling, friendly face of Fellicone to the unreadable one of
Mordalayn.
      Mordalayn sat opposite Jared and placed one arm on the table,
his huge fingers still, the gold ring on his middle finger had the
same hand and crown crest on it.
      The cat figure leaned forward and spoke
quietly his voice resonating in the room. “ You were in mortal danger when I
chanced upon you in the hospital. The creature who was in that room
was an assassin, sent by evil men to kill our queen.” Jared looked puzzled and Mordalayn
paused.
     “ Do, do
you mean Sophie?”
      Fellicone and Mordalayn exchanged glances
and Mordalayn leaned slightly further forward. “Her name to you is Sophie Roberts. Here she is our queen and
ruler, bringer of light and joy to all in
Alegria.”
      He paused for a moment and then continued
with his explanation. “She was hurt, four
months or more by your calendar, much longer by ours. She is
greatly vulnerable now.”
      Jared
stared at him confused and bewildered. He had no idea what was
going on and far from reassuring him, this explanation was just
tying his brain in more knots.
     “ Sophie
was hurt in a car crash, at least I thought she was. How is she
your ruler here? Is this like Africa or something? Is she a
princess staying in England or something?”
      Mordalayn again glanced at Fellicone whose face creased in
concern.
     “ Jared,
we are not in Africa. This is Alegria.”
      He paused and Jared looked at him even more
confused . “Where’s Alegria?” he
asked.
      Mordalyn paused. “I cannot tell you everything now, for your own safety. I
dealt with the assassin and placed a protection spell on Our Lady
so they cannot find her. But that spell he threw into you means our
enemies can track you.”
      Jared looked around and was still
uncomprehending. “But again. Where ARE we?
I have to go home, my mum and dad will be worried about
me.”
      Mordalayn sighed. “I promise you all this will be made clearer later. I need to
get you to a safe place. We are safe here for a short time only but
we are on the borders of Alegria. Those who would hurt the queen
may find you here.”
      He stood. “The
corvo he placed within you has to be removed.”
      Jared paled. “But,
but I feel nothing. What is it?”
     “ The
corvo is not malignant, it simply resides within you, but our
enemies can track you with it. We need to remove it.
Now..”
      Jared was scared and stammered.
“