the Third Letter


Making full use of the compass and map we decide discretion to be the better part of valour, and choose this time to give the village of Oakendale a wide berth. Our journey continues in a south-easterly direction and the way leads over green hills where rabbits and sheep roam. The grass is short, so we make good progress across the springy turf. In the sheltered valleys the sun is warm, but out on the hilltops, there is a cooling breeze.

By midday, we have reached what we hope to be the final hillcrest and are in need of rest and sustenance. The picnic rug is spread out and we sit to study the view from our new vantage point. To the south, the vista reveals in the distance, a lazy spiral of woodsmoke, which drifts up into the still air of a hidden lush valley. We decide that the one sign of human habitation must be our destination for that evening.

We study Eugene's clue again...


at the end of the day
ever without end
three from seven to choose
two from seven to lose
If you should words confuse
Merlin's mistress fair
holds it high up in the air


princess : Perhaps it is at the end of the day when we need to go to her friend's house?

knight: You could be right, we'll try to get to the woodsmoke by this evening. But first we should take a rest.

knight: Merlin's Mistress, was she the Lady of the Lake...?

princess: Yes, but I believe she went by many names.

After pleasant doze in the spring sunshine, we wake to find the sun has now turned the sky to pink.

knight: I didn't mean to sleep so long, but it's all downhill now. Come on, let's head for the valley.

We set off toward the verdant folds. Speculation about the clue and what we might find at our next calling point keeps us entertained until eventually, we reach the trackway at the bottom, and now above us, already the first star of the night is shining.

princess: Look, it's Venus, the evening star. The end of the day, that's the evening.

knight: Of course, and 'ever without the end', doesn't that mean the word 'ever' without the 'r' at the end... and it also makes 'eve', which is short for evening.

When we reach the source of the smoke in the valley we now know the name we seek, but we find it is not one cottage but a whole row,tucked into fold in the landscape. They discretely peek over their hedgerows. The roofs each have two eyebrows. As we pass each one in turn, they seem to peer at us, knowingly.

princess: It's as if they are shy ladies, surveying the scene at a ball, from behind their fans.

The evening light is fading as we make our way past them. We count seven houses in a row, each of which is numbered and each of which also has a name.

knight: yes, they look like ladies waiting for a dance, and they all have girl's names and numbers too. So which might be the most suitable for our lady Eve?

We note the housenames. Verity, Veronica, Victoria, Violet, Virginia, and the last one is difficult to make out.

knight: Look at the clue. It says take two from seven, that makes five! So it's the fifth one, that's Virginia!

princess: No, it says choose three from seven! So it's number the third one, Victoria!

knight: Hold on, each house has a different ornamental door knocker; a rose, an oak leaf, a water fall, a cross, a crown, a robe, and a sword... look.

(illustration door knocker fig 4 of which this is a crude approximation)

..../\.....
....ISI....
....IWI....
....IOI....
....IRI....
....IDI....
S...I.I....N
..E.....E...
.....V......

7.i.7.i.a.n.

knight: So which do we chose? Let's look at the clue again.


at the end of the day
ever without end
three from seven to choose
two from seven to lose
if you should words confuse
Merlin's mistress fair
holds it high up in the air


princess: Ahh now I get it. It means choose three letters from seven, and lose two letters.

knight: ahhh

****

We raise the hilt of the sword...

No answer.

princess: Try again, louder.

The hinged hilt again hits the door and this time stirrings come from within.

lady: Yes, who is it? I’m coming!

A small round face peers through the gap of the door.

knight: Eugene sent us.

lady: What?

The door slowly opens. In the dim candle-lit hallway, stands a diminutive woman of an indeterminate age. She has elf-like features, with a very broad grin that seems to stretch from pointed ear to pointed ear. On her left lobe she has one silver earring, which we take to be her initial. When she smiles her wide mouth folds down in the centre of her bottom lip. She turns her left side toward us.

knight(now speaking rather loudly): Eugene sent us.

lady(She chuckles): U - gene is it now? So she's found a U has she? Sorry it's my 'earin'. It's not so good. There is another but it has a more important job to do.

We both look at her equally puzzled.

lady: This is my earring aid, of course, my luvs.

knight: Ah yes, naturally, an earring aid.

princess: So you must be Eve? Pleased to meet you.

Eve: I maybe Eve, and I have a daughter in every 'ouse along the row, so you did well to find me, but exactly why or for what, do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?

knight: We are in search of a letter

Eve: And what letter might that be?

knight: That's a good question.

So why do you think I might have it, if you don't even know the letter?

princess: Eugene said you might help us.

Eve: I need it, how else would I know you were here? Me bein' deaf an' all.

princess: But we wouldn't want to take your last 'earring aid'.

Eve: What? Words confuse, words confuse. But what am I thinking? Come inside, you can sleep in the spare room, and there’s vegetable soup on the stove. Make yourselves at home.

The whole of the ground floor of the cottage is one large room with various artefacts. Eve notices us glancing at a fiddle hanging from the beams.

Eve: That's my Viv's vintage violin, perhaps you would take it to her, she lives with the wise one.

princess: We will, but we wouldn't want to stray too far out of our way.

Eve: No, she will need it, that she will. You can see only one string is equipped with a fine tuner. The one that is the most fragile and requires the most care during tuning.

princess: Viv's vintage violin looks very valuable.

We go to our beds tired and perplexed, but pleased that we found Eve, and we wonder what is in store for us in the morning.

Before we go to sleep we take out the Gold Ring and admire it.

princess: I wish we knew the answer.

knight: I wish we did too. We fall asleep and dream of the our day and the one to come.

****

The sun pours in through glass diamonds to wake us on a new morning. Another clear blue sky greets and calls us.

princess: I dreamt it all in the night. words confuse, that's an anagram of sword isn't it?

knight: Yes, you're right princess, we discovered that on our first night, and last night I dreamt about the Lady of the Lake, and she was holding up high a sword.

princess: Then the object we need, must be the sword, and the only sword we have seen is in the the door knocker. So we need the knocker.

knight: Hmmm.

Our thoughts are interupted by Eve who bids us good morning and points to a table full to brimming with various dishes.

knight: Wow!

Eve: Variety vituals I call it!

We thank her and over breakfast begin once more to think about what we might offer her in exchange for the sword.

Eve:

Words confuse, words confuse!
And fair exchange is no robbery
A bell might take the place of rat tat tat
A ring for a knock, now fancy that!
But a Ring for a knocker will do well
Remember, a spell as well you have to tell
Rotate two sevens by one quarter
to form the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter

princess: A ring for a knock? Ahhh of course, the ring. She wants us to swap the Ring for the knocker. But she needs a spell, too.

knight: Let’s try.

We write out a spell for her.

knight: Swap the knocker
princess: With
knight: Odin's ring d'or
princess: Rotate the number on the
knight: Door

We hand over the circle d'or to Eve, and she smiles as she rotates the figure on the door. The sword now is released and it easily lifts from off its bracket. We help her replace it with Odin’s Ring, which fits exactly into the saddle, leaving the number intact and now too, the letters all face the right way. We put our trophy in the bag. Eve seems pleased, excited and satisfied with the exchange.

Eve: Tis Odin's magic ring of Gold. Every owner gets one wish come true. My cousin wished for the start of her name back. You wished for the answer to your riddle. What I wish for I'll not tell, but you may find out, if you stay a while?

princess: Perhaps everyone who knocks will have their wish come true too. We are sorry Eve, but we must be on our way, to collect the last letter of our Quest.

Eve: You'll be needing this to remind you of the letter.

Eve packs us a picnic lunch and she hands us a poem and the violin.

Eve: Find my youngest daughter, Nineve, give her the sword and the fiddle. She will help you find the last letter you seek. It was the name I chose for her, so she has me in her name, and I have her in mine. Some call her Nimue but she goes by Vivian too.



.........she makes a wish, and with violin she dances
............... raised up high by the enchantress
..................a Talisman anoints the sword
.......................give the wise one
.............................the final
............................... word




We start off once more on our way. We have the compass and the map and the sword safely in our bag. Ahead, at the end of the lane we see a signpost.

As we reach the sign, a little man comes wobbling along on a bicycle and greets us with a cheery grin.

man: I don’t suppose you would know where a lady by the name of Eve lives, by any chance?

princess: Why yes, as a matter of fact we do, go to the house with the golden ring!

He thanks us and he heads toward Eve’s cottage and we look again at the sign post.

There are four directions.

North - Oakendale 10 miles
East - Ash Down 10 miles
South - Rowan river 10 miles
West - Lake Eden 10 miles

princess: Perhaps that was Adam who asked the way to Eve's house?

knight: You may well be right there. Should we have asked him about Eden? Too late now though. So which way?

We look once more at the rhyme on the map.

Squaring the circle

Each side of a square, clockwise round
at every corner a letter found
the first you have seen
for the second, cross a green
the third, South in a valley it hides
the fourth, West near a lake it abides
North again to the first
and then, last of all
words in stone cast in a wall

princess: Which way... why, to the lake of course.