The two wandered through the woods, branches at hand swinging at any low hanging branches or bunches of weeds beside the path.

"I think my father's going to let me start brewing on my own soon." Luke said. His father's brewery was one of the most popular stops in the whole kingdom of Bravia.

"Really?" William asked.

"Yup, we've been talking about it. He has me run the front since I was a kid, but he's been getting me more and more involved in the back." Luke had a gleam of pride in his eyes, and gave a laugh.

"He thinks you're ready, then?" William asked. "To start taking over the family business."

"Well..." Luke started. "He either feels that I'm ready, or he's tired of his back killing him all the time." And the two burst out in laughter.

Soon the laughter quieted, and they entered a tense silence as they walked along the forest.

"I don't know when I'll get more responsibility." William said.

"Yeah? Is that what you want?" Luke asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean do you even want to be a scribe?"

"What else do I know?"

"William, we're young! Why waste your life doing something you hate? We've got plenty of time to grow up and figure things out. For now let's just have fun and see where life takes us!"

"That sounds nice, Luke. But what am I supposed to do, wander off into the night and be some adventurer?"

Luke burped. "Why not?"

"Why not?" William retorted. "Maybe because I don't know the first thing about adventuring! I don't know how to protect myself out there, I don't know where to go, or who to talk to." He slumped. "I have no skills."

"It sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of your dreams." Luke said.

"It's not that I'm trying to talk myself out of it, I just don't..." He thought. "I don't see how I could do anything else. The chapel has been my life since I was a child, I don't know anything else. Don't you see that? Luke, I can't even remember what my mother and father looked like, that's all gone from me now. The people in the chapel are my family now, but..."

"But?"

"But it doesn't feel like home." William finished.

They continued to walk on in silence. The sun was lowering in the sky, beneath the boughs of leaves.

"The festival is soon." William said absently.

"Whatever." Luke waved a hand.

"The festival is important, Luke!" William said with a frown.

"It sure is, all of the ale the chapel purchased came from us!" Luke said with a grin. "They wipe out half of our inventory every year, my father loves it!"

"There's more to life than business and beer, Luke."

"Not much more better." Luke said. "Now come on, we never finished sparring!" And with that he raised his branch and whapped William across the arm hard. William yelped and jumped back and took a defensive stance, and the forest soon echoed with the strike of wood on wood and the enlightened cries of the two young men dueling in the brush.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The two came walking back through the woods, exhausted. The sun had sank to the horizon, and dusk was setting. They could see the village of Hollyheln ahead, a villager was walking through the streets lighting the torch lanterns, and the candles of the chapel glowed like a beating heart.

"Well, have you ever thought about leaving?" William asked out of the blue.

Luke looked at him. "Me? Not particularly."

"You don't want to go see the wide world? You don't want to adventure on the roads?"

"Will, I'm not much for adventuring, I prefer a warm house and a soft bed."

"But you're not even curious?" William turned to him. "You've never looked out into the night air and wondered if you were somewhere else?"

Luke scratched his head. "Maybe sometimes?" He surrendered. "But it's never been a want of mine, no. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." William said.

"There's always a reason, William, I can read you like a scroll."

"It was a stupid thought, I had just wondered what it would be like for the pair of us to leave the town behind. Go explore dungeons, fight bandits, silly things. I was thinking like a boy." He said.

Luke was quiet. "I could adventure to the ends of the earth." He said. "But I would always want to return home.

"I know you're looking for that home, Will, and I want to help you find it. But my home is here, and it always will be. But if you need me by your side, I'll always be there."

"You're a true friend, Luke." William said, and looked back to the chapel.

They walked up the quiet path and the side door to the chapel swung open and a silhouetted figure stood in the orange light. It was a bent, hobbly monk in his brown robes.

"Before nightfall means before the sun has set, boy, I thought Adir had put a brain between those ears before you popped out!"

"Good evening, Brother Barry!" Luke called to him.

"Who is that, have you been out with that Porter boy?" Brother Barry asked as they approached. He gave a suspicious eye over Luke and a confounded sniff.

"You know your father is providing the ale for the festival?" He asked rhetorically.

"Yes, Brother Barry." Luke said politely.

"And we'll be expecting the full order! No skimming off the top, you're too young for such drinking!" Brother Barry said.

"Brother Barry, he's as old as I am! There's no harm in him drinking!" William defended.

"Hush, boy, you don't know what's good for you. Come on!" He jerked a hand toward the door. "Inside. The night isn't over and I'm not getting younger!"

William said goodbye to his friend and stepped through the portal to the chapel. His eyes adjusted to the orange candle and torchlight of the chamber as monks milled about, some dusting, some sweeping and others carrying heaps of food in their arms.

William retired for the night, and as he lay upon his bed, he wondered what it would be like to by lying in a cot in some cottage far away, or perhaps in a bunk upon a sailing ship, thrashing with the waves. Most of all, he wondered what it felt like to be home.