Silver Wolf

After discussing the matter further, Justinian and Aurelius agreed that the young man had a moral obligation to at least go out and warn other people that the spirits were beginning to awaken. And while he was out traveling, he might as well pay a visit to Phantasieren, the valley spirit, and learn the spell that could seal spirits. It would be better to have it in advance in case they needed it later.

For that reason, Rory went to the village center to collect, trade, and shop for various things he would require on his journey. Plenty of people were curious about his new horn "accessory" and why he was out without a jacket, but he brushed off most questions with sorcery as an excuse. His preparations were only interrupted once he ran into Mrs. Viatrix, Cecilia's mother.

Cecilia Viatrix was Rory's best friend growing up. She was also a fellow sorcerer—sorceress, rather—who studied under Justinian along side him. They… had an argument one day, and Cecilia took that as her cue to go out and seek the horizons she had always dreamed of. She moved to the nearest city over a year ago and hadn't visited since.

Her mother still recieved letters, of course.

"Rory! I heard you're going traveling," the homely woman called. "Could you do a little favor for me while you're at it?"

He doubted he would have time for distractions but… at least he would hear her out.

"What is it, Mrs. Viatrix?"

"Would you check on Cecilia when you stop by the city? Her letters say she's doing well, but I just want to make sure."

The request made Rory feel awkward. He hadn't spoken to Cecilia since their disagreement, and those feelings had been left to fester. But… he looked into the concerned eyes of her mother and nodded. "I can do that."

"Oh, thank you, dear."

Once he had everything he needed for his travels, Rory directed a somewhat cautious question toward his patron spirit. 'So what do you think of the village?' he asked—silently, so nobody would find him strange for apparently talking to himself.

Technically, Jahreszeiten's replies were made aloud, but nobody else could glean any meaning from the ordinary forest noises happening in the background.

"The other humans seem to be struggling more than I'd hoped," the spirit answered. "Many of them are host to old injuries, suffering from mild diseases or their after effects. At least they're well-nourished, but I wish they could all be as healthy and beautiful as you are, Aurelius."

Rory cleared his throat and pushed aside his errant feelings of flattery, 'I suppose I meant what do you think of the physical town itself?'

"Are you still worried that I'll destroy your homes and efforts?"

The sadness in the spirit's tone made his druid feel a little guilty, but he pushed forward regardless. Because he had to.

'It's just that everything I read directly contradicts what you're telling me. If there are going to be any problems between us, I'd rather work through them before they reach the boiling point.'

The branches around the village swayed a sigh. "Very well. I am happy to bestow my gifts with no return, but since you are set on bearing the mantle of responsibility, ignorance will do you no favors. Follow me, Aurelius. I will teach you about my kind and yours."

The young man opened his mouth to ask how on earth he was me t to "follow" the formless being, but the answer became self-evident in a moment.

A wolf with silver fur stood prominently at the edge of the forest, eyes glowing with viridescent light. It turned and disappeared into the forest. Rory stared wide-eyed for only a moment before he hurried to follow it. The wolf led him to a clearing in the trees, where the clouds split and the sun had melted the snow. Spring grass grew eagerly, and the air was notably warmer.

"We can speak comfortably here," Jahreszeiten said, communicating now through the growls and chuffs of the green-eyed wolf.

"Is this what you look like?" Rory asked, taking a seat on a fallen log in the warm and dry clearing. "I thought spirits were formless."

"That is a wrong notion," the wolf shook its head in a jarringly human fashion. "I do have a body: it is the forest itself. I'm not sure why humans struggle to understand that. This wolf here is merely a willing creature I have possessed."

Rory was startled to learn that such a possibility even existed. "Can all spirits possess animals like this? It wasn't documented in any of teacher's books."

"Presumably all can," the wolf nodded. "Many seem to dislike it, though. It limits the senses to that of the host creature." The wolf stood up, paced closer to Rory, then sniffed and lapped at his cheek. "I think it is a narrow but rich experience," he said, tail wagging.

Rory wiped away the beast's saliva with his sleeve and gingerly pushed the spirit away from him. His hands sunk into the wolf's thick, silky fur, and he had to resist the urge to pet it.

"Please don't do that," he said.

The wolf's tail drooped, and it wandered back to where it was sitting before, plopping down onto the grass with its ears folded.

"You wanted to know about the conflict between spirits and what humans call progress, right?" Jahreszeiten transitioned back to serious matters while still looking like a giant, scolded puppy. "Consider your fallen hairs and dead skin. Do they hurt?"

"What?" Rory was caught off guard by the sudden question and shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Then consider when your skin is cut and when your hairs are pulled out by force. Does that hurt?"

"It does," Rory nodded.

"My body is the forest. You can equate the soil to my flesh and the trees to my hairs. Keep in mind that the comparison isn't so direct in reality, but it will service us for now."

Aurelius caught on quickly to what the spirit's analogy was trying to convey. "So it hurts you when we mine the earth and fell trees?"

The silver wolf nodded sagely. "Essentially, yes."