Part 4 - The High Forest

Two months have past since Rio and Glow parted company with the covered wagon. Twice Glow has attempted to contact Dre telepathically to find out their status and twice her efforts have been unsuccessful. She furrows her brow and shakes her head.

"I don't know." she says to Rio after the third attempt. "I've a good clear picture of her in my mind but for some reason the link will not open. Rio I'm worried. What if something awful has happened to them."

The druid takes his wife gently by the shoulders and looks deep into her eyes.

"Both Dre and Raagnar are more than capable of looking after themselves..." he says trying to sound reassuring. "... and they're both at home in Waterdeep. I'm sure that whatever has come up, whatever the reason you can not reach them, they're fine and will find a way to rejoin us or contact us when they can."

The two agree that there is nothing to be gained by waiting any longer and come to the decision to postpone their journey to Shadowdale in favor of traveling to High Forest. It is a liberating decision for Rio who has always been a loner by choice. He realizes one evening that in the last month not only has he regained the fine edge on his sense of smell but also that he can no longer hear the... noise... of civilization echoing in his ears and consciousness. When he comments on this to Glow she laughs saying that she's been watching him 'unwind' since the full moon previous and the romp that permanently bound their souls together.

He grins, well remembering the evening they had combined a physical joining with as complete a mental joining as her ability made possible, and admits readily that since that day he has not been the same.

********

Their journey to the High Forest takes them several months and looking back in the later years of his life, Rio will always remember them as probably the finest period in a lifetime of many wonders. They reach the River Shining on a day that is overcast and cold. Rio has been refining his survival skills [additional non-weapon proficiency gained] and so far they have lived off the land efficiently, and for the most part, comfortably.

That evening, as they are replenishing their fresh water supply, Rio hears, over the din of the river, one of the last sounds he would ever have expected. That of a human raised in song.

"There was a young woman was raised by the sea..." an unusually long pause.

"She was wed to a good man a sailor was he..."

Rio whispers his discovery to Glow who cocks her head listening intently.

"Their children they founded the Kingdom of Kree..."

Glow nods in acknowledgment and the two set off cautiously in the direction of the singing.

"And this is their tale as was told unto me..."

Sitting near the river, his back to a large rock, is a middle-aged human with a small flute. Tied to a nearby tree is a small mare munching contentedly from a feed bag. There, clearly visible on the horses cover quilt, is the mark of the Harpers.

"Greetings !" Rio calls out. The poor guy nearly pops out of his skin and hastily draws a dagger. Looking around furiously he spots Rio and Glow and watches them approach.

"I say..." he calls out in a thick accent that Rio's never heard, "You could scare a bloke to death sneaking up on 'im like that gov'nor. Nearly pissed myself I did. Oh. Pardons m'lady," he says addressing Glow, "Sometimes me mouth has a tendency to overrun me brain."

Rio introduces himself and Glow and the mans jaw drops. "No bloomin' way !! Rio ?!?" He eyes the druid critically. "The only place I ever heard that name is in songs sung of the Otherworlders."

There is a long pause as he examines Rio and then Glow. "By the queen you really are him aren't you. The honor is all mine sir I assure you."

He bows deeply to Glow and looks back and forth between the two. "Married you are too... Hmm... That's not mentioned in any of the songs I've heard."

Introducing himself as Broderick the bard insists that they join him in sharing his small dinner. "Just wait right there and I'll have enough fish caught for a fine fry." Good to his word Broderick catches several good size fish and soon has them scaled and frying over a small fire. And he insists that Rio tell him of his travels during the meal. The mans enthusiasm is hard to ignore and Rio tells him an abridged version of the events that have led him to this place and time. It seems to satisfy his curiosity.

"I shall be sure to tell Sarana I saw you and that you are well. I know that it will please her to hear of your good fortune."

At Rio's inquiry as to how the man knows Sarana he replies saying that every year there is, what the harpers call, a Fair of Scarborough that is one of their major gatherings each year.

"I met her there last year. A smashing singer with a group called... oh what was it... Morning Glory and Windchimes... Morning Glory and Moonshine... something like that. We got off rather well actually. Had some real harmony together we did... strictly in the musical sense of course."

After thanking him for a delightful change from their diet of the last few weeks, Rio and Glow take their leave of him and travel along the river well into the evening. To the west the river valley rises slowly and gracefully away to where it meets the outer eastern edge of the High Forest. To the east the slope is not so gentle as it reaches toward the northern Greypeak Mountains. Finally Glow calls ahead to Rio to stop for the night.

In the morning Rio wants to scout ahead by air and leaves his club behind for Glow to use just in case. Transforming into a large falcon he soars aloft reaching a good altitude and then continues along the river in their direction of travel. Glow seems confident that they must be within a day or two of the ruins her father referred to where the old road begins and finally, after almost an hour of steady flight, the druid can see their target in the distance on the horizon. He circles over the spot a few times looking carefully for any activity but sees nothing other than a pack of wild hogs rooting around a little further down river.

Returning to Glow with the news, he finds her scantily dressed and sunning herself in the cool morning air. He lands on a nearby stump, ruffles his feathers and spreads and beats his wings several times. She looks over at him and winks saying what a magnificent specimen he is but to be sure he's gone before her jealous husband returns to find them together. He cries out with the Falcons shrill voice and winks back at her. Glow laughs, gathers up her things and the two continue on.

********

The reunion of Glow with her parents is a happy one. Rio finds himself the topic of much conversation during the first several weeks but it subsides to a comfortable level as the novelty of his presence wears off and he is accepted into the clans hearts and homes. He settles into the routine of tending to Tall Trees as if he has lived among them forever and he and Glow are assigned a small wooden cottage by the clan leader.

"It is yours to use or not as you see fit." the man tells Rio. "Like you my mate is not an Initiate and seems to need a shelter to call home."

Rio thanks him politely accepting the simple accommodations, which he and Glow have cleaned up, with some help from her father, in fairly short order. Their small community, which numbers between 15 and 30 depending on how many are currently traveling about, is remarkably like the one Rio lived in up until the age of seven and he finds himself remembering bits of childhood thought long lost from memory.

One day, in the third season of their stay, Glow meets Rio at the door with a mischievous and radiant smile.

"I have a gift for you." she says leading him to the thick woven blanket that is their simple bed. When he's gotten settled the druid looks quizzically at his wife waiting for her to continue only to be pounced on, knocked over and sat on. When Glow leans over to kiss him he stops his half-hearted struggle and drinks the full of her lips. After she sits back up she takes his hands and places them on her belly. "We have a child."

The birth of their daughter, Arial Eastwind, nine months later brings many of the wandering clans to their small outpost for the ritual naming ceremony and Rio meets many he has not seen before including one of the three ArchDruids of High Forest who offers to take him on as an attendant should he be able to defeat one of his existing three attendants in the standard woodland combat. Rio, knowing the seriousness of the offer and that he risks offending the man should he refuse, bows deeply in acknowledgment of the honor he is being bestowed before answering.

"I am honored by the opportunity..." he replies seriously. "and gratified by your belief that I would make a acceptable attendant. But my life here among you has only just begun. My family is a new and precious thing that I am not willing to walk away from. I know the day will come that I am forced to seek you out and demand that I be given the opportunity that you now so freely offer, and I hope that on that day your belief in my abilities will not be given cause to waver, but for now I must decline." Again Rio bows, this time keeping his head down until the ArchDruid speaks.

"As you wish." the ArchDruid says in a disappointed but understanding tone. "I'm sure we shall be seeing each other again. Until then may Silvanis guide your path."

********

The months and years pass. At one point Glow contacts her grandmother in Waterdeep hoping to learn something of what has happened to Dre and Raagnar. The Great Druid of Waterdeep replies that she has heard nothing of them but will inquire of the Lords to see if anything can be learned. When Glow contacts her several weeks later there is no news and Rio wonders if they made the right decision not returning to Waterdeep when they had the chance.

Several times during this period he and the others of their small encampment are called upon to help discourage an adventuring party from making their way into High Forest. The majesty of Tall Trees makes this a no-brainer and he actually sort of enjoys running the "Polluted Ones", as they are known, out of the area.

All the while Arial grows up into a remarkable child gifted with her mothers features and her fathers curly brown hair. She is the light of his life and he relishes the time they spend together exploring the woods, discovering the bounty of life found within. On the seventh anniversary of her naming she is accepted into the clan as a full member and begins the three years of intensive training that will determine her course in life.

The day that she departs for Center Tree (the center of Druidic learning in High Forest) finds Rio and Glow happy, sad and proud all at the same time. The both hug their daughter tightly and promise they'll see her at each of the equinox festivals. Arial, showing remarkable maturity, hugs them ferociously but assures them that she'll be fine.

"And don't worry." she says seriously. "I'll take good care of Papa."

Glow smiles grateful that her father is accompanying Arial on the journey and will stay with her for a while until she gets settled in.

"I'm sure you will sunshine." Glow says kneeling to hug her daughter one last time. "We'll see you soon."

They watch the two join the end of the caravan bound for Center Tree and Glow turns to Rio hugging him tightly. Again that feeling of joy at their joining overwhelms him and he wonders to himself how it could possibly be that she is more beautiful now than on their joining day, now more than eight years past. But she is, of that there is no doubt in his mind. He buries his face in her long dark hair, and then scooping her up into his arms, carries her back into their home of these many years.

[Continued in Part 5 - The Grand Druid]