The next morning found Eldrick in Sebastian's embrace when Sergei stormed into the room, rousing them out of their somnolent condition.
"Okay you two layabouts, we need to get back on the road. Get up, get dressed, and get out here so we can," his gruff voice startled them.
Embarrassment was written plainly across their faces, as undeniable as someone having taken a red-hot "GUILTY" brand and pressed into the flesh of their foreheads. Scooping the abandoned clothing off the floor Sergei threw it at the two young men in the bed. Collecting the thrown clothing they hurriedly dressed for the day.
Their breakfast consisted of boiled eggs, a muffin and a cup of tea. They swilled down the tea quickly so they could be on the road as soon as possible, the rest could be eaten on the road. The muffins, a rich bran loaded with fruit were still warm from the oven and liberally spread with butter in the center through a small nick in the side. As Eldrick bit into his, the flavour explosion was rather unique, and he found it blended well with the lingering taste of last night's activities. Knowing he would not be given time to dwell on the memories in the days ahead was both encouraging and disappointing. They had a long trek ahead of them to reach the conclave with many lessons along the way, however, that also meant there were many nights to explore such distractions.
Leaving the Inn through the back door to the stable, Eldrick could smell the fresh hay. The well-kept, two-story structure was rife with the sounds of the animals within. The distinctive bray of Maybell, echoed raucously through the air as the stableman connected the harness to the wagon, the troupe's gear carefully stowed within. The hoof-churned earth gave off a scent of iron as the red dust billowed beneath her hooves. The battered wooden stalls had seen better days. Many years of housing horses of all different sizes and temperaments had left their marks on the walls and doors. The empty mangers were spotlessly clean awaiting fresh hay and grain for whichever animal happened to be quartered there next. A well-used pitchfork leaned against the far wall waiting to be used to clean out the stables after each visitor. With Maybell harnessed and ready to head out, the stablemaster offered her one last apple as he led her to the yard. Climbing up onto the bench they settled down knowing they may be on the road for many days before they could once again find shelter in an inn or village.
Looking back, Eldrick watched as the stable master picked up the pitchfork and began mucking out the stall where Maybell had spent the night.
Eldrick watched Sebastian gazing around the roadway as they passed through the town intrigued by the shops and structures. It was evident on his face. Sebastian had never been in a town before. He found everything supremely interesting. Of course, the smells assaulting his nostrils told another story. Though it was only a small hamlet the rancid odour of urine and feces was almost overpowering. He longed for the fresh mountain air to which he had become accustomed. Those redolent pines, earthy cedars, and flowery holly were all scents he found comforting.
Once they passed through the main south gates of the town on the road to Herigberg the odiferous torture began to recede leaving a freshness to the air, which was almost soothing.
"How can anyone live in such a place? As the sun rose, the smells became unbearable. I am glad we arrived later in the evening after the sun had started to set. All I could smell was excrement once the sun began to rise" complained Sebastian.
“If you think this was bad just wait until you reach some of the larger cities. Some employ people to clean it up so that there is no lingering odour, others just let it lay in the streets with no regard to who or what happens upon it” replied Sergei assiduously.
The conversation referred to which cities were better than others and for which reasons. Sergei droned on about how not all towns had inns and, usually, those that did were on one of the main trade routes. These were situated for merchants passing them by as they travelled. In some cases, they may miss a merchant by mere hours once they arrive in a town, however, they should keep their eyes and ears open, on the off chance they encounter one on the road. Merchants liked talking to travellers as it was an enjoyable way to pass the news back and forth. The information about a city festival or damaged roadway could be invaluable. Not to mention some traders were willing to stop to trade. These could be used to bolster a dwindling supply of coins should the need arise. The news of brigands was also worth taking the time to stop and chat.
The road they travelled was no more than a trackway with deep hollows from years of wagon tires. The clay under the soft dirt was packed as hard as stone and as unforgiving. They could feel every rut and pothole. The scent of new growth was green in the air, with a hint of pollen beginning to invade the senses.
The sun beat down on them with relentless ferocity. The shade of the deciduous trees was a welcoming balm when they passed within its sheltering embrace. The sound of birdsong was as nectar to the ears. Every so often they would hear the rapid thumping of a rabbit giving out a warning.
They passed fields of newly sprouted grains and pastures filled with grazing cattle. A lonely shepherd watched them as they trundled b, waving as they passed. The melancholy notes from his pipes carried on the wind, leaving the impression of peace and contentment. Farmers and their families out in the fields attended to the planting and care of their crops, maintaining the dikes which fed water to fields or attacking weeds that threatened the health of the grain.
The day passed slowly for the travellers while they chatted and studied. Sergei lectured on the plants they were passing to see if his students were paying attention. Many of the plants had medicinal uses if prepared correctly and used properly. He wanted to ensure his young apprentice would have all the medicinal knowledge he could for the trials. They would be involved and include this information. Knowing the identity of each tree, shrub and herb would be vital.
Sergei, knowing what he did of the high druid, would test young Eldrick to the limits of his capabilities and beyond. Veldar would attempt to find him wanting and unworthy. Sergei was inclined to avoid that outcome. Pressing his young apprentice hard now was the way to ensure later success. Sebastian sat on the bench in apparent ease, he was instead using his draconic mind to remember everything. He was in a minor trance, one which he had refused to pass along. Sergei chuckled to himself. It was not a true learning trance, but a memorization trance, one he hoped would be passed along to his protégé in due time.
Eldrick took to knowledge like a duck to water, this notwithstanding, he could use every possible bit of help. The thought that Veldar would not be able to sense Sebastian as he travelled with them and could pass information to Eldrick through his thoughts would be a decided boon. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Veldar’s face when this youngster succeeded where so many others had failed. He truly wanted to be there at the end of the quest.
As the sun began to settle on the horizon, they still hadn't reached the next town, and so were required to find a place to camp for the night. Scanning the countryside for a decent campsite Sergei began to despair. They had travelled farther in the day than he had anticipated and were passed the point he had planned to stop for the night. They had three options, backtrack to the chosen campsite, continue until they found a decent spot or camp in the middle of the road. None of those options were ideal. Considering this he decided to get the opinion of his young travelling companions, they too had a stake in the decision and its outcome.
“Well, boys we have a choice to make. We can continue into the night looking for a place to set up camp, stop here in the middle of the road, or head back to where I had originally planned our camping site. Having travelled this road many times I know the terrain well. This is not an ideal stopping place however, heading in either direction could mean that we miss a viable campsite in the dark.”
"Well, there is another option. I could take my natural form and scout out the area to find a suitable place to camp for the night," offered Sebastian.
“At this point, it would not be advisable. The local people here have never had encounters with dragons. You are likely to cause them fear and bring harm upon yourself in the process. That is not an outcome I wish to hazard.”
“May I make a suggestion,” inquired Eldrick. “Why not continue along the road until we find a pullout which would be large enough for the wagon and camp there?”
After much care and deliberation, they agreed that was the best suggestion. As they continued along the road looking for a likely place to set up camp Sergei was disappointed in himself for not paying closer attention to his surroundings. It wasn’t long before they located a decent spot to set camp. Eldrick chose to gather firewood while Sebastian set about preparing a fire pit. Sergei collected the cookware and staples they had brought along, including some dried moose meat, and began to prepare a solid quick-cooking stew. They would lay out their bedrolls and sleep under the stars tonight. Not forgetting about Maybell, Eldrick unharnessed her as he brought in the firewood. Leading the mare over to a grassy spot Eldrick hobbled her so she wouldn’t wander off in the night and could munch on the young green shoots. Camping out in the open didn't provide much privacy, so Eldrick fell asleep, disappointed.
Sebastian, lying near Eldrick could feel the frustration ebbing out of him. Shifting his bedroll closer he snuggled Eldrick comfortingly. As sleep crept over him, he thought he heard Eldrick's voice saying "I love you," though he knew his partner was already fast asleep.
They were awakened suddenly by the sound of frantic braying. Sensing the life energies around them Sebastian realized someone was trying to make off with Maybell, while others were rifling through their gear. There were six large individuals. Being outnumbered would be an issue. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light. Sergei sensing what was going on called upon his druid magic and the individuals froze.
Sebastian took the moment of blinding light to shift from a human to a large wolf. His draconic senses blending with the wolf’s. Keeping low, he slunk over to the man holding Maybell's reins. With a loud snarl, he leapt at the brigand. Catching him unaware, Sebastian sank his teeth into the flesh of the leg. The coppery taste of blood exploded in his mouth. With a cry of pain, the man dropped the reins to try to pull his leg free from the wolf's mouth. Maybell, no longer constrained by the reins and smelling the presence of a large predator, wheeled and let fly with her hind hooves, catching the man in the chest. Sebastian released his hold on the leg. With a sickening crunch, the brigand flew through the air to land in an unmoving heap, about ten feet from where he had stood.
Switching forms again, this time to a tawny jackrabbit, Sebastian hopped to the wagon. As he headed there, Sergei cast an entanglement spell, causing the grass to grow rapidly around the legs of the four brigands on the ground. With a yelp of fear, they pulled knives to free themselves by hacking at the vines. Sebastian leapt from the ground to land on the bed of the wagon as a large black panther. Sebastian caught the final brigand in the chest as he unknowingly turned into the claws and teeth of a giant cat. This knocked him flat on his back. Drawing his knife he slashed at Sebastian’s throat. Sebastian wary of an attack turned aside quickly and caught the blade in the shoulder. Roaring in pain Sebastian raked the man with his hind claws neatly disembowelling him. The scent of blood and entrails caused Sebastian to lose control, he viciously tore out the throat while giving one last violent thrust with his back legs to send the guy flying off the wagon. When he crashed into the ground Sebastian was once again on top of him rending flesh from bone. His shoulder throbbed with such intense pain he worried there was more damage than just a simple slice into the muscle. Looking at his shoulder he noticed the knife still embedded there, all the way to the hilt. With his victim no longer breathing he tried to move away when agony made him collapse. Sebastian mewling in pain couldn’t regain his footing to move from the carnage he had caused.
Sergei stood in full regalia and majesty. His Druid robes were clear to see, warning the last four that continuing their aggression upon him and his party would have severe repercussions. Looking up from the vines around their legs and seeing Sergei, they let out a cry of despair. Knowing that to attack a travelling druid was almost certainly a death sentence. Every monarch in Corrigenda held them in high esteem, granting them the courtesy of their office as religious and legal representation. A druid had the power to gainsay a monarch in their own land when a judgement was deemed unfair, according to the laws. There was no one above the law of the druids. Dropping the knives, they fell to their knees pleading for leniency. They had not been aware that a druid was travelling and therefore considered the group fair game. All they intended to do was steal the horse and whatever they could from the wagon which they could sell, from the sleepers. If they had known, they would certainly have left them alone. Sergei accepted their abeyance on the condition that they travel with them to the next town and turn themselves into the authorities. They agreed eagerly, the repercussions of a druid declaring sentence could be worse than the reparations invoked by the local magistrate. They were divested of their weapons, bound by magic, and forced to wait alongside the wagon.
Eldrick, slow to awaken, the commotion sending him into a state of confusion. Sergei was throwing magic around like a madman and Sebastian was nowhere to be seen. When he heard the snarl of a large cat on the wagon and saw the knife plunged into the shoulder of the cat, he was shocked. That could only have been Sebastian. Watching the cat eviscerate the brigand with such ferocity caused Eldrick to go deeper into shock. Never had he seen such violence, he didn’t know whether to run or scream. He just sat there, dumbfounded in utter confusion. It took Sergei, shaking him with urgency, to bring him back to reality.
“Eldrick, Maybell has run off, can you try to find her? Use your life sense skills as she couldn’t have gone too far. We need to catch her and harness her back to the wagon before we can continue on our journey." Sergei's brows lowered as he glanced toward the cart. "These four are not going anywhere and I desperately need to check on our friend to make sure there is no lasting damage. Now is not the time for you to slip into a mire of emotions. You need to think clearly, especially right now." He placed a hand on Eldrick's shoulder. "This is going to happen more often while you are on your journeyman trials because the master accompanying you will not step in to help unless he is threatened personally. You are going to have to learn to deal with brigands and lawbreakers. This means thinking logically and not emotionally. You will not have Sebastian around to protect you. I told you this would be a difficult experience, now don’t fall apart and prove me wrong in believing you are ready for this task,” admonished Sergei.
With a shudder, Eldrick pulled himself together, letting his senses flow out into the world searching for Maybell’s life energy. Having studied each animal on the farmstead during his training meant he could identify each one with ease. He found her stopped about five miles down the road. A considerable distance since she bolted the moment she lashed out with her hooves to get away from the predator which had spooked her. With a gentle tugging on her life force, he coaxed her back to the encampment. Using his magic he masked the scents so she would not catch a whiff of Sebastian in cat form. The sun was well up by the time she had returned.
While his apprentice was in trance gathering in the lost horse, Sergei moved over to Sebastian. The knife was lodged deep in the shoulder and had separated the joint from the socket. This was not an injury that was easily healed, it would require some old-fashioned manipulation of the joint, but first, he needed to remove the pig sticker protruding out of Sebastian. With a mental sigh he grasped the handle, placing his foot on the shoulder, he gave a majestic heave. The only thing that happened was a snarl escaping the cat as he turned his head to eye up the individual who had the temerity to cause more injustice to his person. Seeing it was Sergei, he turned his head away, closed his eyes and fiercely grit his teeth.
"How bad is it?" asked Sebastian. "And what can I do to help? I cannot shift forms with that blade in me and I am currently incapable of moving. The pain is dreadful, and I fear there is more damage than expected".
“I am afraid the tip is embedded in the bone and the shoulder joint is dislocated. I can do something about the joint if I can remove the blade. I don't have the strength to pull it free anymore, at least not in this position. I am going to have to sit on the ground and use both legs to reef on it. Hopefully I can remove it without causing any more damage. You're not going to have the use of that limb for a while I am sorry to say. It is going to require natural healing to build up the strength once again." Sergei reached out with his thoughts, "I wish there was more I could do." "From what I can sense the muscle has been sliced from the bone with the tendons just barely holding it on. If I nick the tendon while removing the blade you may never use the limb again. There is one other thing I could do but unfortunately, it will cause much more pain for a short period.”
"Do what you must, but please do not let me lose the use of the limb. I fear it may mean I won’t be able to travel with Eldrick as we had planned."
“Very well, prepare yourself this will be pain like you have never experienced before. I only hope that it doesn’t affect me in the same manner that you dislocating your wing did.”
Looking over at the captured men he motioned for two of them to come over. As they did so he pantomimed holding the cat down. They did so with trepidation. Glancing at the blood on his claws and muzzle reminding them very effectively that this cat was not something to annoy, with a few motions he could separate them from life very easily. To prove this, they needed only to look just past the prone feline. The remains of their companion and leader, a giant of a man who had never been bested by man or beast until today.
After glancing over to the body, they vowed that under no accounts were they going to let this beast have a chance to repeat the experience. Placing all of their weight on the cat, they held him down while the frightful druid began chanting. As the mantra increased in volume and cadence the blade began to glow and soften. The light slid down the blade until it was no longer visible above the fur. The acrid stench of sizzling flesh began to permeate the air. The monstrous cat let out a roar, the promise of death and retribution vibrant within the sound. Suddenly the cat went limp, the blade sliding free from the bone. Hurling it away, Sergei began a melodious and soothing chant. With the change of incantation, the odour dissipated as the wound began closing. The bleeding slowing as small stitches appeared, working through the flesh as if by unseen hands. Stitches so neat and tiny you could almost swear they were not there at all. Grabbing the leg, he popped the joint back into the socket with a sickening crack. The flopping muscle, clearly visible under the skin of the inflamed shoulder. Sergei looking down on his friend with tears in his eyes. He knew that the limb would be weaker from the constant repetition of ordeals. At least it would heal. There were two ways to correct the damage, Sergei shook his head, neither of them was ideal. Dealing with either the Fae or some other Eldritch entity could mean some sort of payment or penance. Mentioning these to Sebastian would only bring his hopes up unnecessarily. Sergei released the two men from their penance as they risked themselves to serve another. However, if they were to ever resort to banditry again, they would find themselves marching to the nearest magistrate and revealing every crime they had ever committed. Sergei suggested they find themselves some work, the village about a full day's travel to the north could use the extra hands.
Sebastian lay supine on the ground, a rictus of pain marring his face. Eldrick, now aware of his surroundings noticed Sebastian out cold on the ground with a very swollen shoulder, as Maybell trotted back. An injury he could do nothing about, until he remembered the lectures on medicinal herbs and their properties. Scanning the clearing to find something which could be used to create a poultice. Noticing a small patch of cat’s claw, he scampered over and began harvesting, careful not to take too much. Once he had what he thought would be enough he searched for a rocks large enough to crush the herbs between. Securing the stones, he poured clean water from his waterskin over them to clear away any debris which might contaminate the herb. Crushing the herb between the stones, careful not to lose any to the ground, he made a poultice for Sebastian’s shoulder.
“Good work,” Sergei remarked as Eldrick applied the poultice. “Now you are beginning to think like a druid. Nice choice to draw Maybell back without actually going after her, it saved time. Help me get him up on the bed of the wagon. Once we get to town, we will have quite a task of going through our gear, deciding what we can salvage. I fear some of our foodstuffs are ruined. I doubt Sebastian intended that. It appears he fell into a primal frenzy once the knife was implanted. He didn’t initially notice the injury.”
“He will be okay, won’t he?” Eldrick's voice rose in panic.
“Well, that remains to be seen. His injury is quite extensive. It is going to need time to heal properly. He may not regain all his strength. There cannot be any coddling. You have to make sure he uses that arm once it's healed. He will need to take it slowly, he still needs to use it. He will be out of commission for at least a week. I would appreciate it if you didn’t fuss over him. He needs to learn to be self-reliant and not fall into self-pity. I know this is going to be hard on both of you. I am sorry.”
The look of worry crossing the young man’s face nearly rent Sergei’s heart. He understood the position Eldrick was in, he had been in a similar situation with his own children. Thinking of his children, he would be able to see his daughter and grandchildren soon. A smile crossed his face at the thoughts of his family. This triggered memories of Eldrick in the same village. A small child, found wandering the edge of the woods, no memory of how they had gotten there. The brightest child in a month’s travel from the farmstead.
