With a ways to go the village outskirts still, Lucinda reached the ground and shifted into her deer form. She had seen no sign of Wollow yet, who Waflaw had said would guide her to him, but she had another thing occupying her thoughts. Namely animal companion names. Ever since bonding her vulture friend, Lucinda had been considering what she might want to call her, and at last she was narrowing in on a final choice.

Ah… I can’t decide! ‘Marrow’ is a cute name. It’s bone-related, I’m sure she’d be happy with it! But… ‘Morrow’ is nice too. It’s still bone-like, but it’s also more similar to ‘Wollow’, which is a bit silly, but I kind of like it.

Maybe I should let her decide, though I have a feeling I know which she’ll choose…

“Hi!” Lucinda sent to her animal companion through the bond they shared, which also revealed her location as being a considerable distance up above in the sky.

“Friend! Fly?”

“No, not yet, I wanted to ask about names. You remember my name?”

“Friend Lucinda!”

“That’s right,” Lucinda replied, while feeling a sharp positive increase to her mood. “But, you need a name too. I’m stuck between ‘Marrow’ and ‘Morrow’.”

“Name?”

“Sorry, I’ll explain what they mean. ‘Marrow’ is what’s inside bones, you know the soft part. While ‘Morrow’ means the next day, as in once the sun goes away, and comes back. It’s also more like Waflaw’s companion, the male deer, Wollow.”

Alongside her words, Lucinda added images to clarify her explanations. Bone marrow was easy enough, and she doubted she really needed to explain it, but she added a picture of a broken bone with the interior visible all the same. For her second possible option, she ended up sending an image of Wollow himself, which caused a strong reaction in her bird companion.

“Deer! Bone!”

Oh crap, I totally forgot about antlers… This could be a problem…

“Promise me you won’t try and eat Wollow’s antlers? I don’t think he’d take it well, and he’s very strong for a deer!”

“Bone!” her companion replied, providing an image with the word that helped put Lucinda’s mind at ease.

“Oh, you’ll only eat them if they’re not attached? That’s a relief… Then, how about your name? Marrow or Morrow?”

“Bone! Marrow!” the eager tone of the mental voice forced a laughing bleat from Lucinda’s mouth.

“I knew it… Marrow it is then.”

I wish to name my animal companion, Marrow.

“There we are, you are now my best friend, Marrow!”

“Marrow!”

With her companion named, at last, Lucinda took a moment to prepare herself for meeting Waflaw, before setting off towards the village once more. Crunching through the light snow covering that lay upon the ground, she didn’t have far to go before Waflaw’s stag appeared before her. With no sign of agitation or injury that she could detect, Lucinda greeted the other deer with a nod of her head, and a projection of happiness.

It became clear that Wollow was leading her towards the village almost immediately, which helped put Lucinda’s remaining concerns about Waflaw and his situation to rest. Then once within the village itself, she was greeted with a few warm smiles and cheery waves as Wollow escorted her to the inn.

“Thanks, Wollow,” Lucinda said, offering the stag a few neck rubs as they stood outside the inn building. “Oh, if you see anything slightly unusual out there, can you not tell Waflaw, at least for now?”

Wollow’s response was to turn around and leave, leaving Lucinda to wonder if her request had been successful. With an amused smile at the animal’s attitude, Lucinda entered the inn.

The interior of the building was much as she remembered, with a collection of simple tables and stools, and a plain wooden counter opposite the door that was occupied by the same female innkeeper. Returning the greeting from the older woman, Lucinda’s gaze wandered over to Waflaw, who was the only customer of the day, and seated near the corner along the wall from the door. Taking a moment to take in the Druid’s appearance, which seemed exactly as she recalled, Lucinda offered a much warmer wave, and then hurried over to greet him properly.

“My wayward apprentice returns! Good to see you made it back alive!” Waflaw called out as she closed upon the table.

“Hi, Waflaw! Good to you see you too,” Lucinda replied with a happy smile on her face, that matched Waflaw’s closely.

“Come here.” Waflaw rose from the table and held his arms wide in invitation. “A few simple words are hardly enough at a time like this.”

“You’re right,” Lucinda agreed, before closing the remaining distance between them and embracing her mentor. “You didn’t really think I’d die out there, did you?”

Waflaw chuckled briefly at the question, sending vibrations through Lucinda’s body.

“Of course not. Well, maybe some young Druids have lost their lives seeking a companion, but I was sure you would be just fine. And here you are!”

“Here I am,” Lucinda agreed, pulling back from the hug.

“You succeeded then?”

“I did! A lot happened out there… But, I made it in the end! She’s waiting nearby if you want to meet her?”

“You know I do. I wasn’t lying when I said I was probably almost as excited as you are about this, and that hasn’t changed since. Lead the way.”

With a spring in her step, Lucinda led her mentor outside the inn, and from there to the outskirts of the village.

“She’s been looking forward to meeting you,” Lucinda offered with a grin that she hoped wasn’t too excessive.

“Is she a bird? Or did you change your mind?”

“You’ll have to wait and see…” Lucinda replied cryptically while fighting an increasing urge to laugh out loud. “Shall I call her?”

“Yes, don’t keep me waiting!” Waflaw demanded good-naturedly.

“Okay…” Lucinda turned away from the village and brought her hands up to her mouth. “Wiggles, you can come out now!”

Waflaw let out a bark of laughter as he heard the name.

“Pretty much as I expected, your love for cute things…”

As Waflaw’s words cut short, Lucinda had to resort to biting her lip to keep from laughing. Even so, she barely succeeded in remaining silent as the animal she’d called emerged from a nearby bush.

“A pig…” Waflaw said in obvious disbelief. “Er…Okay…”

“Isn’t she… cute…” Lucinda managed to say with some difficulty, as she gently patted the back of the rotund pink animal.

Lucinda lasted a few seconds more, before the shocked and partly horrified expression upon her mentor’s face pushed her over the edge. With unrestrained mirth, she boomed out her laughter for all to hear, bringing tears to her eyes with its intensity.

“Hah…” Waflaw said, his tone belaying some annoyance, while his eyes narrowed and snapped to Lucinda. “You got me…”

Another burst of laughter left Lucinda’s lips as her mentor admitted his defeat, and Waflaw soon joined in.

“A new spell, then?” Waflaw asked, once he and Lucinda had recovered. “Or did you abduct one of the village pigs for this little scheme of yours?”

“A spell,” Lucinda replied, as she wiped the remaining moisture from her eyes. “It’s a really useful one! Especially for tricking mentors!”

“So it would seem.” Waflaw’s amused frown that joined his words almost brought a giggle from Lucinda, but she just barely managed to resist. “Now, how about you show me your real animal companion? Or have you got more ‘fun’ in mind?”

“Sure,” Lucinda agreed, before reaching into her pack and removing a single bone, which she then held up into the air in one hand. “Marrow!” she shouted loudly, directing her voice upwards in the direction she felt her companion was in.

“Marrow…?” Waflaw queried, as he looked at the bone she held. “Don’t tell me you’ve found a flying dog.”

“Friend? Fly?”

“Yes, come and meet Waflaw! I’ve got a bone for you.”

“Bone!”

“She’s coming now,” Lucinda said out loud. “And no she isn’t a flying dog, silly. Umm, they’re not real are they?”

“Well, who can say.” Waflaw shrugged casually. “The world is a big place, you know.”

Lucinda shook her head in bemusement, but made no reply, as her bird companion swooped in to land next to her.

“Hi, Marrow!” Lucinda greeted happily. “This is Waflaw, my mentor and friend.”

“Bone!”

Unfortunately, Lucinda’s words, and the man they introduced, were largely ignored in favour of the treat she was still holding aloft.

“Impressive,” Waflaw commented, as Lucinda gave in to her companion’s demands. “She’s surprisingly large. A vulture?”

“The bone-eating is a bit of a giveaway, isn’t it?” Lucinda remarked with a wry smile at her mentor. “Come on, Marrow, say Hi to Waflaw.”

“Waflaw Friend?”

“Yes, he’s nice! I’m sure you’ll like him!”

“Pet?”

“She wants you to pet her,” Lucinda announced happily.

“Well, don’t mind if I do.” Waflaw stepped closer to Marrow, and sunk to his knees, before reaching out and caressing her fluffy feathered head. “She’s got some thick plumage.”

“She does! She’s so cuddly!” Lucinda’s obvious excitement caused Waflaw to chuckle heartily, even as he continued to pet the large bird.

“Mmm, I can imagine. I hope my apprentice has been treating you well, Marrow. She can be quite the trickster at times.”

“Waflaw? Speak?”

“No, only we can speak like this. That’s why we’re best friends!”

“I think she’ll do nicely,” Waflaw announced, as he rose to his feet. “Now, I guess we have quite a bit to discuss. I’d suggest we retire to the room I’ve booked, but I don’t think they’ll be keen on having Marrow join us inside. She’s also probably too big to fit through the window.”

“Was everything okay here? I worried you might end up in jail.”

Waflaw laughed briefly. “I was left in a rather awkward situation. Fortunately, I managed to talk my way out of it without too much trouble.”

“But, what about Klarl? Did you find out what happened?”

“I wish I could say I had.” Waflaw’s words were joined by a sad half-smile. “No one saw anything that night. Only thing I found were some tracks of a carriage that stopped a ways outside the village, and half of a single footprint that was hidden beneath a small patch of weeds. As far as anyone here knows, he had no enemies, or even any family other than his missing daughter.”

“They just get away free then? Poor Klarl…”

“Yeah. Word has been passed onto the nearest town, but I doubt much will come of it.” Waflaw shrugged. “How about we move onto something a bit less distressing?”

“Sure…” Despite her agreement, it was a struggle for Lucinda to dismiss the topic so easily.

“Looks like the villagers are a bit overzealous when it comes to collecting firewood,” Waflaw said, as his eyes roamed the snowy surroundings. “Magic it is then.”

Lucinda was fairly confident she had recognised the spell her mentor was casting, and as a result was hardly surprised when a large brown bear popped into existence before her. However, her confusion at why Waflaw had summoned such a creature only abated when the bear lay down in the snow, and Waflaw promptly sat upon its side.

“What?” Waflaw said, in response to Lucinda’s frowning gaze. “It’s not a real bear. You know that.”

“I do… It still seems unfair though!”

“Bah, you’re worrying too much again. Besides, even if it was a real bear, two humans sitting upon its side is little more than a minor inconvenience. Come sit, then tell me about your adventure.”

Pouting slightly at the rebuke, Lucinda relented and sat upon the soft furry animal. The warmth of the creature’s body, and the steady in-out of its breathing didn’t make her feel any better, while bringing Marrow onto her lap certainly did. Glancing back towards the village, which was far enough away for her and Waflaw to have some privacy, Lucinda collected her thoughts and began her tale.

Lucinda started with a detailed accounting of all that had happened to her over the last week, starting with her meeting with the wolves, and how that had led to her grudgingly assisting the trio of unsavoury individuals, though she left out some of the least unpleasant aspects of that particular part. She spoke of the battle with the harpies, mentioning her role in it, some of the more impressive attacks she had made, and also the unfortunate victim she had put of their misery. A frown had appeared upon Waflaw’s brow as Lucinda continued, but he remained silent, at least until she mentioned the box Nassach had given her.

“Show me,” Waflaw demanded harshly.

“Umm, sure.”

Opening her pack, Lucinda retrieved the wooden box and passed it to her mentor. “It’s still got food in it,” she warned.

“Hmm.” Waflaw carefully inspected the exterior of the container, checking every side, and underneath, before opening the lid and peering inside. “What did you say it did?”

“It preserves food. Those berries have been in there for days, and they taste great still!”

“We’ll need to get this identified properly as soon as possible. It sounds like this Nassach character was quite enamoured with you, and who can blame him, but, best to play it safe.”

“Okay…”

“Maybe I’m paranoid. Just… Well, there’s two other travellers staying at the inn at the moment, and I had the good fortune to hear their tale last night. Quite an interesting one involving a cursed item.”

“…You think it’s cursed!?”

“I’m not saying that,” Waflaw said with an amused smile. “I’m suggesting caution is all. Can’t say I’ve heard of any gift-giving tradition in Oradas, not that I’ve not spent much time there. Anyway, an exciting listen so far, let’s hear the rest of it.”

Mildly troubled by Waflaw’s cautionary warning, Lucinda resumed her regaling. Of course, she didn’t make it far before another interruption halted her.

“You met a dragon?” Waflaw asked, with plain incredulity on his face. “You sure that wasn’t a dream?”

Lucinda giggled happily. “I’m sure, and I brought proof!”

Leaning her staff against the bear, and gently easing Marrow from where she sat, Lucinda walked around behind the furry seat and her mentor. Lowering herself until she was almost entirely obscured from casual observation, she shifted into her blue scaled dragonling form.

“See,” Lucinda spoke quietly.

“Huh.” Waflaw stared at her draconic form and blinked a few times before continuing. “I mean that’s not exactly proof… I could believe you found a dragonling somewhere in the mountains.”

“I’m telling you I saw a dragon!”

“You might want to keep that growling down, wouldn’t want to upset the villagers.”

Aww… Only Draconic in this form?

Shifting back to human form, Lucinda returned to her seat. Marrow had managed to demand more petting from Waflaw, but soon moved back to Lucinda’s lap as she sat.

“I met a dragon! His name was Deihg… Umm, Deihg’Bruagar… I think.”

“Can’t say I’ve heard of him. He lives in the mountains then?”

“In the tallest one there! It was high up above the clouds with a wonderful view!”

“I suppose I have to believe you. Maybe keep the location of his den a secret though.”

“Oh, yeah, I will. Ah! I meant to ask: Do you know of a battle between dragons near the capital of Prilemia?”

Waflaw’s brow furrowed for a moment. “I’m no historian you know. Especially of events in Prilemia.”

“I know… I just thought you might have heard something… I don’t remember it from school. But, dragons fighting! That would have made for a great lesson!”

“If you value fun over learning,” Waflaw commented with a grin.

“I’d rather learn about dragons than some king who’s been dead for over a hundred years…”

“A Shifter more interested in beasts than kings? Who would have guessed.”

After giggling at the undeniable truth behind Waflaw’s words, Lucinda soon resumed her tale. With her talk of dragons done with, she moved onto describing her trek through the mountains as she searched for a suitable bird companion. Including descriptions of the two other species she had found, as well as her thoughts on them, Lucinda’s retelling eventually led to the valley where she had found Marrow.

Her companion – who had been resting with her head under one wing as if sleeping – perked up at the mention of her own name, and continued to watch Lucinda with interest as she moved onto the events that had taken place within and around the small cave that had been home to Marrow’s nest.

“Quite a tale,” Waflaw offered as Lucinda reached the end of her retelling. “Perhaps you could have spent more time searching, but with how rare you have made bearded vultures sound, I don’t think I can blame you.”

“Marrow is wonderful, I’m more than happy with her!”

“Marrow! Friend!”

Lucinda smiled warmly at her bird companion and offered her some gentle head scratches.

“How you finding the whole mental communication thing?” Waflaw asked.

“It’s taken some getting used to. But, I think we understand each other well already.”

“Glad to hear it. Wollow was quite limited in his speech back in the day too, though he denies it now.”

“Does he?” Lucinda replied with a giggle of amusement.

“You think a mighty stag wants people to know he spoke in single word answers?”

“I guess not…”

Waflaw glanced up at the sky once their shared mirth had dwindled. “Not much daylight left by the looks of things. I’ve got some news to share, then we might want to call it a night.”

“Oh, I had a few things I wanted to ask you… Umm… Ah, animal companions aren’t weak to spells are they?”

“No. Well, not overly so. As far as I’m aware, they have a set amount of Willpower, or something equivalent, that increases with level.”

“Phew, that’s good to know. What about experience?”

“Hmm?” Waflaw’s brow furrowed for a moment, before he nodded knowingly. “Right, yes. Marrow will level up as you do.”

“Okay, thanks. I think that was everything.”

Still sitting side by side on the furry bear, Waflaw caught Lucinda’s eye. “Kloip was attacked.”

“What!? My parents…?”

“Are fine,” Waflaw interjected. “As is everyone else from what Saseligan sent in his letter. The force from Chakog’mar wasn’t particularly large, but there were a number of injuries, including your father.”

“Father…” Lucinda felt a hint of worry despite Waflaw’s assurances. “He’s okay?”

“He is,” Waflaw replied, nodding with a tight smile on his lips. “Of course, this doesn’t bode well. I’m no expert on the political interplay between nations, but this obviously pushes the situation considerably closer to all-out war. It seems Prilemia certainly thinks so too, as a contingency of soldiers has been dispatched to guard Kloip. Other places too no doubt.”

“…There’s nothing we can do is there?” Lucinda asked, as a sense of helplessness built within her.

“Well, we can pray that both sides see sense, and stop trying to ignite war over something so relatively minor. But, other than that, no. You remember what I said about conscription?”

“Yes… With the soldiers there, Mother and Father should be fine even if another attack happens…”

“Exactly.”

Lucinda’s thoughts drifted to her parents and her home town, and remained there until the sudden appearance of a piece of parchment in front of her brought her back to the present.

“Saseligan’s letter?” Lucinda asked.

“Read it,” Waflaw replied, flashing Lucinda a faint grin.

Taking the parchment in both hands, Lucinda began reading.

Dear Daughter,

Your father and I were so glad to receive your letter, and hear that you were well. We both miss you a great deal. Though I knew the day would come eventually, I still wasn’t prepared. The house feels empty without you.

Saseligan informs me his letter to Waflaw contains talk of events here, so I won’t repeat his words, but suffice to say, everything here is well as can be.

It truly saddens me to have missed your coming of age. How I still wish things could have been different, but I am gladdened to hear you had fun, despite the circumstances, and that you ate well. Having been worried about your diet on the road, that bit of news was especially welcome. I sincerely hope you will continue to do so.

Your grandmother’s brooch turning out to be magical came as a surprise to me too, though there was a lot about her life that she never told me. I’m sure she would be thrilled to see you putting it to good use.

Send another letter when you are able, and I expect a chance to see you again before long. I’ll want to hear all about your adventures.

Love,

Mother.

Lucinda wiped away a few tears from her eyes as she finished the letter, though she wasn’t entirely sure what emotion had brought them on.

“Why didn’t you tell me about her letter sooner?” Lucinda demanded of her mentor.

“To balance out the bad with some good, of course. Though, I’m surprised you’re not asking how she knew to reach you here.”

“Saseligan?”

“I suppose it was fairly obvious…” Waflaw chuckled quietly as he conceded the point. “His ability to track me is almost disturbing.” A pensive look overtook Waflaw’s features at the comment, but it faded as he turned back to face Lucinda. “Now, with that good news having perked you up, let’s move on to another lighter topic: The future.”

“I have been wondering what might come next,” Lucinda admitted.

“Well, as far as I see it, with you having endured my lectures, and acquired an animal companion of your own, I think you are more than ready to venture off on your own. The question then is simply what you wish to do with yourself, and as I’m sure you recall, there are a number of options.”

“Yeah, I remember. But, I think I’d like to be an adventurer.”

“Just like that?” Waflaw said, raising one eyebrow inquisitively as he did.

“Not just like that.” Lucinda smiled at her mentor’s reaction. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while… More so since I met that woman in Malart, that I told you about.”

“Ah-ha, found a group to join already have you?”

“I think so… I hope so. She was… very friendly,” Lucinda felt her cheeks flush ever so slightly as she recalled the past events involving the woman she spoke of.

“A two-woman group is it?” Waflaw said in a way that Lucinda easily recognised as teasing. “Hope you’re not sick of male company all of a sudden.”

“No…” Lucinda giggled at Waflaw’s words despite herself. “Her party had two men in it! I don’t know if they’re really the group for me, but I’d like to give it a try…”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you have something in mind. However, I suggest you give it some more thought all the same. Adventuring isn’t the only profession in existence as you know. Regardless of what you choose though, I have something in mind for the near future that you might be interested in.”

“Oh? What?”

“I’ve been in contact with a local Druid circle. They have expressed an interest in meeting you, and celebrating your successful rite of passage.”

“I thought you said it was only ‘sort of’ a rite of passage?”

“Yes, well, that’s true. But, Druid customs do vary by region, and it seems those here are quite… wild.” Waflaw’s emphasis of his final word brought a tiny laugh from Lucinda’s lips. “It’s not something I ever went through back when I was a young Druid, but from what they have told me, I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“Mmm, okay. Whose they?”

“A woman named Yalia. She is the leader of the circle, which is located a fair ways east. Of course, it’s a chance for you to meet other like-minded people, and have a lot of fun while doing so. I’d say ‘fellow Druids’, but we both know that’s not strictly true.”

“They don’t mind about that?”

“Of course not.” Waflaw’s almost exacerbated tone left Lucinda feeling slightly embarrassed. “What do you say then? I’ll have to send word, and then they’ll need some time to prepare, so it might be a week or so still.”

“That sounds great!” Lucinda replied eagerly. “I’d love to meet more Druids. From what I’ve seen so far, they’re very nice people.”

“Let’s hope you still think so afterwards. Right, I’ll send word in the morning in that case. Then we’ll have to decide what to do in the meantime.”

“Sure,” Lucinda agreed while offering a nod for emphasis. “Time to call it a day then?”

“I think so.” Lucinda nudged Marrow off of her lap, and then rose alongside her mentor, who dismissed the bear they’d been resting upon. “Now, is this the part where I find out how terribly you’ve missed me, I wonder.” Waflaw grinned suggestively at Lucinda.

“Mmm, I wonder about that too… The long journey back was quite tiring.” Lucinda’s teasing smile had Waflaw laughing loudly. Kneeling in front of her bird companion, Lucinda prepared to explain her plans for the night.

“Marrow, I’m going to be sleeping inside one of these buildings tonight, okay?”

“Sleep? Marrow?”

“I’m sorry. You heard what Waflaw said, I don’t think we can get you inside. You’ll be okay out here, I’m sure! And if anything happens, just wake me up.”

“Sleep.”

Marrow’s mental tone of voice, and the emotions that came with it left Lucinda in little doubt as to how her companion felt about the arrangement. Leaning forwards, she wrapped her arms around the large bird and hugged her tightly.

“Sorry! I’ll come see you in the morning, as soon as it’s light. And I’ll bring you a bone, of course!”

“Bone!”

“I thought you might like that. See you in the morning then, Marrow. Be careful out here!”

“Friend!”

Offering a last few head scratches, Lucinda rose to her feet. Marrow looked up at her for a moment, and then flapped her way into the air, and then off into the sky.

“How’d she take it?” Waflaw asked.

“Okay, I think. But, I’m not doing much better…”

Waflaw chuckled as he clapped one hand gently on Lucinda’s shoulder.

“You’ll get used to it, as will she. Come on, a cosy bed awaits.”

“I think you mean two cosy beds await,” Lucinda corrected.

“Do I? Damn.” Waflaw’s smile seemed to cover any disappointment he might have been feeling, at least from Lucinda’s point of view. “If only I’d chosen a room with only one bed…”

Back in their room, Lucinda remained resolute in her decision to sleep alone in her own bed. At least until a good while after Waflaw had fallen asleep. Climbing to her feet, she shifted into another form, and then used her Animal Ally spell to conjure herself an accomplice. Moving over to Waflaw’s bed quietly, Lucinda moved into position atop him, while encouraging her ally to do likewise. Looking down at her mentor with considerable glee, Lucinda reached out with one limb and gently tapped the sleeping Druid’s face.

A familiar look of alarm greeted her as Waflaw came awake and saw the situation he was in. But, his expression soon turned to amusement, even as Lucinda laughed internally at his expense.

“It is a bit more disturbing with two of you,” Waflaw admitted quietly. “But, you should know, I still eat Giant Spiders for breakfast.” Lucinda’s internal mirth increased in intensity at her mentor’s words, but she tried her best not to vocalise anything. With a yawn, Waflaw continued. “Which means your safe for quite a while yet… Couldn’t you have waited until morning?”

In reply, Lucinda shifted back into human form, while dismissing her spidery partner in crime. Catching herself with both arms as they reformed, she smiled into Waflaw's eyes as her body came into view.

“Huh,” Waflaw said, as his eyes took in the sight of her with the help of the faint moonlight filtering in through the room’s window. “Forget I said anything.”

With a playful giggle, Lucinda joined her mentor under the bed’s blanket.