The scolding he got from his mother was something fierce as he was deposited at home by the neighbors. It was worse than usual, seemingly intensive by the fact that he had actually met the old man in the forest. Eventually his mother calmed down and was happy he was safe. This did not stop him from getting barred from his forest excursions for the foreseeable future.
“You need to help more around the house anyways, as I have indulged your vanishings all too much. As nice as that old codger in the woods is not everyone is as good natured. I struggle to think what would happen to you if he did not watch over our woods.”
Dedriks mother was a kind woman, if a bit lenient in her parenting. Dedrick being her first and only child, and slightly more independent than others. Had left her with a skewed sense of how much she should keep an eye on him as he aged.
“Sorry mom.”
“And I forgive you but that will not get you out of consequences.”
As the words were said Dedrik was ushered into the main room of their cabin. It was a homey four room building with a main room that he often spent most of his time. It also held two bedrooms and their storeroom for tools that he was not allowed in. The cellar for their food was under the house and outhouse a fair distance from the main structure were the only other notable places on the property to mention.
Dedrik sat himself at the table where they had their meals under the watchful eye of his mother while she worked. He loved his mother Yulvena even if she did not approve of his escapades. She was a stout woman from some northern land, or so he had heard his father say one time. He got his brown locks of hair from her as well as his darker blue eyes.
“Well don’t just sit there in silence, tell me about your little adventure. Before your father gets home.”
With this urging from his mother that was exactly what he did. Describing his time in the green and finding of the old man to his mom in detail while dinner was worked on. Only pausing to think on what was said at the end by the old man. How long would five years feel like?
----------------------------------------
The answer to that question was a very long time to a now ten years of age Dedrik as he walked toward the tree line yet again. Permission was finally given by his mother and father a month earlier on his birthday for him to visit the old man in the woods. It was a long five years for him as he helped his mother and father around their small allotment of land. The work was fun at times as Yulvena enjoyed the harder labor of the village while his father was off hunting.
Finally free of the task of splitting wood with his mother for the day he called out to the woods as he finally crossed the line that separated it from the village.
“Old man, I have come to accept your offer.”
The woods rustled as the bracelet on his wrist seemed to turn slightly.
“And do the woods still call to you boy?”
Was the reply of an old voice that had seemed to not have changed a bit in the five years he had not heard it. Stepping out from behind a tree further in was the old man, cloak and belt still seeming to draw the eyes of the young lad.
“It never stopped, and how could I turn down the opportunity to learn more about a great place I love?”
“That boy is the right answer I was looking for. If the woods had stopped calling to your heart, then you would not make a good druid. We shall see in the next few years if this is truly what you want to do and I will do everything in my power to prepare you to guard what you seem to love so much.”
The old man motioned for him to follow as he turned and walked back into the trees. Jogging to catch up he was met by more words.
“I expect you to be at the woods every day except the days of rest and those we do not spend inside. I do not expect you to neglect your family like some would if you were to apprentice far from here. It is a gift to have them so close but if the wilds ever should call to you make sure to remember that.”
Dedrick listened to the old man as he spoke while marveling at the changing woods as they walked. This was farther into the woods than he had ever gone and they were far different than he had imagined. The trees darkened and most light began to be cut from the ground as the limbs of trees stretched further into the air, if simply to capture it all before it hit the ground.
It was then after a short time of walking and him listening did they break tree cover to a site that took his breath away. A short waterfall cascaded down multiple levels into a pool that fed a river leading off further into the woods. Animals of all types gathered at the pools to drink and it could only be described as serenity made manifest on the land.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“First lesson is of the balance and peace that nature achieves in places like this. For it is a source of life for all living things in the forest and thus peace is established for a time.”
The boy still wide eyed at the site before him asked the question on his lips as soon as he saw such a spectacle as a wolf and deer on opposite sides of the basin drinking from the pool.
“Why is that?”
“Because nature likes for life to flourish. A balance disrupted is disharmony for nature. Life needs water in such places and so a bargain is struck most times. Do not foul the pool in which all drink.”
A somber look overcame the old man's face as he pondered memories from his long life. The lessons he would impart to this young boy would take him far.
“Remember though that not all adhere to this bargain, most notably the men of this land. So, if you may take one thing from my lessons from here on, remember this. “All rots to dust and will feed the land. So may we all be equal while we stand upon it.” Though not completely true at all times I think the sentiment holds well.”
Basking still in the atmosphere of what he could feel must be a sacred place of some sorts, Dedrick could only nod along with the old man’s words. Though he could not understand all of it at the moment he felt confident in his time here he might learn some of the wisdom the old man seemed intent on bestowing upon him.
“What else are you going to teach me?”
At this the old man's face broke into a smile. Arms went up in a grand gesture and the wind blew gently through the clearing sending ripples across the water. As the cloak of the old man waved in the wind slightly it looked as though the green of the woods had leapt onto it, restoring a portion of what the cloak may have been.
“Everything young one, I will teach you everything that I know.”
----------------------------------------
Eight years could pass in a flash for most but for Dedrick they were some of the slowest eight years of his life. For he was taught many things and one of them was that nature had its own pace and that pace was slow.
He never learned the name still of the old codger that seemed to take pleasure in beating knowledge into his head both figuratively and literally but he still referred to him as simply the Old Man. Much could be learned in such a time and it was in such time that the old man had dubbed him a “Passable Druid” two winters before.
Dedrick wondered where the old fart had wandered off to today as he was eighteen now. He could not have picked a worse day to pull his vanishing acts. Being an adult now by the standard of the village meant he could go off on his own and not worry his parents as much. The allure of the woods and adventure called to him more by the day and not just his weekly sojourns with his teacher.
Standing at around 5’ 10 now he was not the tallest man in the village but was still a welcome help to anyone that needed an extra hand. His green cloak he had spent two winters making was embroidered in green leaves that seemed to rustle on the rough fabric they lay on. Brown hair still highlighted in golden strands fell down to his shoulders at points but remained naturally curled in places.
With a sigh he resolved himself to finding his teacher yet again today when he felt something off in the wind. With a quick step he made his way to the other side of the village to find the source of his sudden discomfort. Not far into the woods were some of the village hunters bringing back what could loosely be called a deer.
Red covered the once majestic creature as the hunters called him over. As one of their two resident experts on the woods he would have been the best person to take this to. If it had not been for the fact that Dedrick had no idea what could do such a thing to an animal that lived in the area.
“We be needing your advice.”
Was called to him as he got closer to the location the hunters had drug the deer to just outside the village so as to not make a fuss.
“I regret to inform you both that I do not have any advance on what could do this.”
Dedrick said while gesturing to now up close he could only describe as a quarter a deer. It looked to be savaged in such a way that it was a miracle that any of it had survived what had gotten to it at all.
“And that is what we might have been afraid of.”
“Quiet woods we have mostly had but never something like this.”
Was the response of the two hunters still seemingly in a small amount of shock finding such a thing in the woods.
“I recommend keeping all the hunters that come back from going out while me and the old man figure out what might have moved into our neck of the woods.”
The hunters visibly were put at ease upon hearing Dedrik say this and bid him good hunting on whatever he may find. Dedrick though was anything if at ease. If this was the one worst moment for his teacher to have gone missing this, was it. He had said what was necessary to put the people at ease but he would have to find his teacher fast as he did not want to deal with whatever might have done this alone. Being a druid, he did good work in the forest and knew many tricks but he thought back to the words of his teacher two years ago.
At least a “Passable druid” was better than no druid at all was his thoughts as he moved to the main road of the village. He would need to go out in the woods there as that was the general direction the hunters had been coming back from and one of the more likely sections of the woods, he would find his teacher in.
His thoughts stopped as he looked up to see a figure walking with purpose up the main road just a small bit further than he could make out details. What he did see was golden hair that flowed down to the shoulders of what he thought was a feminine figure. As they got closer his thoughts became vocal as he could then see more detail on the figure.
Bearing light metal armor and fine cloth cloaking them he could make out the designs on their armor and adornments that he could only say one thing.
“What the hell is a cleric doing all the way out here?”