"Who am I?"

The infant, still wet, was held by an old woman, the calm yet tender smile on her face echoing the many births she'd attended to before. The baby, still naked, was shown to the woman lying on the bed, still breathing hard from the labour.

"Isn't he a beauty? Not much of a crier, is he?" said the old woman. As a nurse, her duty was to ensure a healthy birth to a healthy child, so what healthy child would not scream?

Smack

The baby began to cry, quiet at first, but quickly grew louder until the mother, still gasping, could hear him. Between breaths she smiled and looked to a man dressed in blue robes. He was tall with short, black hair, still dissheveled from the awakening. However, he showed a warmth that only a any father could bear as he squeezed his wife's hand gently.

With a nod of approval from the old nurse he gently took the infant in his arms, letting his sight be drawn to the soft skin and taking care to make sure the baby was not pressed too hard wile it still bawled. Drawing close to his wife's bed, he knelt down and brought their child close. "Here, my love. Look at how beautiful he is." Her breathing calmer now, she held a hand to the child, feeling his warmth. She smiled, saying "Here he is. I can't believe that this long wait is over." The man chuckled slightly before carefully transferring the baby to her arms at a gesture. The couple shared a gentle kiss before returning their eyes to the wonder before them.

"What shall we name him, dear?" asked the man. It was odd that through the months of careful planning, a name was they'd yet to decide on. "I want him to be like you. Strong but with purpose, careful to tend to what needs help. Like you when you found me," his wife replied. Though said in passing, memories gently surfaced the oceans of their thoughts before the man stood up, saying "I know now, if you'd take him at my suggestion."

He took the infant, now more quiet than before, and looked towards a window that seemed to open to the clear starry sky, and said, "Like the traveller who finds themself bringing wealth wherever they go, like the wind that brings with it fresh air and an opportunity for change, I may call him "Rahdin." " He looked back towards his wife, an almost childish eagerness on his face that turned to embarrasment when he saw that both she and the nurse seemed to be stifling a small chuckle, albeit his wife trying a bit harder so as to not trigger too much pain.

"Rahdin. I'd so many ideas, husband, but I think that this time, your name will work just well. Welcome to the world, Rahdin. In the hands of a capable and loving father you are, with a mother who promises her life to you." He walked back to her, the child now drifting into silence, to lay on the bed beside her to rest. Only then did the nurse, seeing that the birth had gone well, decide to take the babe from his hands to wash, clothe, and lay to rest.

"So my name is Rahdin, then. So tired, I think I'll sleep."

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"Get up, get up! Come, today is the day you've been waiting for no?"

Rahdin, under the rough shaking of his father, began to tear off the blanket holding him to his bed as the cold began to enter his body. "Up, up! Come come, go wash yourself and get dressed quickly." His father seemed more excited than he did, but Rahdin grinned anyways and walked out the door. The snow fell gently as he quickly stripped, now shivering intensely. Silently, he grabbed the pail of water that had warm water and began to wash himself.

After washing and clothing himself, he grabbed a pack of the dried and salted and met his father outside once more. He was seated on a horse - its hide and tail a light blue - that seemed to be in place with the falling snow. He climbed up behind his father and settled his legs near the aft of the horse. "I'm ready. Want some jerky?" "No. We should go, but luckily you're a light sleeper." With a motion Rahdin's father urged the horse forward towards the town, rays of sunlight seeming to peak through the thick clouds as if to shine a path forward just for them.

"Look there, your friends! You should go say hi!" Some time later, the two had been riding on a snow covered path for a while when they say an open cart of children and parents being driven forward by two other horses. Them being where they were indicated that the town grew close, so Rhadin's father urged the horse to slow down, bringing them next to the cart. Rahdin cringed internally, but tried to put on a joyous face anyways and said, "Hey guys." The lack of enthusiasm in his voice made him cringe on the outside too this time.

"Look, it's Rah! Hi Rah!" A group of kids - 2 boys and 2 girls - immediately looked towards him, grins glowing on their face as if the cold didn't exist. " Kursa, Bakro, Sheia, and Lillia were the boys' and girls' names respectively, each on looking at Rahdin attentively. The others in the cart had spared him a glance but had returned to talking amongst themselves and their parents.

“It’s been a month since we’ve seen each other. I want to see if we get to join the Royland core, man. It’s the coolest thing there is! “ said Bakro. He was shaking in excitement, or perhaps nervousness, or the cold, but Rahdin’s analysis was interrupted by Bakro’s statement; “Nah, the Iron Breakers, man. Spears that can demolish buildings and walls in a single thrust? The Royland core just dances around compared to them.” A couple kids hearing this, began making fun of Bakro’s statement, jeering him much to the dismay of their parents who hushed them quickly.

“What about the Enclave? They just decimate people; it’s like they’re shooting people up into the air. Like a bull!” Sheia’s beautiful analysis of the Enclave was received a little bit better, but before Lillia had a chance, Rahdin pointed forward. The 4, and soon the rest of the cart, saw what he pointed at: a large stone obelisk stood erect in the distance. Though they weren’t far from the center of the town, it’s height was apparent, but what was more apparent was that it hadn’t been there before. However, most of the adults looked at it with what seemed a slight look of disgust, of hate. Rahdin, noting this, came to the conclusion before most others did.

“There lies our prophecy, contained within a tower of stone. Whether we will be relegated to the mundanity of a baseless life, or offered a chance to legend.”

Lost in thought, he registered too late the astonished looks of the people around him. His father, however, gave a short, barking laugh, saying “That’s my boy!” Rahdin smiled in response, then closed his eyes and burrowed him face into his father's back, enjoying the warmth and solidity that seemed to wrap around him with invisible arms.