quercu

And you've successfully passed the first test.

Eh?

Becoming a Druid?

Indeed.

Come with me.

What's this place?

This... is a place once holy to the Druids.

Only, the vast amount of time has made the legends hazy.

Here, age after age of tutor imparted the knowledge and the precepts upon the next generation.

Until the Druids began to die out, ever so gradually, in Victoria's history.

Joe, go and kneel upon the altar there.

Mm-hm.

Quercus snaps off cane from a tree, and flogs Joe across his back with force.

The searing pain forces him to bend over, upon which he immediately, stubbornly rights himself again.

Joe, young stray that you are.

May the age-old faith be carved hardily into your heart. For all tribulation the future brings, shall your way forward never stray.

Quercus takes a berry from the bush, and with her thumb, draws a line of vivid red over the forehead of Joe.

May the roots of the earth ever be bound with you. For however far you are separated from home, shall you never be lost nor hesitant.

The branches that rot are bade to be pruned.

The trunks that are gnawed are bade to be sawed.

May life everlast.

Joe, I ask if you are willing to swear upon the ancient precepts, and become a true Druid.

I am.

Rise. From today forth, you are a Druid!

I'm a Druid now?

Mm. From here on, you must rely on yourself to seek the treasure of legend.

Have you found it then, Miss Quercus?

Not yet, no. I think... you'll find it before I do, perhaps.

Really?

Really.

But you must keep it secret.

For if you catch the eye of some very, very bad people, then they'll catch you, hurt you, and even hurt your brother.

Understand?

Mm-hm...

That's a bad thing. I won't do it.

So... can I tell my brother?

What, you mean...

You wouldn't want to surprise him with something nice?

See what I mean?

Oh...

Okay!

You're not honestly counting on a little kid to keep a secret, right?

How much danger will you bring on yourself if word of this gets out?

Not too many know of my relations with Rhodes Island.

But you've been meeting me often lately. Some people have started to notice already.

So if necessary, we can have a falling-out take place between us.

Would you rather I bring the danger upon Rhodes Island and the Doctor, then?

...No.

Hence why I make this choice.

Not to mention...

The Druids' legends, the stories of and about life, have been forgotten for far too long.

They need to be told anew by people.

You know that kid's never going to find any so-called treasure.

Who told you there <i>was</i> no treasure?

You did?

Because you're not a Druid, see.

Only Druids will find the Druid's Treasure.

Eh?

What?

So that little ritual you did before with the incantation or whatever, that was all real?

Oh... well, not that, I made that up.

I just haven't found any of the historical files or data yet, that's the bare minimum of it.

You weren't really taken in by that, were you?