The young boy became a young man and, with the full support of his village, he departed for the city of Galewin, a mountain city that was several days of walking away. Reynold's goal was to be a legionnaire and he wouldn't be discouraged. The day was cold, snow still decorated the fields around Ravenwood and the namesake forest had become a white and dark brown sculpture with the icy branches seemingly reaching for the rays of sunlight. He had gathered all of his things and had enough supplies and money to buy whatever else he needed. It would be a trek and he was well aware of that but his ambitions made him ignore the difficulties that they themselves had given him, "Give the king's men a reason to bring us letters, son," His father called out as the young man turned and waved, thick clothes protecting him from the cold.
"Be safe!" His mother called out and he nodded before getting back to walking along the frozen dirt path, "All grown up, all too quickly."
"He wants this more than anything, ever since those men saved him and our village from needless harm," Reynold's mother nodded, "He will be fine, he isn't a little boy anymore."
"I still worry for him," His father nodded and hugged his teary eyed wife, "I miss him already."
"I do too."
Reynold walked through the day, his engraved walking stick tapping against the solid ground while his foggy breath remained as thick. As much as becoming a legionnaire was his dream, he knew would need to give blood, sweat and tears just to make it to Galewin and then more to join their ranks. Each step was just one more step towards his dream becoming a reality and nothing more and nothing less, "I am a man now," He whispered to himself, "I can do this."
The sun began setting and the young man poured over his maps and came to a sudden realization. He was standing further from Ravenwood than he had ever been standing. The aspiring legionnaire was born and raised in the same town and had never imagined leaving it until that night time encounter with the Dawn Legion. He took a torch from his bag and put away his maps, the road he was on would lead him to a village, his first stop at the end of the next day, Lone Oak. Reynold repeated the name, wondering what could have given the name to the village before deciding that it was probably simply a reference to a single tree in the town or around. Reynold looked up at the darkening sky and the stars and moon were completely uncovered, leading to him putting away the torch. Having poured over his maps had made him realize how small his world had been up to that moment, there was very little he actually knew of the world. Aside from which direction the capital was and which routes would take him to the nearby villages if needed but he had never needed them, he knew nearly nothing.
The sun rose and began to illuminate his path once more as the snow had hardened to mostly ice from the cold night after the surprisingly warm day. Reynold continued to walk on barely tired or sore legs, his motivation pushed him on and didn't ask him to slow down or stop to rest. It only asked for him to continue. On the horizon of the mostly flat terrain he spotted a few trails of smoke, rising from the chimneys of the houses, Lone Oak was getting nearer with each footstep and the first milestone on his journey.
He walked into town and looked around, it was a different town to his own and he knew that but it still amazed him. As the name spoke of, a large, old tree stood in the middle of the town square. It was the lonely tree the name spoke of and the winter weather had stripped it of its leaves, "Good afternoon, stranger," A man called to Reynold as he looked at the tree, "Admiring the namesake of our town?"
"Huh?" He turned to the much older man with a pipe in his mouth before comprehending the question, "Oh, yes, sir."
"Sir? I am no knight or lord, young man, just the mayor of this quiet town," Reynold nodded and the mayor put his hand out, "Albert Olten, what do they call you?"
"Reynold, Reynold Iver," They shook hands as the older man observed Reynold's bags and then back at him.
"Running from home?"
"No, Albert, heading to Galewin."
"Galewin?" Albert looked confused and puffed on his pipe.
"Galewin, yes."
"Why Galewin?" The older man reformulated his question as Reynold stood and looked around, "Where are you coming from?"
"Ravenwood."
"Why Galewin then?"
"To join the Dawn Legion," He got the older man to stop and stare before nodding, "What's wrong?"
"Young man willing to throw himself into the jaws of the beast that is the dark lands, huh?" Reynold nodded, "Do you need a place to stay for the night?"
"Yes, if it wouldn't bother you," Albert chuckled and gestured for him to follow him towards a building that had a steady output of smoke from its simple chimney. The snow crunched between their feet and the cobblestone that made up the short paths that existed in the boundaries of the village. It was similar to his own town but with a few more houses and a bit more people moving around, "How many people live here?"
"15 households."
"Wow, more than my hometown."
"Ravenwood is small, I have traveled there once before, is it still 8 households?"
"9."
"Growing little town," He chuckled before pushing open the door to the warm building that was the tavern of the town, "Our little tavern, the Lonely Drink's Home."
"Lonely drink seems rather sad."
"We are the lonely village afterall," Reynold nodded as he understood what was meant by lonely as a title and not as a description of the people, "Steven, anything warm for this traveler to eat? He is from Ravenwood."
"Ah, it's been a long time since someone has stopped here from outside of our town."
"Living on the outskirts."
"As always, Albert," The man named Steven headed to the backroom as Reynold got settled down at the very basic bar.
"So a legionnaire, aye?" Reynold nodded, "Why?"
"They rode through my town and saved my life a year ago, it was all I needed to want to do the same for someone else."
"A young man willing to risk his life and with a clear want in life," Steven chuckled as he came back with a plate of food that was put in front of the young man. Dried meat was what he had for his travels so far with a few preserved vegetables and fruits but the plate of good looking fresh food made his mouth water as he pictured being at home. It may have only been the first day on his trip but he had never done anything of the sorts and homesickness was something that his father had told him about. It was normal, he thought, after leaving the safety of the nest that was Ravenwood for him to feel alone and small in the larger world that existed outside of what he knew.
He ate as the mayor left and the tavern keeper figured out how much the meal would cost, "I assume you have some coins on you?" Reynold nodded, "2 bronze coins for that," He reached for the money pouch on his bag and fiddled around before putting two coins onto the counter, "Thanks."
"Thank you for the food."
"I assume you are staying the night?" He nodded, "Alright, I'll have Natasha prepare the room for you."
"Thank you again."
"It'll be 3 bronze for the room."
"Alright," He put three more coins onto the bar and the tavern keeper pocketed them quickly. Money, Reynold knew, wasn't always something people had much of and the tavern keeper's rapid action to take the coins from the counter and stuff them into his own coin pouch did not stand out as unusual as his father did the same and would only spend the bare minimum. Of course it had changed when it came to giving his son, who was leaving home, as his own money pouch was mostly full.
Reynold sat on the edge of the bed that sat in the room he had been given for the night. He was at his first stop, he thought to himself as he once more poured over his maps to look at the path he had planned for himself based on the distances between the villages. A day of walking had taken him out of his bubble of security and comfort that was Ravenwood and there would be many more days like that to come as he wandered further and further from home to join the Dawn Legion. The images of the brave rider who saved him rushed through his mind, he looked more than impressive and truly a model Reynold wanted to follow.