Now, together through the wall, through the smoky dark, now the air, relief and commitment. Many distances to cover before they might come to the city, the City of Az, the Greener City.
First appeared but an orchard, albeit an orchard as wide as the seas. The trees, lines of trees with boughs of fruit full, a fruit unknown. The three knights, no peril, walked their horse in the orchard, wary of challenges that might stay their progress. Nothing stopped, calm in the trees and soon the tree boughs closed their heads to cloak the sky.
We must see the sky to be sure of our course. I will climb this tree which seems the greatest in the orchards. I will climb this tree to see the signs of our way.
When the Blue Knight saw, at the high tree, that the swell of the trees into and passed the distance, too far, so far, the sun was hidden as were the stars, so that no direct could be found. We shall wait here, wait here until the sky clears, once the stars show us, we can find our way once more, and so they settled camp there.
Vivainne gathered some fruit that came easily to hand and was to ate some of the amber fruit as she went to find that it was sweet and good.
Stop, do not eat of the fruit here or you will be caught in this trap as I.
Vivainne turned to see a Red Fox which speaks. Tell me the truths of this place, you are a Red Fox which speaks, a Clever Red Fox that speaks, tell me what it is that you know.
Eating the Amber Fruit, it will be a spell, is a spell to bind, it brings sleep and will not let go. When you fall awake, all that you can think is to eat fruit until you sleep once more. In this way your life can be spent until all your life is lost. I have been here, it is long, such time that my memory might be lost, each day I resist and travel as far as I can before I can hold back no more and must eat the Amber fruit and sleep the sleep. I would that you are spared this, my fate. I am a Red Fox the Cleverest of the Beasts and yet Not Clever, I cannot bring an answer to break from the spell of the Amber Fruit.
Vivainnne threw then the fruit down and returned in company of the Fox to her comrades and told the same words to them.
Said the Not Clever Fox, There is a place, a circle, a glade, a centre, a spring, a fountain, a seat of seeing, a riddle, a puzzle, a clue. I cannot take you there, it cannot be found only to follow the rabbit that comes and goes who is the emissary of the light placed here by the stars.
Then in the proceeding dusk came a rabbit alone passing with glowing light to follow, follow close for many hours to found a circle, in a clearing by the fountain of light. In the circle around lay some bones and a sword fallen that had been a mighty ax. The trees of the orchards spread their boughs in vain to cover the darkened skies where the ax had laid them low.
There in this place stood high a rock with in it a spring flowing down, and the words carved, Eat Fruit Sleep. Drink Water See. Feel Breath Follow.
Now the Not Clever Fox drank from the spring so, looking high declared the brightness of the stars that to the others were blind. Now drinking all to see the clouds of their vision fall and the stars reign in the night sky once more.
Now it was Constance who studied the stars and found the north star living there in its home. I ken that this star show is only clear in this place of answers, she said, now we must face our horses to the compass and note the breath of the wind on our cheeks as to use our eyes, the trees will trick us again. So they travelled with the breath of the wind on their cheeks just so and came a straight path from the centre of the orchard out beyond towards the great City of Az which was their destination.
Now the Not Clever Fox said I would travel with you to this marvellous city where all the world’s creatures are revered that I may become educated and become a Clever Fox, and they agreed all of this.
The Guardians of the Cave 