excitedly.
“Erica , this is Rundo. Rundo, this is my sister Erica.”
Rundo let go of Evelyn’s hand and held it out to shake Erica’s, but she was already moving in to hug him. She stepped back and looked down at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Rundo. I have never met a druid before that wasn’t human.”
Rundo smiled. “Technically a halfling is just another breed of human, but I understand what you are saying. I have never heard of anyone like myself either. I think the mother is quite entertained with me.”
“Oh, I am sure she is,” Erica said. “Well come on, my fire is over here. My shelter isn’t very big , but it can fit the two of you at least.”
Evelyn just smiled. “It’s ok ay, Erica, Rundo is a master of the earth element. He can make us a shelter if he is still here tonight.”
Rundo saw her become excited at the mention of him being a master of the earth element, then saw it immediately change to disappointment when she heard he was leaving. “You’re not staying?” she asked.
“I can’t stay now. I just came to talk to the elders. I promised my friends I would catch up with them,” he told her.
“Oh, are your friends druids , too?” she asked.
Rundo smiled. “No, one is a man who is an amazing fighter ; the other is the half-dwarf prince, Grundel, son of King Grizzle; and the other is King Grizzle’s wife.”
“Oh wow, you have some very interesting friends. I hope we can meet them one day,” Erica said excitedly.
“Okay, Erica, that’s enough,” Evelyn told her sister. “Sorry, we don’t meet many people outside the community. She is just excited.”
Rundo smiled up at her. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
When they reached Erica’s fire, she sat across the fire staring at him. He could tell she wanted to ask him something. He had to smile. “What is it?”
“Could you show me your earth element power ?” she asked excitedly.
He looked curiously at Evelyn. “Earth is a very difficult element to master, ” Evelyn explained. “Most druids can do only very small things with earth. Most of us can’t manipulate more than a few feet of earth, and only to a small extent.”
Rundo looked around the camp and realized that ever y one of the shelters had been handmade. He looked over to Erica’s small shelter. He reached out to the aura of earth entwined in her shelter. Most of the plants and sticks were dead, but the soil was still connected with the magic of the earth, and he reached in and pulled. The shelter collapsed behind Erica, and she jumped up and spun around. He reached into the soil and the ground rose up into a shelter with four walls and a roof. He continued to manipulate the soil until there was an opening on two sides and a door-shaped opening in the front. He reached into the ground next to the shelter and raised another one next to it. It couldn’t have taken more then ten minutes to finish, but when he was done he realized there was a crowd behind him.
“ Amazing,” one of the men said, stepping forward.
“I could make some more,” Rundo offered, looking around.
“That won’t be necessary,” the fat man Evelyn had called Brother David said, coming to the front of the group. “Everyone, go about your business. Brother Rundo has a meeting with the elders.” Everyone nodded and moved away. Well, most everyone did. Some of them couldn’t resist the urge to go look at the two shelters he had just raised out of the ground in minutes.
“Brother Rundo, the Elders are ready to see you now. Evelyn, if you would accompany him?” the man said, turning to her.
Evelyn nodded and began walking to the far side of the community. They passed by everyone, and Rundo saw that everyone was pointing and whispering about them. He realized it was probably best that he did not build them all shelters. They would likely be leaving this place soon. He followed Evelyn through the camp and into the tree line. The trees grew thick for only about thirty
“Erica , this is Rundo. Rundo, this is my sister Erica.”
Rundo let go of Evelyn’s hand and held it out to shake Erica’s, but she was already moving in to hug him. She stepped back and looked down at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Rundo. I have never met a druid before that wasn’t human.”
Rundo smiled. “Technically a halfling is just another breed of human, but I understand what you are saying. I have never heard of anyone like myself either. I think the mother is quite entertained with me.”
“Oh, I am sure she is,” Erica said. “Well come on, my fire is over here. My shelter isn’t very big , but it can fit the two of you at least.”
Evelyn just smiled. “It’s ok ay, Erica, Rundo is a master of the earth element. He can make us a shelter if he is still here tonight.”
Rundo saw her become excited at the mention of him being a master of the earth element, then saw it immediately change to disappointment when she heard he was leaving. “You’re not staying?” she asked.
“I can’t stay now. I just came to talk to the elders. I promised my friends I would catch up with them,” he told her.
“Oh, are your friends druids , too?” she asked.
Rundo smiled. “No, one is a man who is an amazing fighter ; the other is the half-dwarf prince, Grundel, son of King Grizzle; and the other is King Grizzle’s wife.”
“Oh wow, you have some very interesting friends. I hope we can meet them one day,” Erica said excitedly.
“Okay, Erica, that’s enough,” Evelyn told her sister. “Sorry, we don’t meet many people outside the community. She is just excited.”
Rundo smiled up at her. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
When they reached Erica’s fire, she sat across the fire staring at him. He could tell she wanted to ask him something. He had to smile. “What is it?”
“Could you show me your earth element power ?” she asked excitedly.
He looked curiously at Evelyn. “Earth is a very difficult element to master, ” Evelyn explained. “Most druids can do only very small things with earth. Most of us can’t manipulate more than a few feet of earth, and only to a small extent.”
Rundo looked around the camp and realized that ever y one of the shelters had been handmade. He looked over to Erica’s small shelter. He reached out to the aura of earth entwined in her shelter. Most of the plants and sticks were dead, but the soil was still connected with the magic of the earth, and he reached in and pulled. The shelter collapsed behind Erica, and she jumped up and spun around. He reached into the soil and the ground rose up into a shelter with four walls and a roof. He continued to manipulate the soil until there was an opening on two sides and a door-shaped opening in the front. He reached into the ground next to the shelter and raised another one next to it. It couldn’t have taken more then ten minutes to finish, but when he was done he realized there was a crowd behind him.
“ Amazing,” one of the men said, stepping forward.
“I could make some more,” Rundo offered, looking around.
“That won’t be necessary,” the fat man Evelyn had called Brother David said, coming to the front of the group. “Everyone, go about your business. Brother Rundo has a meeting with the elders.” Everyone nodded and moved away. Well, most everyone did. Some of them couldn’t resist the urge to go look at the two shelters he had just raised out of the ground in minutes.
“Brother Rundo, the Elders are ready to see you now. Evelyn, if you would accompany him?” the man said, turning to her.
Evelyn nodded and began walking to the far side of the community. They passed by everyone, and Rundo saw that everyone was pointing and whispering about them. He realized it was probably best that he did not build them all shelters. They would likely be leaving this place soon. He followed Evelyn through the camp and into the tree line. The trees grew thick for only about thirty
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