The Hermit
The villagers felt as though the Old Man had lived at the edge of the forest forever, as even the oldest of the elders could not remember a time when he did not dwell there. They made little sense of it; hermits just didn't live that long. They grew old quickly and died easily, for when they fell ill and could not hunt, they simply starved. So the villagers gradually came to fear the Old Man, and avoided traveling near the forest. Mothers would say to their children, "Stay away from those woods! An evil old man lives there, and if he sees you he'll chop you up and eat you for dinner!"
It was said that he left his hut only once a month, to hunt and fill his pails with water. He wasn't even seen gathering wood for a fire. Older villagers would tell stories about how his appearance never changed, and how year after year, his face was just as smooth, his hair just as dark, and his muscles just as toned. Something was certainly peculiar about him, and one year the Elders decided to address the issue, hoping to put the people's fears to rest. At that time they were the only educated men in the village, and therefore the only ones trusted to solve the mystery.
***
The three men rode on horseback, each wrapped in black woolen robes, each clutching a tattered papyrus book by their side. Fall had only just begun, and already the skies were covered with billowing clouds. Snow fell gently from the heavens, blanketing the rolling hills of the countryside. An unsteady breeze blew in from the west, pulling a loose layer of snow along with it. The elders knew that the coming winter would not be an easy one.
The horses descended drearily into the valley below. Blackwood forest lie just a few miles ahead of them, its trees covered lightly by sparkling ice, softly illuminating the surrounding area. The elders could already make out the small hut where the Old Man was thought to live, and seeing it made the Chosen Elder uneasy - this was not a task he had looked forward to. If the people were correct, and the Old Man did practice something of a magical nature, then he was no one to be tampered with. But if they were incorrect, and he was nothing more than an old hermit, it could become a very distasteful chore. The elders were no fools, and they knew what dangers the situation presented. An unruly group of ignorant people could easily make unjust decisions.
The Chosen Elder cursed himself for allowing Deron to accompany them; he shouldn't have succumbed to the boy's pleading. Yes, Deron was a man, nearly eighteen years of age, but he had only recently begun his education. His actions were rash, and his thoughts without subtlety. He had yet to understand the implications of dealing with a village outcast, and if things became chaotic, the boy could become problematic .So the Chosen Elder pulled back his horse's reins, signaled for a halt, and when all movement ceased, voiced his thoughts.