The fair haired boy ran barefooted over the rolling hills West of his family's farm on the Island he knew as Derugar. Though he had seen only 7 summers in his brief life, he knew every rock, every sapling, every rain washed gully in those hills. He sprinted hard, uphill and down, in the gleeful carefree manner only a child can manage. In his left hand he carried the woven basket his mother had given him to collect the Andar berries that would only be ripe for a few days, and in his right, a stout switch, that he used as a sword, deftly whacking the heads off the chest high wildflowers.
He wore look of purest glee on his face as he swiped the switch through the air, beheading the imaginary Dolfanc as he sprinted across an imaginary field of battle, a Knight in his glory, none could stand against him as he spread ruin upon his enemies. He crossed the open field in no time, and slowed his pace to a creeping crawl as he entered the stand of Oak and Maple trees near the crest of the hill. He easily slipped from bough to bough, moving stealthily as a hunter. In his mind he crept on the camp of his enemies, evil Dolfanc, in reality, he made his way towards the thicket of Andar bushes.
He hopped on a fallen tree, to cross a final gully before he reached the thickets, and stopped short, movement in the bottom of the wash had caught his eye. He looked down, and nearly retched as he saw the corpse of a dusk cat, one of the kings of the forest, being torn to shreds, and devoured by a flock of buzzards. The cat couldnt have been dead long, as its blood was smeared upon the ground, and stained into the feathers of the carrion eaters.
Fighting back his rising gorge, the youth went to a crouch on the tree, watching the display with a fascination, an uncontrollable curiosity. So engrossed was he in the tableu below him, he hadnt noticed the old man who seemed to appear out of the trunk of an Oak tree, not five feet behind him. The old man moved to stand over the boy without a sound, and he looked at the boy, then at the scene below, and back with a mirthful grin.
The old man spoke, quietly, and in his best non threatening tone, trying not to frighten the child.
"An interesting scene, isnt it, my lad?"
The youngster started, and whirled to look over his shoulder, his blue eyes wide with surprise, till he saw the 'decrepit' old man.
"Aye, Sir.... I s'pose one could call it that... " the youth replied, looking back to the flock at it business, his face scrunching into a look of disgust as a particularly stringy chunk of the cat was pulled free, and several of the buzzards fought over it, tearing it into smaller gobbets.
"And what about you, my lad.... what would *you* call it?" the old mans beard largely hid his smile as he spoke.
"Terrible, and somehow....brilliant, Sir." The toe headed boy was engrossed again, resuming his kneeling, holding on to one of the roots of the fallen tree.
"Brilliant you say? I'd say disgusting... those filthy birds tearing up a once mighty and proud beast.... most boys your age would take to throwing rocks, or otherwise trying to scare them off."
Janus looked over his shoulder at the old man, the strangest look on his face.
"Theyre filthy birds, sir, Aye.... but, they only do their job..... theyhave to eat, too dont they? And the filth and gore they leave behind will feed raccoons, foxes, and possum. And what is too small for those critters will be stripped by the ants, and soon, the cats skeleton itself will feed the trees. Thats what brilliant about it... it dinnae matter if its pleasing to watch, it keeps things fed."
The old man's eyes grew wide as the boy spoke, and truly sparkled as he finished, and even the thick beard couldnt hide his smile as he said.
"My Name is Goentryx, lad. May I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
The boy stood, and turned smoothly on the balls of his feet, sticking his hand out the way he'd seen his father do a thousand times.
"I'm Janus McDonougal, son of Angus, my Da farms the lands east of here."
Goentryx almost laughed as he reached out and took the boys small hand in his, shaking it vigorously.
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintence, Janus, son of Angus...Now, I think you've propably tarried here long enough, hurry along and harvest your Andar berries before the sun sets on you."
"Pleased to meet you, too, Sir Goentryx!" the boy blurted, proud of himself for carrying out an adult introduction. He whirled again, and sprinted across the downed tree, but when he reached the far side, he turned again, to see the old man watching him.
"How did you know I was foraging for Andar berries?"
"Lad you carry a basket, and the Andar berries are the only ones in bloom here this time of year. Now off with you, there are worse things than dusk cats in these parts, after dark!"
Goentryx watched the boy disapear on the far side of the wash.... a thoughtful look on his face as he turned to look to the east, in the direction of the McDonougal stead........