Ireland, the Emerald Isle as some called it. Nothing but a bunch of potato farmers and sheep herders as far as he was concerned.
The fat grey clouds, pregnant with what promised to be torrential rain, bumped and rumbled along the morning horizon. He could see his breath on the chill of the air as he silently cursed to himself. Maybe being a farmer and shepherd was good enough for his father, and his father's father, maybe even for his brother Collyn, but not for him. There was more out there and he was going to find it.
Moving as quickly and silently as he could, it was still another hour before anyone else would wake, he pulled on his heavy wool shirt, leather pants, worn leather boots and grabbed his long duster as he slipped silently out the door. Had he taken the time to look back, he would have seen his brother watching in silence. But he didn't have time to look back and he would never look back again.
As he passed the shearing shed, he grabbed his sturdy walking stick, the small wooden flute his father had made for him as a child and walked briskly away from the only home he had ever known. With any luck he would be hours away before anyone missed him.
As promised, a heavy rain caught up with him an hour into his journey. The rain was heavy, thick and cold, and from the looks of things, it planned on spending the day with him. Looking for shelter until the rain passed or at least eased, he noticed a dirt path leading into what appeared to be a thicket of heavy, lush undergrowth. He was a bit surprised to see the path. He had walked these hills hundreds of times and never noticed it before. As he debated whether to seek cover there, a large bolt of lightning turned the grey sky into a brilliant blue-white canopy. With no more time for debate, he sprinted for the opening and dove headlong into the thicket.
What he saw before him defied explanation and he immediately turned around to leave through the same hole in the brush he had come through. The problem was, the hole was gone, as was the entire forest and hillside. He rubbed his eyes as he watched the scene before him. Creatures straight from his childhood fairy tales walked the street. Many walked right past him without so much as a glance. There were tiny creatures with wings, large creatures with scales, and everything in between, including some that appeared just as human as him.
Most of these creatures seemed to be coming and going from the same place. As his eyes cleared he could read the sign, Red Dragon Inn. With a shrug he mumbled to himself, if I ever needed a drink..it's now.
The fat grey clouds, pregnant with what promised to be torrential rain, bumped and rumbled along the morning horizon. He could see his breath on the chill of the air as he silently cursed to himself. Maybe being a farmer and shepherd was good enough for his father, and his father's father, maybe even for his brother Collyn, but not for him. There was more out there and he was going to find it.
Moving as quickly and silently as he could, it was still another hour before anyone else would wake, he pulled on his heavy wool shirt, leather pants, worn leather boots and grabbed his long duster as he slipped silently out the door. Had he taken the time to look back, he would have seen his brother watching in silence. But he didn't have time to look back and he would never look back again.
As he passed the shearing shed, he grabbed his sturdy walking stick, the small wooden flute his father had made for him as a child and walked briskly away from the only home he had ever known. With any luck he would be hours away before anyone missed him.
As promised, a heavy rain caught up with him an hour into his journey. The rain was heavy, thick and cold, and from the looks of things, it planned on spending the day with him. Looking for shelter until the rain passed or at least eased, he noticed a dirt path leading into what appeared to be a thicket of heavy, lush undergrowth. He was a bit surprised to see the path. He had walked these hills hundreds of times and never noticed it before. As he debated whether to seek cover there, a large bolt of lightning turned the grey sky into a brilliant blue-white canopy. With no more time for debate, he sprinted for the opening and dove headlong into the thicket.
What he saw before him defied explanation and he immediately turned around to leave through the same hole in the brush he had come through. The problem was, the hole was gone, as was the entire forest and hillside. He rubbed his eyes as he watched the scene before him. Creatures straight from his childhood fairy tales walked the street. Many walked right past him without so much as a glance. There were tiny creatures with wings, large creatures with scales, and everything in between, including some that appeared just as human as him.
Most of these creatures seemed to be coming and going from the same place. As his eyes cleared he could read the sign, Red Dragon Inn. With a shrug he mumbled to himself, if I ever needed a drink..it's now.