A Normal Life

"Rodrick," An old wise voice cracked across my day dream, "Pay attention boy!"

The other children all turn to look at me, there's only five other kids here in this tiny farming village. More like a hamlet honestly, kept alive and on a map only for the small fort that is garrisoned near by to watch the roads in the forest.

"Yes Sir!" My normal response. We play this same dance every day during lecture. I can't help it really. Even in winter the view out the window is Ten times more interesting than sitting here at this poorly crafted wood desk listening to the repeated Holy Virtues and how great human kind is.

"Name the first of humanities great virtues then, if your so knowledgeable that you don't need to listen to me child"

"Human kind is the primary race of magic." "We stand above the lesser races through our struggle to master the arcane and are the only race with an abundance of natural born talent with the powers given to us by God." I repeat with all the enthusiasm of someone mucking a horse stall.

With a stiff nod the old man smiles. "True boy, and entirely correct." "We who are talented by the gifts of God must strive to master this gift and use it to pave the way for our race!" We must therefore exert ourselves to our stations....."

The sunlight outside is captivating as I stare into the small patch of tree tops I can see over the stone village wall. I'm not sitting here, on a hard knotted bench that hurts my ass after a few hours. I'm not farmers son. I'm not shackled to the lectures and the chores! the deck and the old priest fade into the background.

I reach down touching the fallen pine needles the moist dirt, and yellowing grass. Deer tracks! With an arrogant smile and a silent spring in my step, gliding smoothly through the forest. Not even the rodents flee in my wake so quietly do I move. I'm the best hunter in the village, bringing back game for my parents and the other kids too. Everyone praises my skill and efforts and even the garrison lord calls on me to help track bandits! The shifting winds rustle the tree branches as I stalk the game I know is near. Dressed in fine cloth and leathers I don't feel the autumn cold that normally plagues the other villagers. Dashing swiftly between trees and wild tangles of bushes I see my prey. A glorious buck! A rack like that will fetch me a prize and praise from Sir Issac when I bring it to the fort! Softly, so softly, I pull my bow from my back, lifting a finely crafted arrow to the string, feeling my arms and back tighten with power I aim silently at the grazing animal.

Release!

*WHAM*

The forest is gone, and a Very red faced old man stands directly in front of me, leaning down. "Rodrick!" He lets out a defeated sigh. "Boy your head is so far in the clouds I don't know how you're ever going to be a successful farmer. His withered hands hold a copy of the only book in the village, a think hide bound copy of The Word. He smiles , " My boy, focus on the world in front of your feet. Not the one in your head." Jeof is a good man, or at least that's what my parents tell me. He's the village priest, and teacher, and medicine man, and arbiter, and proctor. He turns and walks slowly with his odd hobble back to the front of the small room. Just wide enough to hold two desks against each well in three rows, with a tiny walkway between them.

"We live in a world and with the grace given to us by God. He gave us his grace so that we might rise above the lesser races children. It is our duty to work in the roles He gives us and to strive to better the world for the sake of humanity."

"Sir what about the higher powers?"

A young brown haired child asks.

Sarah, a girl, though you wouldn't know it by lookin at her, she's nice enough and helps me with the farm work if she finishes helping with her moms herbs earlier in the day most times.

"Dear child, God gifts humanity with a few special chosen each generation. Mostly from the noble houses, though there are a rare few from the those of us who have more humble origins." "They are given the hardest task, to learn the arcane. To practice a small portion of power given to us by God!" "They too must strive to work for humanity and ensure that we are protected from ever returning to the dark ages where men were ruled by those lesser races."

With a heavy sigh he sits down hard on his lecture chair. Looking at him in his grey priests robe, no decorations, not even some small stitching like mom does for dad, his hair almost as grey as the rode of his office, the shows us the smile he has only for us kids. He is nice and he cares about us all. Helping around the village where and when he can.

He also gives us a piece of sugar every moons eve.

Dad is right, I think. He is a good man.

"Go now little ones, run along." He sighs heavily but smiles at us all. "I'm too tired to keep lecturing, when I know the sun is calling your minds." I feel a small twinge of guilt at that, as I know he means me. "Don't forget to be home before dark!" He calls after us laughing softly as the five of us bolt out of the small chapel room and into the afternoon sun.

We race as hard as we can past the open village gate, and into the pasture that the small herd of village sheep are allowed to roam in sometimes. The grass whipping at our arms as we laugh and collapse shortly after panting and giggling in the warmth of the sun.

"Geez, Rodi. I thought he was going to turn so red he fell over when he saw you looking out the window again!" Sarah gasps between laughing

"Yeah," pants a voice from my right in the grass "You had him real mad this time!"

"Oh shut up Ev! We got to go outside cause of it!" I retort happily.

It's not often we all get free time and this, right now, is the best moment of the week!

The sun beating down warms us as we laugh and run through the pasture. Sarah beating us all in the game of tag. She's awful fast when she wants to be! Me and Ev collapse again the to ground as the run starts to fall. Shir and Ella already gone earlier to spend their afternoon trying to see if they could con a sweet or fresh roll from someone in the village.

The three of us who remain get up and try to brush ourselves off as best we can, I dunno about them, but ma is gonna have my ear for getting my nice clothes dirty. We start the walk back to the gate and our homes.

I look up at the gate and its so tall! the pale stone walls the hug our village and the rough oak gate our families once nailed together from the trees in the old forest. This is my life. My dad's a farmer. I'm gonna be a farmer.

I hated it.