You follow the feline, who seems to know something you don't. She leads you into a dark passage way, which curls just like the hall way. It ends with another room. The first room, which Rulyan calls his own? Perhaps.
When you step in, your views are confirmed. There he is, facing out his own door, looking rather meloncholy even from behind.
"Hello," you whisper.
He turns slowly, almost as if he expected you to do this. He gives you a weak smile and then asks, "Are you here to help the Wood? And me?"
When you nod, he gives another smile. "I do not know all of this story -- forgive me -- but I would like to tell you how it all began." He sighs. "There should be a book in the Wisdom about all this, although ..."
He breaks off, screws up his face with determination, and continues. "Not so long ago, the Wood shifted. And now, today, this castle exists." He waves his arms around to reveal the room. "But this was no the same castle that was founded before. This was meant to replace the old one, for it no longer was strong and safe."
"If you have not heard of him, Fri-on, I suggest you find out as much about him as possible. He is why we are in this situation. You see, as the Wood attempted to re-sculpt the castle, he took a great deal of his own power to create a section of the Wood for himself."
"Why?" you ask.
"Because he wants to rule the Wood. He was before using the caves, and I suspect even now he uses it for his magic, but if he wants to rule this Wood, he'll have to storm the castle. As powerful as he may be, he would never have the strength to over-take the newly formed castle."
He shakes his head. "So, instead, he took the old castle and put it in his small portion of the Wood. And don't get me wrong, that portion of the Wood can indeed be saved, should he ever fall. But he did another thing; a terrible thing."
"What?" you ask.
"He has taken the princess with him. She was to be my wife, and when we wed we would then be the new rulers of this Castle and therefore rulers of the Wood. He'd have a hard time with two new rulers in place, you see. So he has taken her, and locked her away somewhere."
His eyes stare into yours. "Some of the best information has told me that he has kept her in the caves, and she may still be there. If you could save her, that would be one more step in returning the Wood to normal. Again, the Wisdom would be able to tell you more about it than me..."
