It was the year 3012 TA early summer,
It had been a pleasant day. The flowers bloomed in the fields, the dry grass hissed in the refreshing evening's wind, the crickets played violin with their legs. Erenos dared to smile for a moment, his eyes yet covered by his hood. He walked up a slope, grabbing the branches from the young trees that sprouted all over it, pulling himself higher up a small hill. His rolled up sleeves had exposed his lower arms and already he felt the tantalizing sting of the sun's burns upon them, it made him feel alive as if he was a youth still, free from the obligations of maturity. He had not to complain, as he reached the summit. A small patch of thick mud amidst green grass, some old leaves from lost spring flew by his feet as he set his eyes upon a village in the distance. Surrounded by a great hedge. Even from here he could hear the merry shouting of the citizens and mixed emotions ceased his heart.
Oh to be amongst the merrymaking of these people, good of heart. Unburdened from worry by their ignorance. How he would love to throw aside his bow and quiver and dance with the maidens within or laugh and sing with the manfolk, but that he knew could not happen. Another smile appeared on his cracked lips. It was not to be so, he had been born one of the protectors of the land and he loathed it, but loved it equally in measure. He would not have liked to live as the men within the great hedge, .. that would be to say, not aware of the dangers that lurk in the wilds.
He had long found peace with his lot in life, even though that did not cease the longing for peace itself to rule his life. Perhaps one day and if not for him, then perhaps the next generation.. or the one thereafter. His lips fell down again to indifference.
So he listened and watched for a while, he would have been less then a silhouette amongst the trees he stood betwixt. Made all the harder to see by the colors of his garb. Yet still a hand had come to lay upon his shoulder, perhaps one he had come to expect for he did not flinch. A voice whispered something in his ear, not to be heard over the breeze rustling the leaves.
And by the time the moon had risen to cast her silver light on the land, nothing remained on the summit anymore to know two men had stood there on watch.
