Home

The next morning, when the first rays of moonlight filtered through the mist and fell upon the streets of Maestra Town, Kalei got up early as planned.

He packed his things carefully, wrapped up the Crescent Staff, and had a simple breakfast with his teacher, Matt, and Dinia. Then he left Maestra and returned to Moonshadow Village.

Moonshadow Village was just as Kalei remembered it: peaceful and tranquil, with little changed. What had happened in Bristlelimb Village, dozens of kilometers away, had no effect on this place at all, so no one knew what role Kalei had played in it.

The villagers assumed he had just returned from Maestra and greeted him warmly.

"Good evening, Kalei. You're back from Maestra. Did you have a smooth trip?"

"How are your studies going?"

"I heard from your mother that you've already had your coming-of-age ceremony. Have you grown up that much already? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Kalei, what do you think of today's weather?"

As Kalei returned the villagers' greetings, his thoughts drifted to his conversation with Arenia and the others a few days earlier.

Could there really be Satyrs lurking among these familiar faces?

He didn't want to believe it, but when he thought of Sain from Bristlelimb Village, he didn't dare jump to conclusions.

Still, whether or not any Satyrs were hiding among them, he had no time to investigate. Right now, he just wanted to go home.

Kalei's home had been designed and built by his father, a hopeless Druid. It was a two-story house with six rooms. Outside stood a courtyard planted with flowers and herbs unique to the Night Elves. At a glance, it looked like a garden with a house in it.

As Kalei approached the gate, Little Black bounded out of the woods and pounced on him and Big Black.

Kalei dismounted Big Black and patted Little Black on the head with a smile. "Little Black, how have you been enjoying yourself at home alone these past few days?"

Little Black let out a low rumble and nudged Kalei's hand with his nose, which was answer enough.

"What? You haven't been having fun? Have you missed Big Black? You two seem awfully affectionate."

"All right, all right. You two go play together. Be back by dawn." Kalei patted the two Sabers on their backs. As he watched them run off excitedly side by side toward the woods behind the house, he shook his head with an amused smile.

He carried the staff in one hand and the pack he had taken off Big Black in the other. After opening the courtyard gate, he crossed the courtyard along a flagstone path and headed for the front door.

Just as he was about to knock, the door creaked open, and his mother, Velina, stepped out carrying a basket.

She wore a simple, pale-purple dress, and her silver-white hair was casually tied back. She still looked young and elegant.

She looked up, saw her son, and exclaimed in delighted surprise, "Child, why are you back?"

Kalei set down his pack and staff, then embraced his mother with a smile. "What, surprised?"

Velina let go and looked him over carefully. "Didn't you say it would take at least half a month, if everything went quickly? It's only been a few days."

Kalei shrugged. "There are exceptions to everything."

Velina looked worried. "Did you pass your teacher's test? Did something go wrong?"

Kalei could tell from her expression that she was worrying about him again, so he quickly reassured her. "Don't worry. The test was no trouble. Not only did I pass, I advanced, too. I'm an intermediate Druid now."

Velina stared at him in amazement. "How is that possible? It's only been—"

Kalei smiled. "You should have more faith in me, Mother. Look at what I'm holding. This is the reward my teacher gave me."

Only then did Velina notice the Crescent Staff in his hand. She wasn't a mage, but when she was young, she had served as a Moon Goddess priestess. That had given her enough experience to recognize at a glance that the staff was extraordinary.

Now she had no choice but to believe that her son had indeed passed his teacher's test and advanced. Happiness and pride welled up inside her, and she cried out, "Blessed be the Goddess! Child, you've surpassed your father completely. I'm so proud of you." Tears glimmered in her eyes as she spoke.

Seeing this, Kalei couldn't help but feel moved. He knew that although his mother often belittled his father, she had loved him deeply. Since his father went missing, Kalei had rarely seen her truly happy.

All these years, his mother had always cared about his Druid training and hoped he would do well. His father was probably part of the reason.

Now Kalei had not only made progress in his Druid training but far exceeded her hopes. How could she not be happy?

After sharing a moment of sadness, mother and son both smiled with quiet acceptance.

Kalei put the pack and staff in the living room. Then he turned and saw Velina holding a basket. "Mother, what are you going to do with that basket?"

Velina smiled. "Don't you love Sweet Moonberries? They've ripened in the fields these past few days. I was afraid they'd fall to the ground and rot, so I was going to pick some and dry them. I didn't expect you to come back just then."

Kalei's eyes lit up. "Really? Then I'll come with you and take a look."

Velina teased him. "I see you're getting hungry again."

Kalei smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

Velina was right. Kalei was indeed hungry. The Night Elves didn't know much about cooking, but they understood nature, and the food they gathered from the natural world was wonderfully unique.

They each took a basket and left the house, following a path toward the nearby fields.

Moonlight shone through the treetops, casting dappled shadows along the forest path and over the two of them.

Kalei's family's fields lay a short distance west of their house. The plot was level and about an acre in size, divided into three sections for fruit, vegetables, and staple crops.

The Night Elves lived in a place enriched with natural energy by the World Tree, Nordrassil. The soil was fertile, the climate was springlike all year round, and the village Moonwell nourished the land. Every plant grew quickly and well, and this acre yielded more than enough to feed Kalei's family of three.

As a child, Kalei had loved roaming the fruit-growing section. It held not only his favorite Sweet Moonberries but also Gold-skin Apples, Flash Pears, Sun Fruits, and all kinds of other fruit.

The fruit was sweet and distinctive, and it ripened quickly, yielding at least three harvests a year.

As a child, Kalei had fruit to eat every day. Sometimes he ate so much that he couldn't finish his meals, and his mother often scolded him for it.

Now that Kalei was grown, he had mostly outgrown his appetite, but he still couldn't resist Sweet Moonberries, with their lovely appearance and soft, fragrant flesh.

Velina saw her son set down his basket and immediately pick several large, white Sweet Moonberries, stuffing them into his mouth one after another. She found it both funny and comforting.

No matter how much her son changed or what he accomplished, he was still the child she had watched grow up. That put her at ease.

Mother and son picked the ripe Sweet Moonberries while chatting aimlessly.

Velina asked, "Child, how long will you be staying at home this time?"

Kalei swallowed the fruit in his mouth. "I don't know yet. I'm waiting for a notice."

"What notice?"

"A notice from the Cenarion Circle."

At that, Velina stopped what she was doing and looked at Kalei. "The Cenarion Circle! Child, can you join the Circle already?"

Kalei sounded unsure. "I don't know yet whether I'll get in, but my teacher has submitted my application."

Velina encouraged him. "I believe you can do it."

Kalei smiled. "Why are you suddenly so confident in me, Mother?"

Velina smiled back. "Child, of course I have faith in you. I know you've always worked harder at your training than the other Night Elves. I believe the Moon Goddess will bless a Night Elf who works hard."

Kalei's heart stirred, and he understood. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "Mother, you noticed."

Velina smiled. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I knew a long time ago; I just never told you because I don't think hardworking people should be mocked."

Kalei shrugged and smiled helplessly. "I couldn't help it, Mother. I'm really no genius. My Druid talent is poor, but I didn't dare tell you. I was afraid you wouldn't support me, so..."

Velina sighed. "So you often trained in secret behind my back... Child, you've had a hard time all these years. At least all your effort has finally paid off."

"I don't know why, but I can tell that both your physical and mental state have improved a great deal. The Moon Goddess must have blessed you."

Velina might not have known what had happened to Kalei, but her instincts were spot-on. She really was his mother.

So Kalei played along. "Mother, you might be right. Lately, I've felt incredibly lucky. Everything I do goes smoothly. I even feel like I can hear the voice of the Spirit of Nature. I believe my path as a Druid will be much smoother from now on."

As a devout follower of the Goddess, Velina immediately took this to mean that Kalei's hard work had moved the Goddess and earned him her blessing. She took him by the hand, cupped her hands toward the moons, and knelt on one knee to pray to the two moons in the sky.

Kalei found the scene a little surreal, but since the Moon Goddess really existed, he didn't mind.

After they finished praying, Velina realized it was already midnight. She brought their conversation to an end and asked, "Kalei, what would you like for dinner tonight?"

Kalei replied, "Do we have White Salmon? Nightscale Fish would be fine, too."

Velina said, "How about Nightscale Fish soup and venison stew with potatoes?"

Kalei clapped his hands happily. "Wonderful! You can't get such authentic hometown cooking in Maestra. My mouth's already watering."

Mother and son happily picked a full basket of Sweet Moonberries and another basket of vegetables. Then they returned home, chatting and laughing, and began preparing dinner.

Velina wasn't a chef, but she had hundreds of years of cooking experience. Her dishes were almost as good as those made by a professional chef.

Before long, the kitchen was filled with the savory aroma of Nightscale Fish soup and the rich scent of venison with potatoes.

They sat around the table, enjoyed their delicious dinner, and chatted about little things happening in the village.

After dinner, they took advantage of the night and strolled around the village, greeting their neighbors and catching up. Only when the night grew late did they slowly make their way home.