As Lycon accepted the longbow, holding his shield up with one hand, Gunnar grabbed his leather satchel from his belt. He opened the pouch, poured out a handful of tiny, brown seeds, and called on aurym. He felt a warm pulsing sensation as the spirit power swirled and coalesced in the aurstone in his left eye socket. He let it flow, willing life into the seeds in his palm. The shells split. Green shoots with spiky bristles emerged.

Gunnar grabbed an arrow and commanded the shoots to ...