two areas. On one side was lush green forest or fields, depending on where a person was. On the other side was brown desert as far as the eye could see. They hadn’t gone that far south, but with Rundo’s hawk-enhanced vision, he could see the brown of the desert in the distance. He followed Evelyn, circling down and landing in the clearing. They shifted back into their human forms and, by the time they were dressed, a man had walked into the clearing.
The man was the opposite of everything that Rundo pictured when he thought of a druid. He was short —well, short for a human; he was still taller than Rundo. He had a huge belly that threatened to pop the buttons of the very nice jacket that one would expect to see on a nobleman or wealthy merchant in one of the cities.
“Evelyn, you ’re reporting back early. What has happened?” the fat man said. Then he looked at Rundo for the first time, as if he had just noticed his presence, and added, “And whom did you bring with you?”
“Brother David , this is Rundo. He is a very talented druid who has had very little training. He has been honing his abilities on his own. He is one of the companions of the dwarves. We met a few weeks ago when he passed on his way to retake the mountain with the dwarves. He came back to me today with a warning. I thought that the elders would want to hear it personally, and he agreed to come and answer their questions,” Evelyn told the man.
He looked at Rundo. “It will have to wait until tomorrow. The elders have their own business and will have to be assembled.”
Rundo nodded at the man. “I understand, but I cannot wait. If they cannot see me today then they will have to settle for what information I have given Evelyn. I have made promises to others, and I have to be on my way by first light tomorrow.”
The man stared hard at Rundo for a few seconds before responding. “And if I ordered you to stay until the elders could be ready?” the man asked.
Rundo smiled. “I do not answer to you. I am not a member of your community, and I have my own priorities. I have friends that are likely putting themselves in danger. I will be with them before they face that danger. If you attempt to stop me , you will have to kill me, and I will fight my way to my companions if I have to. Before you decide to attempt to force me to do anything, understand that I came here as a friend to bring you a warning. If you become my enemy, you should know that I may not have had much training in my ability, but I have learned to use them, and I have developed them in battle, and I have been fighting with them since I discovered I had them.” Rundo saw the aura of the man go from one of authority to one of caution.
“There will be no need for violence. If Evelyn says you are a friend , then you are welcome. I will try to attempt to assemble the elders. While you are in the community you should stay with Evelyn,” the man said, before turning and walking into the trees. Evelyn took his hand and they walked together into the forest behind him.
They walked for about a hundred paces before they reached the edge of the community. Rundo was amazed by what he saw. The trees thinned out here. He could sense the auras of all the people. There were at least a hundred people in the community, including children. There were hammocks hanging from trees in various places, and shelters had been built around the area, constructed of sticks, mud, and plants. Most of them weren’t being used at the time. Rundo saw a group of four children sitting in a circle around a man. They were all practicing the drill Evelyn had showed him, trying to blow a pile of leaves with wind. One of the boys already had the hang of it; he was spinning his leaves in a mini-vortex of wind in front of him.
A younger woman in her early twenties came running over to Evelyn and hugged her. “Evelyn , I missed you.” She saw her holding Rundo’s hand. “Who is this?” she asked
The man was the opposite of everything that Rundo pictured when he thought of a druid. He was short —well, short for a human; he was still taller than Rundo. He had a huge belly that threatened to pop the buttons of the very nice jacket that one would expect to see on a nobleman or wealthy merchant in one of the cities.
“Evelyn, you ’re reporting back early. What has happened?” the fat man said. Then he looked at Rundo for the first time, as if he had just noticed his presence, and added, “And whom did you bring with you?”
“Brother David , this is Rundo. He is a very talented druid who has had very little training. He has been honing his abilities on his own. He is one of the companions of the dwarves. We met a few weeks ago when he passed on his way to retake the mountain with the dwarves. He came back to me today with a warning. I thought that the elders would want to hear it personally, and he agreed to come and answer their questions,” Evelyn told the man.
He looked at Rundo. “It will have to wait until tomorrow. The elders have their own business and will have to be assembled.”
Rundo nodded at the man. “I understand, but I cannot wait. If they cannot see me today then they will have to settle for what information I have given Evelyn. I have made promises to others, and I have to be on my way by first light tomorrow.”
The man stared hard at Rundo for a few seconds before responding. “And if I ordered you to stay until the elders could be ready?” the man asked.
Rundo smiled. “I do not answer to you. I am not a member of your community, and I have my own priorities. I have friends that are likely putting themselves in danger. I will be with them before they face that danger. If you attempt to stop me , you will have to kill me, and I will fight my way to my companions if I have to. Before you decide to attempt to force me to do anything, understand that I came here as a friend to bring you a warning. If you become my enemy, you should know that I may not have had much training in my ability, but I have learned to use them, and I have developed them in battle, and I have been fighting with them since I discovered I had them.” Rundo saw the aura of the man go from one of authority to one of caution.
“There will be no need for violence. If Evelyn says you are a friend , then you are welcome. I will try to attempt to assemble the elders. While you are in the community you should stay with Evelyn,” the man said, before turning and walking into the trees. Evelyn took his hand and they walked together into the forest behind him.
They walked for about a hundred paces before they reached the edge of the community. Rundo was amazed by what he saw. The trees thinned out here. He could sense the auras of all the people. There were at least a hundred people in the community, including children. There were hammocks hanging from trees in various places, and shelters had been built around the area, constructed of sticks, mud, and plants. Most of them weren’t being used at the time. Rundo saw a group of four children sitting in a circle around a man. They were all practicing the drill Evelyn had showed him, trying to blow a pile of leaves with wind. One of the boys already had the hang of it; he was spinning his leaves in a mini-vortex of wind in front of him.
A younger woman in her early twenties came running over to Evelyn and hugged her. “Evelyn , I missed you.” She saw her holding Rundo’s hand. “Who is this?” she asked
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