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My name was Braael, I must have been 16 years old when it happened...it was late autumn, my favorite time of year...I love the colours you see, sorry...of course, where was I? We had been stealing apples. There were four of us; me, Eric: my brother, David: the smiths son and vren: the carpenters apprentice. We were on our way back to Silverwood, The village where I was born. having travelled several miles along the beaten path to reach the orchards. The Beaten Path? Of course... you wouldn't know would you? The Beaten Path is the road that encircles the kingdom, it's old...older than you could possibly imagine. While the kingdom is perfectly circular in shape with every town and village built on the circumference, no man has ever built beyond it. And why would anyone choose to, it is no place for man beyond the path, the path is powerful...it cuts through mountains and valleys alike, even the earth itself cannot tame it. And It is OUR border, It protects us from all that might do us harm...At least that what I was taught. Anyway, where was I? My mind tends to drift, Ah of course. Here's what happened.:

"Did you see the guards face when I threw that apple at him?" laughed Eric painfully loudly, that was Eric, always loud when he should be quiet. Out of frustration I quickly clamped my hand over his mouth and told him firmly to "Shut his miserable mouth if he knew what was good for him." I then turned to the laughing David and Vren and gave them each a single glance that more or less summed up what I had just said to Eric, naturally they immediately stopped laughing and took a step back..

Now satisfied with the silence I pushed Eric away and nerviously glanced back down the path the way we came, all I could see was the mountains on the horizon and the fiery-coulored forests lining the path...the path Itself littered in orange leaves. In other words no-one was coming. Relaxing slightly turned back to Eric who was picking himself off the ground with an angry expression on his face. "What the fuck was that for!?"he shouted angrily. "You're being too loud." I replied calmly before pointing at the sun. "It's getting late, best get back." I had begun to walk in the direction of Silverwood when Eric roughly grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me round to face him. "Who are you to tell me I'm being too loud?" He shouted as he roughly jabbed me in the chest "I set this up, Not you!" He jabbed me again "Remember your place 'brother', I'm...better...than...you!" This time when he went to jab me I grabbed his wrist and, before he could react I bent it back and twisted it into a very painful hold. Eric immediately fell to his knees screaming in agony, David and Vren immediately rushed to help him. Bastards, I didn't see them trying to help me. "Stay out of this!" I growled fiercly, they stopped reluctantly."Braael..." David began, "ENOUGH!" I interupted "Eric can fight his own battles, Isn't that right 'brother'?" I asked with a very patronizing tone. I continued to watch him squirm on the ground for a few more seconds before releasing him. "You're pathetic!" I spat, Eric immediately jumped up and swung a ist towards my face. I dodged successfuly and followed up with a punch in the gut, as he fell to his knees once I punched him again the face, knocking him onto his back. "How does it feel brother?" I asked calmly "To discover that after six years of training to fight you're still as useless as the day you were born." I knelt down to him and pulled his lucky amulet from around his neck, I had made it for him. I looked into his eyes and saw that he had tears running down his face, as he struggled to get up I said"And now you've just been beaten up by...what would you call me? Ah yes 'the idiot hunter who couldn't beat a ten year old girl in a fistfight'." I laughed loudly as I fiddled with the amulet in my hands. "Do you really think you could have survived without me, you refuse to get a job and you can't hunt. The only reason you haven't starved yet is that I always bring back something to eat!" I jumped to my feet and considerable force hurled the amulet into the forest beyond the boundary of the Beaten Path. "All I've ever done is give, I have never asked anything of you brother." by now David and Vren had helped Eric up, and I had let them because I knew he was in no state to do anything. I now addressed the three of them "I'll tell you what is going to happen, you're going to go home and I am going to go for a walk. When I get back I will have decided wether I am willing to tolerate you as a brother or wether I wan't you gone." No-more needed to be said, I simply nodded to the now pale David and Vren and they led Eric towards home.

I watched them untill i saw them vanish into the distance, I then let out a heavy sigh and sat on a log at the side side of the path...I had some thinking to do. I pulled my hunting knife out of my belt and examined it, the freshly polished blade reflected my dark green eyes. I smirked at this, Eric's eyes are blue. That along with my pitch black hair in contrast to his blonde gave weight to the thought that he might not be my real brother...but he was, I knew it deep down. I picked up a small piece of wood from the ground and began to carve it into shape, I looked at my surroundings. The wind ruffled my hair and swept huge clouds of leaves and painted the world in flames, a sight only boosted by the orange light of the dying sun...it was perfect, and it made me realise that I love my brother and I would let him stay if he agreed to get a job. As I rose to my feet having made my decision I noticed that I had been carving this entire time, I brought up the wood to eye level and smiled when I saw that It had taken the shape of a howling wolf. As I placed the carving in my pocket a small glint caught my eye. When I peered into the trees and saw my brothers amulet hanging from the holly bush it landed on my spirits instantly sank, how could I have thrown my brothers most prized possession into the woods. I wanted to go get it I knew that I couldn't break this law...no matter how much I wanted to. The tales told in taverns throughout the land feature countless stories of men who look like beasts that lurk just beyond the Beaten Path and prey on those stupid enough to stray from it. But then, something changed inside me...instantly my fear was replaced with unwavering confidence, my mind, body and soul all urging me to break free. So I did. I wandered from the beaten path.