Bearing Down on the Truth

After camping the night outside the dead Three-Quarterling’s too cosy for comfort, low ceilinged cave-like home, the huge Druid Thornberg ruffles his great bear companion’s thick furry brow and sets back out in the morning. Not for the Goddess Estrid’s magical glade, but instead to his ‘Circle of the Scale’ brother Koenig’s wooden-shack home. He will need to be told of his son’s untimely death.

Koenig; the self proclaimed 'Rat King’! Weirdly, he hadn’t heard from him in over a month. No rambling letters or requests for assistance against the ‘foul’ Human polluters. Another mystery ripe for solving.

After muttering a few incantations to reinforce the Three-Quarterling’s wavering wards protecting the magical pool, Thornberg beseeches the only large tree in the hidden garden for access back into the 'Green path'. The old oak shimmers with deep magic and seemingly splits open to allow the large Thornberg and his even larger bear passage toward the Human realm.

Despite the distance, it only takes a few hours to traverse the network of trees and Thornberg emerges mere yards from Koenig’s ramshackle hut. Sniffing loudly, the oversized brown bear, Bamse pads forward unafraid.

There's no-one here and judging from the rotten fruit and vegetables in what passes for a kitchen, Koenig’s not been here for weeks! 

Thornberg frowns and grumbles to his ever-near bear.

"Could the old coot be dead, and if so, what… or who killed him?"