Sitting atop a large rock, Kalen Reynder watched as the continuous spray of tiny snowflakes added up over the hours and covered the land before him. He'd lost track of how long he'd been there. Two hours or thirty minutes, he couldn't remember. Blinking a few times to clear his vision from the flakes of ice that built up on his eyelashes, he spotted the Inn below. Gray puffs of smoke were billowing out of the small chimney, the strong smell of Hickory reaching his nostrils. Occasionally a traveler would come along side the building to put their horse in the barn. Kalen was supposed to be feeding grain to the guest's horses soon, or was it now? With a quick glance at the sun, he tried to guess what time it was. The youth was never wise with time, always taking up more then he attended too.

Rising off the rock, Kalen decided that it was useless to wait around and surmise when that could lead to getting in trouble if he wasn't careful. He rubbed his palms together while he descended down the rugged hill. Most of the iron colored rocks were slowly swallowed up by the white snow, the wind delaying the process by now and then dusting off the particles that built up.

Once he reached the bottom, Kalen let out a puff of air before entering the stables, watching as the white cloud dissipated. Closing the wooden doors behind him, the youth blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the dim lighting. Upon his arrival, three horses stuck their shaggy heads out of their stalls, impatiently whinnying for their grain. Kalen sighed with relief as he began unhooking the horses' buckets and filling them with two scoops of grain, the rattling sound causing the anxious horses to kick the stall doors. He worked silently and efficiently, busying his mind with the rhythmic beat of dig, scoop, pour, dig, scoop, pour, hook.

The last horse, a deep bay, dug his ebony nose in the bucket before Kalen could place it back on the hook. The strength of the horse pulled his arms down, causing the youth to grin. With a chuckle, he lightly pushed the bay's neck away, causing the horse's head to fly up from the bucket. After Kalen hooked the bucket back in place, the horse stuck his muzzle in the bucket once more, contently munching on the sweet grain while Kalen closed the stall door.

After his job was finished in the barn, Kalen headed towards the Inn, the crunch of his leather boots on the fresh snow making him grin. Everything had a certain beauty to it, whether it was bathed in snow, rain, or the colors of the setting sun. Kalen loved it all and his heather eyes amazed at even the things that seemed so small to the world around him.

What intrigued him even more was exploring new places, so he could find new things, things no one had ever seen before. There was no end to what he could think of about what was out there, waiting to be discovered. Entire civilizations could be hidden; an end to a map could be the beginning of a whole new world.

Not allowed to travel far from home, Kalen spent his days trekking in the wooded areas of Burkenroad, studying the plants and animals that lived there. He had purchased a rather large sketch journal of plants and animals that included maps of the country, sparking his interest in maps once he was bored with what was around him.

Soon he found it hard to control the growing urge inside of his heart to travel, the maps becoming more and more tempting to use each time he pulled out the book. He'd never say a word to his parents about it, but he frequently went farther than he was allowed to, using the book of maps to find the nearest villages where he and his cousin, also his friend, Roan Launder, would investigate the life outside of Burkenroad. Being younger at the time, the two youths found it exhilarating to tread places that they had never known existed. In a short time, the two learned more of the world around them by listening to recited tales about young heroes who fought off monsters, served in the king's army, or rescued entire races.

While Roan found the entire thing fictitious and improbable, Kalen let his imagination soar with each word that rolled off the storyteller's tongue. He found himself hungry for more, leaving home more often that usual just to catch the latest tale.

After a year of their small adventures had passed, Roan began to tire of voyaging with Kalen to the villages beyond. Not wanting to adventure alone, Kalen satisfied his desire for the tales by taking a job at the local Inn instead of following the footsteps of his father and brother, who were leather smiths. The thought of even perusing the work of his father disinterested him to the point of where his mind drifted, often resulting in anger and disapproval from his father.

He had tried to do his best, but after many failed attempts, he finally gave in to Roan's tantalizing to work at the Inn. Even though it upset his family, Kalen couldn't give it up. Just hearing those stories during the evenings made his thoughts take flight into another world. To him, they weren't just stories anymore; they were visions of his own future. Resting his hand on the brass handle of the back door of the Inn, Kalen grinned as the tales swirled around in his mind, whispering temptations that gave him the urge to pack his things and set out on the open countryside.

Suddenly the knob jiggled, causing Kalen to jerk back out of surprise. Bursting open the door, a big, red-faced man glowered at Kalen, wiping his greasy fingers on the front of his apron. Wisps of gray hair stuck to his sweaty forehead, almost the same color as his small eyes. With a weak smile, Kalen shifted his eyes, focusing on his leather boots instead of the angry man's face.

"Kalen! I have been waiting for you to come in and wipe down the tables! Once an hour passed, I glanced out the window to see you sitting around, frittering away your afternoon by sitting, letting your mind drift away like a leaf on the wind!" The sweat that was beaded on his forehead started to run down to his chubby cheeks, the Inn owner pausing a few times to dab at his face with the edge of his apron. "Let me tell you something boy," the man jabbed a plump finger at the young man, causing him to stumble back a few paces. "You will make it nowhere if you keep on showing up to work late! Your day dreaming is nothing but fiction, my boy! What use are farce fairytales? Tell me Kale!" Throwing up his hands into the air, the paunchy middle-aged man waited for him to answer, his patience wearing thin.

"I…I..-," The Inn owner cut him off.

"Nothing! If you want to keep your job, get your lazy bum in there and start wiping off the tables before the dinner rush arrives! Consider this your last warning boy, I have been easy on you." Spinning around quite swiftly for a man of his weight, Eras stormed off into the kitchen, the stop of his boots still echoing in the hall.

Slipping inside, Kalen hastily grabbed a rag out of a soapy bucket of water and started for the dining area, focusing on his work. His eyes followed the consistent swirling of the rag on the oak tables, giving them each a quick wipe before moving on to the next. He couldn't risk his job just because he was daydreaming. His father would be furious and Eras would probably permit him from entering the Inn again, even if he just wanted to hear what the travelers who came had to say.

"Hello Kalen." The young man jumped in surprise as Ellie, Eras' daughter and the Inn's waitress, slid into a chair of the table he was cleaning. Pausing for a moment, Kalen looked up into her green eyes and mumbled a greeting before returning back to work. He always had been more of an introverted person, preferring to converse with people he already new.

Seeming to unnotice that Kalen had ignored her, Ellie placed her elbows on the table's surface. Flicking back the pieces of red hair that had fallen from her ponytail, she continued on.

"Do you perhaps by any chance know if Roan is coming tonight?" Glancing up once more, Kalen shook his head slightly, his cheeks growing hot.

"Oh," she said, a bit disappointed that Kalen wasn't willing to give her more information. Nervously, she played with a copper strand of hair, twisting it around her finger. "Then could you tell me when he arrives? I would very much like to speak with him."

The young man snorted, crinkling his nose so the freckles lightly dotting his cheeks almost disappeared into the wrinkles. Picking up the rag and slapping it onto the main counter with a smirk, he quickly turned around and shrugged.

"Sure, though I think you'll see him before I do when he arrives, for you are the waitress and you take orders and deliver the food. I, for one, will be spending tonight cleaning up tables, and if I am lucky, I'll get to catch a few tales while I am busy." He didn't mean to sound rude, but conversation wasn't ideal to him and the quicker it was over, the more relaxed he could become. With a sigh of frustration, Ellie rose from the chair and started off for the kitchen, a dissatisfied look upon her pale face. Then she decided against it, and swiftly turned around. Her face was lined with seriousness now, her eyes intense.

"Kalen, I have heard my father talk about you, how you don't work as hard as you should," Hesitating for a moment, she took a deep sigh before continuing. "I presume your father feels the same way. For the time you've been here, I have been watching you. I can tell you are fascinated with the travelers. You look up when you hear one speak, and if you really enjoy the tale, you'll stop washing completely. My father sees that also, and he is not happy. When he and mother speak before they go off to sleep, he talks of you. I am afraid for you, Kalen."

Entranced by her words, the young man found his eyes locked with hers, staring deep within her troubled eyes. He couldn't think of a reason why this would be so serious if he was fired. She seemed to harbor some secret she couldn't bring her self to tell. Occasionally she'd bite her lip or squeak her boot on the creaking floorboards. He almost found the courage to ask why, but she continued on.

"Eras says he is only going to give you one more chance, and after that, he is going to speak with your father then fire you. What else are you doing to do in this town, Kalen? My father doesn't joke around when he decides something like this. If you don't…" Her words seemed to float away, becoming distant and airy as Kalen placed the rag back into the bucket, finished with wiping down the counters.

He couldn't comprehend all of what they were saying, the words blending inside of his mind, becoming pieces of a puzzle. It wasn't that Kalen didn't want to heed their warnings or try to pay attention, but he couldn't help drifting off into another world. The jigsaw puzzle became more complicated with everyday passed, some pieces becoming lost while others where shattered into more pieces. The picture was lost to him. The only thing that made sense to him was leaving. All he needed was to pack up, take the money he had earned from working here, and tread off into the forest, leaving all of this confusion behind. If he managed his money wisely along with picking up loose coins, he could spend months out on the trail, buying supplies whenever he came into a town.

His fingers drummed facilely on the table, his grey blue eyes staring off into space.

"Kalen, are you hearing me?" The impatient voice of Ellie broke through the barrier of his secluded thoughts. Then the boom of Eras' bellowing caused him to jump, spilling the bucket of soapy water onto the floor.

"Kalen Reynder! You confounded fool!" The big man shoved Kalen away, the young man fighting to not slip on the wet floor. Peering for a moment over his shoulder, he caught the disapproving look of Ellie who was shaking her head slightly. She'd tried to watch over him; to warn him about what Eras was about to do if he detached himself from the world once more. He felt his face grow hot as Eras threw a handful of dry rags onto the floor. Grasping the front of Kalen's tunic roughly, the rotund man stuck his other finger in his face.

"I had just warned you minutes ago, did I not?" The Innkeeper's eyes were full of rage, his face more flushed than usual. "You'll finish your shift tonight and tomorrow, since I need the help, then you are out of here for good!" Chuckling deeply, he let go of Kalen's shirt and rocked back onto his heels.

"No one is going to hire you here, Kalen, after they learn what happens with you." Shaking his head slightly, the man's smile seemed almost ironic.

Then Eras changed moods suddenly, turning back onto the young man, spitting out curses. Raising his hand, he slapped Kalen across the face. Stumbling backwards in response, tipping over glasses that were neatly aligned on the counter, the young man screamed out, oblivious to the bloody cuts on his hands. Hot tears streamed down his flushed cheeks, unable to control his emotions. Trying to wipe them away, Kalen wiped his hands streaming with blood across his cheeks, the wounds stinging as the salty tears dripped into them. He didn't seem to notice the though, turning his head away, ashamed of what he had caused. Eras set a broom beside the counter and walked away silently, Ellie's tiny feet pattering after him, clearly disapproving of what he had just done.

Burying his hands into his face, Kalen shrunk down onto the floor, scattering bits of glass. How could he have let this happen? This was more than embarrassing and disgraceful; Kalen had thrown away his chances of ever pleasing his father again. When he had gotten this job, he'd promised himself he'd stick with it to show his father what he could accomplish. By the way it was going now, it appeared that he couldn't amount to anything, his imagination running as free as the wind without a care. Something that seemed so small became a huge wall, a wall he couldn't scale unless he quiet completely. He couldn't bear to stop listening to the tales, for he was afraid he couldn't stay sane without them. Stories were so much apart of him, coursing through his veins and appearing in every thought he had. They had the power to link one to a world one has never known.

Once his sobs ceased, the youth stared at his hands, the bleeding diminishing now. His cheek was still red, the sting of the slap still lingering. Easing up from the floor, he washed his face and hands in a fresh bucket of water. Even though Kalen didn't want to stay and work tonight, he didn't want to go home either, afraid of what was waiting for him at home if he did. For a moment, he focused on his reflection in the red stained water, his brown hair dishealved and hanging in clumps. The front of his tunic had been mottled with blood too, the lighter spots turning a rusty brown. He dumped the water in another basket, which contained the soiled liquids and began sweeping up the glass. His grip on the broom made his wounds scream out in pain, each brisk sweep causing them to tear every which way. Biting his lip to barricade his tears, he continued on with his job until evening, when Eras dismissed him. Kalen didn't stay to hear the tales tonight, too consumed with the trouble he had created to listen. He had searched the growing crowd for his cousin Roan, giving up after a few minutes, and then turned out the door.

Outside on the porch of the Inn, his brother Seth waited, bundled up to his neck in a thick cloak with his hands jammed into the pockets. Kalen didn't have to say a word for his brother to know something went wrong, solely relying on communication through the looks and glances they gave each other as they walked home, the silver moonlight setting the street aglow.

Finally after a long period of silence, Seth slowed to a stop in the middle of the snow-covered street, looking directly into Kalen's eyes. For a moment, Kalen studied his older brother's face, sharp and angular with they gentle fray of his blonde locks curling against the sides of his cheeks, quite different from his own freckled, round face with his unruly chocolate hair sweeping across his forehead. Apart from those features, the two brothers had the same skin tone, a settle tan from spending so much time outdoors and despite the fact that Seth was a few inches taller, they both generally had the same body structure.

"Kale, why are you so red?" Squinting to fight against the haze of the snow, Seth leaned in close and picked up his brother's wrists. "And why are you so cut up? And why in the world is your shirt bloody?" Now his voice was rising, the look of astonishment and fear mirroring in his facial features. Ripping his hands back instantly, Kalen shook his head and continued to tread forward, trying hard not to let his emotions get the best of him. Already he could feel his throat tighten and dry out, prohibiting him from speaking. With a frustrated sigh, Seth tossed his hands towards the sky, his gray eyes rolling towards the light of the full moon.

"Why do you always have to make things so difficult, Kale? Did you think I'd completely ignore the fact that there is a huge handprint on the side of your cheek and that there are deep gashes in your hands? I'd be as oblivious as you if I didn't!" Hesitantly Kalen brought his hand up to his cheek, feeling the spot where Eras had smacked him. It was still warm, as if the sting of the slap was still in motion. Then noticing that his brother had brought up the reason he had gotten fired, he felt his face grow febrile.

"I don't have a job anymore," mumbled an embarrassed Kalen, hanging his head so that his brunette locks covered his expression. He knew he could always confide in his brother, Seth seeming to have a sixth sense to know when to laugh and when to cry. Squinting one eye, the older brother stared at Kalen as if he were some kind of undiscovered creature, come forth to show itself to the world for the first time.

Shaking himself out of the trace, Seth blinked. "What?"

"I was fired from the Inn today. I have two days to work there before I have to leave for good." The younger brother dug the toe of his boot into the snow piling up in the street, sliding the leather sole against the ice underneath. Kalen could feel his voice squeak with each word, his throat void of any moisture making it impossible to get a word out. Sighing heavily with slight irritation, Seth set his stormy eyes on his little brother, a half smile forming across his lips, though he had to force it. Then curving his arm around his brother's shoulder's tightly, Seth held Kalen, trying to comfort him and protect him from the harsh winds, forgetting everything around them.

"Oh Seth, I don't how I allowed it so! I should have been more careful! Father is going to be so furious and I'll have no place to go!" Now crying out openly, Kalen hugged himself, trying to hold on to everything he wished hadn't gone wrong, believing that soon time would turn back, allowing him to fix what he had done. After patting Kalen on the back gently, Seth pushed his brother away and looked into his eyes.

"Hey, quit making a scene. I'm sure it'll be fine, Kale." Pushing back a piece of brown hair that was hanging in his younger sibling's eyes, a lopsided smile formed upon Seth's lips. "Come on, let's get home. You can tell me all about on our walk there." Squeezing Kalen's shoulders once more, Seth walked with his arm slung loosely about his brother's shoulders, trying to stifle a laugh.

"What?" asked Kalen, not helping but to smile too.

Shaking his head, he replied, "Nothing." Then as if to think a second time about his answer, Seth opened his mouth, his gray blue eyes dancing. "Did you see Roan in there? I swear that man cheats every time he plays cards. About a dozen people surrounded the table about him, more than half of them girls, and he was playing some big, gruff looking guys, and winning. Then I saw one of those girls, I am pretty sure it was Ellie, drape her arm around him and drop a card in his lap! Then he picked it up, and won all the money on the table! Ha! Unbelievable!" The two brothers laughed aloud, their voices echoing through the cold, windy streets of Burkenroad, the Inn fading behind them in the thick fog of snowflakes.

While they walked, Kalen confessed to his brother all that happened that day, skipping the part when he was sitting instead of working, saying instead that he had given the warning yesterday. He didn't know why he needed to lie, but he didn't want to seem like a fool in front of his brother. Perhaps to ease the guilt later, he'd tell Roan the true story, but the details didn't really matter that much anyway.