CH18:A Partner

Druid Aaregon

   Ruben sat up. I just stared at him. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked. His face gave off a curious vibe.

   "Nope." My answer. Plain and to the point.

   "I'm just a novice, though, Master Aaregon."

   "I have seen many things," I stood up and paced with my hands behind my back, "many great things. My student's have grown. They have all shown potential. I've senced a future in most all of them. All dull. Unfull. Ungreat. Sure they will all have a chance to change something but not something big. In you, Ruben, I see greater potential. I hope to seek that out. I want to bring it out of you." One of my fingers pointed skyward. "I think your best shot is if you travel with the new Hero of Time." My pacing stopped and I turned to him.

   Mr. Wide Eyes was shocked. "But--"

   "No but's."

   "I'm horrible, though."

   "You know enough to be of use."

   "Whatever you say, Master Aaregon." The sentence seemed to drag on forever.

   "Get your pack ready to go. I know you can make the food and drink on your own as well as provide for the young hero."

   "I think he's too young." Emphise the word "too" any longer and he would have yelled. Jeez. Ruben stood and found a fair sized bag. He packed some clothes and a picture of his wife to remember her by.

   "Why do you say that?" I sat back down on the bed and set my hands in my lap.

   "He's only, what, twenty years of age?" He closed the top flap and strapped the pack shut.

   "And your point is? You don't look so much older yourself." I lifted a hand to himself then dropped it back to my lap.

   "I'm two hundred and eighty-seven years old. The aging in Druids travels ten times slower. You should know that. You're almost a thousand."

   I shrugged. "The Hero of Time can live forever. The only thing that can kill him is an unnatural death. Like getting run through with a sword of catching the Dead Scare. We only live so long because we can regenrate and heal. Only time can kill us and we can still dodge it for awhile."

   He slung the pack over his shoulder and looked out the window. I noticed he was thinking hard. Not the kind of thing he likes to do. "Still." Hes mind seemed to have wondered elsewhere. He drew closer to the window and stared out to the horrizon.

   I grew currious and strode over to take a look. I caught my breath. "My god."

   "My thoughts exactly."

   "We'll talk about this later." I turned to Ruben. "Find Spader. Last I heard he was on his way to Wizard Key from the tailor."

   "Yes, sir." He walked out of the room.