Nearly three years had gone by since the theft of the sacred Dallag. (See "The affair of Na dallag naomh") and every day the bonds of the alliance between Woodsfolk, Hillfolk and Farmers weakened a little more. For three years the search for the Dallag had gone on day and night. The Huntress had searched the Woods and Mountains for tales and signs while the Watcher had sent forth word to the wild birds and beasts of the forests, hills and mountains to search for the sacred totem.
At, last! Word had come. The Iron Lord had entrusted it to Sir Daniel with orders to find a way to open the chest and discover its secrets or if not, then to destroy it. Since it was of the Old Gods, Sir Danial took the Chest to the Witch Cave and with praise and guile, bribes and sweet words he entreated them to show him their power by unlocking the chest. They chanted and danced and demanded a price which we will not speak here and at last they set their foul cauldron to boil, hiss and steam while they circled it, chanting in a forgotten language until at last with a cry and a final puff of foul smelling smoke.....they announced that the chest could not be opened by an unbeliever and faded back into the depths of their cave.
Many the Wise Man and Sorcerer answered Sir Daniel's challenge and promises of reward until the day a Sky Wizard, a Shaman of the Herdsmen from the across the Mountains appeared and promised that this was a task for the light not the dark. If only the chest was taken up to the top of the tower where the Sky could peer down upon it, the Wizard would then read the mystery through its eyes and enlighten Sir Daniel. So it was that the gold and the chest were carried up the long stairs while the Wizard chanted and wove his arms while Sir Daniel and his guards looked on. Suddenly there was a bright flash, a tremendous BANG! and a dense fog of smoke.
When the smoke cleared and Sir Daniel and the Guards awoke, the Wizard and the gold were gone but the chest remained, as silent as ever. But it had spoken widely enough. A eagle spied the smoke and circled over, wheeling quickly to report to the Watcher.
The Queen summoned the Huntress and sent her with a picked force of stealthy, painted folk from the forest to steal back the sacred chest and bring it by night through the forests to the Great River where a force of Hillfolk would meet them and fight off any pursuit. From the Farmers, there had come no answer to the summons.
The strongest oaths were taken: "Bring Na Dallag naomh home, or die trying!".
