Olrich opened his eyes in the basement gloom feeling a smile growing on his face. It is time!

He threw off the covers and rolled from his cot. In a smooth motion his knees hit the cold floor, and he began to recite his favorite hymn of thanks. The words flowed from him as the growing sense of excitement bumbled up in his chest.

As the echo of the last words faded into the depths of the basement, Olrich heard the sound of feet approaching. Olrich once again found himself in awe of the goddesses The timing could not have been more perfect. If only everyone could see the perfection in the path the goddesses lay before us.

He nearly succumbed to the need to give praise again for the perfection of the plan. Only the worry that it would disturb, rather than fit in the plan, caused him to resist. Standing, he turned to see the head priest rounding a bookshelf followed by a couple men in the temple's livery. The head priest paused as he saw Olrich.

“Please do not stop,” Olrich called to him unable to completely control his excitement. “The Goddess wills the path be tread and has sent me a vision of traveling. I need only know the destination, and you have come.”

Rather than the excitement Olrich felt, the head priest seemed suddenly burdened by the weight of the task. Is he worried that he fail the goddesses? I must speak to him privately later. He cannot let his fears cause him to falter. The goddesses would not give him a task he could fail, if he only walked the path they set. Yes! The lessons of the Yargey the Lamentor would be a good parable to help him.

The head priest seemed to shake off his surprise and stopped a few paces short of Olrich before clearing his throat. “You received a letter.”

Olrich stared at the folder paper extended toward him. His eyes instantly focused on the seal pressed onto the cream colored paper. A stylized waterfall was stamped into the blue wax, and Olrich felt his breath catch. Home? The Goddess wants me to go home?

Olrich shook away his doubts and broke the seal. The Goddess sends me where she chooses. I am a thread and I shall follow the path. Pushing the questions and doubts aside he put his faith in the Goddess and slowly read the letter.

His mother was inviting him home, for the first time in many years. Olrich tried not to think about the last time they spoke. The words were never explicitly said, but he new she wanted him to use his position to aid the family rather than the faithful. The memory was bitter sweet as he remembered refusing her. He knew it was the right thing to do. But he sometimes wondered if the refusal was done because he followed the path, or because his pride in his path made him say it.

However, the letter did not speak of that meeting or him becoming a prophet. Instead it asked him to visit as a family member they had not seen in a long time. He could not imagine a reason he would be needed there. They may be the most pathless souls I have met. They may be more lost than Orn. He was led astray by the youngest goddess and should not be fully to blame. It would take a miracle…

Olrich’s eyes went wide as he saw a connection in paths he had not expected. A miracle. Perhaps that is her will. The salvation of souls brought back to the path. The first step to bringing Toln and Orn back?

Olrich felt the excitement suddenly returning. I need only follow the path.

…

The head priest had seemed shocked when he asked for a carriage to make the trip. Rather than comment on such a sudden request, he prepared a carriage. Olrich was still impressed with how quickly the head priest had arranged for the carriage. It was simple compared to a noble carriage, but far more comfortable than the wagons that used to carry him across the Kingdom.

Olrich gave quite thanks as he knew the last couple days would likely be on worn gravel and dirt tracks leading away from the main trade routes. He had not traveled this way in more than a decade, but the scenery seemed frozen in time. Every mile showed the same views he had seen as a child. The familiarity continued to gnaw at his insides, and he closed the curtain on the carriage window.

Despite his initial excitement, the days passed slowly and he slowly swung between great excitement and sullen worry over going home. He spent much of the time in silent prayer and contemplation, hoping to best follow the path he was given and wondering if this was truly the path he was meant to follow. Finishing one such prayer he felt himself jarred as the carriage was suddenly rocked. Curious as the to the cause, he pulled the curtain away and poked his head out.

“Sorry, about that,” the driver said slowly bringing the carriage to a stop. “The road is rough out here and I did not see that hole in the road. I will check the carriage over, it will only take a moment.”

Olrich nodded, and pulled his head back into the carriage. As the curtain fell back over the window he froze. His eyes widened and he ripped the curtain aside. Framed by the window were trees from his vision days before. He threw the door open and scrambled out.

His foot missed the last step and he fell to one knee as he landed on the ground. A sharp pain ran up his leg, but he ignored it. Olrich gathered himself and ran for the trees. Behind him he faintly heard the coachman yelling something, but it did not matter. He had been shown this place in his dream. He knew that he was on the right path. He rushed forward almost blindly, the trees rushed past as they had in his dream.

As it had in his dream, he saw a tree trunk that had split to grow in a near perfect “U” shape. He threw himself to his knees before it feeling himself sink in to the thick leaves that carpeted the ground. A quick swipe of his hand brushed away the leaves, to reveal dark black earth. His hands tore wildly at the soft ground. He worked quickly, tearing aside small tree roots until he felt the tips of his fingers brush against what he was looking for.

Moments later he held a palm sized wrinkled white tuber in his hand. The root seemed to almost shine under the clumps of dirt still stuck to its waxy skin. Gently brushing away some of the dirt with his thumbs he held the tuber close to his chest. I am on the right path. The Goddess is with me. I need only follow her will and all will be well.

“Are you hurt?” a worried voice asked, and he turned to see the carriage driver behind him. The coachman stared at him wide eyed. “I saw you take off and was worried. Is everything alright?”

Olrich held the root tight to his chest, “Everything is perfect.”