Mildune stood and wiped the sweat from his brow, a slight grin tugging at his lips. Before him laid a sea of golden wheat, stretching out to the horizon and beyond. The stalks rustled as a light autumn breeze swept past, thus creating the image of cresting waves.
Overhead, a flock of flametail sparrows flitted through the orange sky, carried by their four golden wings. One by one, they dove into a nearby forest, returning to theirs nests as the sun set in the distance.
Mildune was sixteen, and less than half a year from manhood. His eyes, a bright shade of emerald, shone beneath a curly amber curtain, while two ears, slightly pointed, poked out on either side. Patches of mismatched cloth held his tunic together, though he managed to hide the poorly stitched threads with a layer of dirt. Meanwhile, a frayed leather belt wrapped around his waist, from which a small wooden shovel hung, covered in weeds.
For the past five months, Mildune had toiled away as a farm hand, from dawn to dusk out in the fields. Fortunately, his efforts had proven to be fruitful, and provided him with twice as much wheat as the crops nearby.
"If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if you were a sorcerer."
Mildune turned to find a short, yet peacefully stout man, examining the seven rows he tended with a keen gaze. He wore a light brown tunic, bleached by the sun, while a worn scythe rested over his shoulder, its blade dulled from years of use. A jagged scar marred the left side of the man's face, twitching as he shifted his gaze.
"Come now, Perin. If I could truly use magic, do you believe I would be so open about it? Least of all to grow wheat?"
The old man chuckled, and rubbed the stubble growing along his chin.
"No, I suppose not. Though it makes me wonder how the kingdom's officials would react to the news of someone practicing the dark arts to help plants grow."
Mildune grinned at the thought, and shook his head. Yet as he gathered his tools, he noticed there was a slight truth behind what Perin said. The wheat he cared for did posses a certain quality, not seen elsewhere. And with how the sun was setting, there almost seemed to be a strange glow about it, though when he rubbed his eyes and looked again, the light had vanished.
'Strange… Was I just seeing things?'
He looked again, but the light was surely gone.
"Are you planning on standing there all day? "
Mildune jumped when he realized Perin was already halfway down the path, leaving him behind. In his hurry to catch up, he dashed the thoughts from his mind, chalking it up to no more than exhaustion.
The dirt path back to the city laid between the fields and the Lothnirn Forest, and intersected with the main road, which merchants and travelers often used.
As they reached the main road, Mildune glanced towards the city off in the distance, its sheer size leaving him in awe once more. Even being as far away as they were, he still had to crane his neck back to see the top of the city walls, from which square towers grew at regular intervals. As if this wasn't enough, the city was built into a small alcove in the Falhorn Mountains, using dwarven techniques to meld the stone walls into the mountain's jagged side.
Mildune shifted his gaze back to the top of the walls as several guards began lighting torches in preparation for the night. From the distance, they weren't much more than black dots, barely recognizable by their silver armor. Perin frowned and glanced skyward. It wouldn't be long before the sun fell behind the forest, and darkness was upon them.
"We better hurry. I'd rather not be stuck outside when the gate shuts."
Mildune meant to respond, but before he could a strange melody caught his ear. Furrowing his brow, he turned to the forest, and scanned the swaying branches. A shadow flickered between the trees, moving gracefully, as though it was dancing. Mildune squinted his eyes and took a step forward, but the longer he looked, the wuicker the shadow danced, its melody growing louder in turn.
"-une. Mildune, what are you doing?"
Mildune jumped when Perin appeared beside him, concern etched onto his face. He had been so focused on the melody, that he hadn't noticed the old man approach.
"Don't you hear that?"
"Hear what? Do you hear something?"
"Yes, I-" Mildune paused as he noticed the melody had faded. Quickly turning back to the forest, he searched for the dancing shadow, but all he found were trees, above which laid a canopy of leaves. "I- I don't understand. I swear I saw something, or maybe someone, out there, just a moment ago. And they were singing, and- and dancing, throug the woods."
Perin scowled, and scanned the forest. If there truly was someone dancing out there, then the city officials would need to know. "Well, I don't see anything, but that doesn't mean you're lying. There have always been strange tales surrounding the Lothnirn forest, of fairies and imps hiding among the branches. Not that I've ever seen one, but it's best to be cautious of such things."
Before Mildune could answer, a bell tolled, marking the time before the gates closed. The old man turned with a start, moving quicker than thought possible for one of his age.
"Come on, Mildune. Best not to stand around when the gates are closing."
"Right! We need to get going!"
Yet as Mildune said that, he turned back to the forest, wondering about what he saw.