In the dark of the night, a sound, a footfall, the rasp of weapons upon mail woke the three knights.
To arms, spoke Vivainne in a calm and strong voice, they are come to steal away these words that we have rescued and mistreat them once more, it cannot be allowed.
With that the knights arose with swords in hand and stood back to back to back, facing outwards, the darkness about.
When the assailants had been repulsed, the three knights took up all the injured words in a basket and hastily mounted their horses and went out of that place. Travelling until the dawn found them upon a withered moor wherein no man or woman could make a living.
We must part now, said Vivainne, a hard road lies ahead of us. We must parcel out the words that are in our care and take them to places of healing, that they might become whole once more.
The Blue Knight, Vivainne Desegur and Ser Constance marshalled their Words, each taking a third part of the poorly Words, and set out, each to a different destination. They knew not how to care for the words and so began to discuss the problem.
The Blue Knight said, I shall take the words in my care to the sea and cast them into the depths. If the seas of the world cannot clean them, nothing can.
I shall take the words in my care to the sky, said Vivainne, I shall raise them high on great flags to meet with the winds in their home. The wind must clear and clean the words if all else has failed.
I shall take some broken words to the places of fire, said Ser Constance, in the fire the words and letters, that are their making, will be born anew. Like the bird of fire, the phoenix, they will have new life and become like unto words bright with meaning as clear as the air after the storm.
They departed with vows of loyalty and friendship, intending to meet together once more, at this place, one year hence.
Thus, the Blue Knight found himself alone, as he had wont to be so many times of past. He rode, quiet and steady, towards the shore that he knew thereby. Stopping and staying many nights upon the open places and in the shadows of the great forests wherein he had found so many quests. Until, at last, he came to a village in which the fisher men took their boats to sea each day.
When he came upon its rocky shore, he asked the people there, some women who cut the fishes all to pieces, Where shall I find a vessel to take me out upon the dreadful seas, I have no coin to pay but I have an honourable quest to follow that takes me where the waves are greatest and the waters are most powerful.
The cutting women replied, the fishermen will not take you to that place as it will mean their lives and we would not allow it. But let it be known to you that, this past month, a boat of strange making comes each day to our shores, and a woman all clothed in blue, who will not come out of this ship, calls out to one named the Blue Knight, calling for him to go with her and fulfil his quest.
Now it is clear the meaning as you are both Blue and a Knight, go to the shore and in the pale morning she will rise in her boat.
So, the Blue Knight took his words to the waters edge, looking far out, he supposed to find this ship come by to land but there was none. Sudden, like a great whale, a ship rose to the face of the sea and came towards the rocks upon which he waited.
This ship must be by some enchanted, said the Blue Knight, how will it be shown if this enchantment is faced with good or ill.
Then came out of the ship’s belly a woman dressed in a blue robe with blue hair and eyes that were also of blue. I am the warden of these waters, she said, I have waited for thee these past day. It is my duty to aid thee with thy quest as I have the ear of all the waters nigh this land and can find for you the healing and cleaning waters for which you seek. Bring your burden of broken words to me and we shall find them once more shiney into the light.
This is for me a wonder, said the Blue Knight, I shall come to your ship.
Wait, said the Blue woman, there is a thing that will happen if you come on my ship which may knock you down, not a thing of violence but a secret about yourself that may hurt.
The Blue Knight was troubled but knew in his heart that he must go onto the ship, it is in the nature of a quest that one must follow until the resolution, regardless of threats and fears.
So he climbed the side of the ship and stood upon its deck.
Will you tell me this secret now, the Blue Knight said to the Blue woman, or must I wait.
Many years gone by, spoke the woman soft, a knight and his fair companion rode upon a quest to rid the seas of a great serpent which made terror on the people there. They found a ship to take them out to open water where they intended to do battle and the sea dragon came fast upon them and dragged them down to the depths where the battle was fought. For some days and nights, the Knight and his Lady fought and fought hard and finally made fish food of the mighty dragon.
When it was done they sat upon the sea floor and wondered at the enchantment that had allowed them to fight thus below the waves. Then came a mermaid and merman who told them that they had thrown an enchantment to keep the Knight and his Lady from being overcome by the waters. But that this enchantment must have a payment. The Knight and his Lady must forever wander the waters in their ship to protect the merpeople and the people of the shoreline from any danger.
This enchantment would mean that if either one should ever leave the ship then they would loose all their memories and roam the land questing where they may not knowing who they were or what they had done.
You are my lost companion, said the Blue woman, we agreed that one of us would go ashore and go questing and that the other would remain upon the boat in loneliness.
This is a sorry blow, said the Blue Knight, so now I remember everything. So falling into her arms they embraced for a long breath.
That evening, as the ship went across the waves to the place where the words would be cleaned, the Blue Knight wrote, See how I am brought low and yet delivered from my loneliness.
The Guardians of the Cave 