and tried to suppress a loud growl.
“Barely out of the village and you’re already starving,” Farin commented with a smirk.
“Give me a break!” Kaz demanded, then he sighed and continued. “I was just thinking of Mrs. Henchin’s strawberry pies, and fresh-baked sticky buns, and...”
Farin grabbed his own stomach, “Stop it!”
Kaz only smiled and playfully shoved his friend. “Speaking of things that are sweet to the lips,” Kaz said with an exaggerated pucker, “that was quite a memorable ceremony for you, wasn’t it, Garin?”
Garin’s cheeks burned red, but he quickly recovered. “Make fun while you can. You’ll probably forget about it soon, just like your lines while on stage.” Kaz noticed Garin rub his hand over his front pocket and smile like a love-sick fool. What did she give him?
“That was pretty sad, Kaz,” Farin added, “It was actually good that Fenn showed up so people won’t just call it the year that Kaz stood looking around like he didn’t know where he was.”
“Very funny,” he replied. He knew when the twins started ganging up on him it was time to change the subject. “So Bendar, what’s the plan?”
Bendar looked back at Kaz. “I thought it was your village’s tradition for those being sent on Troven to be silent as they exit the village.”
Garin rolled his eyes and shook his head, and Farin just stayed quiet. “I think we’re safely out of the village, unless that was just a clever way of telling me you don’t feel like talking.” Kaz replied, looking expectantly at Bendar for a response.
When Bendar didn’t answer he looked around at the Segris twins, who seemed content to walk in silence. Kaz continued to hike for several minutes before he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Come on guys, we can’t just wander along like this for the next year! This is supposed to be our time. We’re out on our own. Every year we’ve watched people leave the village, but we’ve never known what they do when they get out of sight. This is our journey into manhood, our chance to have some fun. What do you want to do?”
“Anything,” Farin responded, as he broke off a small branch of a tree and began swinging it around. “Whatever we do out here is better than being back there.” He pointed back at the village that was disappearing in the distance. “I just wish I had left sooner.”
“Me too,” Garin agreed.
All three boys turned to look at Garin, but it was Farin who spoke. “I thought you hated the idea of leaving.”
“I do. I wish I had done this last year because then I'd be back by now,” he replied.
“Come on, like she’d have waited for you if you had left then!” Farin laughingly taunted as he jumped around Kaz and Bendar to get further away from Garin.
Shaking his head at the petty exchange, Kaz interjected, “You two are really amazing, you know that?”
“Thanks Kaz, I think you're pretty great too,” Farin said with a smile.
“That's not what I meant. I meant you're just so different.” Then, seeing that Garin was still walking with his head down, Kaz added, “And sulky.” Garin looked up with a glare and swung a wide, playful punch at Kaz who easily evaded it and then grabbed Garin in a headlock. “Besides,” Kaz added when Garin was able to struggle free of the hold, “doesn't Fenn have a younger sister?”
With a look of mock sincerity Farin nodded. “That's right, Garin, and by the time you come back as a man, she'll be out of diapers.”
“Seriously guys, do you really not ever think of what it will be like when we come back? The village will welcome us, we'll be able to build our own homes, grow our own crops, and start raising families. I can't wait to be done with this and moving on with life. Don't you ever think about what you want in the future?” Although Kaz would never admit it out loud, in many ways he looked up to, and envied the fact that Garin seemed to be so grounded and have everything figured
“Barely out of the village and you’re already starving,” Farin commented with a smirk.
“Give me a break!” Kaz demanded, then he sighed and continued. “I was just thinking of Mrs. Henchin’s strawberry pies, and fresh-baked sticky buns, and...”
Farin grabbed his own stomach, “Stop it!”
Kaz only smiled and playfully shoved his friend. “Speaking of things that are sweet to the lips,” Kaz said with an exaggerated pucker, “that was quite a memorable ceremony for you, wasn’t it, Garin?”
Garin’s cheeks burned red, but he quickly recovered. “Make fun while you can. You’ll probably forget about it soon, just like your lines while on stage.” Kaz noticed Garin rub his hand over his front pocket and smile like a love-sick fool. What did she give him?
“That was pretty sad, Kaz,” Farin added, “It was actually good that Fenn showed up so people won’t just call it the year that Kaz stood looking around like he didn’t know where he was.”
“Very funny,” he replied. He knew when the twins started ganging up on him it was time to change the subject. “So Bendar, what’s the plan?”
Bendar looked back at Kaz. “I thought it was your village’s tradition for those being sent on Troven to be silent as they exit the village.”
Garin rolled his eyes and shook his head, and Farin just stayed quiet. “I think we’re safely out of the village, unless that was just a clever way of telling me you don’t feel like talking.” Kaz replied, looking expectantly at Bendar for a response.
When Bendar didn’t answer he looked around at the Segris twins, who seemed content to walk in silence. Kaz continued to hike for several minutes before he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Come on guys, we can’t just wander along like this for the next year! This is supposed to be our time. We’re out on our own. Every year we’ve watched people leave the village, but we’ve never known what they do when they get out of sight. This is our journey into manhood, our chance to have some fun. What do you want to do?”
“Anything,” Farin responded, as he broke off a small branch of a tree and began swinging it around. “Whatever we do out here is better than being back there.” He pointed back at the village that was disappearing in the distance. “I just wish I had left sooner.”
“Me too,” Garin agreed.
All three boys turned to look at Garin, but it was Farin who spoke. “I thought you hated the idea of leaving.”
“I do. I wish I had done this last year because then I'd be back by now,” he replied.
“Come on, like she’d have waited for you if you had left then!” Farin laughingly taunted as he jumped around Kaz and Bendar to get further away from Garin.
Shaking his head at the petty exchange, Kaz interjected, “You two are really amazing, you know that?”
“Thanks Kaz, I think you're pretty great too,” Farin said with a smile.
“That's not what I meant. I meant you're just so different.” Then, seeing that Garin was still walking with his head down, Kaz added, “And sulky.” Garin looked up with a glare and swung a wide, playful punch at Kaz who easily evaded it and then grabbed Garin in a headlock. “Besides,” Kaz added when Garin was able to struggle free of the hold, “doesn't Fenn have a younger sister?”
With a look of mock sincerity Farin nodded. “That's right, Garin, and by the time you come back as a man, she'll be out of diapers.”
“Seriously guys, do you really not ever think of what it will be like when we come back? The village will welcome us, we'll be able to build our own homes, grow our own crops, and start raising families. I can't wait to be done with this and moving on with life. Don't you ever think about what you want in the future?” Although Kaz would never admit it out loud, in many ways he looked up to, and envied the fact that Garin seemed to be so grounded and have everything figured
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