In winter, people were more likely to visit each other to spend the long, dark evenings together. When Tao was still learning the language, these evenings were a good opportunity to build up vocabulary, as the adults often talked about different topics than usual. Lately, the boy has also been enjoying these evenings for another reason - better food.

Despite the magic that easily created ice for storing produce, fresh fruit and vegetables were still in short supply in the winter. Thanks to Indres' position, they had enough fresh meat, and there was also enough grain in the cellar to make bread and porridge. Sofra also added pickled vegetables and various herbs to the meals to improve the taste . Objectively speaking, in a pre-industrial society, in a remote village, and in winter at that, it was not too bad.

Perhaps his memories of a previous life when fresh food from all over the world was available in supermarkets nearby were to blame. Or it was natural for all people always to want something better. Whatever the reason, Tao relished the opportunity to savor the tender braised wild boar, fruit pies, and honey cakes brought by the guests. The latter were particularly popular.

"Mmm! Alenora, is this a new recipe, I think it tastes better than before," Sofra spoke to Reyte's sister.

"Just a little more honey, dear," Alenora replied with a smile.

"Hmp, I helped too!" Reyte also joined the conversation.

Tao could see the resemblance between the two sisters, but Alenora was rounder and softer-eyed. Since the children of the two families started spending time together, Sofra and Alenora also saw each other more often, although for now the younger of the two sisters still seemed to be Tao's mother's closest friend.

"You helped? No kidding, it usually makes the food sour..." chuckled Alenor's husband.

"Don't be silly, Bruni! You eat everything anyway." Reyte snapped.

Bruni just laughed lively at the answer. He was even rounder than his wife and looked like a cheerful, peaceful uncle, although not much older than Indres.

Noticing that Tao was curiously studying the cup of mead in the man's hands, he jokingly offered the boy a taste, earning, however, angry reprimands from the women.

Yangita and her little brother, Tamas, were also visiting, but while there were still plenty of tasty things on the table, the children paid little attention to the adults' conversations or each other.

"By the way, Indres, did anyone lately come to complain about dreams?" Bruni spoke after a while.

The plump man asked it in a cheerful mood, probably meaning it as a joke. Tao noticed, however, that his father's face was clouding over.

"I was just warning about what I know. Which the Temple servants confirmed." He replied dryly.

"And of course, you didn't think that old woman sees something strange or significant even in cat poo." Bruni chuckled.

"I've only spoken to a few hunters who are, obviously, more chatty than old wives." Indres took a good swig from his cup.

"Well, so it is, no secrets between more than two souls... " Bruni drank too, but in a much more cheerful mood.

"It won't end so soon. Despite the Elders' warning, some still believe it." Reyte also chimed in.

"Well, that's their problem. I think it's even better that way. At least everyone heard about it and has been warned in case something does happen." Sofra added, trying to cheer her husband up.

In the last few months, Indres had started warning his companions that there might be an evil spirit in the forest, capable of sending suspicious dreams. Not everyone took this seriously enough. Eventually, rumors spread through the village and some, mostly old women, ran to report unusual dreams to Indres and also to the village elders. As could be expected, these 'significant' dreams were pure nonsense, which only annoyed Tao's father and the village elders as well.

"I don't care what clothes your dead husband was wearing, or what the seven buttons mean! If he didn't ask you to do something weird, it's not that! Go home!"

Indres had to fend off meddling old hags countless times, who tried to explain the importance of their dreams with iron conviction. He began to stay in the forest from early morning till late evening, without having to listen to it. But then these women began to bother Sofra. She then forced her husband to return, threatening to poison the next ‘dream seer’. Eventually, things quieted down, at least no one came to report the dreams anymore. But, as we can see from this conversation, the problem had not completely disappeared.

Everyone heard about it, but would they take it seriously if they actually saw something strange in a dream? Tao was not as optimistic as his mother.

Sigi twirled around people's feet, trying to beg for a tasty morsel. To change the subject, Sofra turned her attention to the puppy and urged her husband to show guests what Sigi had learned. Indres visibly relaxed and started to give the Sigi orders with hand movements or voice.

Sit, give a paw, be quiet, bark, walk away, come over, hide, fetch the shoe - Sigi obeyed all orders with no apparent reward besides praise from her master and the occasional pat on the head.

The black, white, and silver colored dog was also rapidly growing in strength and size. Tao judged that Sigi was slimmer than Teru. Whether it was because of the sex or the mixed breed, he couldn't say.

Both families expressed their delight at the demonstration with cheers and applause children included. Bruni laughed the loudest and even offered the dog a taste of the mead, for which he was again reprimanded.

The children, meanwhile, had managed to fill their bellies and dispose of the last of the honey cakes. Safia, Yangita, and her little brother went to play with the dog and tried to repeat the giving commands like Indres. Tao stayed sitting at the table because he knew it was futile. For some reason, Sigi only listened to Indres' voice, even if Tao tried to treat the dog to something tasty.

"Clever one. Too bad it's not white." Bruni spoke, watching the child trying to get Sigi to give a paw.

"I don't mind," Indres stated.

"Mix or not, sereni has always been white. If it suits you, all good. But if you ever want to sell, I don't think you'll be able to convince anyone."

"Hm, always white, you say?" Tao saw his father smile.

"I've never heard of them being any different, at least not in the Empire." Bruni shrugged.

"Well, it's generally believed that the sereni were bred by the first emperor, but I know another story."

"Yes?"

"The story of the first sereni. About a time before the Empire and the Human Kingdom." Indres said.

His gaze wandered off into the distance.

"Back then, all mortal Realms were full of monsters and there was war everywhere against the damned hosts of the Abyss. At that time rose Durkor, the first sid, a hero who performed countless great deeds across many Realms. Once he alone broke into the stronghold of a Prince of the Abyss defeated and killed him, and imprisoned the spirit in stone. Durkor tried to escape into the mountains, but the servants of the defeated prince followed in great anger. They found and attacked him many times, but Durkor always defeated them. But the opponents were numerous, and the hero felt that his strength was failing. He was mortally wounded, but he did not surrender. Finding a deep cave with an underground river, Durkor threw himself into the cold water and was washed deep under the mountains, away from his pursuers.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The underground river carried him into a hidden valley between the high mountains and the sea, where he lay in a deep sleep, healing from wounds and regaining his strength. Durkor had a spirit guardian who hid him from the eyes of the servants of the Abyss while the hero slept. Durkor's enemies searched for him for a long time, but without success. Finally, they were forced to flee from the hero's allies but left the black wolf Serek to continue searching the mountains for the hero's tracks. Big as a bear, strong as a bull, Serek hunted and tore apart beasts and men alike, all who went to hunt him were doomed.

In time, a tribe of people found the hidden valley and settled there. They were once slaves to the defeated Prince of the Abyss but escaped when he fell at the hands of Durkor. They wandered the mountains for a long time until they found this valley, which was peaceful, free from evil spirits and monsters because of the protection of the spirit. Durkor's guardian took pity on these people and allowed them to stay in the valley. He did not tell them about the sleeping hero but warned them that if they left the valley, he would no longer be able to protect them from the evils of the world.

This went on for some time until people got tired of eating fish, crabs, and seaweed from the sea, and some went to the mountains to hunt for animals. Serek then found and killed them, but also discovered the hidden valley following their tracks. The black wolf attacked the small village mercilessly, wiping out every last one but one. A little girl who couldn't even speak yet, she was hidden under the floor. When Serek came up to the child to devour her, the girl laughed and touched the wolf's nose. Serek's demonic overlords had always treated him cruelly, while everyone else showed terror facing him. This was the first time someone had shown genuine joy at the presence of the beast and it surprised him. Serek decided to spare the girl. He let the girl play with his fur and brought her food. But soon the girl started calling her parents and crying loudly. Serek could not understand the reason for this and became angry. Then the guardian spirit revealed himself to the wolf and let him feel the girl's heart’s pain. This shocked Serek and he regretted what he had done. The black wolf pledged to take care of the child and protect her.

Years later, Durkor finally awoke from his deep slumber and emerged from the cave where he had remained hidden all this time. When the hero spotted the black wolf, tainted with demonic power, he wanted to destroy it and began to fight the beast. Durkor was stronger, but before he could kill the wolf, the girl, now older, stood in front of him. The hero had learned from his spirit guardian what Serek had done to the girl's parents and the whole tribe and told her. But the girl said she had forgiven the wolf and wanted him to live. She did not seek revenge."

Indres' gaze had turned to the children, who were still playing with the dog. He crouched down beside them and stroked Safia's head and Sigi's too.

"The girl's plea touched a hero. Durkor spared the wolf and even blessed it, freeing it from demonic influence and giving it a new name, Seren, because now the beast's destiny was tied to the girl. And he named the girl Venya because she had the strength to forgive.

Soon they parted, for Durkor's path continued to be fraught with danger and hardship. Seren and Venya stayed together but also left their valley. In time, the girl became a hunter of all kinds of evil creatures and a hero in her own right. Neither the visible nor the invisible could hide from Seren's nose; he could track both ordinary traces and remnants of spirit power. It is said that Venya and Sereni died on the same day. But the wolf's descendants continued to carry on the Sereni name and protect Venya's children. As long as they do, their powers will not fade. And so it is to this day."

The story was over and there was silence for a while.

Usually, it was the mother who told the tales to the children, so Tao felt a bit surprised. Perhaps everyone hadn't expected it from Indres either. Sofra was the only one who smiled.

"I've never heard such a story... Is it from your birthplace?" Bruni spoke thoughtfully.

"No, I heard it from the sids." Indres continued patting Sigi, who wagged her tail happily.

"Forest folk? I thought they didn't live near."

"Not here. It was during the war. We served together as scouts for a while."

"Legends of the sids, huh?"

"Venya probably means Venia the Huntress as she is also the Wolf Master." Sofra chimed in.

She had heard this story before and pondered about its connection to human lore.

"Who knows how it really was. But if they could accept a black wolf, I won't have a problem with Sigi." Indres responded.

The pup with the arrow-like mark on her nose yelped happily as if confirming the man's words.

***

Not all guests who visited Tao’s home were invited. A forest spirit managed to find a gap between the roofing and the wall of the house and reach the boy's room unnoticed. Fortunately, Eleya had the sense to choose a time when the boy’s father was away and his mother was busy.

It was strange for the boy to see the little doll-like creature tiptoeing around his room. But it was not easy to find moments for serious exercise when walking outside. Only at home did Tao's parents feel safe to leave the boy alone for a longer time. Safia could have come to see what her brother was up to at any time, but Eleya was sure she would be able to hide from or trick the five-year-old.

Tao held his hand in front of his face. He released pulses of concentrated spirit power from his palms towards his head. Eleya sat opposite the boy at the foot of the bed and confirmed that the spirit power was touching the skin of his face. She also warned if Tao removed his spirit barrier too much or used more spirit power. The boy tried to imagine how the spirit power flowed through his body, through his mind, hoping to feel something. Little by little he began to increase the amount of spirit power.

The two were interrupted by the animal sniffing at the door. No doubt the sereni's nose was working as intended.

"Too much spirit power, Sigi smelled it," Tao concluded.

The boy waited for a moment, hoping the puppy would get tired of sitting by the door, but she didn't give up and even started whimpering.

"Better to let them in before my mother notices." He decided and got out of bed.

"Wait, I don't want to get eaten." Eleya held out her hand to the boy.

Tao understood what that meant and let the tiny creature climb onto his shoulder and cling to his hair. When the boy let Sigi inside the room, the puppy immediately started sniffing around the boy curiously and seemed to pay special attention to Eleya as well.

"Maybe she smells your spirit power?" Tao guessed.

He spoke in a low voice, wary of his mother.

"No, I have my own barrier." The forest spirit assured.

Tao drew more air into his nostrils.

"Well, you smell strange to my nose too. Maybe the dog smells your scent instead of the spirit power?"

"Are you saying I stink?" Eleya's voice conveyed irritation.

"No not stink, but smell... like tree leaves and bark, I think."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, but it's not a normal smell inside the house. A new smell is probably interesting to Sigi."

Eleya seemed satisfied with that answer. To calm Sigi down, the boy had to let the dog sniff the forest spirit closer, holding the small creature carefully in his arms. The puppy relaxed, but stayed nearby, curiously studying the forest spirit. Eleya remained on the boy's shoulder, at a safe distance.

Just to try, Tao once again released some spirit power from his hand, which immediately caught Sigi's attention.

"Eleya, do you know why sereni can sense spirit power?" He asked.

"Perhaps their ancestors stayed for a long time in an environment where there was a lot of spirit power. Sometimes it changes animals."

"My father heard a different story."

Tao's memory was good enough to be able to repeat what he had heard in considerable detail. He could not express the same feelings and spoke in a rather dry tone.

"Do you think it could be true?" the boy then wondered.

"Maybe. But it's such a long time ago when even the land we walk on now didn't exist."

"My father said he heard it from the sids, the forest folk. So, I thought maybe you knew something."

Eleya thought for a bit.

"I know a sids tribe that lives in the Realm of Man and calls themselves the Dur'cor. If it is the same, I can imagine who this hero Durkor is."

She smiled.

"The first sid, they told? Well, you could say that, at least from their point of view... anyway, there's no mention that this Durkor could probably sympathize with the Black Wolf quite well..."

Eleya didn't elaborate but asked the question herself.

"Why are you interested?"

"The hero blessed the wolf and it gained the ability to smell spirit power. I wondered, is such a thing actually possible?"

"Maybe the wolf got this ability before? From the Prince of the Abyss? Or even earlier? Your story didn't say he got the ability directly from the blessing." Eleya argued.

Tao checked his memories and admitted that maybe he hadn't understood everything correctly.

"Still, if the story is partly true, maybe there is someone who can teach such things even today." He spoke.

"I don't know anyone among humans, deorgs, or sids who can do that. Most spirits cannot do it either. Maybe those who serve the Abyss, but you don't want to deal with them, believe me."

There was some melancholy in Eleya's voice.

"Maybe I would have been able to do this a long time ago. Back when the Makers still walked the earth, their power poured over the land and fed everyone. Now everyone is trying to grab what's left, even though the end is the same..."

"The end?" Tao didn't understand.

"It's a distant future that you shouldn't worry about."

Although the boy felt curious, he recognized that the spirit of the forest was right. For now, Tao had enough worries of his own.

"Then there's nothing to do but try harder." He stated resolutely and sat back down on the bed to continue trying to feel the spirit's power.

"Feeling motivated?" Eleya commented.

"That's the real point of tales, to motivate you not to give up," Tao replied.

Tao had got more out of this legend but decided that Eleya didn't need to know for now.

Validation for his plan. Even knowing it's possible was progress.

One step at a time towards the goal.

***