I am Sento son of Mardon the hunter. I'm a hunter in the forest east of my village. Stepping through the foliage on the Godhill I looked down upon our town. Nestled between two mountains, The Godhill to the east and Mount Jalisli to the west, we are protected from most of the elements as well as outside attack. The town followed the river and was wedged between two forests. Well actually it was just one forest with a river down the middle and our town in a large manmade clearing. A flock of birds took flight to the north. Looking closely I could tell that they were all different kinds. It must be a hunter I thought with a shrug.

My pack was heavy on my shoulder, full with my latest catch; a good thing, as I headed down into town. The town wasn't more than a temple, a blacksmith; a couple of houses and a shop, but it was the most important place for, well, for farther than I knew.

No one had ever left the town so all we knew were odd tales about ape men who lost themselves in the wilderness and a strange people with pale skin and wide eyes. They also told tales about giant magical creatures they called dragons and other monsters that would eat you. I did not understand them most of the time but they told tales of a dangerous word full of pain and blood.

I saw the blacksmith's brother and town butcher, Cognassier, at his stall. "Ho Cognassier," I said jogging up to him, "I caught a deer on the Godhill. What will you give me for the meat?"

Cognassier was fair haired and tall. Near the tallest man I had ever met; only his brother Coing was taller.

Cognassier looked up from his work and smiled in his good-natured way "Let's see how much you've got Sento." He brought out his scales and began weighing and inspecting my meat.

"How are things up in town Cognassier?" I asked.

"About the same as usual," he replied, "you coming to temple?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, have you seen Biser around?" I asked quickly not wanting him to start a theocratic rant about temple control over our lives.

"He's hanging around Aya's shop again." Cognassier eyed me, "You really ought to think about settling down and getting yourself a wife Sento. You'd enjoy married life and I think and Kvitten likes you."

"Me? Marry? It will never happen Cognassier. I love my Isolation far too much."

"Hrmgf, well I can give you 5 marks for the meat, you willing to sell Sento?"

I smiled knowing it to be a fair price. I thanked Cognassier and took my leave heading up the street to Aya's shop.

As Cognassier said Biser was loitering inside chatting with Aya. "Come on can't you give me just a little bit of Quitte's bread as a sample before I buy," Biser pleaded.

"Not on your life Biser," Aya called then looking at me asked, "Sento do you want something."

"Hi Aya," Aya was a young woman in her early twenties she had dark brown eyes and was fond of colourful clothing. Today she was wearing a light green tunic and blue-gray skirt. She also had an amethyst pendant.

"No Aya," I smiled, "I'm just here to take Biser off your hands."

"Then take him away," Aya huffed. She then smiled and laughed. We were really good friends.

"So, what's going on Aya? Cognassier wouldn't tell me anything specific."

"Oh the usual gossip Madam Valentine left for holiday and everyone thinks she just left her husband and kids. She might show up again in a few weeks or we might never see her again and her husband will tell everyone that she must have died. Aside from that mostly the usual gossip spread around by Quitte and..." she trailed off, "you know the usual. How was hunting?"

I smiled glad to finally have a conversation worth talking about and dove into my newest tale of the hunt. I was just getting to the part where I was about to kill it when Biser interrupted.

"Hey Sento," Biser was smiling mischievously, I groaned. He never said anything good when he smiled like that. "I think Kvitten like you. She told me to tell you that she would be willing to meet you at the old bridge this evening."

"Really you and Kvitten?" Aya asked, "She agreed to go out with you."

"Is any of that true Biser!" I cried.

"Well I did have a conversation with her. It may have been about the price of butter or it might have been about you."

I groaned, now I had a choice; Biser Just loved doing this to me. Either I went and he might just be there to laugh at me or I didn't go and she thought I wasn't interested.

"You little imp," Aya laughed. "You always do that why do you always do that."

"He does it because he knows that however many times he tells the same story I will always go on the chance that he wasn't lying. I don't want my sheep eaten by wolves no matter how many false alarms there are."

"Come on Sento We need to get to temple" Biser called as he was edging towards the door, "Aya won't suffer me much longer anyways.