Just as Brand mentioned Funiya, the door to the room was suddenly and unexpectedly pushed open. The young lord paused, feeling slightly annoyed at the lack of courtesy. He turned around and his eyes fell on the most distinctive face among the three faces outside the door—the face beneath the dark skin had the contours of rock, with pale gray eyes sunken beneath white eyebrows; his hair was braided and hung in clusters at the back, falling onto a bearskin coat. "Sir, you cannot—" The mercenary at the door was forced to retreat into the room and his words stopped abruptly. He turned around and looked apologetically at the young lord. "Lord, they—"
Brand waved his hand, indicating it was okay. Then he looked up at the man, the tall druid standing motionless by the door. He recognized this druid as Andrew, one of the elders of the Withered Wood Council; the two people behind him were named Red and Ram, both members of the younger generation from the forest.
