"YOU DID WHAT?" Freya said, her teacup shattering on the floor.

"Freya, as I said," River the raven druid said, "I wild shaped into an otter."

Freya couldn't help but gawk at the bird. Here they had been talking amiably and River just up and did another miraculous thing.

"I suppose you’re going to explain how it's done next?"

The raven coughed.

Freya absent-mindedly picked up the broken pieces of the teacup. She hadn’t thought about how much of a change being a druid could be or would be.

“Why my dear, it’s magic,” the raven said.

Freya’s jaw couldn’t contain the amount of fear, anxiety, and everything that had been building up.

"You just went from being an otter one minute to being a raven the next. That's insane."

The yard which has once been a lively place where Freya had frolicked as an innocent young pup.

"But that means that druids can change …."

River waited for her to continue.

Freya got up and paced around.

"You could speak the language of another race, and you could become that race as well- can all druids do this?"

River sighed.

"Some of these secrets are only for sworn initiates. Freya, you are one of the strongest potential initiates in Yellowrock, I can’t tell you all of our secrets. One thing I will tell you however is that some things can only be done by druids with an affinity to a certain burrow. Some things can only be done by a rare few as well."

Freya continued to pace, the soft earth beneath her feet beginning to become more and more packed. She turned around, paced, and turned around again.

"So let me get this straight."

Freya paused to make sure that River was locked onto her.

"All druids have an affinity to a certain burrow, some druids have special powers and some mice like me have inherent potential…am I getting this right?"

River nodded.

"What is stopping a druid from completely upending society? This magic could be devastating?"

River straightened, looking like she was about to say words carefully or a prepared statement. At least Freya felt that ominous feeling.

"My dear, as a druid you swear an oath to not take up arms or aid in battles between creatures. The druid exists to protect us from the beasts beyond the walls of society."

The statement was a gut punch. Inherent in that was the opposite, which to Freya was the real story.

Druids could not fight in wars between creatures. That meant that a rogue magic user would be…

"When someone learns to use their magic, but leaves the druids or… never joins?"

River sighed. She shifted under Freya's fearful gaze, shifting uncomfortably.

"The houses have a way of taking care of problem druids. We won't speak any more about that either until you pledge as an initiate."

The finality of the statement echoed in her mind. Freya's mother hadn't been strong enough in her magic, and neither had her grandmother.

The river was telling her that her magic would top both of theirs and in essence, if she wanted to be trained, she would have to swear some sort of oath to the circle.

Freya stopped pacing.

"It's a tough decision. When I knew that I had the talent, I was trained… Well, I was in training with my people. You have to understand that they saw it as a kindness- allowing me to join the druids. They offered me a lot of money to give up secrets," River said.

Freya couldn't control her reaction. The contorted mess that was her whiskers would have immediately given her away to another mouse.

"But that is neither here nor there. Do you want to know about your burrow?"

"It's a lovely place, yes, but…?"

River paused, and Freya could see a bit of magical energy leaking from a wing tip as she traced a hole in the air.

As the circle completed, Freya felt the world at her back, and her body ached to create a bond, to speak to someone new or…she wanted to change.

"My body wants to change. It's River -I feel like I could become a Bluejay- if I just pushed. It would take all of my efforts and I would…"

River gestured with both wings.

"The burrow is open, you're feeling the effects of your home-field advantage for the first time. This is the warren of change. Beware that it's one of the more dangerous ones and I wouldn't go alone if I were you."

On the other side of the portal, a night sky and a large tree dominated the view.

"How can you tell where there is… as to where we are now? This whole business is confusing, to say the least."

"Generations of druids have left markers and passed down the paths. We are eternally grateful to those that came before. Now that you have a better sense of how to open the portal to the burrow, you will have an easier time with our next task."

"Oh next, I suppose that I am going to be fighting monsters in the burrows to prove myself?" Freya's eyes fixed on something that was moving around in the burrow. She’d sensed something magical.

River shut down the connection, and Freya mentally retraced the way that she’d done that so effortlessly. She was pretty hungry though.

Come to think of it, all of their food, the generous serving of the party tray she’d made, it was all gone. River hadn't said anything, but perhaps Druids care more about what you could do with your magic rather than your dinner bill.

They weren’t the cobbler brothers in that regard. At the very least, Freya could be thankful for that.

"No. Next, you’re going to attempt a wild shape."

The raven grinned. Freya for once was at a loss for words.