THE HIDDEN KEY

The Journey through Darkfalls Forest

Gilford froze in mid-movement and slowly gazed around the forest. What...what has happened to the forest? He pulled his hood up, staring up at the thicket of deadwood, their gnarled, twisted branches were stripped bare. Has a harsh winter or storm hit them? His steady gaze shifted beneath the thicket, searching for any trail that would lead him to where the sword was hidden. A bloodless heavy grey fog rolled slowly through the forest, obscuring everything in its path. How am I supposed to find the sword now? His steady gaze shifted from side to side as he started to wander around aimlessly through the dense fog, hoping that the fog would clear so he could find the sword, but the further he went, the thicker the fog got. How would Gilford find the sword now?

He stopped and listened...branches and pinecones snapped loudly behind him and abruptly halted. His heart pounded. An icy chill crawled up his spine. His limbs trembled as he slowly turned. Was there someone behind him? Had the hooded figure followed him to the forest? No, there was no way the cowled figure could have caught up with him without a horse, so, who or what was behind him? A heavy sigh parted his lips and to his relief, there was nobody there. I hope there aren't any ghosts or evil spirits wandering around here. Laughing nervously to himself. Gilford continued through the cold heavy fog. Branches and pinecones snapped as he navigated through the deadwood. His gaze shifted from side to side, searching the ground for any signs of an old pathway that would lead him out of the fog and to the place where Morgorth's Blade was hidden. His gaze fell upon a trail of scattered mossy cobblestone. Could it be...it had to be...a pathway.

After following the pathway through the thicket of deadwood, the fog slowly began to lift, and Gilford found himself standing upon the banks of a dried-up riverbed. Slowly crossing his arms, he gazed around hoping to find a way across the riverbed. There must be a bridge somewhere...but where? His gaze shifted back to the trail of cobblestones that meandered through the thick of deadwood. If I follow the trail, it may lead me to a bridge. Turning away from the riverbed, he continued along the narrow trail while he followed the path of mossy cobblestone along the dried-up banks until the path split into two separate trails. One led away from the river and the other continued around the banks of the dried-upriver.

He stopped and glanced around the forest. Where did they hide Morgorth's Blade? They couldn't have hidden it in the middle of the forest...or did they? His gaze shifted back to the dried-upriver. Would it be safe to cross the riverbed instead of searching for a bridge? There's only one way to find out, he'd have to wade across the riverbed and hope that the ground was solid enough to walk across. As he strayed off the trail, he carefully made his way down the steep muddy bank. As he started to wade across the riverbank, the mud squelched, and his feet started to sink. He needed to get across the river before he got stuck. His breathing quickened. His heart pounded as he started to hurry across the riverbed as quickly as he could. I wish I had stayed on the trail. He gazed up at the muddy slope. Would he make it out of the river? Who knows.

Stumbling to his hands and knees in the mud, Gilford stared at the slope at the opposite side of the river before glancing upwards at the sombre sky. Slowly rising to his feet, he traipsed across the river, dragging his feet through the mud and when he reached the foot of the slope, he slowly toiled his way up it. His feet slipped on the mud as he ascended the bank and when he reached the top, he stopped and perched on a tree stump to have a quick rest as he rubbed his eyes. Will I ever find the sword? He was so tempted to give up the quest and return home, but he couldn't. He had come too far just to give up. If he did return without the sword, he'd end up back in a dungeon, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life locked up.

He sighed and stood back up and continued down the trail, delving deeper into the endless labyrinth of deadwood. His gaze shifted between the thickets while he followed the winding trail around the trees. How much further do I have to go until I find that sword? Gilford could only hope that he was heading in the right direction and if he were, how far away was he from the sword's resting place? As he entered a large clearing, his eyes fell upon some eroded pillar amongst the trees. Could he be getting closer to the sword's resting place? He must.

Continuing onwards down the pathway past the pillars, Gilford gazed around the gloomy forest, hoping to discover any ruins that could be scattered around the forest. Is the sword being kept inside an ancient temple? His steady gaze slowly scanned the forest, searching for the remnants of an ancient temple. But where is the temple? Is it hidden deeper inside the forest? He stopped and glanced up at the sky. Darkness was creeping in. If he didn't find the sword before nightfall, he'd have to search for it in the dark.

He hurried down the trail of moss-covered cobblestone. His pace quickened while he weaved in and out of the thicket while keeping an eye out for any old buildings that may be scattered around the deadwood.

After travelling the endless maze of deadwood for most of the afternoon, Gilford stopped and peered into the gloom. At the end of the pathway, the remnants of a large, crumbled archway came into view. Why would there be an archway hidden inside the forest? Could that be where the sword is hidden? He hurried down the trail. His heart pounding his chest as he approached the archway that loomed above him. Had he found the place where Morgorth's Blade was hidden? He could only hope that the sword was inside.

He stopped before the looming sculpted archway, staring at the strange symbols that were carved into the ancient stonework. One of the symbols was of a sword and another was of a doorway. What did they mean? Were they a warning? Making his way towards the arch, Gilford stopped and peered inside.

Surrounding the large courtyard on three sides and blended in amongst the dead trees and vines were the remnants of half-crumbled, weather-worn walls and fluted columns with a stepped platform in the centre. At the top of the platform was a pedestal of stone at the top with a black gemstone embedded in the middle and protruding from the top was a long sword.

Had he done it? Had he found Morgorth's Blade?

Gilford smiled and made his way into the courtyard while he gazed at the sword as he approached the pedestal. I can't believe I've found it. He paused for a moment and slowly glanced around the courtyard, making sure that there wasn't anyone about but there wasn't. It's too easy. Turning back towards the pedestal, his hands started to tremble as he strolled across the yard towards the pedestal, his stomach churned, and his chest tightened while he gaped at the sword as he reached out for it. His heart pounded as he grasped the hilt, curling his trembling fingers around the leather grip. He pulled on the hilt. The sword didn't move.

Glancing upwards, Gilford closed his eyes for a moment. Please, give me the strength to pull the sword from the pedestal. Slowly opening his eyes, he clasped the sword with both hands and pulled on the hilt with all his strength until the sword finally came free. I did it. Smiling and gazing at the sword, he slowly turned around...there standing in the dark recesses of the large archway, glaring back at him was the hooded figure...