Tom sat alone on a low stone wall outside of his family home. A shiver crept up his spine as he regretted not wearing his cloak, hunching his shoulders forward and clutching his hands at his chest whilst he looked up to the night sky and settle his eyes on the pale moon. "The moon's large tonight." The young man thought to himself as a cloud of ale tinged breath curled out from between his lips and escaped into the cold air. 

Loud cries, shouting and a shattering of crockery could be heard cutting through the otherwise quiet night from the house behind, his home. The violent sound didn't appear to faze the young man, who instead continued to thud the heel of his boots against the wall and stare up at the star filled sky. 

Not a few moments later, a door was thrown open and slammed against the exterior of the house whilst hurried yet angry steps were taken along the path, leaving a crunching sound as each boot dug forcefully into the gravel underneath. 

Tom eventually noticed the sound of movement had stopped, pulling himself back into reality and lowering his gaze to meet the angry glare of his father. "Drunk again, are ye?" The older man spat out, fists clenched at his side and a look of utter disgust and contempt on his face. Before he had a chance to reply with a clever retort of his own, his father instead continued. "Why did it have to be him and not you eh?" 

The night suddenly fell silent once again as Tom was left stunned, watching frozen in place as the older man continued down the path, but it was only now he noticed the backpack slung over a shoulder.

He found a wetness on his face, sliding down his cheek, which he quickly wiped away as he cleared his reddened nose. Pushing himself down off the wall, Tom stumbled his way towards the already open door but took the time to stop at a small stone amongst a scattering of flowers that lay beside it. "Rest well, brother." He said softly with a lowered head, moving inside and closing the door behind him.