The Heathen

With the old man leaving once again Aos had little else to do but to resume her training. Her meditation had slowly been improving at a similar rate to how she improved with siphoning. While her memorization of the druidic language was going rather smoothly.

The days turned to weeks until the first signs of winter appeared. The air turned colder, while the winds became fierce. Aos didn't relent her training even through the increasing snow levels.

On the first week after the beginning of winter, Aos sat on the now completely snow-covered stump while meditating. She had sensed the old man making his way back to the wooden cave and in order to greet him began to make her way towards him.

Aos sprung to life as she quickly walked to the old man, intercepting him before he reached the wooden cave. The old man rather surprised that Aos could sense him said, "My, my, your growth is monstrous. You really do have the old blood within your veins." he continued his way to the cave as he gestured for Aos to follow him inside.

Aos rather excited to see the old man quickly complied with the old man's gestures and followed behind him.

Once the old man had made his way inside he sat down on the wooden floor before telling Aos to, "Sit down". Aos who had been only been studying druidic and rather ignoring the northern tongue could only manage to respond in druidic, although a rather broken form since she hadn't reached the grammar part of the tome of nature. Aos responded to the old mans request with, "(yes)(master)".

Aos sat across from the old man waiting for the old man to begin speaking. After a rather long pause the old man started to speak, "You've progressed at a rate far faster than I could've predicted. Although you are still learning the basics you have comprehended them far more extensively than others would have." pausing to think the old man soon continued, "I won't ask you how but rather I shall give you this token" the old man reached into his robe and pulled out a triskele pendant made from faded brass. "This was handed down to me from my predecessor. It is the symbol of everything a druid represents and embodies. Although you still have a rather large amount of things to learn you are well on your way."

The old man handed the triskele pendant to Aos who quickly put it on. The pendant held a rather large emotion weight to Aos. It was the fruit of her hard labour in the past year ever since her mother left her. Aos was both relieved and burdened by the weight yet, it only helped encourage her to continue.