Chapter 30: 30. The Cloven

Nalai'dormata sat on top of the boulder where she'd positioned herself to startle the four Humans. She was clapping, but behind her back, hidden by the flowing [Druidic] garments, she was keeping one hoof on controlling the feisty mosswolf pup she was hiding.

Her people regularly pushed rabid predators they did not want to deal with into the inner regions of Doc Forrest, and the Humans were not numerous enough in the area to really notice, or complain. Some Cloven, mostly [Druids], disagreed with the practice and did what they could to reduce the consequences, but it was impossible to catch every mad beast. As evidenced by what had taken place here a few nights ago, before Nalai caught up to the mosswolves she had been stalking.

"Greetings Humans," she began, in her theatre-trained voice. "You are the same ones who built this camp,"

The four looked scared, but not aggressive, yet. The girl was backing up though, not a good sign. "I mean no harm, and I had naught to do with these aggressive beasts who found you," A half-truth at best, but they were dead and essentially buried by now anyway. "You are a fellow [Druid] I see," That much was evident by the boy's newly fabricated garments.

The pup finally got loose and rushed past Nalai's outstretched leg, dashing faster than even the old [Druid] expected. It went tumbling off of the boulder.

Harold saw it happening the fastest and ran forward, but he was not even close to catching the pup. It hit the ground with a yelp, but was soon up on all four, growling with a lot of attitude. Harold's wasps went to interpose themselves but he mentally nudged them back.

The tiny mosswolf was a lot less brackish than its parents, but it already had the beginnings of the same sacks of liquid along its back. It had noticed Harold's home-made mosswolf attire and was working up to attack, before admitting the size difference and growling fearfully, only to muster itself for another go. The behaviour repeated itself.

Eventually Nalai had seen enough, she cast a Spell before anybody knew to act, but it seemed to target the pup.

Green light enveloped it and after the creature was done shaking it sat down with a final half-bark, looking up at Harold.

"Uh, what did you just do?" Asked Oscar, and Harold really wanted to know too, he stretched his hand out to the small wolf. Nothing happened at first, and Harold gave Nalai a questioning glance. That's when the mosswolf struck and bit Harold hard enough for him to yelp and suck his fingers. "Hey what'd you do that for," The clearing was interrupted by a strange honking laugh. It was the Cloven.

"How strange that you was not expecting a bit of pain after how you now flaunt the remains of the parent in front of the child?" The words left Harold feeling queesy. "Did you expect a mosswolf to forget, because I cast a spell to make it accept the natural hierarchy here?"

"To be honest I thought you did the same thing I've done to these wasps," Harold indicated his warriors.

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"Nothing so crude," The Cloven did not seem to appreciate their presence. "A wasp would not understand unless forced, but a mosswolf has a natural sense of loyalty, if you cannot gain it without such Spells you do not deserve your Class."

The words made Harold grimace.

Livia finally decided to speak up, "So, how come you are here to surprise us, when we are in Human lands, are you not meant to stay out?" Nalai glared her way. "I sense the Mark on you Human, I do not know why you feign ignorance," The Cloven studied Livia closely. When the words did not provoke anything but surprise it made Nalai reconsider. "Is it not feigned, truly? Are you not [System] chosen?" When the question produced nothing but nervous glances between the four who started to back off Nalai decided on a different track of questions.

"About this fire here, why have the Witcher-shrooms been lit, when no [Shaman] has been present to do the rites?" Livia blanched at the words, which prompted Nalai to go on. "I see one of you has somehow gained knowledge of these treasures, even their use. Did she push for a leadership role after drugging you with it?"

The words provoked a grim silence, but the three boys did not react how either Livia or Nalai expected. "We were in fear of our lives still, leaping at shadows, focusing on nothing but the pain. After the rainbow mist we calmed, we considered the combat objectively and even managed to focus on her words for a couple of hours before the exhaustion caught up." Kalle was speaking but both of the others nodded.

"And after that she made sure to confirm more than once that we were not having regrets, maybe she spoke when we were most impressionable, but even sober I did not see anything wrong with her words, she focused on Humanity as a whole and not her own role." The words surprised Nalai.

Livia breathed a heavy sigh of relief and nodded to Nalai, they were the ones who knew she could have taken the opportunity to direct all the loyalty the drug was inducing in the boys towards nothing but herself and her plans, but she'd spoken more of humanity as a whole. That was what a [Shaman] was meant to do.

Harold finally took his shot. "Will you teach me, the true druidic ways of the Cloven?" They had not even exchanged names yet. "Naturally not, we are not allies in this age, I don't know what stories you must have grown up on to consider asking such a question." The words were delivered like a death knell, and Harold looked very dismayed, but then he remembered the pup.

"Could I at least take care of this mosswolf then, and learn more of its nature?" Nalai considered her response. "That was my intent with picking it up from where it was left by the parents, it is not a creature that belongs in the forests of the Cloven." Harold approached the creature with delight. He reached out to touch it, and Nalai narrowed her eyes.

He activated [Touch of Chaos] and the very nature of the creature was changed. Its many sacks on the back were removed, all but three, that ran in a line along the spine and provided cushioning. Other than that it only looked slightly sturdier, but Nalai had the magic to sense what had truly occured. Harold had listened to the words of the senior [Druid] and not touched the sense of loyalty the wolf had, it would make choices of its own. Instead Harold focused nearly all of the Spell's energy on increasing its intelligence, despite knowing what a challenge that might prove to their relationship.

"I'm going to call you Mossy!"

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