“Came on quick. I guess I’ve never seen one from the south before. Something strange about it though.”

It was his first time off the island of Vencia in nearly twenty years. Howlen was born and lived the bulk of his youth in a village outside the Novissime capital. When the empire raised the tax rates for everyone outside Oram, he headed north. He missed the mild seasons of the south, but he had grown fond of his northern home and very much considered himself Vencian. So watching the sudden northern storm consume the Novissime Legion warships was a satisfying, if terrible sight.

“No, you’re right. It’s no normal storm, Howlen. That is one of ours.” Pax said from behind him. They had watched the wreck from the grassy hills on the Novissime shore outside Joan. "Not a drop of rain on us, though. Good thing." Pax transformed from a red haired freckle-faced youth into a wrinkled old woman, and with a matching voice added, "the rain hurts my old bones."

“Yours?” Howlen asked. He did his best to ignore his Druid companion's absurd show, but he could not hide his scowl.

Howlen had been sent by Elisor with four Druids to retrieve the magic weapon Hagsbane. It was located, he was told, in a secret cave in the Ferrus Mountains north of the Tuculli Forest. Joining him and Pax were Hope, Fenian and Alexander, all much younger and able bodied than Elisor, though Howlen was beginning to dislike them just as much.

They did not wear the black Druid robes, instead opting for a more traditional variation of heavy winter clothing. Elisor had cautioned them to remain discreet. He said his visions showed the approximate location of the weapon, but why Howlen had been made to join the party was frustratingly unclear. The excuse had been that he bore the features of a southerner and could help the party through Joan, yet they had not even entered the city and were now heading for what Elisor described as a sympathetic nobleman’s estate. After that they would head out of Novissime territory all together. The puzzle only served to add to Howlen's frustration.

“Hey, look!” Hope called, “Looks like it!” She was over the next hill a good distance ahead of the party. Howlen took his eyes off the raging storm in the Caspian to see the druid in mid transformation. The next instant she was an orange and white cat. Hope and Fenian performed this trick time and time again on the crossing from Vencia, but it had amazed Howlen every time. They had been nice enough to him, but their casual use of these strange forces was almost too much for Howlen.

Alexander, at least, did not change shape into animals or people. Instead, he had told Howlen, he could see things, much like Elisor, but without the old man’s ability to see the future or distant past. “I am not as advanced as Elisor, but Vissum has blessed me with the visions. It still comes at a cost, though.”

A cost? Howlen had thought. He had always thought of the Druids as dangerous in some vague way, but he had not considered the danger they posed to themselves.

“That was Kanan’s storm. But too big I fear. Porcella took him for it.” Alexander said. His words were solemn, but the Druid’s matter of fact delivery troubled Howlen. He followed Pax, Fenian and Alexander over the hills.

“Took him?” Howlen asked Alexander as the two trailed the others.

“Yeah. If you push too much it can happen. You’ll know when to stop before it gets to that point though. I guess Kanan figured it was worth all the Vencian lives the legion would have taken. He sacrificed himself, I guess.” Alexander was a young man, early twenties, Howlen guessed. There was a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. It was more emotion than he had heard from any of the others. He was more human, Howlen surmised.

They continued to the estate in silence. Howlen didn’t know what to say to the young druid. He wanted to comfort the boy, but he couldn’t find the words. I don’t even know how to talk to Cassius, Howlen thought. What help could I be for this Druid stranger?’ Howlen’s thoughts turned to the anger he felt at having to leave Cassius helpless in Elisor’s care. “Let’s hope this journey is as quick as the old man told us.” He said, letting his frustration out a little too much.

“Whoa there, buddy.” Pax called back, poking fun. “This should help though. We should be able to buy horses from these guys. With luck we’ll be back at the Broch in two days.”

“A day there, a day back!” Fenian joined.

“Say, why don’t you and your sister just change into-”Pax began.

“Ewe, Pax. You want me to be a horse so you can-” Fenian started to shoot back, but Pax just raised his hands and laughed.

“I was going to say giant eagles and carry us to the cave! But if that’s too much for you, I guess we’ll just make do with horses.”

Howlen saw the sprawling white wood house as he crested the next hill. It was reminiscent of some southern estates he had worked on in his youth, and much larger than anything on Vencia. Surrounding the main house was a patchwork of brown dirt fields, recently harvested before the coming winter. Numerous smaller buildings sat scattered among them. Beyond the house, Howlen saw from the hill, were dozens, maybe a hundred horses. Most ran through the field together, kicking up a massive dust cloud behind them. From the distance it almost looked as if they traveled at an unnaturally slow pace.

It took under an hour for the party to reach the estate. Hope, still in the form of the orange and white cat, stretched and rolled on the second step of the main house as the others waited to be seen.

A short, plump woman with eyes fixed on her feet opened the door. She let the party in without a question. “Please, the noble is busy with a guest. Please be quiet while he finishes. Please.” Her words seemed almost a warning.

Pax raised his eyebrows and gave a silly grin. Howlen did not understand the gesture. In another room the Noble was screaming and slamming what sounded like glass and metal. “This is the last of it! My best man! Sent back to me like this! I won’t stand for it! Curse the Novissime! Curse the Legion! I’m done with the whole lot of them!”

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Alexander nodded to Pax, who pushed open the door and strolled into the room. Howlen jumped at the bold move. He peeked through the doorway as the others wandered in, including Hope who was still a cat, like they were in their own house. Against his better judgment, Howlen followed.

"Marius!" Pax shouted as if greeting an old friend, then immediately turned to Alexander who confirmed the name with another quiet nod. "Seems we are just in time!"

The stout, balding man in fine white robes turned to the newcomers, "I'm sorry?" The words were too polite in his surprise. He gave a more forceful "What! Who is this?" He turned to the four servants against the back wall. They did not look up. Howlen stayed by the door, amazed at the scene.

"If it is the legions that trouble you so, you'll be happy to know that two of them are at the bottom of the Caspian now, thanks to your's truly." Pax said, taking a bow.

As if the audacity of the Druids was not enough, the room was filled with even more chaos when Hope the cat gracefully became Hope the human once again.

"Druids? You're from Vencia, then? I'd just as soon turn you over to the Consul as hostage!"

"Yes, you would! If you did not just curse them, correct?" Pax continued to speak with incredible confidence while Hope and Fenian made themselves comfortable on the ornate sofas in the center of the room. Alexander had drifted to a corner and was staring down, his face hidden by his long black hair. His palms were pressed together in front of his chest.

"Yes. I have reason not to be so loving toward the empire. They've taken an associate of mine and beat him like a dog. Worse. It was the head of my stables! Sent him back like this! Face them Royce!" Marius shoved the man he had been shouting at before they had barged in, spinning him toward Howlen and the Druids. His face was bruised and he had no teeth

"Yikes! Well that is an unfortunate face you have there. No worries though I'm sure you will heal up in no time. In fact, he should head over to Vencia when the weather clears. Maybe have Aurrel take a look?" Pax offered, dismissing the severity of the man's condition. "As we were saying, though, how much for a set of sturdy mountain horses? Whatever will do for us in the cold."

"Were we saying?" Marius said, suspicious but far more agreeable.

"Yes, yes. Well, how much, old friend?"

"Old friend?" Marius said. Even Royce was eyeing the Druids with suspicion. Howlen knew he was questioning their intentions, but after the verbal lashing he had suffered, he wouldn't speak. Royce remained silent with a puzzled look on his face. "Ahh, whatever. Royce, take them to the stables and unload some dead weight on to these kids. Throw in the new guy at 125." Marius took an uneasy step to turn. Pax ran to help steady him, smiling. "There you go, old friend. No need to rush. Easy does it." The noble pushed him away and left the room, mumbling in confusion.

"Well, I guess, come with me." The beaten man said through his toothless gums, still unsure how to form certain sounds.

Pax, Hope and Fenian skipped after him, happy as can be. Howlen stared at Alexander. The Druid came out of his silent stance and followed the others as if everything that happened was normal.

After a short walk from the main house the five reached the stables with Royce. As they turned into the wide entrance of the stables two men, one fat and one tall, shoved past them, knocking shoulders with Pax first then Howlen, before leaving. Royce led them down the covered corridor between two rows of empty stalls. About two thirds of the way down on the right they came to a slight man sitting, head in hands, in the dirty straw.

"Worm," Royce said to the little man, "need horses for these guys."

The man got up without looking at anyone and walked to the opposite end of the stable. Royce followed him. Pax shrugged to the others and said, "This way, folks."

Upon exiting the stable, the first man unlatched a gate and held it open for the rest to enter a large, fenced in portion of the grounds where several horses ambled about. Most went about their business. Some stared at the visitors.

"You know if you'd like, my friends can just call them over. We really don't need the help, boys." Pax said of Hope and Fenian.

"No, it's fine sir. Are you guys heading south? Looking to go fast I figure to get away from the war?" The little man said.

"Shut up, Worm. They need good sturdy horses. Heading for the mountains, they said. Get them the two gray ones, the white one and two of the young colts from the other side. That old brown one we had fixed can go too." Royce snapped.

"Six? I'm not sure an additional horse is going to be worth it up there." The little man said.

"Yeah, well the boss is selling you too. Tired of your bag of rocks brain."

"Well, now, Royce was it? We really don't have an interest in a stable boy on our particular journey." Pax turned to Alexander, who shook his head. Pax's face responded, but Howlen had no clue what the two were up to. He rarely did with these Druids.

"I don't know you, but I got my orders. Horses are 125 each. The Worm here is 125 also. A good deal, best you're going to find. Especially now that the Novissime is at war with you people. Probably the only deal."

"Indeed." Alexander said. He handed Pax a small sack purse that clinked when it was exchanged between the two men. Nothing close to the coin these guys are asking for. Howlen observed.

"Well, beggars can't be choosers I suppose." Pax handed the sack to the man. Royce put it in his coat pocket and left without a question.

"Well, sir Worm, let us gather the horses and be off then. I'd hate to get caught in that storm." Pax patted their new companion on the shoulder.

Hope and Fenian called four of the horses over to them while the new man, head hanging as low as ever, retrieved the two colts. When the six were mounted and heading out, Pax reached out to the man and patted his back. "Well then sir, I would like to thank you for joining us but if you'd like, I think it'd be best for you to head, well anywhere else."

"No." Alexander said.

Pax looked back at him curiously, again communicating something Howlen could not follow. "Well, nevermind then. You are now an important contributor to official Druid business."

"You got a name?" Hope asked. "I'm sure it's not Worm." She raised an eyebrow in a friendly, playful look.

"Uhm. No. It isn't. My name is Vespasian Flavia."

Pax gasped in an overdramatic display, clutching at his chest.

Howlen was the only one to turn to him, worried.

"I'm just kidding! Never heard of you. It's nice to meet you, Vespasian." Pax said with his sly grin.

The six left the estate the way they had come, then took the dirt road north. Vespasian had left without gathering anything, so Howlen threw him one of the heavy leather and wool coats Elisor had given him for the journey. Vespasian quietly put it on and pulled the hood up as the freezing rain of Kanan's storm reached land.