The New Druid

On an Island sheltered by a giant tree, the sheep are not growing wool. The inhabitants know they will not survive the winter without trade. One girl sacrifices everything to change this fate. The old man swallowed a lump in his throat looking at the mug, he eyed Una and sighed. “When I was a younger man... We didn’t have mainlanders. Or their stink-- their earth mother. We knew who protected us... it was the grand elm.”“So it cursed us? How do you suppose that?” Una asked.The man scratched his beard and furrowed his brow, “I’d wager, that it, has to do... to do with the druid.”Una blinked, “Druid? I’ve never heard of a druid before.” Many people would reflect on the times the village worshiped the tree and Una picked things up here and there, but this was something new.“Aye, before, before the mainlanders, whenever something was wrong we’d send, well the village would send, a champion to the druid.”“Why? who is the druid?” Una asked.“I don’t know, I don’t think anyone knows. Not anymore at least.”“You have to give me more than that,” Una said pulling the mug away from the man.He looked sadly at it and raised a limp wrist. “I don’t know any-- no the druid always lifted the curse. But there was a catch, the champion never returned.”