Part Five - The Time of the Season

The month of (February) was brutally cold and Rio spent a great deal of time working on the excavation of their cliff side home. On the days when the weather was truly miserable he would work through two castings a day, taking a break only long enough to make sure that his family and guests weren't going too stir crazy. On the days when the wind died down enough for it to be tolerable outside he made sure that Arial and Lothar had things to do outdoors to keep them busy and learning.

One afternoon while they were relaxing inside to escape a particularly vicious storm, Glow decided to contact her grandmother in Waterdeep. They had not spoken since before the Dragonswords left for the Moonshae's and Glow was hoping to hear if one of her oldest friends had finally snared the man she had been chasing since they were both teenagers. While the Great Druid had no news on that particular subject she did have the happy news that several days previously Raagnar and Dre had come to visit her. They'd received the message Rio had left at their tavern and knew that the grove was the first place they should go to try and find them.

Apparently they, and Sarana who had returned to Waterdeep with them, had had a nasty run in with a group of basilisks at a castle infested with mind flayers and decided that it was high time to return to civilization and their home in Waterdeep. Glow asked her grandmother to please send word letting them know they had settled in the Moonshae's on the island of Moray and to please come and visit them if at all possible. Their conversation then shifted to family matters, specifically how Arial was progressing, and before Glow broke the connection she promised that she would contact her grandmother with a greater regularity.

As the days continued to pass it became very apparent that Arial was now just on the cusp of being able to cast her first druidic spells. Rio worked with her daily perfecting the subtle movements and inflections of tone and timbre required to call the power from the land around her. Unlike Lothar, Arial had no trouble with the concept of the EarthMother as an individual that could be seen, heard and spoken with. She seemed to know instinctively that although the power wielded by the druids seemed to come from everywhere around them that it ultimately came from a single entity that could be focused upon and communed with.

Rio had tried briefly to explain this to Lothar but he just wasn't ready to wrap his mind around the concept yet. Whereas Arial saw the mountains, forests, creatures and even herself as a part of a greater whole, Lothar still thought of them all as individual things that were ruled at a distance by an impersonal force of nature. In the end, since that was the way the young man thought of things, Rio had resolved to keep him focused on specific aspects of the world around him and let him discover for himself the degree to which everything was interconnected.

Late in the month they had awoken to find a wounded seagull collapsed near the Moonwell and nearly dead from the cold. Rio carefully removed the arrow that was still stuck in its wing and he and Arial spent several days nursing it back to health. When they finally released it back into the wild Arial had watched it circle above the grove and then head back toward the sea. When she turned back to him he saw something he had never seen before in his daughter's eyes, a cold rage, and he knew that even though she was only nine years old, it was a good thing the archer that had wounded the bird was unknown.

By the first week of Ches (March), Rio was almost halfway finished with the excavation of their cliff side home. Lothar had been a tremendous help in the process of removing the rough bricks that Rio fashioned as the excavation progressed and one evening, as they were removing them to be stacked with the others, the lad asked how many Rio thought there were. The druid eyed the stacks they'd been making along the cliff wall and did a quick calculation in his head.

"I'd guess there are somewhere close to 50,000 by now. Most of them are still stacked up here." Rio said patting the two he'd just added to the most recent pile. "Some we've used as a path to Arial's garden. Some I've used inside to make shelves and benches and some I've molded back into the cliff wall as the flattened steps we use to traverse the cliff."

"What about the rest?" Lothar asked.

"Many will be used in the construction of an archway at the perimeter of the grove where the trail back to the river begins. Others will be used to reinforce the two tunnels I've yet to build from the back of the excavation up to the surface of the upper level."

Rio paused and looked at his callused hands. The continued stonework had made them rough and worn but they were strong hands and the druid knew he'd need their strength for the work still ahead. He flexed them and drummed his fingers on each other. As long as they were supple enough to perform the delicate somatic gestures required by some of his invocations nothing else mattered. Glow had suggested that he use some of the same gooey extract that she had used on her belly while pregnant and while it did nothing for the calluses it had kept the skin moist and free from cracks in the harsh cold weather.

"I'm sure we will find uses for them all. Part of being a druid is learning that all things of the earth can be used and reused in the great cycle of nature." Rio smiled. "Come on." He said heading back into the entryway. "The sooner we finish the sooner we can eat."

That night Rio awoke from a dream with his heart racing. The details of the dream slipped away from him but whatever it was it had been intense. As he lay awake listening to Glows soft breathing and trying to calm himself back down he became aware of a faint light and someone moving around out in the corridor. He knew by the orange tint that the light was not one of the continual light stones he had placed throughout his home and came quickly to the realization that whoever or whatever it was they were uninvited and probably unwelcome.

Grabbing Glow's magical dagger and his club of Ria wood the druid moved quickly to the sailcloth partition at the entrance to his room and quietly drew it aside to look into the hallway. In the dim light he could make out a cloaked silhouette just slipping into Arial's room. The figure moved completely silently and Rio knew instinctively that he was dealing with a thief of some skill. As quietly as he could he crept into the hallway and made his way to the far side of the entryway into Arial's room. He could see through the small space between the partition that the figures dim light source moved around the room slowly.

Readying his club Rio swung it full force into the figures midsection as it came out of his daughters room. Taken completely by surprise the intruder doubled over from the blow and the druid yanked him through the threshold slamming his head into the far wall. As he went down Rio was instantly on top of him pressing the dagger to the man's throat.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He hissed quietly.

The man, obviously dazed and in pain, finally focused on Rio in the dim light but said nothing.

"Answer me." Rio said pressing the dagger a bit deeper so that it began to draw blood. "Answer me or I will feed your remains to the wolves."

"I… Please don't kill me." The intruder said in a high squeaky voice. "My name is Laurden and I'm here as part of my initiation. I mean you no harm."

Rio glared at him and said nothing. He held the dagger firmly against the man's throat and contemplated how to deal with this unwelcome intruder.

"Papa, is that you?" Arial said with a yawn almost bumping into him as she came out of her room.

"Go and wake your mother." Rio said to his daughter. "Take the club and give it to her."

Arial leaned down to pick up the club of Ria wood and pushed the sailcloth divider aside to enter her parents room. Rio, keeping his focus on his captive, heard her wake Glow and a moment later the two entered the hallway where the druid still held the intruder down.

"My wife is going to search you carefully." He told his captive. "I suggest you stay very still and do not resist." He moved the dagger slightly for emphasis and the man nodded as best he could.

Glow relieved him of several daggers, a small pouch, a pair of bracers and the softly glowing gem that the man had been using for his light source. She nodded to Rio and took Arial by the hand backing down the hallway a few feet.

"Now get up and walk slowly outside." Rio told him with an audible growl in his voice. "Do anything stupid and I will kill you where you stand." He let the man up, half expecting him to try and fight or flee, and was thankful when he did neither. The thief had seemed to deflate, especially after Glow had removed the bracers, and now walked slowly ahead of the druid with his head down. When they reached the grove Rio commanded him to stop, which he did.

"You may leave with your life… this time. I do not expect to ever see you again." With that the Druid cast Fear and transformed into as large a black bear as his abilities would allow. For a fraction of a moment, before the thief ran screaming into the night, Rio had the satisfaction of seeing a look of sheer, stupefying terror cross his features and he knew the man's memories of this night would be forever clouded in a nightmarish feeling of horror and dread.

"Revenge, Otherworlder."

The words lingered in his ears and in his mind as Rio sat straight upright in bed. The sensation of being pursued viciously remained with him and for a moment he looked around in a panic for the creature that had been nipping at his heels hungrily.

"Revenge!"

It was a woman's voice mocking him, taunting him through a dream that over the previous several days had become recurring, robbing him of sleep and leaving him exhausted during the day. As he always did when he was troubled Rio made his way quietly to the Moonwell and knelt before it. Its presence reassured him and he closed his eyes in reverie. As he did pieces of the dream began to return tempered this time by the knowledge it wasn't just a random nightmare.

A vision of a cold dark woman with jet-black hair and cold gray eyes that rained fell magic down around him came unbidden. He was trapped in an endless maze of twisting contorted corridors and as he fled through them he knew, without looking back, that an enormous beast was pursuing him. Involuntarily he shuddered but allowed the vision to continue. The creature's hot breath stank of sulfur and as he fled for his life he could hear the woman's evil laugh ringing in his ears.

"There is no escape Otherworlder. I will feed your wife and children to my beastie when I am through with my revenge on you."

Rio said nothing of his nightmare and that evening he told Glow of his plans for Arial's Rite of Passage now that the spring equinox was now only a few days away. He had been prepared to defend his decision as necessary and appropriate but Glow had surprised him by leaving the decision to him.

"Arial's training in the ways of the Circle is not something I can help you with." She'd said nodding seriously. "And I certainly won't stand in the way of something that means so much to her. If you are sure that she's ready then you should proceed as Nara guides you."

"She's ready." Rio said with certainty. "And I'll be watching from a distance just to make sure she's safe."

The following morning he gathered Arial and Lothar around the small campfire and told them of the equinox two days hence and Arial's Rite of Passage. Lothar was stunned that Rio would send his daughter out, in the middle of winter, to search for a wolfhound that would probably eat her, and insisted that he be allowed to go along to protect her. Rio silenced him with a gesture and then a glare before returning his focus to Arial who seemed to be lost in thought.

Finally she smiled, not at Rio but at Lothar and said, "Don't worry Lothar, I'll be fine. I know what is safe to eat and not to eat. I know the forest and how to keep warm, and I know that the wolfhound won't hurt me. Why she and I are practically best friends already anyway."

Lothar shook his head and seemed to be about to protest but a stern look from Rio kept him silent. "Trust your judgement," he said to his daughter, "and remember what I have taught you. If you can not return with her it doesn't mean you have failed, only that I sent you out on the task before you were ready."

"Am I ready papa?" She said quietly. "I don't want to disappoint you or the EarthMother."

Rio smiled and hugged his daughter. Suddenly she seemed older to him and he found himself remembering her birth in High Forest.

"You are never a disappointment little bear, and regardless of what happens your mother and I, and Nara herself, will always love you."

"When do I start?" Arial asked, looking up to the top of the cliff where she'd most recently seen the wolfhound.

"Whenever you like." Rio told her with a smile. "But I'd wait until at least after breakfast and you've had a chance to think about what you'll want to take with you."

"Don't worry papa. I'll find her." Arial said with a determined look.

"I know." He told her. "Of that I have no doubt."

After breakfast Arial and Glow discussed what she would need and went into their excavated home to gather the items they'd decided on. Glow's backpack was a bit large for Arial but they'd tightened the straps as much as they would go and at least it was usable without discomfort. Rio did not ask what she had packed, trusting his wife's judgement implicitly, and simply hugged his daughter as she was ready to set out.

"Arial. Wait!" Lothar called emerging from his tent to come running up to her. "I want you to take this." Lothar held out his fur-lined cap with the odd fold down ear flaps. "It's still cold and you'll need it when the wind picks up."

Arial smiled at him. "Thank you Lothar." She said pulling her hair back and putting the cap on. "I'll see you soon."

Rio was pleased that Arial and Lothar had become friends. Initially he had been worried that they might see each other as rivals but that hadn't happened. At first they treated each other with polite indifference but then one day, about a month after Lothar arrived, it had come out in one of their conversations that he had never held a baby in his arms. When Arial heard this she took it upon herself to show him just the right way to do it and off she dragged him to Catherine and Atrus for some first hand experience. Glow had told him later that night that she'd never seen quite such a nervous young man.

Since then they had been much closer and had begun working on some of the more difficult tasks their training demanded together. The arrangement actually worked out well for all of them as Lothar had much to learn that Arial knew from her upbringing and several times already she had been able explain things to him more clearly than Rio himself.

The lad came to stand next to him and they watched Arial as she climbed up the rough stone stairway leading to the top of the cliff and disappeared from view.

"Are you sure she'll be all right out there? It gets really cold at night, I know I sleep out here in it."

Rio turned and smiled at his young apprentice. "Don't worry Lothar, she'll be fine. I have given her a ring that she can use for warmth in an emergency. Her test is not one of surviving the elements. The Rite will teach her to expand what she already knows and apply it to the goal of returning with the wolfhound."

"How did you know she was ready?"

"Just a feeling really." Rio replied after a moment of reflection. "Despite the fact that she is younger than most initiates Arial has a remarkable sense of the world around her. She was brought up in the ways of the Circle as was her mother, her grandmother and great-grandmother before her."

Lothar shook his head. "I'll never know as much as she does." He said in a dejected sort of tone. "She makes it all seem so easy."

The druid sighed a heavy sigh. "Come on Lothar. There is something you need to know." The two made there way over to the small fire pit where Bejorn and Herve were sorting through the Archivist's notes and sat down.

"Tell me why you are here." Rio asked his young apprentice.

"I… uh… " Lothar looked a little perplexed at the question. "You're teaching me to become a druid."

"Well," Rio answered. "That is WHAT you are doing but doesn't explain why. I want you to tell me why you are here."

"I'm here because you promised to help me understand the voices I hear in the wind."

"Hmm… well yes, that is the circumstance that caused you to seek me out but it doesn't address the root of the issue. Why are you here?"

Lothar was silent for a long time. Bejorn and Herve had stopped what they were doing and were now watching the conversation between Rio and Lothar with interest.

Finally, after a minute or so, Lothar replied.

"I am here because it is the right place for me to be. If there's a reason beyond that I don't know what it is."

Rio smiled and took a deep breath. "It is the right place for you to be. The reason you are here is because Nara is calling to you. The day you came to me I had you drink from the Moonwell, still your thoughts and listen for the voice you hear in the wind. Do you remember what you told me it said?"

"My name. It was calling to me." Lothar said. "I heard it as plain as if you had said it standing next to me."

Rio nodded. "I do not know why the EarthMother is calling to you. Perhaps I will never know… but you will. And whatever the reason may be it is important that you strive to find it… to answer her call and be whatever it is that she needs you to be. It doesn't matter what Arial does or how easy you might think things are for her. It doesn't matter if you ever know everything I do or achieve prominence in the inner rings or even the center of the Circle. What does matter is that Nara needs you, that she is calling out to you, and you must be prepared to follow the path she lays before you."

"But how can I follow a path when I can't understand what the voice is saying?" Lothar protested. "Don't I have to be a druid to do that?"

"Not all of the EarthMother's followers are druids." Rio told him seriously. "Many never master even the simplest demands of the Circle and therefore never become Initiates. It does not make them any less special in her eyes."

Rio stared up at the top of the cliff where his daughter had disappeared a few minutes prior. "It may be," he continued without looking at the lad, "that you are such a person but I rather doubt it. In any event it is our job to find out at least that much together. I have promised to teach you the ways of the Circle and teach you I shall."

"Don't worry. You'll make a fine druid in your own time and when you do come to know what Nara is asking of you then your time as my student will be over."

Lothar was silent as he absorbed Rio's words. "What will my Rite of Passage be?" He asked finally.

"That I can not say." Rio told him. "As you get closer to being ready for it the clearer it will be."

Lothar looked up to the top of the cliff. "I hope she passes the test." He said.

"Me too." The Archivist chimed in. "It will make a wonderful closing chapter."

Rio turned to regard the old man. He knew from speaking with Herve that Bejorn missed his daughter tremendously and the druid had begun to wonder how long the three of them would stay.

"You're almost finished then?" He asked.

"Yes." Bejorn said as he returned his attention to the stack of parchment he had laid out before him. "We shall return to Corwell and then Callidyr as soon as the weather permits."

Rio nodded. The winter had only just begun to loose it's grip and the howling storms still raced across the landscape bringing snow and sub-zero temperatures. Rio realized that any ship trying to sail from island to island would probably be crippled by ice and asked when the first runs were.

"Typically the island to island transports begin around mid Tarsakh (April)." Herve replied. "Before then it's just too risky."

"I hope you got what you came for." Rio said seriously. "I have enjoyed our reminiscences more than I thought I would. I trust your time wasn't wasted."

Bejorn laughed. "Even if no one reads it and I don't make a copper it has been worth it to me. You have honored me with your patience and hospitality." He patted the parchment before him. "It will be a wonderful story and I promise that I'll send you one of the first copies."

Rio smiled and regarded the old man fondly. Then, excusing himself from the others, he returned indoors for a word with Glow before setting off after Arial who now had a good ten-minute head start.

His daughter had headed straight for the ledge, roughly a mile to the east of the grove, that overlooked the fens and swamps that made up much of the majority of center of Moray. Rio had picked up her scent easily and followed behind at enough of a distance to escape detection. He'd chosen the form of a white mink to aid him in remaining hidden and followed Arial into the afternoon and evening.

She traveled slowly and carefully and stopped often to examine the subtle indications of life in the snowbound forest that would have been impossible for the untrained eye to find. She'd stayed at the ledge watching the land below for signs of her quarry for several hours and then set off again on a path that took her slowly down into frozen marshland. Occasionally he heard her humming to herself and as night began to fall, bringing the temperature down along with it, she'd found a large old tree stump at the edge of the forest that had a hollowed out root ball in which she could take shelter. It wasn't much but it kept the majority of the wind off of her as she rummaged through the backpack for her dinner. As she ate Rio saw her put on the Ring of Warmth.

"Good." He thought to himself. "She's taking no chances."

He watched as she munched quietly on some bread and cheese until he realized, upon catching the scent of her dinner, that he was hungry too. This caused him a bit of a dilemma until he realized that the cure for his hunger was, in fact, right in front of his nose. Slowly and carefully he approached Arial stopping every few feet to raise his nose and sniff vigorously as if to make sure he was still on the right track. When she finally saw him she stopped to watch him approach and when he was within ten feet she spoke softly.

"Hello little one." Arial said in a musical voice. "Are you hungry? You smell my dinner don't you?"

Rio froze as she spoke and backed up a few feet when she held out a small bit of food toward him.

"Come on." His daughter coaxed in a quiet voice. "I won't hurt you." She leaned forward and put the piece of bread on the ground in front of her.

Despite the cold Rio could smell the rich honey-wheat aroma and once again started cautiously toward her. Arial watched him without moving and finally, after several long minutes, he made his way into the rough shelter and snatched up the small piece devouring it hungrily. Arial smiled and slowly broke off another piece and held it out to him. Unwilling to seem too incautious he refused to take it directly from her hand but did allow her to put several more small pieces down for him before he shifted his attention to her backpack and began chewing on one of the leather flaps.

"Hey!" She protested in a firm but quiet voice. "Don't do that."

Rio ignored her until she reached over toward him and then he scampered away returning to the darkness to keep a watch on her. A few minutes later she crawled out from under the fallen stump and went several yards away to relieve herself. When finished she covered the mess up with snow, yawned and stretched, and then spent several minutes looking up into the darkening sky.

The druid watched with pride as his daughter gave thanks to the EarthMother and then crawled back into her small shelter where she retrieved a thick blanket that must have taken up the majority of the backpack, wrapped it around herself, and curled up to sleep. Waiting for about hour Rio then padded quietly over to where Arial was sleeping and curled up between her and the backpack. He resolved to chew on it a little more before she awoke but decided it could wait until the morning. Tucking his nose under the tip of his tail he slept until shortly before sunrise when Arial shifted and woke him up.

Smiling inwardly to himself he chewed a good-sized hole in the backpack and stole another piece of bread before departing. By the time Arial awoke and discovered it he was well hidden. He knew Glow would be able to fix the pack without too much trouble although he was sure she'd be annoyed at him when he told her it was he that had caused the damage.

He watched as Arial repacked the backpack and discovered the hole and then set off after her as she resumed her search. She followed the edge of the forest for about an hour, again travelling slowly looking for signs of the wolfhound. Twice already Rio had picked up remnants of the creature's scent and once had seen other evidence of its passage through the area but so far Arial had not discovered anything. Then suddenly she knelt down to examine something on the ground. Rio watched with interest as she rose, looked to the left and then to the right, and set off in a new direction. When he reached the spot where she had stopped he discovered a clump of fur stuck to the remains of a small thorn bush. The snow here was patchy and only an inch or two thick because of the angle of the ground to the sun but he clearly saw, a few yards away, a set of prints leading away back into the forest.

"Ah… now we're getting somewhere." He thought to himself. Rio transformed himself into a small thrush, one of the few species of bird that remained in Moray year round, and continued following Arial as she made her way through the forest. She was moving quickly now following an obvious trail of prints and the druid fluttered quickly from branch to branch in pursuit.

Arial came upon the wolfhound suddenly. It was in the middle of eating a rabbit and growled as she approached. Arial stopped about sixty feet away and lowered herself to a kneeling position. The wolfhound watched her warily but apparently decided that since she wasn't going to approach any further that she wasn't an immediate threat and resumed its breakfast.

Slowly, and without any sudden movements Arial took the backpack off and set it beside her. Reaching into a front pouch she retrieved the mistletoe needed for the Animal Friendship spell and waited for the wolfhound to finish. When it did turn it's attention away from the carcass and begin to lick the blood off of it paws she began the spell she and Rio had gone over so many times together. At first her voice wavered and Rio wondered if she'd be able to complete the incantation but the creature watched her with interest and when she was finished it came over to her and accepted the small bit of jerky she held out for it.

Rio watched with a father's pride as she stroked the wolfhound's coat and then stood up laughing.

"I did it. I did it. I did it." She exulted spinning around. "Oh Thistle, do you mind if I call you Thistle, we're going to be such good friends."

The creature sat looking up at her and Arial knelt down next to her and hugged the lady wolfhound. "Come on." She said finally. "Let's go home."

Rio launched himself into the air and flew back to the grove. He knew it would take Arial several hours to return but he was no longer concerned for her safety as the wolfhound would be quite an effective ally should anything menace them. When he returned to the grove he knelt before the Moonwell and gave thanks to Nara. Then he sought out Glow and proudly told her of their daughter's success.

At sundown Rio began the Celebration of Spring in the traditional way. He wanted everyone to participate so he made sure that the Archivist, Morn and Herve each understood what he expected of them and when they were to take an active part in the ceremony. Glow, of course, knew from experience what her part was to be and Arial and Lothar listened attentively as he outlined their roles. Arial, now that she was a true Initiate even though her formal binding wasn't until tomorrow at dawn, could barely contain her enthusiasm and raced around prior to the ceremony's beginning making sure that everything was just right.

Just before they began a group of travelers, a few mounted but most on foot, approached and called out a greeting in the name of the EarthMother. Rio greeted them warmly and Lothar, who'd been back near the Moonwell, came running up.

"Altair, Myrna, you came." The lad called out in greeting as he came to stand next to Rio. "This is my brother Altair and his wife." Lothar explained.

Rio shook hands and allowed a few minutes of introduction and greeting before he called for the beginning of the ceremony. Although he had not expected an audience, he did remember telling folks that he would begin holding public observances on this day so he wasn't about to turn anyone away, especially those that came in the EarthMother's name.

As he began, his mind jumped back to the day before he and Glow were married when he had heard the Great Druid of Waterdeep tell the same tale. He hoped that he would leave his audience as rapt and enlightened as he had been that day, now eleven years ago.

"In the beginning, the gods and all of the facets of creation were as one. Slowly, as time without end past and past again, the distance between them became greater and greater and strife and dissention threatened to destroy all that was, had been and will be again. Recognizing that destruction among them was imminent the old gods called forth and created the EarthMother who was a part of each of them at the core of their beings and thus was the Balance of Nature born and born again."

Rio felt the hand of the EarthMother on his shoulder. Her touch was electric and filled his vision, his body, his mind and his spirit with the wonder of creation. Behind him he could feel her presence manifesting in the Moonwell and knew that it's glow was intensifying.

"With the coming of the EarthMother the Circle of Nature was completed and began again for the first time. In all the myriad corners of creation the lands, the skies, the suns and the waters began to take shape and in each of them the EarthMother maintained the balance of seasons. As she held together the very fabric of existence the gods themselves came among the newly created worlds and began to fashion them to their own purposes. Again time without end past and past again and as the gods became more and more a part of the worlds they made so again was the balance brought to the edge of disaster."

As he spoke his awareness began to swirl around him in ever expanding circles. He found himself not only standing next to the Moonwell, weaving the story of the Circle's past, but also sitting in the grass among the audience, walking along the Shannyth river, and even at the pinnacle of the Orcskull mountains far to the south. All of Moray seemed to be within the reach of his hand and as he heard part of himself continue the story it occurred to the other part of him to look across the Strait of the Leviathan. As he did he became aware of Robyn Kendrick, her ethereal form towering over Gwynneth just as he himself seemed now to be high over Moray. Looking down he saw the Moonshae for what they truly were, the sensuous curves and contours of Nara's physical form as she lay embracing the physical substance of the world. The beauty of the moment brought him to tears and he opened himself completely to the will of his goddess.

For a moment that was both an eternity and the blink of an eye he felt himself in her embrace and heard her earthy voice whispering in his ear.

"And then there was balance!"

Rio takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. The grove is brightly lit by the soft glow of the Moonwell and he sees looks of wonder and awe in the eyes of those assembled.

"It is come." He says in a clear voice that carries throughout the grove. "We are welcome in the new arc and charged once again with maintaining the balance of seasons. All present are invited to stay with us this night and witness the binding of my daughter, Arial Eastwind, into the Circle of Initiates at the sunrise."

The next day, in a simple ceremony at dawn, Arial officially becomes a first level druid. Afterward, as Rio is watching her accept the congratulations of the small group from Kork, Glow comes to his side and puts her arm around him.

"Happy anniversary my husband." She says whispering in his ear.

Rio turns to face her and they kiss like young lovers before separating just enough to gaze longingly into each others eyes. Overcome by passion Rio has to restrain himself from caressing her breasts and instead pulls her back into a tight embrace.

"My love for you is as strong as the day we bound ourselves to each other." He says quietly. "The past eleven years have brought a joy and fulfillment that I never thought I'd find. When the Ria is ready I will bring a sapling here so that I may declare my love to you again."

Glow smiled. "I'd like that." She said taking his face in her hands and touching their foreheads together. "I wish that our Declaration Tree was here but since it isn't I like the idea of making another."

The touch of his lovers hands on his face brought a sense of profound contentment and belonging to the druid and he held his beloved tenderly until interrupted by Lothar with the news that the visitors would soon begin their return to Kork. Reluctantly breaking away from Glow, Rio thanked each of them and wished them a safe journey home.

"Please return for Greengrass." He told them. "Spread the word that all will be welcome."

They spent the rest of the day relaxing and talking about the adventures of the DragonSwords. Bejorn had wanted to fill in some details about several of their adventures in particular and asked several specific questions concerning Erin's role in them. Rio smiled and tried to imitate the warrior's battle cry but his effort didn't have near the effectiveness as the real thing and set the whole group, including himself, giggling at the attempt.

"I hope he returns one day." Bejorn said seriously after the laughter subsided. "He sounds like the kind of man we always need more of."

"That he is." Rio nodded. "I asked him to stay after the defeat of the risen cult but he had given his word to the Lady Estarria and was bound to honor it." The druid sighed and looked at Lothar who, in so many ways, reminded him of Erin despite his young age.

"I think he will return when he can for although he has traveled the world, and although he is a man without a clan, he is still a child of Moray and that can never be taken from him."

Bejorn nodded. "I hope you are right," he said after a long pause, "as I would very much like to meet him."

Over the next few weeks the snows begin to recede and as the weather warms Rio and Glow begin to take Atrus and Catherine out more and more often. As they do they begin to notice that the twins do not seem to like being apart from each other. When Glow comments on this to Rio they decide to perform a simple experiment to test the observation. With Rio holding Catherine and Glow holding Atrus they begin to move slowly toward opposite ends of the grove. When they get to about forty or fifty feet apart both of the twins begin to get noticeably agitated and by the time they get to about eighty feet apart both Catherine and Atrus are screaming, squirming and angry children.

As they come back together the unhappiness vanishes leaving Rio and Glow pondering what it means. Just to be sure they repeat their test several more times and each time the results are the same.

"Hmm…" Glow says aloud to herself. "This can only mean one thing." That night, to confirm her suspicions, Glow uses her psionic abilities to examine their infant children and almost immediately smiles and shakes her head.

"They're definitely connected." She says looking over to where Rio is watching quietly. "I can't tell to what degree because their minds are still in a very formative stage but they are without a doubt linked together."

"Does that mean I'll be able to hear their thoughts like I can yours mama?" Arial asked.

"I don't know sweetheart." Glow replied. "It may be that the link will fade as they grow older. Or it may be that one or both of them will become powerful in the disciplines of the mind. We won't know for sure until they're older."

Arial nodded and scratched Thistle between the ears. "I hope they can." She said honestly. "I think it will be fun."

Rio continued to work on the excavation of their home but as the days became longer and plant life began returning from it's winter dormancy, he spent more and more time out and about. Most of the time it was with Arial and Lothar as he continued their instruction but this particular day found him exploring alone, in wolf form, on the west side of the Shannyth River. He had traveled south and was nearing the foothills leading into the OrcSkull mountains when he spotted a group of vultures swooping, circling and diving to the earth at a point just over the next ridge. Going to investigate he finds the bodies of several of the small shaggy ponies that often roam the moors and grasslands.

To his horror he discovers that they have been mauled and slashed and strewn about as if something strong had come upon them smashing and ripping their bodies. Examining the wounds he is able to determine that some of the injuries are horrific bite marks as chunks of flesh have been torn away. The odd thing about it is that there seems to have been three distinct creatures causing the damage.

Returning to human form to investigate further Rio shoos away the vultures, who scream and cry their frustration at having their meal interrupted, and investigates the scene in great detail. There are tracks of the five ponies and one set of human prints coming into the area and signs of grazing. There is also a set of giant heavily clawed prints that appear from nowhere followed by the signs of slaughter. The last of the giant prints have left a deep indent in the soft grass and Rio guesses that from the sudden appearance and disappearance of the track the attacker was some kind of flying creature.

Going back to the dead ponies Rio examines the wounds closely and his eyes are able to confirm what his nose had told him previously. Some of the bites show the mark of a clearly feline set of teeth. Others seem to indicate some type of large reptile or dragon while still others look like the flesh had been squeezed by a large set of pincers. Continuing to search the area for clues Rio sees a small pile of rubble and turns a few pieces over pondering their significance. He is about to dismiss it as irrelevant when one piece in particular catches his eye. It looks like the eye, nose and cheek of a stone statue and as the realization of it's true nature comes to him he is appalled and frightened by the magnitude of what he has discovered.

The rubble is the remains of the pony herder turned to stone and smashed to bits. Some of the pieces have nearly been ground into dust by whatever foul spawn of the underworld caused the rest of the damage.

Rising quickly Rio scans the horizon in all directions looking for any sign of such a creature. After a moment of deliberation he decides that the risk of such a creature remaining unknown and undetected is too great and he transforms into great gray hawk to investigate the surrounding countryside. He concentrates his search mostly in the foothills and then in the craggy peaks and valleys of the OrcSkull range itself, but after nearly nine hours of flight he has discovered nothing of any such creature.

Settling in a gnarled old tree trunk for the night Rio maintains his avian form and after a fitful sleep, replete with dark forbidding dreams, continues his search throughout the morning. At noon he has still found nothing so he turns into the wind and heads for home.

After a short hour's flight Rio descends into the grove, shakes his feathers and then returns to human form. Arial is knelt in front of the Moonwell, Glow and Bejorn are talking in hushed voices somewhat to the side and Morn, Herve and Lothar are nowhere to be seen. Glow is the first to notice his return and rushes up to him wrapping her arms around him momentarily.

"Oh my brown bear." she says in a worried and relieved tone. "Where have you been? I've been trying to contact you for hours."

"I've some…" Rio begins but is interrupted by Arial who comes running up and appears to be next to tears.

"Oh Papa it was horrible. We found them this morning and I didn't know what to do. Lothar helped me get the bodies but there was so much blood and the Moonwell stopped glowing. She'll come back won't she? Oh please let her come back."

Seeing that Arial is very upset Rio picks her up and holds her in his arms gently rocking her back and forth as she begins sobbing.

"Shhhh little bear. It'll be OK." He looks to Glow. "What happened?"

"This morning at dawn we found the bodies of three wolves in the Moonwell." Glow said solemnly. "I tried to contact you to let you know but I couldn't find you anywhere. I told Arial to wait until you got back before doing anything but she wouldn't listen."

She came to stand next to Rio and stroked Arial's hair and face. "They were torn and broken and I thought she would burst at the sight of them. Finally, against my wishes, she and Lothar went in and got the bodies out. The men have taken them into the forest toward the river to build a cairn. Arial wanted to go with them but Lothar wouldn't have it. He told her that the Moonwell needed a druid and that she had no choice but to stay with it. She's spent the entire morning praying and trying to clean the blood from the stones surrounding it."

Where were you? I was starting to get really worried."

Rio sighed and told them of his discovery the previous day and his search to find whatever creature had done it. Although he left the more gruesome details out he could see the color drain from Glow's face as he spoke. "Don't worry my love. I'll let no harm come to us."

"Arial… Arial…" He said patting his daughter's back gently until she looked at him and tried to wipe away her tears. "You did exactly the right thing and I'm very proud of you for being so brave."

"I did?" She said brightening a bit.

"Yes," he replied, "and I need you to keep doing exactly what you were doing. Such acts of desecration push the EarthMother away from the Moonwell but she will never abandon it, just as she would never abandon us, as long as we are true to the Circle. When I return I will join you and we will pray together."

"But where are you going?" Arial protested.

"I must see the bodies and try to determine the nature of their killer. I'll be back soon I promise."

Arial nodded and collected herself before returning to the Moonwell to resume her prayers. Reaching out to Glow, Rio held her for a long moment and kissed her forehead. Glow hugged him tightly and for a minute or so refused to let him go.

"You come back to us." She said finally.

Rio pulled her back into a hug. "Always my love… Always!"

It took him about ten or fifteen minutes to reach the spot Lothar, Morn and Herve had chosen to build the cairn. After hearing basically the same story from Lothar, with Morn adding details for emphasis, Rio examines the bodies of the wolves before helping to cover them up with the stones the three men had gathered. The wounds were identical to the ones he'd seen the previous day on the carcasses of the ponies and as they made their way back to the grove his recurring dream, and the cold laughter of a dark woman, returned to the forefront of his thoughts.

Over the course of the next week Rio spent much time in aerial reconnaissance and had Glow, Arial, Lothar and Morn, as a group, out looking for any earthbound signs of whatever monster was responsible for the attacks. He'd given Glow the Blast Scepter for protection and made her promise to use the last of the Acorn's of Sylvanis should the need arise. Even though they were armed with two such powerful items, in addition to Morn's sword, he was still a bit uncomfortable sending them out without him. However, he was even more uncomfortable with his lack of knowledge about the creature and after a week of finding nothing he decided to Commune with Nature for guidance. The results of his spell did nothing to ease is concern.

The monster was indeed after him, his family and anything he held dear. While unable to determine it's exact nature he did discover that it was the minion of an evil human mage, and that she was the wife of the high priest of Bane that the Dragonswords had killed the previous summer in the battle at the grove of the Great Druid. This fit right in with the nightmare that had been plaguing him for the previous month. Worse yet was that both of them, the mage and the creature, would be coming to the grove to exact revenge on Rio for his part in the high priest's death.

The only bright spot in the information he gathered from the casting was that although the evil pair would attempt to approach unseen, and attack with the element of surprise, that they would somehow be thwarted in their effort which would give Rio time to prepare.

When he told the others what he had learned there was silence all around. Finally the Archivist rose and began to speak. At first he seemed unsure of what he wanted to say but finally, after taking a deep breath, he look Rio in the eye.

"My Lord, I hope you don't think me a coward, but I feel it is time for us to return home."

Rio nodded. Part of him was, in truth, surprised that Bejorn had stayed as long as he had. They'd gotten word earlier in the month that the shipping lanes had reopened and the supply ships had once again begun the seasonal travels to Moray from the other major ports in the Moonshae. He knew from their earlier conversations that they had intended to be on the first of them that became available but for whatever reason had delayed their departure. He smiled at the old man.

"All three of you have fought bravely at our sides on several occasions. You have helped with the mundane work of the grove and been invaluable as companions and friends. I would think no less of you were you to leave now, two weeks from now or two months from now."

"I know Mira must miss you terribly and I have seen in your face that you miss her no less so. Know that you, all of you, will always be welcome here."

Bejorn nodded and shook Rio's hand firmly. "I will send you a copy of the book as soon as it is ready, I promise." He said. "Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to write it."

The Archivist, Morn and Herve then spent the afternoon packing and the following morning the three of them, after firm handshakes, hugs and instructions that they tell everybody they met to please come to the grove for the celebration of Greengrass, departed for Moray.

That day Rio spent the majority of his time fortifying the grove. He set several snares and tripwires in the surrounding forest both above and below the cliff to alert him of anyone coming. He called as many of the woodland creatures he could and set them to the task of notifying him of any unusual circumstances and finally, as a safeguard for the grove itself, he cast Hallucinatory Forest to mask its location until Greengrass.

The following morning, as he did his morning prayer cycles with Arial and Lothar, the EarthMother put the powerful wards of Forbiddance into his head and when he was finished he invoked them on the interior of his home to protect those within.

The day before Greengrass people from the surrounding villages and towns began to arrive and Rio let the Hallucinatory Forest fall away. He met them all as they arrived and welcomed them to camp either within or outside the grove, wherever they felt the most comfortable. By evening they numbered almost a hundred and by dawn of GreenGrass Rio was astonished to discover that their numbers had swelled to almost three hundred. He went among them introducing his family and Lothar, curing a few small wounds and blessing any in the name of the EarthMother who desired it.

At noon he began gathering them into small informal groups of thirty or forty and relating the significance of the Greengrass holiday and how they could best keep covenant with the EarthMother on this day and all that followed. By late afternoon he finished with the last group and took a few moments to himself to reflect on the days activities and his plans for the evening.

As he rested Glow came to sit next to him. She had Catherine cradled in her arms and Rio looked around for Atrus knowing that he couldn't be far away. Glow smiled at him.

"You've made quite an impact on these people." She said quietly. "They are happy and proud that you've come to live among them, especially since they know you are second only to the Robyn when it comes to rank in the Circle."

Rio frowned. It made him a little uncomfortable that in that sense he was seen as a status symbol for the people of Moray but he dismissed the thought as irrelevant and reached over to take Catherine who was looking around with her beautiful green eyes drinking in the activity around her. His daughter pulled at his beard, as she always did, and the druid cooed at her with his best barn owl imitation.

"They are a good people." Rio replied. "Rough around the edges but as sturdy as the rugged landscape they've made their home. They've held their faith throughout the dark times of the last generation and for the most part hold the ways of Nara in their hearts and habits even if they do not recognize it as being so." He smiled at his beautiful wife and shifted Catherine over to the other arm.

"If they have a failing it is that they still hold a strong distrust and in many cases even hatred for the Northmen despite the alliances Tristan and Alicia have forged in the last few years. Perhaps it is justified given the history of raids and war between the two peoples but I can not help but feel such attitudes may cause all of us grief at some point in the future."

Glow nodded and accepted Atrus from Arial who had been proudly showing him off. "I hope you are wrong on that account." She said. "Listen… the harpers are even now playing the Ballad of the Coral Kingdom. I think that as the newness of the times wears off so will the old, hard feelings go as well."

Rio listened as the harpers, two women and two men, sung the story of the Tristan's captivity and rescue. He had to admit that with such songs telling of alliances and friendship between the two peoples that maybe the bad blood between the Ffolk and the Northmen would soon become a thing of the past. He thought about what he would say to the village elders and clan leaders later that evening and decided that he would touch lightly on the subject to see if it would strike any nerves.

Suddenly the mood was broken as several people screamed. Looking up quickly Rio saw the several bodies come crashing to the ground from a great height. Handing Catherine quickly to Glow he rushed over and knelt beside the bodies. The man and two women were all dead, crushed by great clawed talons and badly burned. Rising and scanning the sky he sees the perpetrator speeding away in the dim twilight on the wings of a red dragon. He knows instinctively that this is the creature he has been searching for and, in his rapidly rising rage, transforms into a hawk and leaps into the air in pursuit.

The creature is a strange unnatural mix of monsters. It's large, perhaps five feet at the shoulder, and has the hindquarters of a bull covered in metallic scales. The midsection and wings are that of a red dragon and the front quarters are that of a large lion. From its massive shoulders sprout three heads, a lion's from the center, a stone-like bulls from the left shoulder and a red dragon's head from the right. It moves quickly flying to the south and Rio is hard pressed to keep up with it. Somehow he stays within sight of it but as it enters the OrcSkull Mountains Rio crashes full speed into an invisible barrier (which he later decides was probably a Wall of Force) and is knocked senseless. Unable to recover his awareness in time he plummets toward the earth where he crashes through the trees and hits a large branch before dropping with a thud to the ground below.

It is many long minutes before the world stops spinning and he is able to accurately assess his situation. The bruised ribs are a given and at first his inclination tells him that he has a dislocated shoulder. Despite the pain he is able to stretch his wing out to its full extent, which tells him that it's not dislocated after all, and he gingerly brings himself to his feet. After another few minutes the ringing in his head has died down enough for him to return his attention to the night sky. His hawk's sharp eyes reveals nothing and, after a few test flaps just to be sure, he drags himself back into the air and makes a few slow circles looking for any sign of his attacker or the creature he was pursuing.

Finding no traces of either he returns to the grove and bathes his injuries in the Moonwell before returning to human form. The scene is somewhat chaotic but he is soon able to calm everyone down, if not relieve their fears, and calls the elders and clan leaders to meet with him. He tells them honestly of his discovery of the ponies of the previous week and the bodies of the wolves dropped in the Moonwell a few days ago. At their questions he can only reply that the creature whereabouts are still unknown but urges them not to panic.

"The EarthMother has revealed that the creature, and it's dark mistress, seek revenge against me and my family for my part, as a member of the Dragonswords, in the death of her lover who was the high priest of the risen cult. They will come in search of me hoping to catch me unawares but I am not unprepared for them."

"We will stay and defend you." One of the men said. "The swords of the clan of the black wolf are legendary and we will stand to the last if necessary." The others chimed in their agreement and Rio was deeply touched by their loyalty after only such a short time among them.

"I thank you." He said clasping hands with many of them. "You honor me greatly by the offer of support but this is one battle I must insist you let me fight in my own way." As they began to protest he held up his hands in a call for silence. "You must understand that against the creature we saw tonight and the dark magic of its evil mistress your swords will offer little protection. Such a battle must be won with cunning, stealth and the power of the EarthMother as only I can wield it." He paused looking from face to face to make sure they were listening.

"It may be that the time will come when we must join together against a common foe. If that day does come we will stand together as brothers and show any enemy the stone and steel that is the will of the Ffolk of Moray, but now is not that time. For now I need you to protect yourselves, your families and your homes as you have always done."

"But what of your family and your home?" The large man who made the original offer said.

"I placed my life and the lives of my wife and children in the hands of the EarthMother long ago." Rio said in a steady voice that didn't show the apprehension he felt. "They will be safe I assure you."

Grudgingly the man nodded and the issue was resolved. "I think it would be best if you all stayed here in the grove tonight." Rio told them. "Gather your families if you are not already camped within and I shall see that no further evil befalls us."

As the group disbursed and then gathered everyone within the confines of the grove Rio walked the perimeter and set several instances of the Wyvern Watch and Snare in the surrounding forest. When finished he told everyone to make sure they stayed within a few yards of the grove boundary for the duration of the night.

Rio slept that night leaning up against the trunk of Iy and in the morning released the warding spells so that no one would be trapped as they begun the journey back to whatever part of the island they called home. Then, when everyone was gone and the population of the grove had returned to just themselves and Lothar, Rio recast the Hallucinatory Forest and rested his injuries for the remainder of the day.

Two days later, on the 2nd of Mirtul (May), a seagull swooped into the grove and chattered incessantly until Rio cast Speak With Animals and learned that a ship carrying friends was approaching Moray. From the seagull's description the druid estimated the ship to be only two days from making port at Moray, which meant that his friends, that he hoped were Dre, Sarana and Raagnar, would be arriving sometime on the 6th.

The next couple of days past slowly as Rio continued to keep a constant vigil for any sign of the winged horror or its' evil mistress. Then, on the evening of the 5th, the dream of being chased by the creature through the never ending corridors returns full force and Rio awakens suddenly drenched in sweat despite the cool night air. Hurrying to the Moonwell, which is glowing faintly in the soft moonlight, Rio senses the EarthMother's presence strongly and kneels before it. In his heart and head he can hear her voice as she speaks.

"Evil seeks you child and reaches you before the sun again sets."

Knowing that the day has come for him to face his enemy many thoughts and feelings race through his head. With an effort he quiets them all and simply draws strength from the goddess before him.

When the dawn comes he tells Glow, Arial and Lothar that today is the day they will face the evil that seeks them. "I want you two to be extremely careful and stay close to the grove." He tells Lothar and Arial specifically. "Be sure and keep alert and let me know at ANY sign of trouble." They both promise to do so. Now that spring has arrived and the snows are mostly gone Arial has been working on establishing her garden and climbs up the cliff to continue her efforts. Lothar heads a short way into the forest in the opposite direction where Rio has assigned him the task of gathering herbs and roots.

Unwilling to leave the grove but uncomfortable with the idea of not being able to view the surrounding area Rio turns to the Moonwell and casts Reflecting Pool on its surface. As the spell is completed a picture of the grove begins to form on the surface of the water. As Rio focuses his attention on it the view begins to expand in response to his will. When he has the size image he wants he slowly begins to move the focus away from the grove and toward the Shannyth River. When he has the river fully in view he moves the focus at first to the south, keeping the river in the center, and then to the north of the trail that leads from the river to the grove. About a mile or so north of the intersection of the river and the trail he sees a small group of travelers heading in this direction. Zooming his magical view in on them to determine their identity Rio smiles and calls Glow over to take a look.

Heading toward them, now only and hour or so away, are the unmistakable figures of Raagnar, Dre and Sarana.
 
 

End of Transition