It's the night of the Prayer Festival for their village and that means everyone who resides in Rossden Creek was out and about. Every year before the long hard work of summer days began the village would gather in the town square for this tradition. With the nearest town being a ten day journey on horseback, entertainment and spectacle was a commodity in short supply.

While the Prayer Festival had started off generations ago as a means for the superstitious to bless the years crop for a bountiful harvest. Nowadays it's used by the villagers as a reason party. Usually the festivities began at noon with the residents taking each other on in games, the prize being bragging rights in the fields till the Harvest Festival.

The real fun began at sundown after the village priest gave his speech and blessed the fields and livestock. Children would be asleep soon after, the adults would drink themselves silly, and the girls and boys who were coming of age would sneak out to Tillman Ridge to make proclamations of love.

William was sat next to Gabriella gazing at the starlit sky when suddenly they both turned to one another. The moment felt so right and he had leaned in for a kiss…

THUMP

Before Will could close the distance and carry out his greatest fantasy he was rudely awakened. Fluttering his eyes open in daze he saw cause of his sudden departure from sleep staring down at him with contempt. From the dull red under his fathers fingernails and splotches on his trousers, William knew he had messed up and slept in way to late. Judging by how crusted the blood had already become meant that his father had begun butchering hours ago. Will quickly rid of any thoughts about the upcoming festival.

"Boy.. was I not clear when I said to check and reset the traps before breakfast?" His father barked at him in his gruff voice.

"n..o sir, I mean yes sir" William gulped "I'm sorry I guess overslept.."

"You guess you overslept huh" straining over each word "Well guess that means everything is okay then. You were sooo sleepy, so it's perfectly fine to disobey me right?" His father started snarling and each word was getting louder.

"No sir! I'm sorry I-" Will panicked before his father cut him off.

"Don't fucking interrupt me!" Spittle flying from his lips "Now go! Finish your fucking task before I give you a thrashing you little ingrate!" His father was practically screaming by the end.

"Yer sir!" William scurried off the floor and ran out the house.

With his heart hammering in his chest he didn't stop running till he hit the forests edge. Just as he was about through the trees, William paused and patted himself down.

"Dammit.."

Realizing his mistake he walked back towards the village with shoulders slumped. He then remembered his father's words and began to run.

His house was on the edge of the village but it was far enough away from the forest as to not disturb the wild game so his family's trade wouldn't be made harder than it need be. While the house was one of the newer structures in Rossden, being built within the last 20 cycles or so, it seemed to more closely resemble a ramshackle hut. Ever since his mother had taken ill all those summers ago, the around the house maintenance had stopped completely.

Nobody knew what had debilitated his mother, the village healer Carlton and priest Minsuf were oddly turned away by his father when it first happened. With no means of caring for his mother since he was just a boy and not ready to take up his trade of tracking and trapping, he was of no use. His father couldn't manage as well since he still needed to provide money for the yearly tax and to put food on the table. His mother had left back with his grandparents to their home in the town of Crickshaw.

William started reminiscing about a few cycles back when he had spent all of the money he had saved from his work to rent passage on a traders wagon to town. The air had begun to cool and the storage of dried meats and pelts were overflowing, so it had seemed like a good idea at the time. He had rushed to his house to grab his coin purse just in time to leave with the trader.

When he had finally arrived in Crickshaw he soon realized his first mistake. He didn't know where his grandparents lived. The town was much larger than his village, it had so many people entering and exiting the gate that his eyes strained trying to take it all in. His second mistake was that he didn't have a town pass, using up the money meant for his return ride to aquire one. His third mistake was that he didn't know his grandparents name so he couldn't even ask around for their address. And why would he have known? He had never needed a reason to call them anything but grandfather and grandmother. Fighting back tears and cursing his own stupidity in a sea of unfamiliar people, he began to make his journey back towards the gate and his village with a heavy heart.

"William?" A surprised voice came from behind.

Turning swiftly to the person calling his name he replied, "Mr. Carlton? What're you doing here?"

"Hmm I should be asking that of you, William. "

Will sheepishly turned his head down and explained

"So you've put yourself in a bind huh" chuckled the healer.

"Sir it's really not funny.. and now I have to walk back to village." William replied downcast.

"Well I'll tell you what Will, my boy, if you wait a while so I can buy a few more supplies then you can hitch a ride back on my wagon."

"Really!" William enthusiastically exclaimed, then a bit lamely continued, "Are you sure.. I don't want to be a bother."

Laughing, Carlton said "It's quite alright my dear boy. I'm sure my donkeys won't mind hauling a midget like you one bit."

"Oh thank you Mr. Carlton!" William ran and hugged him then stepped back and said, "Hey, I'm not a midget! I'm only twelve!"

When they had arrived back at the village it was near nighttime, William had thanked the healer for his help and headed home. For some reason he had felt something nagging him in the back of his mind the entire trip. Only when he confronted his father on the porch did he realize his fourth mistake of his ill fated journey, he didn't tell his father where he went. His father had always been strict but fair and sometimes even quite kind. That night something changed, it seemed to seep into his eyes like a madness William had never seen before.

His father looked him up and down then asked in an almost lazy voice, "So big man tried to leave dad behind them realized he couldn't make it without him, is that it?"

"No father I wasn't thinking and-"

He was cut off icely.

"No you weren't thinking we're you. Stupid boy. I work hard to give you a good life and as soon as you get a little coin saved, you up and vanish."

Will was starting to cry.

"Dad please listen, I just missed mother so very much and wanted to see her. Please just let me explain!"

"You went to do what!" His father snapped.

Not expecting such a reaction, William was at a loss for words.

"I see how it is." A madness was raging in his fathers eyes, "It seems I've been too lenient with you, since going out to see that whore bitch is more important to you than me."

"No father, that's not what I meant! And why would you say that about mother." Will was bewildered and shocked by his fathers words.

"Hmm talking back to me as well. Looks like you need to be disciplined, because I don't remember raising such an ungrateful sniveling wretch! Since you obviously think you're man enough to live without me, I need to teach you a lesson you won't forget."

His father stood up and set down, what William just realized, was a bottle of alcohol and walked inside. Not believing what just just happened, he followed his father through the open doorway when suddenly he realized how long he had been stuck in that memory. Good thing too because he didn't want to relive the rest of that night.

With his house in sight William realized he needed a new gameplan, his father would spot him before he could grab his knife and kit for the woods. So with a new destination in mind, he belted off to left and made his way to his best friend's house.

Gabriel took off his work boots with a sigh and stretched out his toes before stuffing his feet into a more flexible hiking pair. He stood and started making his way to the door to go find Will to see if he was finished with work yet. He had been itching since yesterday for another round of sword practice. Well sword practice was a generous description, considering they would just find a good stick off the forest floor and beat the hell out of each other. Well okay, Will would beat the snot out of Gabriel.

His friend seemed to be naturally gifted at fighting, whether it was wrestling, pretend duels, or an archery contest it would usually end in Wills favor. It was a shame that William didn't want to be a soldier like himself, he knew his friend would flourish in the Kings army. Shaking these thoughts aside he pulled the door open and had a fist knock him on the nose.

"Shit Gabe, you scared the piss outta me." Hammer knuckling his friends snout had startled them both.

"Shit Will, you punched me in face." Gave said with a nasally voice as he held his nose.

They looked at each other for a moment then burst into laughter.

"What're you doing over here so early? I was just about to head into woods to find you."

"I haven't even started my work day yet, I slept in on accident." William said sheepishly.

"You just woke up?! It's damn near noon."

"I know, I know. I need to borrow a knife, some rope, and one of those metal pegs you guys use to stretch hide."

"Whaddya need all that for." Replied Gabriel bewildered.

"I left in a hurry didn't grab my kit before I left. My father will explode if I come back empty handed." Will pleaded.

"Okay okay, give me a second." Gabriel then turned back into the house to gather the requested items then paused and turned back, "Next time you ask for something from someone, don't thump them in the face. Asshole."

Will blushed a little and apologized with a grin.