Chapter 1

I’ve already packed everything I need: bread, cheese, a skinning knife and my sword. Anything else I’ll buy on the way. But I have to get away.

I’m leaving tonight, when my father’s asleep. He can’t know I’m going. And when he knows, I should be long gone. At midnight I leave. I hope I know what I’m doing…

Chapter 2
The icy wind blows in my face as I run down the lane. My eyes searing with pain from the frosty air, I can hardly see what’s in front of me. All I can see are blurry shadows of the old farmer’s town.

The water splashes at my feet as I run. The past two hours it’s been raining, and it seems like bucket loads are falling from the sky at the same time. Rotten weather. I’d hoped it would be better than this.

Hopefully I’ll be there before tomorrow. I don’t want to camp, especially since the breakout. At times like this, it’s unwise to travel at night.

Chapter 3
I was too slow, I had to set up camp in a small clearing in the woods. Nothing’s gone, at least I don’t think so, so I haven’t been robbed. I had to clear everything away perfectly, otherwise they might know where I’m going.

The sun’s shining. Last night’s puddles are slowly drying up, revealing the dirty ground below. The fresh smell of lightning hangs in the air, filling my lungs with every breath.

Other travelers have joined me, a merchant in wool and a monk. They’re pleasant company, the time goes by quickly. The monk tells us of his journeys. He’s travelled across the whole continent, for a total of more than seven years.

We’re about eight leagues from Verdner. Hopefully we’ll get there in time to find an inn before nightfall. I don’t want to spend my night on the street. It gets too cold at night.

Chapter 4
I’m sitting in my room at the inn. The wool salesman is in the room next to me. His name’s Bryan. I can hear his heavy breathing through the wall of my room.

A light draft emits from the bottom of my door. I can see the innkeeper’s shadow passing by. His footsteps echo through the hallway.

The creak of a door handle. A shout. I open up my door and look into the hallway. It looks like Bryan heard the shout too. The innkeeper’s dragging a drunk to the stairs. He probably broke something, or harassed another guest. Not important.

A small plume of smoke rises as I blow out the candle on the table next to my bed. I’m tired. Too tired. I fall asleep almost instantly.

Chapter 5
I’ve awoken to see that the innkeeper put a loaf of bread at my door. I went downstairs to thank him. I paid him three copper, just enough for a small bread, and another one and a half copper as a token of my gratitude.

Well rested and fed, I’m now exploring Verdner. It’s a lot calmer than I had expected. Strangers greet me as I walk by. The folks here are very friendly.

I’m going to have to find a job. I have to pay my stay at the in. I still have some money left, about seventy copper, but that won’t last long. I need something to keep myself busy anyway. I might as well go help a baker or a weaver, anything. Except farming.