Extract from the diary of Claddyf Brwydr

Elventh day of four month three thousand nine hundred and ten rings of the Great White Tree.

Why am I out here in the middle of the deep forest about to face one of greatest swordmasters in the history of the elven kingdom?

After my adventures in Tir Gwastraff I became a celebrity there was even a ballard made of my exploits. It was called The long trek and was played all over the kingdom. The ballard was a piece of fiction it didn't cover the true events of my adventure.

For a couple decades I was regular fixture at parties with the elite of the kingdom trying to impress each other with the hero from the ballard.

After a few decades I grew tired of this lifestyle. I had sold my commission in the army. After fighting the tomb king and than my adventures in the Tir Gwastraff. I decided that I would look for a quieter safer occupation.

I became a companion to Prince Mab y Brenin. They called him the scholar Prince or I'd even heard him been called the rabbit Prince because of his large brood of children. He was the second child of King Hen Frenin

As his companion I advised on his his day to day activities and most importantly I was his personal body gaurd.

Not that I thought the Prince would ever need a bodygaurd. He had a score of the Phoenix gaurd protecting his family and his older brother was set to inherit the throne so there should not have been any threat to the Prince.

For almost a century I was companion for the prince. It was uneventful we lived away from the capital in a place of learning and education Anwrthwynebedd Gwyn the great library of the Elven Kingdom. Then everything changed.

I had just finished tutoring one of the prince's sons sparring with swords. I was meeting with the Prince in the main library which lay in the heart of the white wood.

The Prince was writing a history of the war with the tomb king and wanted to go some details about the final battle. I suspect my role in that battle was one of the reasons I was chosen to be his companion.

The Prince was sitting at long table a stack of books was piled up infront he was busy writing his manuscript. I was about to greet him when I saw a strange elf approach him from behind.

I don't know what alerted me to the fact that the elf didn't belong, perhaps it was because we lived in a small community and there were few strangers.

I was already reaching for my sword when I saw the elf pull out a dagger. He was about to plunge the dagger into the prince's back when my sword dug deep into his chest. The assassin collasped to ground.

I yelled out the alarm and looked around for the phoniex gaurd that were meant to be protecting the Prince. I saw two of them on the ground already dead. A third was fighting two assassin's.

I would have moved to assist the gaurd but more assassin's appeared and headed towards the prince. I kept myself between the prince and engaged the assassin's.

They carried large daggers and knew how to use weapons but I was armed with sword and had trained with some of the best swordmasters the kingdom. So I was able to dispatch my opposition.

I looked over at the lone remaining Phoniex gaurd he had dispatched his opposition but he was badly injuried. I went to tend his wounds.

Once his wound was bound I looked over at the Prince. He was unharmed but looked like he was in shook from the attack. With the gaurd Gwarchodlu Brenhinol stabilised the Prince seemed to have recovered he spoke

"We need to check on my family."

I had forgotten that my own family lived right next to the quarters of the Prince and his family. With the Prince following me we ran out of the library and headed for the living quarters that housed our familys.

The hallway that lead to our quarters had two Phoniex Gaurds posted on gaurd. Four assassin's lay dead on ground but so were gaurds.

I feared for the worst when I opened the door. A blade flew towards my head I had to duck and bring up my blade to block blow.

It was than that I realised the person wielding the blade was my own wife.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Hey careful who your waving that sword at."

I remember yelling at my wife. I should have known my wife could look after herself she was a priestess of the blade after all. She had defeated three of the assassins and they lay dead at her feet.

"Is everyone alright here?"

I remember asking still worried thaty son may have come to harm. I also feared for the Prince's family he had eight children.

Four children to his first wife who died in childbirth whilst having the twins. Then his next wife had four children before she caught the sleeping disease. Currently the prince had a consort who was heavily pregnant.

It was than that a heavily pregnant elf came out of one of the rooms. It wasn't the prince's consort.

"Father I was afraid the assassin's had killed you."

The Princes eldest child walked over to her father and embraced him. She was only two centuries old only a little younger than my son. The Princess would not tell anyone who the father of her unborn baby.

More of the prince's children entered the chamber. His eldest son Ceidwadwyr the twin brothers Gwyrdd and Teynfradwr. Then there were the prince's younger daughters the four girls surrounded their father. Finally the prince's latest partner his consort the lady Blodyn.

Then my own son entered the room he was dressed in armour and sword drawn ready to fight. He scanned the room and saw that everyone safe and lowered his sword.

"Sound the alarm, we don't know how many more assassin's"

The Prince commanded.

I left him gaurded by my wife and my son and went to raise the alarm. I ran into Gwarchodlu Brenhinol who had found six more Phoenix Gaurds. I detailed three of them to gaurd the prince whilst I took the rest to raise the alarm and hunt down any other assassins.

The head of the order of the archivists, who tended the library at Anwrthwynebedd Gwyn was in his office, a room near the main library. I remembered the smell when I ran into the room.

Two assassin's were inciderated at his feet. I suspect the assassin's did not know that the head archivist had been a battle mage. He was involved in the final battle with the tomb king.

With the help of Prif Lyfrgellydd and his fellow archivists most of them mages of no small power. We killed over two dozen assassin's however the Prince had lost over half his royal gaurd with only eight of them surviving the assassination attempt.

Prif Lyfrgellydd sent a messager hawk to the capital to inform them about the attack. We waited for a response we no messager hawk returned. Prif Lyfrgellydd decided to use his magic to contact the palace. It was a magic only a few elves knew in the realm and taxed both users of the link which is why we normally communicated by messager hawk.

Prif Lyfrgellydd tried to contact the Arch Mage Dewin Mawreddog. The old wizard was the most powerful practitioner of the magical arts in the realm. However he failed to make contact. Prif Lyfrgellydd could not understand why he was unable to make contact.

In desperation Prif Lyfrgellydd decided to contact Offeiriad Coeden the Green Priest in charge of the great white wood.

It was then that we learned that crown Prince had fallen into a deep sleep. With the crown Prince incapacitated there was than a assassination plot to kill off the rest of his family.

The crown prince's son and daughter were killed in attack on their recidence. When the King had tried to save his grandchildren and was also killed in attack falling at his side was the Arch wizard.

The capital was in turmoil without the king various factions were vieing for control. The Green Priest claimed that chief faction was one that was supporting the King's youngest son for leadership of the Kingdom.

Aderyn Rhyfel the King's third son the warrior Prince. Aderyn was a soldier, a monster hunter, and a adventure. He was the total opposite of Prince Mab y Brenin.

At first Prince Mab y Brenin was content to let his younger brother rule. I had to point out to him that even if Aderyn was not part of the assassination attempt on the royal family his rule would always be called in to question if he let his older brother live. In fact he could not let any of his older brother's family survive.

It was this threat to his family that made the Prince realise he needed to build up his own support and protect himself.

So we left Anwrthwynebedd Gwyn the sanctuary that had been our home for several decades we decided that we needed to head to the fortress of Mynydd Caer. I still had a number of friends surviving at the fortress. It would make a formidable bastion to build up our strength.

Prif Lyfrgellydd and a couple of his fellow mages decided to join us on the trip. Pledging his loyalty to the Prince.

We needed to build up our forces so my wife left our party to seek out the ancient gaurdians of the forest and try and convince them to join our side in the conflict. My son llafn bachgen went with her.

I remember we were in the deep woods making our way cautiously towards Mynydd Caer when one of the Phoniex gaurd singled to me that I needed to follow him. I had been taught their secret hand singles that they used to communicate with each other.

On our trail was a sizable force. They looked like veteran soldiers who had fought in the war with the tomb king. To make matters worse they were led by the swordmaster Althro. Which meant that most of the force would be his displines swordsmen of the tower of Althro.

With the greatest swordmaster of our age, commanding the soldiers seeking our party. I would have liked to make as much distance between them as possible. However a hostage caught my eye.

Chained and beaten next to commander was my son. Althro called out as if he knew we were watching them.

"If you are out there Claddyf I will free our prisoner of you agree to duel me."

If the prisoner had been any one else I would have kept silent but it was my son and I needed to rescue him.

I sent the Phoniex gaurd back to Prince whilst I prepared to face Althro. Which is why I am about to face the greatest swordmaster of the elven Kingdom.