"Alone?" MacKensie asked almost incredulously.
This was not the reaction Adam expected. He didn't see why that was a big deal, and wanted to reassure his friend that this was the case. "Well sure, Gl-"
He was cut off before he could explain his friend's trustworthiness and experience as an adventurer, and that he wouldn't send him on a journey he would die on. "I don't think so. Hold on, I am coming with you," she told. "I insist. Who knows what is out there." As she said the words, she pictured the metal ninja and got goosebumps. "I will get my things."
Her insistence was surprising, but it wasn't like the Druid felt a need to complain that the woman he was attracted to wanted to spend time with him. "Okay" was his simple response.
When MacKensie returned and nodded at him, Adam smiled, glad to have the company on this trip, though he did notice she seemed a little…different, for lack of a better word, than she was before. Maybe he was just imagining things though; she could just be feeling rushed because this hike was so sudden. Best to be general in case it was all in his head. "Great, glad to have the company. And let me know if you need anything; I'll be glad to help."
-----
Kragstone Peak was indeed a small mountain like Glee had said, but that didn't make it less impressive. With a wide base and a quite tall center, it looked distinct from the other mountains he had seen around Valheim so far. Adam and MacKensie began the hike up Kragstone Peak without any difficulty, something the Druid was quite grateful for. This was not the Mazy Hillocks; those who arrived here were not likely to die. There was even an obvious path on the ground that people before them had used, complemented by signs along the trail to point hikers in the right direction. The pair made conversation along the way, enjoying themselves as they made their way to where the signs ended; a ledge with a scenic view of the city.
"This is quite nice, don't you think, MacKensie?"
Still, this left the man deep in thought, even as he took in the sight and his time with the Ranger. His mentor for a few hours had said this old elf had lived here, and the half-orc had no reason to lie about it. So where were they supposed to go from here? The answer presented itself when a small leaf hit the back of Adam's neck. He turned around from the direction of Valheim, a bit startled from the sensation, and saw a husk of a tree running parallel to the cliffside in a more hidden part of the mountain, presumably away from the eyes of most tourists. Nature had given the man the answer to his question.
After checking with his travel companion to be sure she was ready, Adam walked in the direction of the old wood. After removing it, he began growing a new one in its place, carefully ensuring the tree not only could support two people but that the branches were positioned so that they could be easily climbed. MacKensie could probably have done so even without the extra care, but why take a stupid risk? And the tree was a good start, yes, but where to go from there? After climbing the tree, the Druid knew what needed to be done.
"Follow me, MacKensie. Please be careful though, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." He knew she was more than capable of the task, but what he said was more true than he let on. If anything fatal happened to her, that would be horrible beyond words.
After watching to be sure the Ranger made it to his location intact, the plan to get to their destination could continue. In another out-of-the-way part of the rock, there was another dying piece of timber. After creating a long, wide and sturdy branch along the cliff so he and his friend could reach it, Adam repeated what he had done before so that the two of them could ascend the peak even further. This process had to be done a few more times, leaving the red-eyed man with the knowledge that if he ever wanted to hide from Mytherian society, this was where he should go. After a while though, the Druid and Ranger made it to a flat clearing with a hut on it. There was a smoking chimney on it and a campfire outside, obvious signs that someone lived here; this had to be the place. Though it was not at the top of Kragstone Peak, this residence was quite a ways up from the bottom where they had started.
Not wanting to be rude, Adam walked up to the hut's door and knocked on it. After the building's resident opened it up, the younger Druid introduced himself. "Good afternoon sir, my name is Adam and this is my friend MacKensie. It's a pleasure to meet you. My friend Glee told me you were skilled at shapeshifting and would take a chance on teaching me how to do so. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to do so."