Drenwulf stumbled out of the cave with a vicious kick from the darkling told to escort him out. He was terrified. He hadn't really understood what the Darklings had been talking about, but he was sure it was something so unspeakably terrible that someone had to stop him. He slid down a steep gravelly hole, and found his mother at the bottom, attempting to light a small candle.
"Drenwulf," his mother said wearily. "What took you so long? I was worrying."
"I had to clean some armor," Drenwulf said miserably. His mother sensed that something was wrong.
"What else happened?"
Drenwulf hesitated and then told everything. His mother was quiet for some time. She gave him some dirty bread and a bone with a bit of meat on it. Drenwulf devoured it hungrily. Finally, he dared to ask a question.
"What are the great lights mother?"
"They are the sun, the moon, and the stars," she answered.
"What are they?" Drenwulf had never heard of anything like this. He had only known about the ashy darkness of the volcano.
"The sun is a great orb in the sky," his mother explained. "It gives heat and light to Valand, the place where I came from."
"What is it like?" Drenwulf asked.
"There is warmth, and light, and the people there have rights. There is grass, trees, flowers, birds. There are cities full of people, great kings who ride on proud stallions, and, oh, so much light!"
"It sounds perfect," Drenwulf said sadly.
"It isn't," his mother said. "But it's worth fighting for. Drenwulf, if they do what you have said, then they will make everything like this, only much, much worse! We must try to find a way to warn Valand!"
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