Somewhere I can belong
Chapter 5
Novice & mentor
Thank you for reading, some of the following is real, only the names and places have changed. Well at least as role-playing can be, D & D does not belong to me.
How long he had been mesmerized by the image of the combat he could not tell, it had been the cawing of a raven that broken the trance and with it came a purpose that must be done. The dead must be honored and laid to rest with respect. The sun hung brightly in the sky beaming down into the grove and what he had not seen in the dawn was now laid bare, at the end of the grove past the cairn stones was a mammoth Rowan tree, but what was odd about it was a large opening as the trunk parted. The raven had returned and was cawing incessantly at the tree.
"Shelter, and supplies. Thank you." Lowering his head he entered into the crevice. What would have been an easier passage for the previous occupant was much more difficult for Quinn as he forced his way through the narrow passageway. While some light intruded into the opening, for the most part it was dark as night. Without pause he held out his hand and light burst from his hand illuminating the chamber. The chamber was far larger than it appeared and it was easily half as large as the grove. "So this is where you lived." tools and supplies were stored neatly and the underground chamber formed a near perfect dome as the roots from the Rowan and other trees had intertwined to both support the ceiling and keep loose soil from falling through.
Despite the natural wonder of the chamber, there was very little in the form of creature comforts. What may at one time have been a bed but was now a pile rotten timbers and furs. "Definitely a fixer upper but first things first." Grasping a shovel from amiss the tools he had an obligation to follow.
Several hours later the task of removing the orcs had been taken care off, he had taken their remains outside of the grove some distance away from the grove and had disposed of them in the proper manner as befitted those of the orcish race. He returned to the grove, and kneeling to pray asked permission of the grove to honor the druid that had fallen defending it. Rising in acknowledgement he began to chant in druidic, it was a death song and the notes were somber as they flowed forth. Images flashed through his minds eye of the elf and her tragic end, there was no sorrow for she had died defending a holy place of her goddess from those that would desecrate it.
By her side he buried the badger that had been her companion, at first Quinn had not see the skeleton of the magical creature. In between life and death it had burrowed its way into one of the orcs at the entrance of the grove. As he moved the shoveled dirt onto the grave and he made ready to thrust her scimitar into the ground as a marker. Though it hade laid in the ground for countless years, the blade was still as battle ready as though it had been forged yesterday, and shone with a strong aura While studying the blade, the same raven had directed him to the tree now perched itself on top of the blade as it lay on the ground and refused to move.
"She would want you to have It.," the raven croaked.
"But she is not here to give it to me so I shall leave it with her to mark her grave." Quinn replied not missing a beat in the conversation.
"Well you're honor bound to take up her place and you'll need that blade more than she will."
"I appreciate the offer but the blade is not mine and no matter how much it will benefit me I must leave it here."
"What if it were a gift, then young novice." A third voice offered, it was a rich sylvan voice that was as much a melody as a command. My bones have laid here for some years with the Orcish trash. I give it to you for services rendered."
He immediately bowed to the ground, "My lady I cannot."
"Do you mind your kneeling on top of me, it does makes it hard to talk."
Scampering away from the grave and muttering out apologies in Druidic, and Sylvan, "I am truly sorry my lady I did not know that I caused you discomfort."
"Are you just that dense, I'm joking with you. I'm dead, kneeling on my grave does not make it difficult for me to talk."
"Why do I always seem to have so much trouble with elves," he muttered in Dwarven.
"Hey I heard that, I might not what you said but I heard it. Druids do not speak Dwarven, there has never been a Dwarven druid..." the words came so fast that Quinn had lost the meaning but knew that she was ranting, and from past experiences he knew it was better to let an elf rant, especially if that elf was female, and even more so if said elf was now a spirit. The tirade continued for a few more moments before ending abruptly, "Are you listening to me novice?
"It's hard to listen when I can't see you." Quinn had slowly been backing away from the grave and was thinking that if he put enough rocks on the grave maybe that would quiet the spirit, but it would be of no help to him as a mist suddenly rose from the grave.
At first it was only a shapeless cloud with a familiar voice emanating from it, "Hold on a moment novice this should only take but a moment then you will know from whom you need to listen." It took a moment but then it slowly materialized into an ethereal moon elf, a very naked ethereal moon elf. Their gazes met for a moment, before the spirit muttered half hazardly, "Well this is awkward. Maintaining a physical shape is pretty easy to form but clothes requires a little more focus"
The speed at which Rohan had spun around to turn his back and muttering apologies to the naked moon elf caused the raven to fall from its perch upon the scimitar. It rolled back and forth on the ground cawing in laughter.
"All right my novice druid, now you and I are going to have a small chat about how future events will play out and what your role in those events will be. Now turn around and face me, it's as though you've never seen a naked woman before, there's not much difference between an elf and human save for the ears. You must have seen a naked female before I mean your race has to mate by what your fifth cycle to produce any heirs right."
Quinn just shook his head while still having his back tuned to the elf, "Muttering this is going to be one of those days."
"You haven't seen a naked woman before where are they raising druids now in some completely cloistered oak grove somewhere. Have you had the talk yet, because that is something I'm perfectly comfortable helping you with? We have some time before you will have time to rest so lets chat and tell me about yourself. "
Slowly the druid turned to face the spirit, who was now leaning against a smaller oak treeing having great joy passing her arm back and forth through the trunk. Quinn looked at the now clothed spirit and asked with a look of shock on his face, "Are all spirits like you."
With a grin that stretched from ear to ear she answered, "Just because I'm dead doesn't mean I can't enjoy life."
Ramblings from Rohan.
I had a lot of fun writing the dialogue but i've got a major case of writers block for names for the raven and the elf. If you have suggestions drop them in a review and thanks for reading and until then.
