The Path of Decisions Read Online Free PDF

with the
wave of my hand.” The old man stopped and smiled. His wrinkled face looked
friendlier now. “But here I am lecturing you when you probably want to get warm
and dry. Come with me, and we’ll get you all fixed up.”
    The old man motioned Kelln forward. Kelln picked up his pack and
stuck his knife back in his belt. They walked for a minute through a few turns
in a small tunnel.
    “You can really see without your eyes down here?” Kelln asked.
    “When I am using the power I can sense auras and physical objects
around me. It suits me just fine down here.”
     “I didn't expect anyone.”
    “No, I guess you didn't.” The old man laughed again.
    “Sorry about the eyes.” Kelln felt like he had to say something
although it sounded foolish.
    “I don't need to see now. I have seen enough in my lifetime. All
there is to watch now is wickedness and foolishness.”
    They came to an open door in the rock and entered into a small
furnished cave. The old man motioned Kelln to sit down on a small wooden chair.
Before doing so, Kelln remembered his manners.
    “My name is Kelln. I was looking for a way to keep dry in the
storm.”
    “You were lucky to find this place. The storm sounded like a
serious one.”
    “What is your name, sir?”
    “My name is Alastair.” The man turned to start fixing a warm meal
for them.
    Kelln looked around the remarkable room. A small stove made of
rocks blackened by use sat as the centerpiece of the crowded room. A metal flue
rose above it into the rocks. A few shelves stood against one wall next to a
table made from fallen trees and branches. A lone sword stood against the
opposite wall. Straight ahead, Kelln spotted a stack of books with loose papers
crammed between the pages. Kelln wondered what a blind man did with books. Yet
another corner held a few skins bundled together to sleep on.
    “How long have you been here?” asked Kelln.
    “It's hard to tell.” The old man seemed to be thinking. “Spring is
coming once again, so I would say about five years.”
    “That’s fantastic.” Kelln could get into an adventure like this.
Living in a cave in the woods could be fun for a while, though he would need
someone around to talk to, he guessed. When Kelln asked about the books, the
old man shrugged and said he hadn't always been blind. He didn’t seem to want
to discuss anything more on the subject, so Kelln dropped it.
    The old man finished preparing a meal of fried vegetables. Kelln
was hungrier than he had first thought. They ate in silence, with Kelln
wondering how Alastair survived out here in the forest all alone.
    After finishing the meal Kelln titled his head back and enjoyed
the final lingering flavor of the meal. “Where do you get your food from?”
    Alastair stood and began rinsing the plates in a bowl of water. 
“I have a few friends in Belor that bring me items now and again.”
    Kelln stood up and helped Alastair finish cleaning then returned
back to the two chairs in front of the rock stove.
    “Tell me what troubles bring you here, young friend.”
    “How do you know I have troubles?” Kelln asked with defensive
suspicion.
    Alastair smiled. “Not too many people travel the Black Forest
alone in the middle of a storm.”
    Kelln smiled back and relaxed. Why should he be suspicious of this
old man? He thought about the flame and wondered how much power the man
actually had. He started by telling Alastair he had come from Anikari but had
lived in Belor for the past nine months, three of them in prison. The old man
sat with patience and listened to Kelln's long story. He didn't ask any
questions or offer any comment. Kelln thought he saw a sadness settle into the
old man's face.
    Kelln told Alastair about the Preacher and his teachings. He
related his capture, imprisonment, torture, and recent escape. All the while
Alastair sat with hands clasped and head down. When Kelln finished, the old man
looked up, and Kelln glimpsed tears in his eyes.
    “Would you like