The Dragonstone

Epilogue

After delivering the Dragonstone to the Academy of Mages on the Isle of Rwn, Arin and her comrades went their separate ways:

Aiko and Burel of course went back to Sarain to deal with the Fists of Rakka, and the results of their campaign are well recorded and will not be repeated here.

Delon and Ferret took to the road, he singing, she performing escape tricks, and they seemed to accumulate wealth at a rate not accounted for by their showmanship rewards alone. Too, much to Ferai's surprise, she did indeed become the Baroness of the Alnawood-as Delon had told Raudhrskal she would, if they but recovered the silver chest-for Delon was heir to that barony all along. When his father died, Delon and Ferai returned to the 'wood to manage the wide-flung estate; their son, in turn became a bard, and quite a trickster too, but of course the legends of Fallen the Fox are sung throughout the land, and again, I will not overburden you with such well-known tales.

As to Egil and Arin: it was true that with Ordrune's demise Egil's nightmares ceased, for the curse had been lifted with the Black Mage's death. Too, over time, Egil's stolen memories returned, though slowly and not all at once. When Egil and Arin returned to Fjordland, they discovered that the Fjordlanders and the Jutes were at bitter war, occasioned by Queen Gudrun the Comely declaring that the loss of her hand clearly was the Fjordlanders' fault. Egil, however, sought to make peace, in keeping with his pledge to Arin long past when, following in the steps of another, he, too, had declared, "Let it begin with me." But the war raged on in spite of his efforts, though he did win over converts, men and women who traveled across the many lands preaching lasting peace. Throughout the remainder of his life, Egil was unswerving in this cause, though now and again he did take up his axe and Arin took up her bow when there was no other choice. Long did Egil live, but at last age took him, weary and feeble and ill, an infirm old man yet loved by his precious Arin, who remained young and vibrant and bright, Arin who wept bitterly on that cold morn and mourned for many long years after.

Concerning Alos's sacrifice: what is clear is that the oldster awakened from his stupor in time to see his shipmates in peril, and being bound to their cause he could not desert them, could not run away and hide… unlike before. Scholars still debate what Alos would have done had Ordrune not laid a curse upon him, a curse they believe the Mage cast merely to keep Arin's band all together. It just may be that Ordrune sealed his own doom by binding the oldster to Arin's quest. Regardless, scholars agree that Alos's last act was heroic, indeed.

As to the others involved in that tale, the most notable event in this time of trouble was the retribution for the Felling of the Nine. Perin, Biren, Vanidar, Rissa, Melor, and Ruar all bore messages concerning the doom of the green stone to many kingdoms in the land, yet none knew what to do, other than stand vigilant. Thus it was that finally those six Elves came together to join the host of Coron Aldor and High King Bleys as they sought out the strongholts of Foul Folk throughout the Grimwall Mountains, strongholts where they displayed the remains of those who had hewn down the nine Eld Trees. At times they fought pitched battles. At other times the Spaunen blustered but withdrew in fear. Yet never again in the days thereafter did any Foul Folk fell a precious Eld Tree.

Regarding the Dragonstone: some scholars now speculate that the stone itself was responsible for Dara Arin's vision. It was, after all, a token of power, and tokens of power have ways of fulfilling their own destinies. In any event, after Arin and her companions gave over the stone to Doriane, it was indeed taken to the deep vaults below and a deadly net of spells was cast about it as it was locked away. And when Rwn was destroyed some three hundred twenty-two years after, the stone was thought lost forever. Yet some eight millennia later, and a half a world away, in the Jinga Sea after an all-day struggle a fisherman in a small boat single-handedly landed a great fish. When he finally got back to his village that night and gutted his dark-eyed catch, in its belly he found a peculiar green stone, egg-shaped and jadelike and the size of a melon. This very same day in Moku, after an all-day travail of labor to give birth, a peasant woman was delivered of a child with a peculiar Dragonlike mark on its forehead. The midwives fell down in worship. Some twenty years passed ere the green stone found its way into the hands of this child… and of course we all know what happened then.

Finally, concerning free will versus predestination: Ferai and Burel never settled their debate… and neither has anyone else.

'The first rule of life is to live."