Armand slid off the table and gave Burchard a big hug. “You don’t need to understand, just be aware everyone is going to call you Wolf from now on. Besides…Burchard is such a mouthful.”
Just then an all too familiar voice shouted across the noise in the dining hall. “Squire Burchard Wolfensberger, your presence is required.”
Burchard sighed and gave Armand a rough hug, relief flooding him as he realized that Armand was truly healed. “How are you feeling?” he asked gruffly, emotions filling him.
Armand shrugged, “Like I slept for way too long, and now I need something to do.”
Burchard laughed, then gently pushed the page out of the way and stood up. His whole body was stiff and had him wondering how long he slept in that chair for. “Let me answer the summons. Don’t go too far. I will be right back!” He walked slowly to where the voice had come from, trying to shake the stiffness out of his arms and legs.
Just before he reached the General’s makeshift desk, Lady Gladys intercepted him. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi,” he replied, his eyes running over every inch of her, wanting reassurance that his friend was OK. He took note of the dark blue dress and the long knife in her belt.
“I should have told you before that I can use a bow and knife. It’s just…my father was worried about protocol and such,” Lady Gladys explained quietly.
Burchard opened his mouth to reply when a shout came toward them. “Squire Burchard!”
He gave her an apologetic smile. “Hopefully after whatever I’m being summoned for, we can talk.”
“I’d like that. Thank you for risking yourself for the safety of everyone in the castle,” she replied and stepped forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek before disappearing among the milling people in the dining hall. Burchard bit his lip, not sure what to make of the kiss, and then finished making his way to the voice who summoned him.
It appeared as though his father had set up his office temporarily in a corner of the dining hall. The General was sitting in a large chair, almost throne-like, behind a large table that was covered by a map. Damos stood at the edge of the table as far as he could be from the General and still see the map. Sir Foxbright was on the other side. Reggie stood next to their father’s chair.
“General,” Burchard said with a bow before he approached the table.
“Damos has asked me to launch a search party for one of his druids, who seems to be missing,” the General said in a cold voice.
Burchard bit his lip. He could guess the next words out of his father’s mouth.
“I cannot spare any knights or infantry to help. I must regroup and make sure everyone has recovered from the devastating battle,” the General said, confirming what Burchard had thought.
“Did you fight the rebels?” Burchard asked.
The General glared coldly at his son. “No, the rebels were not there. I was talking about the losses that happened here at Alderth Castle.”
Burchard tilted his head so he could see Damos better. “Who is missing?”
“Jade,” Damos said sadly.
Eyes widening, Burchard glanced at his father, then at Damos. “What happened?”
Damos sighed. “I believe Umbra has her.”
“Umbra is a myth. Like I said, I do not have anyone to spare, druid.” The General said the word druid as though it put a bad taste in his mouth.
“Let me have the two squires then, if they are willing,” requested Damos.
General Wolfensberger laughed. He grabbed his sides, he was laughing so hard. When he finally got control of himself, he said, still gasping, “You want Squire Burchard Wolfensberger and Squire Ruschmann Blackwell to help you find your druid? Fine. Take them. I don’t care. Just get out of my castle by dawn.” The General stood up and walked away, not giving anyone a chance to say anything.
Burchard looked at Damos. “I guess I should go pack and tell Ruschmann.”
Damos let out a breath. “You do not have to come if you don’t want to.” The centaur paused, before bringing his hand to cover his heart. “But it would be an honor, Lýkos, to have you at my side.”
Burchard nodded, feeling overwhelmed by the emotions washing through him. He bowed to Sir Foxbright and Damos and then left to find Ruschmann.
Later that evening, Burchard found himself going for a walk around the outside of the castle. He had told Ruschmann and Sir Peter it was to clear his mind, but the reality was he needed to escape. Everyone who had been in the fight at the castle kept thanking him as though he had been their savior.
We all worked together, he thought. Why won’t they accept that it was a joint effort and leave me alone? He let out a raspy breath. Maybe it’s good I’m leaving; then my father won’t punish me for getting too much attention from everyone.
Fang walked somberly at his side. Together, they inspected the damage to the outside of the castle, skirting or climbing over piles of rubble depending on how unstable they looked. Just as he was about to head back in, he heard a soft clip-clop.
“Who’s there?” he called, hand going to his sword hilt.
“It’s Damos,” the centaur replied and stepped forward. He raised a hand and a small ball of light formed and floated into the air above them, providing a soft glowing light so they could see each other better.
“Lýkos,” Damos began. “When we first met back at Leosor Hollows, I had promised I would explain things to you, and then things with the rebel camp escalated and I did not have the chance before you departed. I thought before you embark on a journey with me that I, at the very least, owed you more information.”
Burchard tugged on his lip before replying, “OK.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited patiently.
Damos took a deep breath, making Burchard wonder what exactly the centaur had omitted during their first meeting. “The wolf goddess Eos came to me months ago when I was in Mootia and told me that I needed to be at a precise location with Jade and Liala to find you. She said no matter what happened between the time she spoke to me and the day our meeting was ordained, the three of us must be there or necessary events would not happen.”
Burchard opened his mouth to speak, but Damos held up his hand, and Burchard snapped his mouth shut. This all sounds absurd. He was told to find me at Leosor Hollows months ago?
“Unlike Etrians, druid culture believes strongly in the gods, specifically the animal gods. We also rely on prophecies to lead us to the history-making moments. When Eos came to me, I knew that it would be critical to the druids, not just my own clan of centaurs, for me to follow her instructions.” Damos sighed and swished his tail. “It was a challenge to follow her directions to let my five clanmates get captured and do nothing about it, to wait until you came along. Especially when I knew my chances were high to free them before they reached the rebel camp. However, the events that have happened since make me realize that Eos was right in giving me those instructions and I was right to follow them, no matter how much it pained me to do so.” A heavy pause. “I know now who you are, Lýkos, and it is an honor to have you at my side to recover Jade.”
Burchard’s jaw dropped. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting Damos to say, but it definitely was not that the wolf goddess’s instructions had led to their initial meeting. Confusion filled him. Damos was right. There was a significant difference between the druid culture and the way he had been brought up.
