Once Shon had returned to the greenhouse with Tarun, he and Grodin had shared with him what Shon had just learned about his parents. Grodin also revealed his identity as a druid, and his willingness to allow Shon to leave Life’s Edge. After that, Shon excitedly showed Tarun the gifts his parents had left for him, as well as the staff that Grodin was letting him borrow.

“Now,” said Grodin, once he felt that Tarun was all caught up, “what we need to discuss is what the two of you are going to do once you have left Life’s Edge.” He looked Tarun in the eyes and said, “I regret not giving greater respect and heed to your insight before, Tarun. I don’t intend to make the same mistake again. So before I say anything I would like to ask, do you have any sort of plan already?”

“I know only my direction,” said Tarun. “I have no plan.”

“What about you, Shon,” Grodin said, turning to his nephew. “You’ve obviously been thinking of leaving for a while now. Do you have any goals or plan once you leave Life’s Edge?”

“To be honest, my only plan up to this point was following Tarun wherever he went,” said Shon, his voice trailing off into a mumble. Shon then put a hand on his chest and felt the hard lump of his mother’s familiar egg through his father’s cloak. He lifted his head up to look at Grodin and Tarun, and with strength in his voice he said, “But as of tonight, at least I have a goal. I’m going to find my parents.”

“Excellent,” said Grodin. “Then allow me to suggest a plan that I think will help you get started. It will be up to the two of you whether or not to follow it, but I think you will find it very generous on my part. I hope it will somewhat compensate for our unpleasant experience in the desert.”

“Compensation is not necessary,” Tarun said softly, “but I would like to hear this plan of yours.”

“I agree,” said Shon.

“Alright then,” said Grodin, walking to the back of the greenhouse, “follow me.” He stopped in front of the strange thorny plant that Shon had seen him trimming earlier that day. “Nearly all of the plants in this greenhouse are far more exotic and magical than any ordinary gardener could grow. Many people in Life’s Edge wonder why I need such a large greenhouse since I only manage to sell a couple dozen flowers and herbs each month. To tell you the truth, the only things that I sell in town are grown at the very front of the greenhouse. I discovered very early on in my life here that I would need to be a bit more…” Grodin paused as he searched for the right word, “…enterprising if I was going to make a living for Shon and myself.”

“Aha!” Shon burst out, “I always wondered how you managed to support us on herbs and flowers.”

“Oh I’ve done quite a bit better than you suspect,” Grodin said with a wink. “I’m just very good at not living extravagantly. I thought it would attract too much attention.”

“Whom do you sell to, if not the people of Life’s Edge?” Tarun asked.

“I receive several orders from people who still remember my name, and know where to find me. Some old friends continue to refer business to me when they have customers looking for exceptionally hard-to-find vegetation. The man who ordered this plant is one such customer,” Grodin said, gesturing to the thorny plant.

“What is it?” Shon asked.

“It has a few different names,” answered Grodin, “but the most common one is Dragon’s Bane. It is native to Dragon Country, and it can be quite the nasty problem if handled carelessly.”

“What do you mean?” asked Tarun.

“Well, it’s nearly impossible to grow Dragon’s Bane from a seed, as I have done, and transplanting it from a previous spot of ground is completely impossible, but if you can manage to plant a young specimen like this in fertile ground it will grow and spread like a weed. I have had prior dealings with the man who ordered this, and I believe he will not use it recklessly, but I would not place it in the care of any mere delivery boy.”

“So you intend for us to safely deliver it?” Tarun asked?

“That is what I had in mind,” Grodin replied. “He already sent me half of his payment to begin growing the Dragon’s Bane, and you may keep the other half after you deliver it. He will pay you thirty pieces of silver, which should help fund your search for quite some time.”

“Thirty pieces of silver for one plant?” Shon gasped in astonishment. “What does he intend to do with it?”

“Nothing you want to get mixed up in,” said Grodin. “Dragon’s Bane has several magical properties, but it is most commonly used by dragon hunters.”

“A dragon hunter?” Shon asked. “And you think we can trust him?”

“I didn’t say anything about trust,” Grodin clarified, “but I do believe that he will use the plant responsibly. He has proven himself of that in the past.”

“I think we should do it,” Tarun said to Shon. “Your uncle’s offer is very generous, and I would like to meet this dragon hunter.”

Shon felt hesitant about any dealings with dragon hunters, but it he hadn’t seen Tarun show much interest in anything other than leaving ever since they returned from the Endless Desert, and he was eager to keep his friend positive. “If that is what you really want,” said Shon, “then I will trust your judgment. I’m just worried about the things I’ve heard about dragon hunters.”

“If it is any comfort to you, nephew,” Grodin said with a smile, “only half the things you ever hear about dragon hunters are true. The tricky part is figuring out which half it is.” Grodin winked and then stood up. “Now that we’ve discussed the means, it’s time to talk about the ends. I don’t believe that finding your parents will be easy, Shon, but I can give you a place to start.”

Grodin lead the boys back inside the house and retrieved a folded piece of parchment from a trunk under his cot. As he unfolded the parchment, Tarun and Shon saw that it was a map. “East of here, about a week’s journey, is a beautiful green valley where your parents and I used to stay between jobs and adventures.”

Grodin produced a stout charcoal pencil from one of his pockets and began drawing a winding path on the map as he continued speaking. “There are no paths leading directly there, at least the last time I visited, which made it quite secluded. The peace and tranquility was one of the things your parents and I loved about that place. It felt like our own secret little piece of paradise. When we were young we used to fantasize about settling there and building cabins and gardens.” Grodin’s voice began to trail off as he looked out the window to the east.

“And you think we’ll find my parents there?” asked Shon, urging his uncle to continue.

Grodin shook himself as if waking from a daydream. “No,” he replied, looking at Shon. “No, I would be very surprised if you found either of your parents there. But you should find something that I left there that may give you some clues or direction. Shon, do you have any idea what a Soul Tree is?”

Shon rubbed his eyebrows, thinking for a moment. “Is it some kind of magical plant? Shon guessed.

“Yes and no,” said Grodin. “A Soul Tree may look like any normal tree, but it has been enchanted with a complex bit of magic while it is still young to tie it to a person’s soul. The Soul Tree will then become a reflection of the soul it is tied to. If the person prospers, the tree will prosper. If the person grows frail, the tree will grow frail. And if the person dies, so does their Soul Tree.”

“Years ago,” Grodin continued, “I planted three Soul Trees in that valley. One for me, and one for each of your parents. Twice since I moved to Life’s Edge, I’ve inquired from old friends if your parents’ Soul Trees were still alive. Both times I was told that their trees were alive, but there was something strange about them.”

Grodin folded the map and handed it to Shon, who began feeling around his cloak for a pocket. He found one hidden on the inside of his left sleeve. “That’s strange,” Shon said, “I didn’t feel a pocket here until just now.”

Grodin chucked. “I forgot. You father was quite fond of pockets, especially hidden ones. Since so many of his creations were controlled by thought, I wouldn’t be surprised if you find more than a couple of hidden pockets in the future, depending on what you’re thinking about.”

“Alright,” said Shon, putting the map in his newly discovered pocket, “so I go and find my parents’ Soul Trees in the valley. What do I do once I find them?”

“I’m not sure,” said Grodin, suddenly looking very heavy. “There is no specific magic that the Soul Trees possess that will help you locate your parents. But I do believe that finding their Soul Trees and figuring out what is ‘strange’ about them is your best chance to gather some clues. If nothing else, it will allow you to see for yourself if their trees are still alive.” At this last sentence, Grodin’s voice caught in his throat.

“We had better get you two ready for your journey,” Grodin said suddenly, waving a hand in front of his face as if waving off some invisible fly.

The rest of the day was spent packing equipment and supplying Shon and Tarun with the gear they would need until they could deliver the Dragon’s Bane. “After that,” Grodin had said, “you two should be able to provide your own provisions.” It felt strange to Shon to be loading up their packs so similarly to how they had packed them only twelve days ago, and now they would be heading in the opposite direction. He continually reminded himself that this time he would not have to eat any Camel Truffles.

Shon had thought that the memory of packing would put Tarun in a foul mood, but to his surprise he read nothing but excitement in Tarun’s face and thoughts. In fact, Tarun’s thoughts had been so clear about his desire to be gone from Life’s Edge that Shon had to put away Stick, just so he didn’t feel overwhelmed.

More surprising to Shon was his own feelings about leaving Life’s Edge. For as long as he could remember, Shon had always longed to leave the town, and go somewhere distant in search of adventure. Now that he was actually preparing to leave the next day, Shon felt a great nervousness growing inside him. He also felt a sharp pang of loneliness at the thought of never living with his uncle again.

Shon had never realized before that there were so many things in Life’s Edge that he had wanted to do, but had always put off. Would he ever learn how to build his own adobe and sandstone home? Would he ever have another chance to tell Kryst’s oldest daughter how pretty he thought she was? The last thought made Shon blush as he continued packing.

“Is something wrong?” Tarun asked Shon, bringing him out of his reverie. “It is unlike you to be quiet for so long.”

Shon flashed a quick smile. “No,” he said at once. “I am just nervous about the trip. It will be my first time ever leaving the desert.”

Tarun walked over to Shon and place a large arm over his shoulder. “Do not fear,” Tarun said with a confident smile. “I will protect your skinny body, and you will protect my empty head.” The comment made Shon laugh.