Ten of Swords (Draft Only)

Chapter 12

Around the fire gathered the druids, discussing the day's work while accompanied by their animal companions and the song of nature around them. Not all had a companion with them, as not all had companions and some companions were much wilder and more preferred to remain in the forest. Legom's cats were chasing each other just out of sight of the fire's glow. There was a large stewing pot, containing venison, mushrooms, and various wild herbs. They would all eat together and share in the bounty of their forest. They would share this with their guests as well.

Still on edge from her conversation with the archdruid, Elise took a seat to the edge of the gathering. Sniffles was being introduced to a few of the animals. The boy seemed to take quite well to them, having a great time playing games with someone's wolf. In another life, he could have had the potential to become a druid himself. The sneezing wasn't anywhere near as bad as it used to be, and he was learning to hold it back long enough to be able to hunt properly. Long-term exposure to nature must have been reducing his sensitivity to it, or perhaps he was just growing out of it.

Pepper was talking to one of the older druids about herbal medicines. She stood as far away from the fire as possible, but otherwise didn't show any other signs of being nervous. It was a few times larger than your average cooking fire, so that it could heat the whole pot. While Pepper had no problem with small cooking fires, it was clear she didn't want to get too close to the druids' fire.

The mage hadn't said a thing to Elise since he finished talking privately with Rieza. Anxiety didn't make itself known for Elise, but instead she was simply curious. She had never heard of this cult of Yor, but she could make some guesses. It may have had something to due with the purist elves, since if this cult existed within the cities she would have already known about it.

Elven purists rarely ventured out of their own lands, to avoid the temptation of relationships with other races. They believed that they were obligated to preserve their race by avoiding mixed coupling, as the birth rate between pure elven couples was so low that they were quickly outpaced by mixed couples. They feared that their race would be bred out of existence entirely. It was not an unfounded fear. A large portion of the general population was at least part elf, as non-purist elves were much more likely to partner with individuals of other races because it allowed them to have children.

Elise herself was the result of a chance meeting between a very charismatic adventurer and the purist elf she had charmed. That dynamic was also the reason why Elise spent most of her childhood in an orphanage. Her father couldn't care for her, as he wouldn't be allowed to raise her among the purists, while her mother was gone almost as soon as Elise had been born.

The cult of Yor must have some connection to Yor'Ura, who had been Yormaund from Rieza's story. How much of that story was believed in any way by the elves was unknown, as Yormaund was called a scholar by the archdruid while Yor'Ura was considered a sage by the elves. She didn't know enough about the myths concerning that particular figure to be able to say what kind of relationship a cult would have to him.

Mage kept away from the others, once again looking distantly at something only he could see. He always seemed to be someplace else. In helping put out the fires in the burning village he had proved that he cared enough about what was right to do what he could, but otherwise he seemed almost disinterested in the world around him. While others talked and laughed, he looked on in silence. It suddenly struck Elise how very alone he seemed.

Now was as good a time as any. They would have to talk eventually, and if they were going to continue working together then Elise deserved to know what his intentions were moving forward. Being a part of a cult could have a drastic impact on a person's sense of duty and morality, and she had to be certain that keeping him around wouldn't be a mistake. She stood, patting herself down to get rid of dirt that was not actually there. The action served more to help her mentally prepare herself for confrontation. She walked over to where he stood.