Entering the clearing Eldrick noticed a fire pit with a cauldron. A trestle table was set up with an assortment of herbs beside a stone mortar and pestle. A frame for stretching hides and a slate for writing were on the other side. He was about to step into the clearing fully when he got an uneasy feeling. Placing his foot back down where it was he examined the ground. In front of him was a binding circle, a trap for the unwary. He was not about to enter that circle unless it became very necessary for him to complete the examination. He knew he had the power and the skill to overpower the circle, but he wasn't about to show them. Sergei's training was explicit, 'never show your power unless you are forced to do so, show only as much as needed to accomplish the task'.
"Well, you have just shown you are aware of your surroundings. You would be surprised at how many fail. Please join us over here at the table." Deitrick proclaimed. His voice, while calm held an edge. Eldrick thought maybe he was disappointed.
Skirting the edge of the circle he approached the table with caution. There were going to be more traps he was sure of it. He let his senses range, looking for pockets of magic. He found no less than thirteen, including the one he had avoided. Making his way around the traps, he arrived at the table.
"Here you will see a number of herbs. We would like you to name all of them and their properties. However, there is a catch you need to craft a healing salve while fulfilling the first requirement." The grin on Deitrick's face was vile. Eldrick studying the table noticed there was an ingredient missing for the healing salve, calendula.
Eldrick saw a patch in the clearing, the dead center of one of the magical traps. So their plan was to trap him, thus ensuring his failure. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small patch at the edge of the clearing. It was safe for him to gather when he needed it. Stepping up to the table he began his recitation. As he named the various herbs he shifted them to either needed or not needed. He was crafting the salve as he recited when he arrived at the needed Calendula, he paused.
"Timothy, could you grab that calendula for me, please? I needed it for the salve." Eldrick pointed to the patch in the circle. While reciting its properties for the examination. Timothy not thinking about the trap stepped into the circle and froze. Turning Eldrick collected the calendula from behind him while still reciting the herbs on the table and their properties. Returning to the table, he completed the task.
Deitrick had to admit Eldrick had passed. Franco asked Eldrick to accompany him to the frames.
"The boar you brought was skinned. Let me see the hide please?" Franco seemed to be the only one who was truly cordial without an ulterior motive. But then that could be part of the trap. Eldrick realized he had left the hide back with his gear.
"It isn't with me," holding his arms out to show that all he had was what he was wearing. "I will have to go back to get it from my gear."
"You may not leave the examination until it is complete. If you didn't anticipate the need for the hide then I guess you fail this section." Deitrick seemed inordinately pleased.
"Thus without the hide, you fail three sections of the examination which is enough to see you driven out of the order. Of course, no one leaves the order alive." A truly wicked grin replaced his false one. Eldrick realized he had left his staff behind with his gear as well. His only defences were his wits and his magic. Wait, magic that's it. Shifting to his right he placed one of the traps between himself and Deitrick.
Franco was shocked to hear Deitrick's exclamation. Deitrick leaping at Eldrick froze as he crossed the boundary of the circle.
"Should I be worried you are going to attack me too?" Eldrick looked over at Franco. "If I have failed I will honourably remove myself from the conclave and never return." He watched Franco carefully in case he had to defend himself.
Silence fell across the small clearing. Franco stood with a shocked expression on his face as he glanced around the clearing. Deitrick and Timothy were trapped in circles of their own making. Eldrick standing there waiting for the judgment to fall. As the silence stretched out the tension built.
The silence was broken by a sudden cawing coming from near the frames. Both turned their heads toward the sound. Sitting on the ground was a procyvid, its wings spread wide over the boar hide. Clacking its beak at Franco, it turned to Eldrick, dipped its wings and head while raising a paw to its chest, and giving a happy chirrup.
"Tha... Tha.. That's a procyvid." Franco stuttered. "Did that thing just bow to you? Huh, how is that possible?" He took a tentative step toward Eldrick and away from the procyvid.
"They can be tamed? You must have tamed it, didn't you?" His eyes were wide in panic as Eldrick approached the beast.
"No, I haven't tamed it. This one, and others, helped bury Sergei. They seem to like me for some reason." He placed a hand on its head and scratched it behind the eye ridge. "They've followed me since. I didn't expect them to enter the grove.
"They are highly intelligent and I believe they communicate through empathy," Eldrick paused to think. "I think they may be able to communicate telepathically as well, but I have no way to prove it."
"Well, I see you have your hide now, so you have not failed. I do believe these two were named examiners to ensure your failure." He glanced towards his fellow examiners, "How long will the circles hold them?" Franco seemed worried that they would fail and the two would be released.
"From what I remember of magical circles, they are effective until broken. Do you have any salt on you? I have an idea, but I will need to modify the circles."
Franco searched his pouches and came up with salt. "What are you planning?"
Eldrick grinned broadly, "Watch and learn. Sergei was a taskmaster when it came to studying magic.. and well everything else as it were. 'Knowledge is power, a power that cannot be taken away from you.' that is what he always said." Taking the salt he crafted larger circles around the ones the two men had been trapped in. Once he had them completed he took a stick and broke the inner circles. The two men were no longer frozen but unable to leave the circles. The procyvid cocked its head to the side and gave a light chirrup. The two men froze again at the sound, turning to look in the direction it had come from.
"Kill it!" Deitrick exclaimed. Making a few gestures he looked at his hands in shock. "Why can't I access my magic, the circle was broken." grabbing his knife he tried to approach the creature. Slamming into the edge of the circle, his nose pushed to one side as he did so. Looking down he noticed the new circle. He dragged his foot across the salt inside the circle hoping to smudge the lines. They refused to budge.
Eldrick glanced at Deitrick "I do believe you had set the circles in an attempt to trap me. How does it feel to be powerless? Not only have I proven my ability to notice things, but I do believe I have exhibited knowledge of magical circles." Looking from one to the other of his examiners. He waited until they all nodded. The two trapped in the circles were the last to acquiesce. "As you can also see I have acquired my hide without leaving the testing clearing," pointing to the hide on the ground by the procyvid. Walking over, he picked up the hide and gave the creature a pat on the head.
Unrolling the hide. Franco examined it. It was to be an intense examination. Running his hands along the inside looking for flaws, he flipped it over to look for holes hidden by the fat layer on the inside. He hmm'd and haw'd over the hide as he examined it.
"It is a flawless hide," he exclaimed for the benefit of the two still trapped. A bright smile crossed his face. "Now Eldrick you must demonstrate the skill of stretching the hide for drying."
Eldrick pulling his knife thought better and slid it back into the sheath. He wandered to the edge where he had noted a large piece of flint and a smaller piece of granite he could use as a hammerstone. Sitting down he set to knapping the flint to create two different tools. He had to be careful while doing this task since it had been a couple of years since Sergei had made him practice this skill. After knocking off several chunks he looked through them to find the ones he would use to craft a punch and scraper. Franco watched in fascination, as Eldrick quickly shaped the flint to the purpose for which it would be put to use. Deitrick and Timothy looked at each other. Eldrick caught them out of the corner of his eye. They were not looking happy. After about twenty minutes of knapping Eldrick had what he needed.
Returning to the hide with his flint tools in hand he punched holes into the hide for stretching. Using the rope he had fashioned to hold the carcass he stretched the hide on the frame. Once taut, he grabbed the scraper to begin removing the fatty layer from the hide. Keeping the strokes even in pressure and length he cleaned the hide. Franco examining his work declared it passing.
"Even I can tell that from here," Deitrick announced. "He anticipated a task he hadn't been asked to complete. Well, there is only one thing left for the testing," His evil grin back. "Endurance and strength. See the cauldron young Eldrick? You need to lift it with your forearms and carry it across the clearing from the fire to the edge and back to the fire in a straight line."
Eldrick noticed there was only one way he could do a straight line from the fire to the edge of the clearing and that would take him through the circle Deitrick was in. Thinking quickly he crafted a linking circle from the trapped Deitrick to another. Adding a new twist to the circles while he also modified the new one to hold Deitrick. Deitrick watched with incredulity.
"If you think that is going to work, you still have something to learn about the crafting of proper circles." Deitrick seemed to be insinuating there was a flaw somewhere.
Eldrick examined the runes carefully. Noticing he hadn't quite connected the lines for one of the runes. Quickly finishing the line he connected them he decided to complicate it with ogham. This time not in salt but with the stick so they were engraved into the ground, sealing the circle to his magic. With a final letter, he broke the circle.
Deitrick trying to fight the magic was pulled from one circle to the other. "Once I am out of here I am going to kill you, you stupid brat."
Eldrick, ignoring his outcries walked over to the cauldron. Turning his palms up he slid his forearms under the large protruding handles. Taking a few calming breaths, he centred himself. He knew there was going to be pain, and he would have to walk through the fire to complete the task. He had purposefully scuffed his feet as he approached the fire to remove the circle placed around it. Bending his knees, he raised his arms to make contact with the hot metal. Lifting with his legs, he clamped his jaw shut to keep from crying out. Noticing the cauldron had been filled with melted tallow he had to keep it level. Failing this task would leave him severely burned. Walking steadily from the fire through his modified circle to the edge of the clearing was excruciating.
Now all he needed to do was return the cauldron to the fire. Then he could test the efficacy of the salve he had crafted earlier. He was almost back when his arms started shaking. Gritting his teeth he completed the last three yards. Setting the cauldron down in the fire, he pulled his arms free. Looking down at them he saw the brands etched into his flesh. A serpent intertwined in the triquetra.
Calmly he walked over to the table and slathered his arms with the salve. Franco approached with the slate.
"Now for the final task. In Ogham write your oath to the order." He handed Eldrick the slate and stylus.
Eldrick taking the slate wrote out his oath. 'As the apprentice to Sergei, I hereby declare I have passed the examination and have achieved the rank of Journeyman Druid of the order. Dated this twenty-first day of Gaelachdearthair in the year Twelve hundred one Of the Order.' Handing the slate back to Franco, "That should be sufficient." He didn't know why he hadn't added his name only that he was Sergie's apprentice and the date. He wasn't about to write his name though, there was something about names having power that twigged at the back of his mind.
Franco read the slate over and nodded. "This will do. Now we will need to return to the grove for the celebration." His gaze turned to Deitrick and Timothy. "What shall we do with those two?"
"Release them of course. They won't try anything, not with a horde of procyvid watching." Turning to face Deitrick, "will you?"
Deitrick paled, "No we won't."
"I want your sworn oaths on that." Eldrick's voice was hard with command.
"I give my sworn oath," Deitrick muttered.
"I will not give such an oath," Timothy said defiantly.
"Fair enough," Eldrick said distractedly as he broke the circle holding Deitrick. "You can stay until someone comes to release you." Eldrick began walking away from the grove. He could see the sun was beginning to set in the east. He had accomplished this task. Now to relax for a bit. He pitied whoever they sent to release Timothy for he had only broken three of the thirteen circles.
Franco caught up with Eldrick, "We need to prepare you for the ceremony. It will come down to trust."
Eldrick, turning to face Franco, "Of all the people here I think I can trust you more than the others." Turning his head to look over his shoulder towards the clearing. "I have a feeling Deitrick is releasing Timothy then they are going to report how they failed to deal with a lowly apprentice," He snickered.
"They are full masters yet they seem a bit dimwitted." Eldrick bit his tongue realizing he was still talking to a master of the order and shouldn't be showing disrespect to its members. "I am sorry sir. I shouldn't have spoken like that, I was out of line."
"It is about time we got some new perspective here. I have to play along with the political games here or they will turn on me. I am only one of a few who would like to see change in the order. We are outnumbered by Veldar's cronies, and none of us are powerful enough to challenge him. From what I am sensing neither are you. Play along and keep your head down and you should be fine."
He led Eldrick to a small hut, where there was a change of clothing, a new insignia, and a blindfold. Indicating that Eldrick should change from his travel clothes to the new robes and put on the insignia, he left.
Eldrick felt the weave of the robe. It was linen just a tighter weave than his previous robes had been. He sighed in relief, that meant they wouldn't be itchy. He was beginning to worry about the winter months ahead. He hoped they would be providing woolen robes, but he doubted it. A druid was meant to be self-sufficient. After changing out of his old clothes into the new robes he placed the insignia over his head and tucked the other medallion inside his robes. After completing his change of wardrobe he called out to Franco.
Franco came into the hut and picked up the blindfold indicating for Eldrick to turn around. With the blindfold in place he led Eldrick from the hut. Eldrick not entirely certain, let his senses range out gathering in the life essence of everything around him. Franco was leading him towards the grove and the waiting conclave. Not releasing his senses to be guided blindly he let himself be led by Franco.
