The Luccai were a gentle people who lived in the northern mountains of Drear. Their log homes dotted the foothills and great herds of sheep would range along the mountainside with shepherds and the great shaggy dogs who kept them safe from lurking predators. Many of the young women spent their summer days foraging for roots, mushrooms, and herbs in the forested areas. 

Jeanne was adventurous, and despite the warnings of her friends and elders, she often found herself in the shaded woods near Outlook Point. Many of the Luccai were superstitious, fearing the great magicians who lived atop the mountain, so Jeanne came back with an abundance of foraged goods filling her baskets day after day. 

After months of visiting the woods around the outlook, Jeanne began to notice a figure in the woods, a shadow of sorts that would follow her, but never approach. It was unsettling at first, but she quickly got used to the presence and would even talk to it, telling the shadow about her day and the village gossip. As the summer waned and the weather cooled, Jeanne began to note how the shadow crept closer each day. 

“Winter will be upon us soon,” she mused out loud, “And I’ll be stuck in a sewing circle for the next several months, not allowed out in the cold to come see my beautiful mountain. Probably for the best, but I will miss all of my friends, the squirrels…the birds…and trees…and you!”

She turned around just in time to see the shadow dart behind a tree. Quietly, she approached the tree, careful to step in the spaces between the newly fallen leaves. Once next to the tree, Jeanne took a deep breath and bolted around the other side, tackling her shadowy companion to the ground with a triumphant “Aha!” 

As they lay there, completely surprised by the young woman straddling them, the shadow disappeared to reveal a fair young man of slight build dressed in rich clothes. Jeanne quickly scrambled off of him with a flurry of apologies as she helped him back to his feet, stuttering about the wild imagination of a young lady by herself in the woods. She was patting leaves off of his cloak when the stranger caught her wrists and gently pulled her to her feet. He tried shushing her but she babbled on. 

“My lady,” he finally said sharply enough to quell her stammering. “It is I who should be apologizing to you. It’s not exactly gentlemanly behavior to be following a young lady around the woods unannounced. Although I meant only to keep a watchful eye so as no harm would befall you, I certainly cannot blame you for your reaction. I should have introduced myself from the very beginning, but I admit I was curious and a bit enamored by you. I am the Lord of the Western Mountains, Spyte, magician and son of Selene and Ryuun.” 

He finished off his introduction with an elaborate bow that left Jeanne speechless so she simply nodded.