The Gentle Cold of Dawn

First Riddle

Chad and Jeremy followed the path until they came to an intersection with four paths.

"Blimey. What is this place?" said Chad.

"Which way do we go? There must be a right way to go" said Jeremy.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say it's one of those paths?" said Chad.

"But which one is it? I see four" said Jeremy.

Just then, a mysterious wind blew behind the boys.

They turned around and faced the wall. There were red words painted on it.

The words said Picture this. If you want to get out, solve the riddles. You'd best not get a wrong answer.

"It's written in blood" said Chad.

"Golly. But how are we gonna find a riddle in front of four paths?" said Jeremy.

"Hmm. I think I've got it" said Chad.

"What?" said Jeremy.

"The words on the wall emphasized the word picture. So that must be a clue" said Chad.

"I see. These are hidden riddles" said Jeremy.

"Exactly. I think we need to find a picture here for the right path" said Chad.

The boys looked around and Jeremy found a portrait of a bearded man in a suit and eyeglass holding a scroll.

"Maybe it's that picture" said Jeremy.

Chad looked at it and said "Could be".

"He kind of looks like my grandpapa. He was the great grandson of the Duke of Wellington and he trained my father to think commoners are scum" said Jeremy.

"Jeremy. I don't know what's scarier. This place or your family" said Chad.

"Thanks a lot, Chad! Okay. So we found the picture and it's part of a riddle. Now what?" said Jeremy.

"Maybe there's something behind the picture" said Chad.

He walked towards it to touch it, but Jeremy pulled him back.

"No, Chad!" he shouted.

Just then, a sharp dagger fell from the ceiling.

"Oh, my! Thanks, Jeremy" said Chad.

"You're welcome, lad" said Jeremy.

"How did you know that dagger was gonna fall?" said Chad.

"Because that's a picture of Captain Blackbeard. He used a dagger to kill the king's army men and start war many years ago" said Jeremy.

"How could you possibly know that?" said Chad.

"Every royal descent has got to study royal history" said Jeremy.