Darkwalker on Moonshae - Douglas Niles [16]
The druid was growing old, but Trahern still felt pride in the state of his forest and the thriving health of his creatures. The caretakership of any of the forests around Myrloch was an honored post among the druids, and Trahern had lived up to the expectations placed upon him. He had avoided conflict with the Llewyrr, though the faeriefolk often traveled and camped in his preserve.
Trahern would be content to live out in peace the remainder of his days tending Oakvale. Every twist in the forest path he now followed, and every piece of lichen and moss that bedecked the numerous tree trunks lying about the woods, was as familiar to Trahern as the interior of his own small cottage. And in this familiarity, he found peace.
But now his peace had been interrupted. The High Druid of Gwynneth, Genna Moonsinger, had summoned the druids of the land to gather in emergency council on the shore of Myrloch. This rare circumstance could only mean that grave danger threatened the land. The old druid found the idea of another crisis particularly annoying now that he was in the autumn of his life. In fact, he had rudely shooed away the owl that had brought him the summons.
A sudden movement at one side caught the druid’s eye, and he paused to squint into the brush. His eyes were not what they used to be, but again he saw a shimmer of delicate movement. His heart pounded in excitement as he saw a smoothly curved leg, trailing a filmy gown, disappear behind a tree.
A dryad!
Trahern forgot the council in his eagerness to find the tree sprite. Her lair must be near! Could it be that she was calling him?
Trahern knew that occasionally a dryad would call a druid to come and live with it for a time. These druids never spoke of the experience afterwards, but their eyes seemed to return to memories that were most pleasant indeed. Now, perhaps he had been called!
The druid caught sight of the slender form again as it slipped behind another tree. This time, the figure turned back teasingly, and he saw sparkling eyes and heard a tinkle of musical laughter.
Puffing with exertion, Trahern followed the dryad around another tree. In his eagerness, he nearly stumbled but was close behind the sprite as he stepped around the bole of a giant oak.
There, Kazgoroth took him.
*****
The feathered decoy wafted high into the air, fluttering like a wounded bird, and Tristan quickly drew and sighted his arrow. Quickly he let the missile fly, cursing as it missed the target by ten feet.
The decoy glided on, and underneath it, on the ground, streaked a brown form. Canthus followed the fluttering object for over a hundred yards. As it finally began settling back toward earth, the great dog crouched, and then hurled himself into the air. The decoy was still eight feet from the ground when the dog’s powerful jaws closed over it.
The great moorhound had filled out in the few weeks Tristan had owned him. His square jaw, thick neck encircled by a studded iron collar, and sturdy shoulders made him a very solid dog. His long legs and strength insured that he was very fast. “Good catch!” applauded Robyn, as Daryth whistled for the dog to return.
“At least one of you might put some meat on the table,” grunted Arlen, looking at Tristan in disappointment.
“Forget the damn bow!” cursed Tristan, throwing down the weapon he was having trouble conquering.
“I can take care of myself well enough with my sword!”
“Sure ye can,” agreed the older man. “But ye’ll never be a king of the Ffolk if they can’t see that ye wield a bow as well as a blade!”
“I don’t want to be king!” retorted the prince. “I’m going to town.” He turned and stalked away from his teacher and Robyn.
“Tristan Kendrick!” Robyn’s voice dripped with scorn. “For someone who doesn’t want to be king, you sure like to act like one! Where in Gwynneth did you learn to be so rude to your teacher?”
The prince turned, biting back an angry comment, and looked at Robyn and Arlen. Daryth stood off to the side, pretending not to pay attention.
“You’re right,” he agreed, lowering his gaze and shaking his head. “I