“She knows of things untold,” The assassin spoke, “We were commanded by our master to silence her, by any means. Do not get in our way, or you shall die.” He swung at Atnem’s face, missing by inches.
“Who are you and who is your master?”
“We are the Shadow Knights. Our master has warranted her destruction, by Lord Thor’s command, as she has meddled in the powers of the universe.”
“Thor? Thor is a god of Midgard. Why do you worship false gods?”
“We do not look to Thor as a god. He is, however, a greater being. He maintains order in the galaxy by balancing chaos and stability. We are sworn to assist Him in His duties by any way He sees fit. Should she continue her practices, the world as we know it may cease to exist.”
Ferov’s voice came from the darkness. “There is no need for this fighting. Everyone, stop now.” Atnem remembered where he had seen the emblem. The same symbol was on Ferov’s gloves.
“Brother Ferov, we trust your infiltration was successful. What have you gathered?”
“Do not harm her. She has done nothing wrong. I have seen to that.”
The assassins sheathed their weapons. The wolf stopped growling. Everyone listened closely to what Ferov had to say.
“You are sure of this? Then, we have no further business here?”
“That is correct. I have kept watch over her studies. She has in no way altered the fabric of the universe any more than Merlin himself.”
The assassins lowered their hoods. Atnem tried to get a good look at their faces, but it was still too dark. The tall one had long, silver hair. The short one had a beard. That was all he could make out.
“We apologize for our misunderstanding. Please, forgive us. We shall be leaving. Ferov, you are to remain here and keep watch over her studies. Alert us if she goes too far.”
Ferov nodded. The tall Knight bowed to Ferov. The short one grunted at him. Both of them ran off into the night.

The three returned to Oraia’s study to clean it up. The wolf had run off, with an unusual reluctance. Nobody said much. They didn’t know what they could say. Ferov was the first to speak.
“No doubt you’re wondering how I knew them. We are brothers in arms. I too am a Shadow Knight. I was assigned to supervise Oraia’s studies and make sure she didn’t tap into the wrong powers. I do not know why they would have attacked without checking with me first.”
“The Shadow Knights began centuries ago to help keep peace and order in the three realms. This was back when we lived in harmony. The original three members were our grandfathers. My Briton grandfather, an Elf, and a Dwarf. One man from each realm, just as it is to this day. Our duties have expanded somewhat from what they once were. The planet’s mages have become more powerful and wise, so now we must keep balance between chaos and stability.”
“What’s this?” Atnem interrupted Ferov. He hadn’t been listening very closely, anyway. He was holding something. It was made of wood and covered in dust.
“Ahh, that thing? A gift from Merlin. It’s an instrument of some sort. He never did tell anyone how to use it.” Oraia smiled, “I don’t think even he knew how. He said it was the most difficult instrument to play, and even harder to master. He said only ’the most’ could realize its full potential. Not even the head Minstrel here in Camelot could play it. You take it. I’m much too busy with my research to worry about it.”
Atnem brushed the dust off and examined the instrument. Beautiful craftsmanship, the wood had a blue tint to it. It was shaped somewhat like a flute played by the Minstrels, but differed in a few main features. There were more keys than the normal flutes, and instead of holding it out to the side, it seemed one must blow straight down it.
The flute was engraved along the bottom. “Gaol buadhaich uile” was written in shining gold letters. The letters seemed familiar. What could it mean?
It wasn’t very important at the time. He put the flute in his bag and continued placing books back on the shelves. They had already worked late into the night. It was best to finish before the sun rose and the tavern opened. They quickened their pace, and had everything back in its place by the time the guards lowered the gates to Camelot.