Thornwick Rootshield's Arc

Chapter 2 of 4

Thornwick picked up the smallest instrument and ran his fingers across its strings. A single note hummed through the chamber. He tried another string, then another. The sounds didn't match the songs he needed yet. Learning would take time. He set the instrument down and grabbed a strip of dried meat from his pack. Tomorrow he would practice the notes until his fingers knew them by heart. Then he would test them on smaller creatures first. The mountain hall would be his training ground until the beast songs became his own. Morning light filtered through cracks in the stone walls. Thornwick walked deeper into the mountain chamber, searching for anything that might teach him the old ways. His stone fingers brushed against a pedestal covered in glowing vines. Scrolls and leather-bound books rested on its surface. He picked up the nearest scroll and unrolled it carefully. Strange symbols covered the page, but simple drawings showed creatures circling a figure who held an instrument. These were the records he needed. He pulled the pedestal closer to the torchlight and began to study. Hours passed as he traced each symbol with his finger. The scrolls described patterns of sound that different beasts answered to. Low notes for creatures of the earth. High, sharp notes for birds and small animals. He needed a way to test these songs where wild things might hear him. Thornwick left the scrolls and walked back toward the entrance. Outside, thick bushes grew along the mountainside. He shaped the nearest one into a hiding spot where he could watch without being seen. From here, he could observe which animals came near at night. The sun dropped behind the peaks. Thornwick returned to the chamber and lifted a carved horn from a shelf near the instruments. Deep marks covered its surface, telling stories of old battles. He carried it outside and set it on a flat rock near his hiding spot. When he was ready to practice, this horn would carry his songs across the mountain. Animals would hear and hopefully come close. He touched the cold metal once more, then headed back inside. The first real step was done. Now he had a place to learn, records to study, and a way to call the beasts when the time came.