Aedaith looks worried at the Elder fox’s seriousness, and asks, “Can I help?”
Iorwen smiles at Aedaith and replies, “No, sweetie. Go find new travelling companions. Larrikan will not be leaving with you.”
Once Aedaith has headed off, Iorwen tells Larrikan, “Let us walk. I have muvh to teach you, and little time.”
The walk, deeper into the forest, farther and farther from the foxes’ family circle and the Gather. Larrikan, sensing the seriousness of his grandmother’s mood, remains quiet for some time, but curiosity finally prompts him to ask, “What is wrong, Grandmother?”
Iorwen, who is looking for something, does not answer for a little while. When she does, it is subdued, and serious. She says, “You will have a harder time than you know. My grandmother told me how hard it was for her, and she did not stay in one place for so long as they have asked you to.”
Larrikan considers, and says, “I’m sure it will be lonely, but there will always be people around, at the University.” He sounds hesitant, as if he is sure he has missed something.
“It is not just that,” his grandmother tells him, “but how you will live. The things I am going to teach you today are only taught to Elders, and not even all of them. They are some of the most powerful things our people can do, and we keep them close because they can destroy us and the people around is.”
Larrikan says, “But… we don’t destroy. Everywhere we go, we try to make things better. The forest is healthier after we leave.” He adds, uncertainly, “Isn’t it?”
Iorwen smiles, and says, “Good lad, to be thinking. We tell everyone – even ourselves – that. It is even mostly true.
“What we don’t talk about is where we get the energy to do that. To make things better, we sing and chant lots of little magics into the world around us.”
Larrikan nods, listening closely. His Elder continues, “What we don’t discuss is where we get our energy to do all that from. We take it from the world around us. We collect it as we travel, and use it ourselves. Some of it is spun out into the world around us, but some we keep.”
“We do?” asks Larrikan, looking surprised.
“We do,” his grandmother confirms. “And,” she continues, “if you stay in one place too long, it runs out of energy for you to take. You must get some more from somewhere else. There are two ways. One is easy and has no direct risk to you. The other is hard and exposes you to great personal risk. I will only teach you the hard way.”