"Yes?" Velander said with clear frustration in his voice.

"It's me," Matner said as he opened the door and walked in.

Endrew was mostly ready except for the jacket. Velander was completely ready, and between the hot jacket he was wearing and his frustration, was begining to look a little flush.

"It's too hot to wear a jacket, Mat!" Endrew insisted.

"It is a hot day, Drew," Matner agreed, "but that's not stopping anyone else. It's a fancy party. Dressing up is what you do at fancy parties. Eventually you'll have your own, and you'll dress up for that one, too. Besides, it'll cool off later on."

Velander looked a little relieved that Matner had taken his side and not contradicted him, but still looked irritated in general. "If it makes you feel any better," he added, "the girls are hotter in their dresses than you'll be."

"But they could have bare legs under all those skirts and no one would know," Endrew said. "That would be cooler for them."

"Trust me, Drew, none of the ladies coming tonight are at all likely to take that risk. Now, what do you say we get that jacket on you so we can head downstairs and get this over with?"

"Fine," Endrew replied, stomping over and grabbing up the jacket.

Matner tried not to chuckle at him as he took the jacket and helped his brother into it, brushing away the lint and wrinkles with his hands as best he could.

"Finally, Velander sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now let us find Father before he becomes upset by our absence." He did not wait for a response, but turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Matner and Endrew to follow. Matner's long legs had no trouble, but Endrew had to run to catch up. The three of them made their way back downstairs with Velander in the lead.

They eventually found their Father in the gardens, speaking earnestly to the butler. Matner and his brothers waited a respectable distance away, until Father was done, before approaching. He found himself realizing that they stood at attention before him, awaiting his approval, not unlike he had done before Master Pru so many hours before. Unlike the previous inspection, however, Matner realized that it was rare for everyone to pass Father's scrutiny. Today, it was Endrew who fell short of the mark.

"Endrew!" Father's sharp voice made Endrew jump, his eyes wide. "What have you been rolling in boy?"

Father knelt down before Endrew and tugged at his jacket, brushing it off here and there while making disapproving noises.

"I...I'm sorry, Father," was all Endrew could manage.

"You should be," Father finally said, standing up. "Tonight is a night to make the family proud, to show that we are better that a bunch of brigands, rolling about in the dirt. We must be at our best and remind our guests that the Tibrum family are educated and respectable."

"Yes, Father," Matner and his brothers chorused on cue.

"Now take your places," Father commanded. "The first guests will be arriving any minute."

His brothers rushed off, each having a role they were supposed to play in greeting guests, all to the effect of making the family seem more hospitable and therefore respectable.

"As for you," Father added to him once the boys had left, "I think you know all well what's expected of you." Matner was not sure how much of the emphasis on expected he had heard himself and how much of it his father had actually spoken.

"Yes, Father, completely."

A double line of paper bags with candles in them created a walkway from the estate entrance to the first of the tents. The candles were being lit now, even though it was not quite dark yet. The effect would be prettier once it got darker, but it would not do to have guests see them being lit. Guests would arrive, follow the walkway to the tent, where he and Father would greet them.

For at least an hour, or until the arrivals slowed to a certain point, he would greet everyone pleasantly. It gave them all a chance to congratulate him in person, and for him to make a show of being grateful for it. It all felt forced and put-on to him. But what choice do I have? he asked himself.

Most of the people he shook hands with were people he'd seen before but hardly knew anything about. They were friends and associates of his parents, or people his Father had decided were important to impress. Most of the ones he didn't recognize seemed to feel right at home there, and they wouldn't have made it though the door, their names being called out by the butler as they did, if they hadn't been on the list.

Matner's attention was caught, however, by a man who sauntered in on the arm of the wealthy young widow, Lady Mina Serentine. Every single man in town had been talking of courting the beautiful woman now that the respectable time of mourning had passed since her husband had died in a hunting accident. Father had even hinted a suggestions that Matner court the woman himself, but had dropped the issue recently. The man with her seemed confident, almost to the point of arrogance, as he strode in. The butler announced him as Sir Trey Pallen.

This man is obviously a warrior, Matner thought, as he shook the knight's hand. He had a bulky, muscular frame, and the suit he wore looked out of place on him. He had a firm grip and grinned as Matner greeted him.

"Top of your class, eh?" the man asked, seeming genuinely interested. Lady Serentine, on the other hand smiled with the polite expression that suggested she was already bored. Her slender figure seemed tiny in comparison to Pallen's.

"Yes, sir," he replied, nodding. "Thank you both for joining us. I am honored that you could attend, Lady Serentine."

"So kind of your family to invite us, Matner," Mina replied, looking around the room as she spoke. "Quite a turnout I see."

"We are blessed that my father's many friends and associates could join us tonight," he said, all but reciting the words he'd already said more times than he could count. He was surprised to hear the knight begin to chuckle, and turned his attention back to him. He hadn't moved from the spot he'd stopped at to shake Matner's hand.

"A bit scrawny-looking, but your handshake suggests you've got a little muscle in those arms. Top of your class or not, I could still take you though."

His comment startled Matner, as it seemed to startle most of the people around them.

"Sir," he said, lowering his voice a notch, "I hardly think this is the place..."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Pallen looked around the reception room with a shrug and a sigh. "Perhaps another time. Come, Mina, let's see what they've got to drink at this party."

To Matner's surprise, Mina had a mischeivous smile on her face as she led Pallen away. He all but shook his head as he watched them walk away, and thought he overheard one of the servants passing a message along to keep an eye on the man.

Father won't like that one. Matner grinned at the thought as he turned to greet the next guest in line.

He was starting to think the stranger was going to be the only person there truly interesting. There were a number of girls his age in attendance, and his father was at the same time skeptical of them and yet more welcoming to them at the same time. He suspected none of them knew they were being favored more than anyone elsem, but he got to see how his father greeted everyone.

Some of the girls his father treated better than others in subtle ways, no doubt intended to point out to him which girls he was supposed to be interested in. He wondered what they were really like, knowing that they were all wearing their best behaviors, and not their real selves. Just like me, he mused to himself.

Eventually, just as the sky was starting to get dark, the people started coming in more slowly, until they had to wait some between arrivals.

"We're done here," Father said eventually.

"Most of the prospective employers who are here tonight will probably already suspect your eligibility for the Royal Guard. Some might have offers they'll present to you. Tell each that you'll have to think it over, and let me know what kind of offers they have. Who knows, one of them might have something good."

"As for the girls," Father continued, "their parents will have brought them here hoping to get them married off. There are a number of parties going on tonight, but these girls have all been brought here because their parents agree that you are the best candidate for them. There may be some...competition for your attention. Whatever to you, be sure you show no favorites tonight. Try to let them see enough to understand what you like, but we want them competing for you after the party in the coming weeks, not during the party. Be friendly but reserved."

"I thought you wanted to announce the position with the Royal Guard tonight?" he asked, momentarily trying to not think about what father meant by the coming weeks. He certainly didn't feel ready to get married yet.

"I do," he said, "But not until near the end of the night. I want to see what other offers come in. There may be ways to build relationships through some offers."

"I see," Matner said, although he really didn't.

"I've worked very hard to make sure you don't start off your military life as some common soldier, Matner. Tonight is the culmination of all those efforts."

"Yes, Father," he nodded, dutifully.

"Don't forget, you are expected to make a speech once everyone has been seated, as the salad is being brought to the table. While I am not going to tell you what to say, I would suggest you express your gratitude to those who have helped you achieve your current standing. You should also remember to thank your guests for coming, and don't forget to pay homage to the Gods."

His father turned and headed off to the next room without waiting for any response from Matner. His thoughts ran amuck as he watched his father's back.

Didn't I work hard to graduate first in my class? was the first question his mind asked unhappily. You said you weren't going to tell me what to say, but then you just did! He thought next, in frustration. Of course I'm not going to forget to pay homage to the Gods... by those who've helped me, you mean yourself, I assume. What about my teachers? Slowly, the first plan began to form in his mind. He slipped away briefly and scrawled out his speech on some paper, stuffing it in his pocket before returning to the party and his duties mingling with the guests while they ate the hors d'oeuvres.

No matter how many guests he tried to mingle with, no matter how many conversations he tried to participate in, he felt like an outsider at his own party. These are all Father people, he thought to himself. These aren't my kind of people.

Where there was music there were people dancing the slow, graceful, practiced ballroom dances. The music was soft and tasteful. The food so far would be tasty and light, not that he had eaten any yet. He had had the opportunity, he just lacked the appetite. The heat was not helping.

He did see one lady collapse. Some of the hired help gently carried her away to re-compose herself in private. At least that would be more dignified than coming to only to find a party full of people looking down on you, he decided.

He did find himself appreciating some of the young ladies, even some of the ones Father wanted him to notice. They were, to the eyes at least, everything a young man could want. They were graceful and elegant, with soft skin and refined tastes. They were dressed in patterned and textured silks and lace, mostly. There were a variety of styles. Some dresses had lower backlines, some had lower necklines. Few dresses were at all more than just a tiny bit daring. He wondered if any of them could learn to appreciate a life of adventure and travel. He suspected not.

Sir Pallen seemed to be enjoying his fill of the wine, although Matner was surprised to see him dance quite adeptly with Lady Serentine. Then the bells chimed in the background, calling everyone to take their assigned seats at the dinner tables. All of the dining tables had been used in the great hall this evening, stretching out in three long rows. At one end of the centermost table was where his family was to eat, although they waited until all the guests had taken their seats before they sat themselves. His father remained standing, and tapped at the side of his wine glass to get everyone's attention. Matner found himself staring at the crisp blue writing that had been meticulously scribed onto the folded parchment that sat just behind his plate, with his name to mark his place at the table. He looked at it, as his father spoke, letting the words bleed into his mind as the ink had into the paper.

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues, welcome to my humble estate on this night. I am so pleased and honored that you all could join us in this proud moment, as we celebrate my son's accomplishments. Not only has he reached his majority this month, but he has also graduated, with honors, from Master Pru's illustrious academy. The same academy that has taught so many prestigious members of the Royal Military, Navy and Guard. We are so fortunate to have been able to give such an opportunity to our beloved son. Now it will be his turn to give back to the nation of New Callest. Please join me in welcoming to manhood, and congratulating him on his graduation this day."

Father had set his glass down as he spoke, and now led the applause that followed. Matner couldn't help but think that it was the most praise he'd ever received from his father, more than all praise he'd ever gotten if added together. He realized that it was also the most he'd ever get again. If he was lucky, he might get as many kind words at his wedding. He stood up on cue, and dutifully smiled at the applauding guests as he pulled out the piece of paper he'd stuffed in his pocket.

The applause ended and servers came out delivering the salads. He looked at the veritable sea of faces looking up at him. It was the first time he had really given a speech in front of a crowd. They're all judging me by this, he worried. He gulped and started.

"First I'd like to thank my Father," he began, "for tonight. I think you'll find he went out of his way to secure the best in foods and drinks and entertainments for tonight."

"I'd also like to thank each and every one of you for being here. I know there are nineteen other such parties going on tonight, and I'm sure most of you received many invitations. I can't tell you how flattering it is that you chose mine to attend. It's humbling to see so many people interested in my future, and it just drives me all the more to strive to be everything I can be."

"And I'd like to thank Master Pru and the other instructors at the academy for teaching me so much. They've given me the skills and vision to make the world a better place for everyone. It's something I intend to take very seriously, and I will leave the world better than I came into it."

"As the sun sets outside we pass from the time of Salith to the time of Saith. Let us honor and thank Him for the stars that look down on us. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, we can thank Salith for the warmth life she brings. Tomorrow can be the start of a new day and a new life, but for tonight let us revel in celebration. Thank you again, and please enjoy yourselves."

He lifted his glass in toast, and the rest followed suit. He drank a large, welcome sip and sat down to applause.

A lull rose around him, and silverware began to clatter against dishes as everyone began to eat or start conversations with their neighbors. His father was immediately engrossed in conversation with one of the gentlemen sitting nearby, while his mother was keeping track of his sister's table manners. Endrew was diving into the salad in front of him, while Velander was listening in on father's conversation. Matner found himself looking around the room, trying to tell who was actually enjoying themselves, and who was there to make associations both business and social. His friends Leyeb and Rafer were there, with their families, but sitting too far away for him to make conversation with. They saw him looking, however, and both gave him a thumbs-up sign and smiled. He made the gesture back at them, despite the small glare he saw his father give him when he did.

He only ate a small portion of his salad, somewhat absentmindedly. The dressing was light, and non-offensive, with a hint of flavor from some fruit or other in it. Once the salad plates had been removed, large steaming platters were brought in and carried around, with a variety of meats and vegetables being served from them. There was both roasted pig and venison in large, thick slices, that had been lightly spiced. The meat smelled wonderful, and tasted even better. He ended up having a second serving of the venison in lieu of eating any of the vegetables that were offered. He also drank quite a few glasses of wine, since the restrictions of how much he could drink were over tonight. He was careful to not drink too much, but still, he was feeling a little lightheaded by the time dessert was brought in.

Dessert was an assortment of filled pastries, cakes, and fruits. He ate some of it, as much to avoid the developing conversation as anything.

"He will have three days before he needs to report to the Guard," Father was explaining. He went on to explain that most of that time would be needed to write the assorted thank you letters that would need to be sent after the party.

Prominent guests would be thanked for coming. Anyone that brought a gift, which a dozen or so had, would get a letter. And, of course, everyone that offered a job would have to get a letter back thanking them for their offers, but politely explaining that he had accepted another position.

"But if I'm going to announce it later anyway," Matner asked, "they already know, right?"

"It's a social formality," Father answered. "It is the proper thing to do, and as such you will do it. I'll not have you make this family look bad."

One of the servants came in just then and whispered something in Father's ear. Matner was grateful for the interruption, and hoped it was something important enough that Father would forget what they were talking about.

"Ah, the entertainment's ready," Father said quietly. He stood up and once again tapped on his glass to get everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please?" he called out loudly to the crowd. It took only a moment before he had the attention of everyone in the room.

"We are fortunate enough, as it is, to find ourselves in the fine city of Calster, capitol of our great nation, renowned for it's talented artists and gifted musicians. One such musician is composer Renaldo Arnest, creater of the recent opera Salith's Serenade. If you have not had the rare pleasure of seeing this opera, it is a musical rendering of the courtship of Salith, by Saith, before the Time of Night and Day began. Master Arnest has graced us with his presence here tonight, and with him the talented Addrew Landers as Saith, and lovely Marcetta Novad as Salith, to perform some of the key scenes of the opera for you tonight. Please, join me in welcoming them."

Father gestured toward the side of the dining hall with one hand before leading the applause as servants simultaneously pulled open the several large curtained doors leading out to the courtyard along the wall. On cue, music from the orchestra in the courtyard began, carried in on the breeze that was finally allowed to flow into the room. A woman and man stepped into the room, taking positions. Another man rose from a seat at one of the tables and moved to stand before the orchestra, raising his arms, and waiting to give the orchestra the cue. When the applause died down, he gestured and the orchestra smoothly shifted the music they played to match his cue. The music rose in intensity, and the woman began to sing.

There was singing and dancing and music. He supposed technically it was good, but he had little opera experience to compare it to. There had been plenty of plays and concerts, but little opera, per se. The partiers in general applauded well when it was done, but he found it boring. He had heard and read the story in several different forms, and other than how it was presented this one seemed to be nothing new.

It did allow him the time to look around at the partiers. He saw natural groupings of two to four, as trying to get more than that involved in a conversation during dinner had obviously been difficult. People had shifted their chairs during dinner to be a little closer to the others they were talking to, and few thought now to shift themselves back.

There was only a little quiet whispering during the opera. Most of that appeared to be short commentary, particularly amoung actual couples. He searched out most of the girls his age, and found them mostly entranced by the performance. Great, he thought, now I know what they'll expect of me. He sighed, and Endrew gave him an understanding look but said nothing. His friends looked bored, too.

After the singers finished the orchestra tapered off to silence. Servants closed off the doors before them to applause that was more than just polite applause but struck Matner as less than enthusiastic. This kind of entertainment was expected, he realized. These people were used to shows like this.

There was a lull for a while, where conversation rose up in the room around him, and servants ran to and fro, refilling coffee cups. Most of the dessert plates had been discreetly removed during the singing, he realized and he had nothing left but to sip at his coffee to help him avoid conversation. He listened quietly to the talking around him, realizing that he wasn't particularly interested in most of it. A lot of it was business, or talk of social events upcoming. Some brief references to the western lands peaked his interest, but nothing was really discussed long enough to be interesting.

Overall, he was relieved when the music started up again, this time a gay tune to encourage the patrons to dance. The servants opened the doors to the courtyard again, and the orchestra was now gone, replaced by a smaller group of musicians off to one side and a candlelit clearing for dancing. The path to the yard was now clear and lit too, and Matner knew it led to tables of more food and drink. Servants would also be making their way around the house and yard with more drinks throughout the rest of the night, and no one would have to worry if they left their wine glass behind to go dance, as another would be waiting for them when they finished.

About half the people in the room stood to move to the dance area outside, the other half remaining to keep talking. Matner quickly joined the crowd heading to the dance floor, not wanting to sit and listen to any more of his father's plans for him. He smiled, nodded, and thanked the various people who paused to give him their congratulations along the way, and then managed to slip past the dance area to get to the tables in the back. He grabbed up a glass of wine off one of the tables, and looked around for a place he could just be out of the way for a bit.

Author's Note

He moved to one of the many open doorways between pillars that served as a boundary between one area and the next. It was a shadowed area between hung lanterns. Stars were shining in Saith's night sky. He thought for a moment about the warrior path everyone expected him to take, praying that Saith would welcome him into His realm after dying in battle.

He looked at the figures that from where he was were just nameless, faceless forms dancing and mingling in the lamplight. He sometimes worried about ending up just another nameless, faceless form lying on a battlefield. He didn't want to die in battle just because it was supposed to be an honorable thing to do.

No, he reaffirmed, Salith was a protector, a champion of causes, fighting when it became necessary, but not just living for the next battle. Hers was the path for him.

"Personally, I always find these parties lifeless and dull," someone said next to him. He turned to find Sir Pallen standing next to him. He had taken up a lean on the pillar at the other side of the doorway. "No, it's the country folk that know how to celebrate. And why, for that fact."

"What do you mean?" Matner asked.

"Take this," Pallen said. "It's honoring something, not really celebrating it. You graduated. You did well--rather well, in fact. But we're not here joyfully celebrating. We're here to honor the occasion." Pallen took a sip of his wine before holding it up and examining it in the gentle light.

"So we stand around drinking expensive wine that nobody really appreciates and mingle with each other pretending to care about each other. Now, out in the country, they live a harsher life. They bring in a good harvest and it means they get to survive the winter. That's something you celebrate. So they have a feast. It's not one person or family showing off, it's everyone coming together for one party. People drink beer and set aside some of the rules of day-to-day life, rather than dressing up fancy and adopting even more rules than normal. No, give me a good tavern celebration over something like this any day."

Just the description made him want to sneak out and go somewhere else to try and find something more fun to do. It also made him wonder.

"So what are you doing here then?" he asked, a little more pointedly than he intended.

Pallen chuckled a bit and took a sip of his wine, as if deliberating what to say.

"Sometimes, Matner, a man will do anything to spend a few hours in the company of a lovely woman." He gestured to the dance floor, where Lady Serentine was gracefully spinning in one of the more lively dances. "The grace and gentleness of a woman can soothe the wildest of hearts or stoke the most placid of tempers."

"Lady Serentine is indeed lovely," Matner said, unsure of the man's intent.

"That she is," Pallen agreed. "However, she's not likely to let any man tie her down just now. She's an untamed spirit, that one. Too bad she never let's it out."

"What do you mean?" Matner asked, curiously.

"Not sure, but there's more to her than meets the eye. Especially if she's willing to be seen around with the likes of me. The girl's on the verge... of something."

"I don't understand." Matner wasn't sure what Pallen could mean. Mina looked as if she was at home amongst the other ladies, dancing and laughing, and looking bored at the men who swooped in at every chance.

"Have you ever stood at a moment in your life where you could take the road that everyone expects of you, or the road that everyone would be shocked by? Had a moment when you could choose to do whatever you really wanted, or what everyone else wants of you?"

"Yeah," Matner answered, trying to hide his sigh.

"Oh...I see."

"Everyone expects me to join the Royal Guard and live a comfortable life of parties like this...," he said, not understanding why he suddenly felt so comfortable talking to the man. "But I'd rather just strike off for distant lands and see something other than city."

"Hey," Pallen said, "the Guard's a cushy job, if a bit boring, maybe. But, then again, wanderlust I understand."

There was an awkward silence.

"Look, kid," Pallen eventually said. "Far be it for me to give you advice. But you only get one chance at life. You've got to make each action, each decision, count. If you stay, and do what's expected of you, you might spend the rest of your life regretting it. But if you just join up with some caravan and run off, there's no saying you won't end up regretting that, too."

"That's not exactly the most useful advice I've ever been offered," Matner said.

Pallen held up his glass and finished it. "Look, life is too short to pass up on opportunities to feel alive. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a lovely rich lady here, and there are some things I don't want to regret leaving behind me in the morning."

Pallen strode away to the dance floor. On the way he set his empty glass on a server's tray. The elven slave nodded and carried the tray away. Pallen seemed to not even notice, and moved straight to Lady Serentine, who was standing alone. He extended a hand and she took it for the next dance.

Matner watched them a while, his mind and heart torn as he thought about what the knight had said. He sipped heavily at his wine, and it wasn't long before he realized his head was swimming just a little from it. He was looking around for something to eat to try and offset it, when his father's voice came up behind him.

"Ahh, there he is now! Matner, my boy! Captain Mayners wishes to speak with you."

Matner turned, still holding a tiny sandwich in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, to see the Captain of the Royal Guard standing next to his father, both smiling expectantly in Matner's direction. Matner found himself repressing the urge to vomit, as his stomach churned and swayed inside him. He drank heavily from the glass to keep his dinner down, then regretted it, knowing it would only make his head swim more. Hastily, he stuffed the sandwich into his mouth and moved forward, extending his hand as he knew was expected. He gave the sandwich a couple of obligatory chews before swallowing it nearly whole as the Captain shook his hand.

"Yes, sir," he managed to choke out. "Good to finally meet you, sir."

"Your father has been singing your praises, Matner," the Captain said, nodding. "But not as much as Master Pru, I might add. Your father has told me how excited you are to begin with the guard. I expect you've had many offers this evening, but I'm sure you'll be pleased with your decision in the end."

"I...uh..." Matner realized that most the the conversations he had been in that evening were more of a hazy blur to him. He had really been avoiding conversation more than paying attention to offers. The conversation he'd just had with Pallen was clearest in his head.

"I appreciate all the opportunities, sir," he tried, bobbing his head. The bobbing made him a bit dizzy though, and he had to catch himself from leaning to one side too much.

"Well," the Captain said, "take some time to get things cleared up. No doubt you will have many thank you letters to write, things like that. Report to the barracks in one week. I should warn you, though, you aren't done with training. No, not at all. We'll talk more later. Enjoy your party, you've earned it."

The Captain led Father off, and the two of them continued talking. Matner held a pillar with one hand and his head with the other. He did not want people seeing him like this. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself at his own party.

He did briefly consider that if he made enough public spectacle of himself that nobody would want to hire him. He felt sure that plan would likely fail and only make things worse, so he steered himself away from the public areas. He moved through back halls until he eventually made his way back to his room.

He stripped off the jacket and some of the more restricting parts of the suit before collapsing on the bed. He felt as though he was about to vomit, but he did not. He was not aware of how long it took him to fall asleep.

Chapter 2 - West

His stomach seemed worse than his head, when he took stock of himself. The idea of eating anything made his stomach churn. It didn't help that his mouth tasted like he'd eaten something off the stable floor. He grunted as he stood up again and made his way over to the washing table where he poured some of the water from the pitcher into a cup to rinse his mouth out. He poured more into the bowl and washed his face too, which seemed to help him feel a little better. He took a look at himself in the mirror, his shirt still half-buttoned, and dishevelled. The slight stubble of morning was beginning to show on on his chin, and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was in total disarray, and he took the opportunity to run his comb briefly through it, before unbuttoning the shirt the rest of the way. He pulled off what was left of the previous evening's outfit and was halfway into his armor before he realized he didn't have to go to school anymore.

He pulled his armor off, opting instead for black trousers and a loose white shirt. He did belt on his sword. He had earned the right to wear it whenever he chose, and had been wearing it for class for so long that it sometimes felt odd not to have it.

He did not want to stay in the house. His head was heavy, his stomach was still churning, and his mouth still felt swollen and coarse. The last thing he wanted was to see his father today. He pulled on his boots. Leaning over to do it did nothing good for his head.

He made his way out of the house. His brothers were still asleep, so slipping past them was easy. He had been concerned that one of them would be awake. He lingered in the sitting room a moment, knowing he would actually miss them if he were to just up and leave. He moved on.

There were a few servants out and about. They nodded as he passed. Some wished him a good morning, and some of them he acknowledged by name. Father's elven slave passed, carrying a bucket towards the kitchens, and he acknowledged the elf with a nod before moving on.

He had to walk for a while to leave the estate district. He did not have a destination in mind, but the fresh air helped. Eventually he started smelling the assorted smells of the markets, and he wondered if food would help or hurt his stomach.

He wandered the rows of merchants a while, stopping occasionally to get a better whiff of the occasional roasting meats or nuts. He looked at fruits, sometimes picking one up and looking it over with a critical eye. Nothing seemed like it would soothe the ache in his stomach. He was starting to wonder if it had anything to do with the previous night's drinking at all.

"Coffee fer ye lad?" a voice near him asked. "Ye look like ye had quite a night. Must've been one 'o them parties I heard about. Cup 'o this here imported brew'll set ye right."

Matner turned to look down at a sturdy looking dwarven man with peppered gray and black hair and a wooden peg in the place of his right leg. He had a respectably-sized vendor space, with three wagons open to show wares and two more to carry supplies. A few other people milled around nearby, talking to potential customers, as this dwarf did, or packing wares into boxes. It appeared that they were getting ready to leave but making a few last sales as they packed up. He looked at the couple of pots of coffee that were brewing in the small firepit. He had to admit, it did smell enticing.

"Aye, smell good don't they?" the dwarf encouraged. "Ground from the finest beans that can be found, I tell ya. Ye won't regret it."

"How much?" he asked, reaching into his pocket.

"'Round 'ere, two coppers fer a cup," the dwarf said.

"Around here?" Matner asked, "The price changes from place to place?"

"The price changes on me mood, lad. 'Tis the money that changes. Different coins in different lands. Here the coins're a mite heavier than they are out west, fer example."

Matner pulled out two copper coins and handed them over. "Then I'll take the coffee before I say something to annoy you and you make it three," he said with a smile.

"A wise man ye are, sensible, too. Would that I had more like ye when I move on."

"And when will that be?" he asked, curious.

"In about an hour, by the looks o' things," the dwarf answered. An idea struck Matner. He started to ask where the caravan was headed, but suddenly it did not matter.

"You wouldn't by chance be looking to hire help, then, would you?"

"Skilled help, maybe," the dwarf replied. "Ye've got a sword, but have ye a gleanin' how ta use it?"

"I've just grad--I've been thoroughly trained," he said, suddenly thinking maybe he should not mention the academy. He did not want to risk seeming like empty boasting. "My name's Matner, and I might be interested in accompanying you. What are you paying, if you don't mind my asking?"

"If ye carry yer own weight, ye'll get fed. If'n ye don't, ye'll get left where I get tired o' ye. Anything past that gets earned."

"I'm not afraid to earn my wage," he said.

"Ye've got about an hour, if ye've got stuff to go fetch."

"I'll be right back, then," Matner said. He nodded before turning sharply--as he had drilled on the parade grounds--and walked away. He waited to get out of the dwarf's sight before running all out, holding his sword hilt to keep it from flapping and catching between his legs as he ran.

The excitement he felt made his feet fly across the pavement as he retraced his steps to the estate. He forced himself to slow to a brisk walk as he entered the gate, trying to look as if he was busy, but not in a hurry. He saw his mother and sister off taking tea in the garden with a couple of mother's friends. His heart pounded in his chest as he returned their waves, hoping they wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Father would be busy, either in his office downtown or his study here at the estate. He'd likely have lots of follow-up from the previous evening. Matner took the route farthest away from the study as he made his way back to his room. Velander was, fortunately, nowhere to be seen. Endrew, however, was in the sitting room. He looked as if he was pretending to be a pirate.

"Aaaaarrr Matnerrrr!" he called cheerfully when he caught sight of his brother. "Wherrre ye beeeen?"

"Nowhere special," Matner shrugged, trying to head directly to his room. Endrew wasn't letting him pass that easily, however.

"Father's been looking for you," Endrew said, dropping the attempted pirate accent. "So's Velander. You gotta write like a thousand thank you letters. Maybe more."

"Thanks, Drew," he replied, opening his bedroom door.

"Aren't you going to go find them?" Endrew cocked his head, looking surprised.

"Not just now," Matner told him. "I've just got something quick I need to do first." He went to close the door behind him, but Endrew scooted in before Matner could say anything.

"Whatcha gotta do?"

He just stood there for a moment, frozen. He was not going to have time to say good-byes. He considered changing his mind, and letting the dwarf leave without him. He was torn. He knew he should not just leave, but he felt trapped--he argued with himself that this was possibly his one chance.

"Whatcha gotta do?" Endrew repeated. He did not want to lie to his little brother. He did not know what kind of trouble the truth would cause.

"I'm going to get into trouble, Drewie," he said at last. "I'm going to go help someone. It means I have to go away for a while. Father's going to be pretty upset, I think. Now, I need to pack some things real quick, and I think I should leave a note. Here, I need to put on my armor. You can help."

He knew letting his brother feel useful would keep him from doing anything else. He hoped it would also soften the blow once he was gone.

"Are you going away?" Endrew asked, while trying to help with a buckle.

"For a while, yes," Matner answered. "I got a job. It's not with the Royal Guard, but it's a job, and I'm going to take it. It means I need to leave for a while. I don't know how long, but I'll come back and visit eventually."

"Now, here's the most important thing I need you to do, Endrew," he added. "Father and Mother will be upset for a while. If you know and don't tell them they might get mad about that. So I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone until they find out on their own. You know how Father is about promises. If I make you promise he can't get mad at you. Promise you won't tell?"

"I promise," Endrew said with an overly serious looking nod.

"Good. Now I've got to finish and write a note. Give me a hug and then go run and play."

Matner knelt down so he was at equal height with his brother so they could hug. Afterwards, Endrew hesitated, scuffing a foot on the floor.

"What is it?" Matner asked him, as he continued to strap on the last few pieces of armor.

"You will come back, right? You won't go away forever?"

"Of course not, Drew. But I'm big now, and when you're big you're supposed to make up your own mind on the things you do and places you go. I've made up my mind to go with some people and help them for a while is all. And when I come back I'll have lots of new stories to tell you."

Endrew seemed to ponder all of that for a while before saying anything. Then he nodded again.

"Alright, Matner. But you have to promise you'll come back."

Matner laughed, and ruffled his brother's hair.

"I promise, Drew."

"Good." Endrew picked up his wooden sword again and waved it towards Matner. "And ye'll brrring me trrreasurrrre too! Arrrrr!" Then he was off, running out the door to Matner's room, chasing after invisible rival pirates.

Matner sighed as he buckled his sword back on over his armor and quickly stuffed a few changes of clothes and some personal items into his largest duffle. Then he scrawled a quick note, being purposefully vague about where he was going and what he'd be doing. He apologized to them and promised to return one day. He told them he loved them and then sealed the note with some wax, leaving it on his desk where it would be sure to be found later on.

Then he left his room, waving at Endrew as he went. Endrew waved cheerfully back, before making another invisible playmate walk the "plank" over the long table at one side of the room.

He managed to avoid most of the servants as he left the house, although he thought he caught mother's slave out of the corner of one eye. When he turned to check, however, he couldn't see the elf, so he wasn't altogether sure. He veered around, to stay as far out of sight of the garden and his mother as he left the estate, and then sped as quickly as he could back to the marketplace.

He raced back, slowed by the crowds that would not part for him, with a bag slung over one shoulder and his sword scabbard banging against his leg as he ran. He got to the market and the spot the caravan had been in was cleared out. He stopped up short. He was too late. He did not know what to do--it was not like he could just go home and pretend nothing had happened.

"Boy!" a man on horseback called, waving to him. The man rode closer. He wore a chain mail shirt over an outfit of coarse-woven cloth patched here and there with leather reinforcements.

"Frederickson said to give you five minutes, no more," the man said. "I was about to turn and go rejoin him. My name is Frank. I'm the senior guard. There's nine of us total, so you make ten, which is a good number. You look well equipped, so that's a start. We'll talk about the rest later. Climb on up so we can catch up."

"I'm Matner," he said as Frank helped him up onto the back of his horse. Frank did not say anything more as they rode off, so Matner watched the city.

They rode down the wide avenue, one of several that ran like spokes from the central parts of the city out to gates in the surrounding wall. People stepped aside to make room for the horse, and Matner vowed that one day he would have one of his own. Father had several for pulling carriages and the like, but he would never have considered taking one of those away with him.

They passed two large inns across the avenue from each other. There were people sitting on chairs sipping from brown mugs. The also passed a temple, and he closed his eyes for a moment in prayer.

He found himself hunkering down a bit, trying not to let the guards at the gate get too good a look at him as they made their way past. It occurred to him that his father might send someone after him, and he wanted to get as much distance between himself and the city as possible to prevent anyone from catching up. Father would be unlikely to send someone very far, and it would probably be Velander that would be sent. If they didn't know which gate he left by, it would increase Matner's odds of getting away without confrontation. The guards seemed more interested in watching the people coming into the city than those leaving, however, so Matner felt pretty sure none of them would be able to identify him specifically.

Once they were outside the gates, the traffic on the road lightened up considerably, but was still crowded enough to keep them at a trot. Matner realized that he'd never been out of the city for anything more than a training exercise or the occasional picnic outings with mother or hunting excursions with father. His heart bubbled up with excitement at the idea of seeing new places and trying new things. It seemed to take forever for Frank to get the horse past the bulk of the people, horses, and wagons making their way in and out of the city so that they could catch up to the caravan. Despite that, Matner was disappointed to realize that he could still clearly see the city gates behind him as he hopped down off Frank's horse.

Fredrickson himself was standing to one side of the road, barking orders to some of the people through teeth gritted around a pipe that looked as if it had been carved out of the gnarled branch of an old tree. He had an ornately carved wooden cane as well, which he leaned on heavily when he walked. A few people made their way around the slowly moving wagons, securing canvases and the goods inside a little more firmly at Fredrickson's commands. Matner, not knowing where to go, stood awkwardly to one side until Frank pointed him to a spot midway along the caravan.

"That's your post for now, boy," he said. "At least until we get an idea of what you're capable of. If you've got any questions, ask me for now. We'll introduce you around proper when we stop."

"Yes, sir," Matner replied, habitually saluting the man and moving to his place.

"Matner," Frank said, raising an eyebrow. "We're not in the military, though some of us have been, but there's no need to salute."

"Right," Matner said, nodding. "Sorry."

His bag was put in one of the wagons, so at least he did not have to carry it. The other guards were all equipped about the same as Frank, except that some of them had shields and some of them had crossbows hanging from their saddles. All of them were mounted. Matner ended up being the only one walking.

The caravan set a good pace for walking in the summer heat, and he was thankful to have good boots. It became clear that it was the wagons setting the pace. They creaked and squeaked and groaned as they rolled along. Two horses pulled each one.

He did have time to look around as he marched alongside one of the wagons. Tightly packed farms surrounded the city. Fences and lines of trees marked borders between the fields around one house and the next. Farmers moved among their crops busily.

They stopped for a short lunch and he was happy for the break. He was thankful for the marching practices that had been part of his schooling. They had done some longer marches, usually five miles, to get out to some larger practice field for mock battle exercises. He thought that by lunch they had perhaps already gone nearly that far. Training marches had been at perhaps a slightly faster pace. They had never had wagons.

Towards the end of the day they started seeing the farmhouses clustered together more into little hamlets and villages. Each had five or six buildings other than the farmhouses and barns.

They passed directly through one without stopping. Word was spread through the group that they would stop for the night at the next one. Chickens wandered about, along with a couple of dogs. A young girl, maybe five years old, walked alongside them for a short while before she got distracted and ran off.

Frank sent one of the men ahead for a while, and they spoke earnestly when he returned. Matner wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, but Frank relayed it to Fredrickson as well.

The next village looked no different than the first, and they stopped just before it. At that point, Matner realized that the one sent ahead had scoped out a good spot for them to pull the wagons off the road and make camp, as he was the one giving directions now. Once the wagons were in place, Frank started giving the men instructions while Fredrickson began directing the people who hopped off the wagons. Matner found himself handed a shovel and told to go dig a pit just downwind of camp. He was puzzled, but didn't argue it, taking the shovel and heading off in the direction indicated. He saw the others of the caravan opening up the canvas of the wagons, rolling them up along the sides to reveal the wares, while the guards took care of horses and began setting up tents.

As he began digging the pit, he realized he didn't have a tent of his own. Any time he'd left the city, he'd used one of the tents the family owned or a tent provided by the school. He had brought some blankets that would work for a fairly effective bedroll, but it hadn't occurred to him that he'd need a tent. He wondered what other items he had forgotten to think of, but really wasn't sure. He returned his focus on digging the pit, making it big enough to use as a defensive position for a man to hide inside, since it hadn't been specified how big they needed it.

When he returned, he saw that villagers had come out from the village to see what the merchants of the caravan had to offer. Fredrickson was busily chatting with several of them, showing them wares from the wagons. Upon his return, one of the guards headed off to where Matner had been, and he assumed the man was going to check on Matner's work. A fire pit had been set up, and Frank set Matner to getting the fire started in it, with some of the kindling and a couple logs that had already been collected. He was told to collect more firewood once he had the fire properly going.

"Well, that's the biggest damn crap hole I ever saw!" someone behind him exclaimed as Matner was finally getting the flames to catch. He looked to see the man who'd gone to check on the hole standing there, laughing. Suddenly, Matner realized what the hole was actually being used for, and felt his cheeks get red with embarassment.

"Well, a' least the fire's normal size," another said.

"Eh, be easy on the kid," a third butted in. "After all, some come here not knowin' which end of a sword is which..."

"Hey, do we know that about this one?" the second one added.

Frank interrupted by stepping in and making all the introductions. The other eight guards had been around the caravan for varying lengths of time, although none longer than Frank. The newest had joined just in the spring.

There were also five other workers with the caravan, and Frank introduced him to all of them, as well. There was a slightly chubby cook named Ennick, who was already pulling a big, black iron skillet from the back of one of the wagons. There was a seamstress, Evara, who was also responsible for stitching up the "medical mishaps," as Frank put it. There was an armorer and metal smith, Tam, who was tall and skinny and losing what was left of his gray hair. The second woman with the troupe was Shannah, who was in charge of the horses. Finally there was Fat Ren, who was already helping Ennick get dinner prepared and who took care of fixing things and keeping the wagons rolling.

Everyone seemed friendly enough, so far. Some of the guards gave him skeptical looks, and several responded with things like, "hi, kid," and "good to meet ya, kid." None of them seemed resentful of him being added to the group, and he wondered that a couple seemed actually glad that he had joined them. He wondered how many guards the caravan normally traveled with, and how often they had been needed.

Frank explained that there would be a watch rotation, and that being the newest of the group, he would be on the watch that was right in the middle of the night. His watch partner was to be Sameth, the guard who'd joined last spring. Once it was determined that Matner didn't have a tent, Frank told him to bunk in with Sameth. The caravan had more than enough tents on hand for everyone, but generally set up only enough for people to bunk in pairs. Frank had his own tent, however, and Fredrickson had a small house in the back half of one of the wagons.

Matner was surprised to find that there wasn't much social gap between the workers and the guards. They all seemed to be on even ground with one another when it came to conversation at dinner. He found himself dodging a lot of questions, as best he could, not wanting to talk about his family or schooling. While he managed to be reasonably vague, he could tell that a few of them, Frank included, seemed a bit wary of him. He didn't want to lie to them though, so he mentioned having had some schooling and needing to start using that training to make a living for himself. He tried to divert attention away by asking questions of the others instead. He started with Frank, hoping that by ingratiating himself with the one the others would feel more comfortable with him.

"What did you do before this?" Matner asked Frank, when the opportune moment arose.

"You mean before Old Fredrickson here?" Frank asked, laughing.

"Sure," Matner replied.

Authors' Note

"Heh, funny about that one," one of the others butted in.

"First I was a conscripted soldier for a while. Then I used to be a highwayman," Frank said, "preying on caravans like this one. I stayed in one area a little too long, and a couple of local knights were getting close to getting me cornered. I knew I needed to leave the area for a while, and I didn't want to travel alone. So, I figured I'd hook up with a caravan that hadn't heard about me."

"So this one caravan here had come into town, where normally I hit caravans on their way out of town. I told them that I had been conscripted as a soldier and knew how to fight, and could help keep them safe from highwaymen that were known to hunt those areas--all true, of course."

"Now, I had always been the gentleman type. I never robbed anyone blind, and I avoided killing. We passed through one area before long known for a couple of more ruthless bandits. They had a reputation for killing and raping. I helped spot their ambush and turned it around. Turned out there was a reward out for that one and his band. After that I just haven't seen the need to be anywhere but here."

A couple of other guards had been soldiers before joining up with Old Frederickson. One had been part of a mercenary group, and when he had suddenly found himself the last one left, decided he wanted a safer post.

"As fer me," Sameth said, "I ain't been nothing exciting before. I come from a little farmstead out near Mountain Rest. My Pa's the blacksmith round about there, an' that's what he was raisin' me ta be. There's a girl back there. Her Pa's the innkeep, and she'd never marry a blacksmith. So when the caravan came ta Mountain Rest I joined up to seek out riches and 'venture. If I can make myself into something better, I'll get her ta marry me one day, I wills."

Of the other four, two were twin brothers who'd lived on the streets of Basket Keep, until Fredrickson had taken them on as a punishment when he'd caught them trying to steal from his wagons. The third was actually more of a woodsman, than guard, and took care of any hunting for game that needed doing when the caravan was traveling through longer stretches of woods. In addition to the sword and crossbow, he also had a longbow that he kept handy in one of the wagons for hunting. He mentioned that he preferred the crossbow from horseback, but always hunted on foot.

The forth did not tell his own story, and it seemed no one actually knew what it was. He was introduced as "Dir' Ketten." The only thing anyone seemed to know was that he was from beyond the mountains, where it was rumored that there were humans living in nomad clans that fought both with and against each other. Matner had heard plenty of tales about the kinds of creatures that lurked in the mountains themselves, but little was actually known about what was beyond them. But every so often, an individual would come from the mountains, speaking a language no one had heard before. Some made trade and headed back. Others seemed to wander. No one was sure if they were looking for something, or just lost in lands strange to them. Matner had never seen one before, much less met one.

In basic appearance, the man looked, to Matner, no different from many men he'd seen before. He had the same pale skin, unlike some of the people who lived closer to the sea, where the river ended. Those he'd met from there had much darker skin. He had dark, short, curly hair and a dark beard to match, both cut short. His eyes were dark too, but blue, and they seemed to watch everything and give away nothing. It was told that he'd just shown up one day and somehow gotten the job without ever uttering a word. He and Fredrickson had just communicated with Dir Ketten nodding or shaking his head. When Matner looked over at the man, upon hearing this, he nodded as if to confirm the story, with a look that might have been amusement on his face. Matner couldn't be sure, however, as it disappeared again quickly. He wore similar armor to the others, however his shield was painted darker and Matner realized he had two swords on his belt, both slightly curved and broader at the tip than the hilt.

After everyone finished eating, there was about an hour or so of everyone just sitting around talking. Matner just listened to it all. Old Frederickson mentioned that this stop in Calster had been slightly more profitable than last year. A few people shared stories and jokes about people they had seen or dealt with in some fashion. Ennick did eventually point out to Matner that it was bad luck to talk about a town until you had left it.

It was not long before people were turning in for the night. Matner waited until a few had before he followed suit. He didn't want to seem too eager to go to sleep, but he also did not want to wait up late. He was rather tired.

He climbed into the tent and put together his bedroll. He pulled off his boots and took stock of his feet. They were a little sore, but not blistering. He grabbed fresh socks and set them on top of his boots. He pulled off most of the rest of his clothes and set them so they'd be easy for him to find at watch time.

Sameth came in not long after he did, as Matner was setting the clothes out.

"Ah, good thinking," Sameth pointed out. "I usually do that, too."

"I kind of expect most do," Matner said. "It seemed like a good idea, anyway."

"Well," Sameth said, "there are some that just dump their boots and sleep dressed. And there have been some nights where everyone has even slept in their boots to be ready for trouble. But Old Frederickson says that rarely happens close to major cities like Calster."

Without further conversation, Sameth undressed and climbed into his bedroll to go to sleep. It did not take Matner long to fall asleep.

Part of Matner's training had involved a one-month excursion to a local wooded area, where they had camped each night and traveled each day. There had been some survival instruction and hunting included. Every night, they had been woken to stand a different watch shift, to help train them to be able to wake and be alert at a moment's notice. So, when one of the guards came to the tent and opened the flap, the noise and proximity woke him. He sat up immediately, stifling the yawn that tried to overtake him as he did.

"You two lads are up," the guard, Linden, said into the tent. Sameth stirred, and mumbled a response, to which Linden reached down and tugged the young man's leg.

"I'm up, I'm up," Sameth replied, pulling back the covers and sitting up. Sammeth didn't even try to stifle his yawn as he started fumbling for his clothes in the darkness. Linden gave Matner a nod before moving back out of the tent.

Matner was glad he had laid his things out as he had, and had no difficulty getting dressed quickly. He was out of the tent long before Sameth was, wondering what might be different between patrolling a caravan and patrolling a military camp. He imagined that the watch might be similar enough in nature, and was surprised when Sameth came out and plopped himself down in front of the fire.

"Anything out there tonight, Raleth?" Sameth asked of the other guard who'd been on watch.

"Not much," Raleth replied. "Heard a couple of wolves howlin' at one point, but they seemed pretty far off. Not likely they'd come too near the fire this close to the city anyway. Should be pretty quiet."

"Thanks."

"You show Matner here what to do, eh?"

"Yup."

"Night then," Raleth said, heading off to one of the tents.

"Night," Matner found himself echoing Sameth. Linden waved a hand in their direction before crawling into a tent too, and then Matner found himself standing next to the fire, alone with Sameth.

"So now, basically, we wait and keep the fire going," Sameth said.

"So no perimeter checks or anything like that?" Matner asked. Sameth chuckled but did not so much as look up from the fire.

"Most likely to come into camp would be some kind of animal. Wolves, bears even in some parts. Bandits and the like generally don't. They're more like to wait in ambush during the day. They pick a spot and wait for people like us to come to them. They're not interested in sneaking about at night."

"Oh," Matner said. "I see."

"On the other hand," Sameth suggested, "if there was no watch and the fire got out of control and a wagon caught fire, that'd be bad."

"Yes, that would be. Fair enough. So we're paired up because we're new and they want to make sure I don't fall asleep on the job?"

"You catch on quick," Sameth replied. He pulled some bread out of a pocket and handed Matner some. "Here, grab a stick and have some toast."

Crickets chirped away, and Matner found himself idly looking around, both at the camp in general and at the stars. The wagons and tents were mostly set in a circle. He could hear snoring coming from more than one direction. The watch went uneventfully with little talking between them. Mostly Sameth yawned and poked at the fire, occasionally tossing another chunk of split log on.

Eventually Sameth stood up, stretched, and said, "That's enough. I'll wake the next shift and then I'm going to take advantage of that nice pit over there before crawling back into bed. Wait until he comes out." Sameth went to the tent next to theirs, sticking his head in to wake someone. He pulled his head back out and nodded to Matner before somewhat stumbling his way towards the latrine pit.

It only took a couple of minutes before one of the twins came out of the tent. Matner stood up and let him know that everything had been quiet, and then headed back into his tent to go back to sleep. He was aware of Sameth coming in, but fell asleep shortly afterwards.

The sounds of people stirring woke him again, despite the fact that it was still dark in the tent. He laid there for a moment, listening, before determining that it was people from the caravan moving about the camp, not intruders of any sort. A quiet laugh from someone and the gentle rattle of what sounded like pots confirmed his suspicions, and he relaxed back into his bedroll for a bit, the realization of where he was starting to truely sink in.

I've left home, he thought to himself. He tried to assess what all that meant, both to him and to his family.

Father will be furious, was the first conclusion. So will Velander, but only because Father is. Endrew will just miss me, but he should handle it the best since I got to say goodbye to him. Mother will be sad, so Isavelle will pick up on her mood and be sad too. He felt a little bad that he hadn't been able to give little Isavelle a hug before going, and wished he could have said goodbye to his mother. But he knew that doing so would have made things more difficult in the end. He also mulled over what Rafer and Leyeb would think of what he'd done.

For a moment, he felt guilty, thinking of how upset some people would be and how Father would have to inform the Captain of the Royal Guard that Matner was gone. While it wasn't a requirement, most families sent a son to one area or another of the military for service these days. The military forces had been diminished years ago, in the Flesh War, and for a while it had been law that each family had to have a son join the military. While the law had been recinded a good ten years ago, most respectable families still did so as a general rule.

He knew that Endrew had the makings of a fine military man one day, however, so it wasn't as if Father didn't still have somene to fill that capacity. And Matner knew he wasn't likely to stay in a caravan indefinitely. But he needed to get out and see things before he was going to settle down into a life as some guard. He looked over at his tentmate, thinking of Sameth's intent to seek riches and adventure.

This is more than that, he assured himself. I need to make my own way in the world if I expect people to respect me. Not only do I not want Father making all my decisions, but I don't want him to pave the way before me. What was it Master Drake said? He thought about one of the lectures the Master had given them, about sending men into a battle you weren't willing to go into yourself. I've never even seen a real battle. How can I know I'd be willing to enter a fight if I've never really been in one? He found himself thinking about the various adventures some of the caravan guards had already had. I can learn more from these people.

With that thought, he got dressed again and headed out of the tent. The sky was slightly lighter where the sun would rise soon, and the sound of birds waking to greet it seemed much louder than it ever did in the city. The aroma of coffee greeted him when he stood up and stretched to shake off the sleepiness.

There were varying degrees of wakefulness about the camp. The guards ranged from sleepy stretching to alert and ready looking. The actual caravan crew was all up and about and already doing stuff while Ennick made breakfast.

"Here," Old Frederickson said, pushing a mug of coffee towards Matner. "Ye ne'er did get the coffee you bought yesterday, so ye can have the first cup today."

"Oh, thank you," Matner said. "I'd forgotten."

"Ye realize I coulda jus' about fall inta that hole ye'd dug, eh?" Frederickson teased.

"I... uh... yeah. The last time I dug anything it was learning about defensive fortifications."

"I don' think we expect mindless obedience 'ere, kid," the old dwarf explained. "Don' ye be afraid ta ask questions. To a degree, anyway. We did have one kid we couldn't get ta shut up ever."

"I think so far I've stayed out of the way pretty good," Matner tried.

"It's not about stayin' out o' the way, lad. 'Tis about bein' part o' something. If'n yer gonna be stayin' with us, ye gotta learn our ways an' become part o' a team. An' ta do that, ye'll have to find yer place in it."

"Well, we did learn some things about teamwork at the... the training I did," he said, still not wanting to mention the academy. "But, honestly, I've generally usually been told where my place is." He realized he'd said it with an unhappy sigh, to which Fredrickson raised an eyebrow. He hurriedly sipped at the coffee, to try and mask it. He was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. He thought it was, quite possibly, the best coffee he'd ever tasted.

"I doubt anyone told ye ta hitch up with us folk," Fredrickson commented. "Seems ta me yer learnin' quick enough ta make up yer own mind. Don't try so hard ta make it happen, an' ye'll see that some things fall inta place themselves." He stood up, and Matner a rough pat on the shoulder. "Ye seem a nice enough lad. It'll work itself out. Always does. Or nearly always, anyway."

He left Matner sitting there, hobbling off, leaning heavily on his cane and yet still managing a pretty quick pace for someone with a wooden peg in place of one leg. Matner found himself wondering what had happened to the leg, but decided to save that question for another time. He was just starting to wonder if he should be getting something done, instead of sitting on a log, sipping coffee, when Fat Ren started handing out plates as Ennick filled them. Ren thrust a metal plate into his hands, with a fork sticking out of the food on one side. On it was some sort of mixed egg thing, with what looked like onions, cheese, and some vegetables cooked into it, along with a couple of buttered pieces of toast, and two links of sausage.

"Enjoy it, Matner," Tam said, sitting down next to him with a plate of his own. "The further out into the country we get, the less often we see some of the fresh items. When we can, we'll stop near enough to a town or farm to trade for fresh goods. But there are areas that get pretty remote, where we won't see fresh vegetables or eggs for a week or more. "

"If we're merchants," Matner asked, immediately guessing he was asking a stupid question, "shouldn't we be sticking to populated areas?"

"Mostly we do. There are some areas we have to go through to get to other areas. But also sometimes we go to slightly more remote areas once a year that seldom see any other caravans. Those folk get hungry for company and news and goods they can't make themselves."

"That makes sense," Matner admitted.

"Well, you're probably new to caravan travel. You can't be expected to know it all yet. Ask questions. That'll be how you make friends here, by learning the business and becoming a part of it."

The food was good, and they both sat quietly and ate. Tam munched away with his own thoughts while Matner watched the sun come up. It was the first full day on his own. He had left his prior life behind him. It was even over in the direction he was looking, more or less. He wished they were going in a different direction, so that watching the sunrise would not feel like looking back. He did not want to look back. He wanted to look forward, and move forward.

The next thing he knew he was being called over to help tear down tents. He let himself be absorbed in getting the camp ready to move. It was activity; it was doing something. Soon they'd be moving again. Moving forward. He worked quickly, eager to move on.

Between the workers and the guards, they seemed to have developed a routine in packing up the caravan. It seemed to take very little time to get everything in hand. Once the tents were back in one of the wagons, Matner was sent to fill the hole back in with dirt, while others hitched the horses, doused the fire, and took care of other things that needed packing up. Lastly, he donned his armor and stowed his bag in the back of a wagon, with the others. Then the wagons began to creak, and he took his place, walking alongside one of them.

Like the day before, Old Fredrickson stood to one side, watching the wagons and checking to be sure everything was tied and stowed correctly. He seemed to have no complaints, however, and soon made his way back to his spot, sitting with Shannah, in the seat of the lead wagon.

They hadn't been traveling long, before a rider came up behind them. Matner was already growing accustomed to the rhythm of the horses and wagons, from the walking the day before, so he recognized the faster pace of a lone horseman on the road. Frank and the others seemed to as well, and rode back to meet the rider. Being the only one not on wagon or horseback, Matner couldn't really get a good vantage point, no matter how hard he craned his neck. The wagons did not stop, so he kept walking alongside, as the others kept their posts too. Eventually, Frank rode up to the front of the wagon, where he seemed to be talking with Old Fredrickson. The rider edged around to the side of the wagon, and Matner saw the recognition in his friend's face at about the same time that Leyeb noticed him.

"Hey! Matner!"

"What are you doing out here, Leyeb," Matner asked, thinking he already knew the answer.

"Your father sent me to find you and bring you home. He sent a few people, actually."

"You two know each other then," Frank said.

"Yes," Matner said. "I can take care of this."

"I'm not going home, Leyeb," he said firmly.

"He... had quite a lot to say about it, mate," Leyeb said, looking a little concerned.

"I'm sure he did. He probably went on a bit about the job he went out of his way to get me. But I didn't earn it, Leyeb. I don't want my life just handed to me like that. I want to chase after life, and grab it for myself. I can't do that at home. I'm not going back."

"So what am I supposed to tell