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had pushed their families to the brink of open bloodshed.
    Wolf and Leo argued, but the king kept his secrets close. Turning to leave, Leo had called Wolf an “Oath Breaker” and disappeared into the orchards surrounding Wolf's home. The Lion had not asked for help after that night. He'd kept his distance from his comrades, hiding in lonely places like this abbey. Wolf lowered his eyes to the rocks below. Guilt and shame were constant reminders of his dishonor. He had spoken to no one of his argument with Leo. Not even his wife, Dulcina.
    A flash of ash cloak alerted Wolf the Lords of Valdeon had not been idle while he looked for Leo’s chamber. Impatient youth. Wolf’s mind drifted to the rest of the Sacred Guard. In his early forties, he was the eldest among them and had become their leader in Leo’s absence. The young Lords of Valdeon were impressive in their skills, but at times like these Wolf wished for the company of his old comrades again.
    During the time of the first Jalora Master, Mikel D'Antoiné, nine Valdeonian men made an oath to the Jalora. They and their heirs would lay down their lives protecting the Altar of Providence. It had been his deepest honor to bear the Wolf Ring upon his finger. He'd gladly taken up the oath that so many of his forefathers had kept before him.
    One among the Sacred Guard had forsaken his duty. Esteban, brother to the king and bearer of the Hawk Ring, broke the code and was banished from Valdeon. His whereabouts were still a mystery. Now Leo had abandoned his people too. Seven of the Sacred Guard remained, but could they save Valdeon from civil war without the Lion?
    He turned back into the room to find Cardinal Dragon regarding him from the doorway. Short white hair clung tightly to his sweaty scalp. The neatly trimmed beard contained evidence of his last quick meal. Peppered with mud and filth, the ash tunic and trousers of his uniform reflected the hard travel he'd endured reaching the abbey. Eight hundred years had passed since Mikel and the Sacred Guard had served. Many Heart of the Warrior rings joined their numbers over the centuries to form a powerful force. Seeing the leader of the Jalora Legion disheveled gave Wolf a momentary shiver of foreboding.
    "We've found Leo's missing followers. Their bodies had been dumped in an old gravel pit a few miles to the south. They were tortured and then beheaded." Dragon kept his expression perfectly blank. Those intelligent, knowing eyes regarded Wolf with expectation. "We've been able to find Leo thus far, because of the bond you share."
    "What are you asking, Dragon?"
    "I must know if Leo was taken by these villains. If the Lion Ring is lost, the legion must be prepared for the worst."
    "Very well, I will try."
    Wolf turned his attention back to the few belongings Leo had left behind. Sometimes the Jalora would grant him insight if he kept his mind peaceful and focused. He rested a hand upon the pillow and closed his eyes. Images and impressions of his missing king began to form. Residual memories of Leo, sharing a meal and conversation with his companions, danced across Wolf’s mind. The images moved faster, finally stopping at a memory of Leo holding a letter. Wolf saw his tears of grief and felt Leo’s intense need to flee. Then the images evaporated, leaving him no closer to Leo’s whereabouts than he had been before.
    "The Jalora has shown you something, Wolf." The commander of the Jalora Legion came to join him beside Leo’s cot.
    "Yes." Wolf nodded, failing to keep the disappointment from his voice. "Leo was here a few weeks ago. He is still fleeing from those who would take the Lion Ring."
    "Why? Why hasn’t he asked for aid from the legion?" Dragon rubbed at his dirtied beard. "If the Lion Ring is lost to evil, our world will crumble. He puts all of Andara in jeopardy."
    The Lion Ring was the key to the Jalora's power on Andara. If it was taken and overpowered by evil, then the Jalora's power would fade from the