Wrought Iron, Book 1 of Merlin's Message

Chapter 5 - Denial - Anger - Negotiation - Acceptance

"I've never heard of Ynys Afallach," Hannah frowned.

"It's the mythical island of Avalon," Taeko monotoned. "Arthur got carried off to Avalon to heal after getting hacked up in his last battle."

"Oh, come on," Mike rolled his eyes toward Dafydd. "You expect us to believe in some cheesy King Arthur story? We're not kids."

Taeko crossed her arms. "Yes. I think we need a lot more verification," she stated. "This is too weird."

"Yeah," Mike snarked. "Where's Indiana Jones when you need him?"

Hannah merely looked at Dafydd with wide eyes, slightly shaking her head.

Dafydd shrugged. "I understand. I know it sounds hoaky and all that. But I can tell you I've seen the original manuscript with my own eyes. This is from a real 6th-century text. I've even seen the carbon dating report."

"Yeah. Whatever, man," Mike groused. "I'm up for almost anything, but come on."

Gavin gestured towards the tome in Dafydd's hands. "The book might be that old. Okay. But is it a true report or just some story, like the Odyssey?"

Hannah spoke softly. "Everyone thought the Illiad was just a story until they dug up Troy. Can we be so sure about the Odessey being pure fiction?"

"Many old myths turn out to be real, or at least embellished stories about real events. That's true enough," Taeko murmured.

"Hey. You guys flipping on this? Are we seriously starting to believe a King Arthur trope?" Mike sniped. "It's okay, here in the desert around a fire, under the stars and all. It kind of fits with the background. I get it. But, in the light of day? We've got, what, another day of driving and a day on the river, if Dafydd's right about that much. And then what? We might spend the summer just looking up and down cliff faces while getting sunburns and bug bites."

Gavin grinned at Mike. "I didn't think you'd be the one to object. I thought you were the outdoors guy. Don't you want an adventure or something? I mean, since you had to give up the girls on the Gulf Coast anyway. Since when did you get cautious?"

"And wasn't it you who said something about getting rich and famous," Taeko added with a raised eyebrow.

"I am, I would, just now, and yeah, I did." Mike scratched his head. "I'll go, if just for the sake of the rafting and camping. But I don't like being played, either."

"Just think," Hannah breathed, staring off into space. "Arthur, Merlin, Percival, and the rest. I wonder about Guinevere and Elaine. And what about Lancelot?"

"I believe Lancelot died in their last battle, I'm afraid," Dafydd told her sadly. "It would have been the battle in which Arthur, well, he either died or was wounded badly. And according to this," he hefted the book, "Myrddin and Peredur brought Arthur and his heirlooms to Avalon."

Gavin rubbed his temples. He was trying to think.

"I thought Avalon was a magical kingdom close to the British Isles or something," Taeko stated, "not some cave in a desert canyon thousands of miles from England."

Dafydd shrugged again. "My thoughts, too, until I saw the book and listened to Loomis and my Dad. Look. I can't speak for Loomis, okay? But my Dad was a serious skeptic. He debunked a lot more than he believed. If he said it's true, I think it might be possible. Why else would I be doing this? It was my Dad's dying wish that I follow up on the whole thing."