He had to be home soon to help prepare for the Coming of the Winds festivals. People of all the lands celebrated these festivals every ten years to indicate that summer was ending and bringing upon all of Zimmer the shortest fall and longest winter of the decade. This winter was not a bad thing; though, for it brought with it severe winds which would uproot nearly all weeds, which would not grow back for 3 years, leaving the best land for harvesting for the farmers. After this long winter, which lasted approximately one and a half years, then came the longest summer of the decade, which equally lasted one and a half years. In six days The End of Summer Festival would start and a day later, conclude with The Beginning of Autumn Festival. The two-day festival being so massive it took the entire week to set up the Town Square, the inns, and the taverns. He was a volunteer helper to set up and they were to start setting up tonight. He had to be back before night fell.

His cloak billowed behind him, revealing his casual, white, long-sleeved shirt topped with his black tunic, wearing his baggy trousers, and his heavy leather belt wrapped around his waist, with pouches and daggers hanging from it. He had been walking for nearly two hours now, simply enjoying the woods near his town. It was harder for him to enjoy what with the wind and all. Often there had been kids playing in the woods but that was nearer to his home not out where he had traveled. Where he was traveling, only adults, transporting either mail or goods, traveled. He traveled down the familiar path: the path which he had traveled so many times, the path he had traveled to transport books from his father’s store to nearby towns.

The sounds of the birds chirping their songs had appealed to him. He always loved to stroll through the forest and listen to the birds sing. Crickets also chirped; it was around five hours ‘til nightfall and they were beginning to come out.