Story part III

Sorry it's taken me so long.
One day she sent him into the forest to fetch wood for the fire. Winter was coming on, and the wood was bleak and uninviting. His breath steaming from his mouth, he trudged to a fallen tree and began to hack at it with his axe. As he was stacking up logs to carry home, he heard a wheezy sound nearby. An old man carrying a heavy bundle staggered into view.
“Please,” he gasped “Please help me, young man.”
Bran strode forward to receive the sack. The man gestured for him to follow, and began walking. As he trailed the stranger, a note of uncertainty knelled in his heart. How did he know this man was a friend? Some of the villagers did not trust him and Gwen.
He followed the man into the heart of the forest. They reached a large cave cut into the rock.
“Inside,” said the man. His voice was warm and kind, a flame on the cold day. Bran sat down as the man lit a fire. A peregrine falcon landed on the man’s shoulder, and he stroked it as he sat down opposite Bran.
“You are wondering who I am and why I brought you here,” said the man. “It certainly wasn’t for firewood. Some have called me Sigurd, and I will teach you how to survive your quest.”
“I’m not on a quest,” said Bran.
“Everyone has a quest. It is different for everyone, harder for some than others, but they have one. Yours is difficult...you have the weight of the kingdom on your shoulders, boy.” They sat in silence for a while. Bran watched the falcon.
“What is its name?”
“He is Ingegerd. He brings thunder with him, and guides those who are lost back to the paths. Look, his wings are silver like lightning.”
“You said I have a quest. Can you tell me about it?”
Sigurd sighed. “Everyone asks that, and I must say no to each. Your father could not have been the man he was if I had told him his destiny.”
“You knew my father?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Please, tell me about him. My mother will not say anything except that he died in the war.”
Sigurd seemed shocked. “She will not tell you?” he murmured. “Maybe I should not either, then. Hmmm....”
“Sigurd-”
“No. I will not tell you. That is part of your quest. You must find out who your father was, and to find the true king. Now go. Gwen will be worried. Don’t come back until you receive my sign.”