A Drink With Friends

Three boys gathered at the edge of the woodland, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. The moon bathed the village in dim hues as they eagerly awaited the return of their friend, the one who had risked capture to secure a bottle of wine for their celebration.

Soon enough, the sound of hurried footsteps cut through the air, and the prodigal boy emerged from the path, his breath still heavy from the encounter with Master Ta. With an exhilarated grin, he held up the coveted bottle, a symbol of their youthful spirit. The others cheered, celebrating their friend's bold feat.

Walking back to the huts, the boys shared the spoils, passing food and drink from hand to hand, laughter mingling with stories of narrow escapes. Each boy went on their on mission, risking crossing fates with a lashing. One boy, his eyes bright red with mischief, leaned closer and whispered, "Guess what? Our master caught me sneaking around the cellar, but he let me go!"

"No Way!" A boy with green eyes shocked, mouth full of cheese.

"I told you he is loved and favored." Said a brown eyed boy leaning close to smack the back of the wine thief. "If it was me I woulda had two lashes in the back before a word was even said." Leaning away from him he continued, "But you are special. You know the right words to say every time." He pauses for a moment. But his curiosity break his closed mouth to an open smile. "What did you and Master Ta talk about?"

The boy looked at his friends. His red eyes burning with energetic passion. "We talked about how we must stay friends and share in nights like this. Also we should all be Hunter." Giving a bright grind at the end of his words along with a head jest. "Loyalty above all."

"Loyalty above all" the other boys said together laughing along the dirt path.

A spark of excitement illuminated in their hearts. Tomorrow was their chance—a momentous day that would see them join the village army. The boys exchanged solemn glances, their voices filled with determination. They discussed their aspirations, sharing dreams of titles and the respect that would come with them.

"I just can't wait to out of these huts." Blue eyes staring at the lantern in the middle of the hut, made out of straw and mud, while laying on a bed of straw. He continues "This is where we stayed ever since we was 8. Only seeing the Masters and the Officials. I miss the nursery. I miss our caretaker."

"And soon we will be able to see them again!" After finishing the last of the cheese, the boy with green eyes tells his friend. "We will be able to see whatever we want. We will have our names-"

"And titles!" Standing on top of his bed brown eyes hiding in the dark. "We will all be soldiers! Protectors of this village! The Masters will never be able to make us Hunter!"

"Naming is tomorrow we need to sleep goodnight everyone." Scarlet turned to crimson as the lantern was turned off.

The boys laying in their beds, seeing themselves as defenders of the weak, rising above their current stature to become beacons of hope. The prospect of newfound authority and camaraderie ignited a fierce determination within them, propelling them forward on this shared path.

The boys made a pact to face the challenges that lay ahead together. They swore to support one another, to lend strength and courage in moments of doubt. Their imaginations intertwining with the rhythm of the night. In the midst of their dreams, they caught glimpses of a future where they were more than just the boys with no names—a future where they would leave an indelible mark on their village, forever altering its destiny.