A young man strolled about the borders of a dusty, old town. A girl waved to him and he ran to her. She was smiling and was clothed in pure white. Her brilliant waves of brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and framed her face perfectly. He hugged her then looked at her face; it was was as white as her garments and her eyes were wide. He looked down to her stomach where he saw a growing red blot. She went limp in his arms and slunk to the ground, no sound escaping her open mouth, seeing nothing out of her open eyes. Behind him, he heard a snarl then the beast pounced.
The young man suddenly awoke and breathed deeply as he perspired. The dream scared him halfway to hell. His hair was jet-black and his eyes were of an ebony hue. As he rolled off the bed and stood up, one could easily see his tall and muscular build along with all his scars. He pulled on a rough-spun cotton tunic and his leather armour. He buckled a belt that held up not only his trousers but also his sword and its sheath. He slipped on a pair of weathered yet warm boots and finger-less gloves, which protected his hands. Over all that, he wore a thick and dirty cloak. Finally, he slung a leather quiver filled with a dozen arrows over his back and grabbed his longbow.
Just as he was about to open the door and walk out of his house, he heard a cough and a yawn. He peeked into the other room to see his elderly and ailing mother coughing. Her grey hair was brittle and frizzy. She was sickly thin and gaunt. Her eyes were as blue as the sea and suggested that she had once been very lovely before age and illness overtook. "You wouldn't leave me without saying goodbye, would you?" She beckoned him to her bedside, her hand shaking violently the entire time.
"I did not want to wake you, Mother," the young man said gently. He took her shaking hand in his and kissed her brow. "Do you need me to get you anything before I leave?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine, ion-nin. There is still bread and rabbit in the cupboards?"
"Yes, Mother. Is there anything you would require from the market?"
Again, she shook her head. "Just go and take care of yourself and your friends."
He smiled at her encouragingly and took the money pouch on the kitchen table. He opened the door when his mother called him back. "Ion-nin, do you know what today is?" she asked him gravely.
"I could never forget, Mother, I just choose not to remember," the young man scowled. "You have my love and blessing, Mother," he kissed her brow again. "I need to go." He quietly departed from his home. His feet hit the dirt ground and he shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight and let them adjust as he made his way over to the marketplace.
Villagers bustled about the stands and shouts rang out, calling for customers or proclaiming new items and their prices. The young man slapped his hand down on the counter of one stand, which made the vendor jump in surprise. He saw the young man and immediately came over to him after dealing with another customer.
"Ike!" the vendor said with joy. He took the young man's hand in one of his own and his other slapped the young man's back. As they pulled away, a fleeting smile could be seen playing on Ike's lips. "So what can I do for you today, m'boy?"
"I need more herbs for my mother; she's nearly out, Sirith."
"Funny thing, some customers say they don't work. Do they work on her?"
"They do nothing to prevent her shaking but her mind doesn't wander and she doesn't have fits anymore, ever since I ground the herbs into her tea," Ike replied.
"Good, good. How much do you need?"
"However much three pieces of silver will buy."
"About a pound then," Sirith answered as he went over to another corner of his stand. He pulled out a box carved of light wood. He took a key which was tied around his neck and unlocked the box. He measured about a pound's worth on a set of scales and exchanged the medicinal herbs for Ike's three pieces of silver.
