The smell of smoke wafted on the breeze as Flynn led Enzo back to the barracks. Night was beginning to fall, and the temperature had dropped quickly, but the town was strangely quiet. Most of the houses were dark, and Olena’s inn seemed closed for the first time that Enzo could remember. He was about to begin to worry when the barracks came into view.

The area had been transformed. The sparring ring had been turned into a fire pit, and a boar slowly turned over the fire on a spit, eliciting a tantalizing smell as it slowly roasted. The villagers had all gathered around the fire, and were talking and laughing. Mead and other drinks flowed freely from several barrels near the barracks. Children played games and ran around the field just outside the gate under the watchful eye of a few parents posted on the wall.

Manuel noticed the pair approaching and called out.

“Finally! We thought you’d never get tired of shooting at my barn!” he shouted, capturing the attention of the rest of the villagers. Gunnar stepped forward and raised a glass to the two men.

“There they are!” the respected captain of the guard shouted. “With you joining Tobias at the forge this winter, and the guard as well, I thought it appropriate to properly introduce you to the village. Officially, welcome to Starstone!”

A raucous cheer rose up from the gathered villagers. In total, over one hundred people had gathered up to welcome Enzo to the community. Gunnar handed him a mug and pulled Flynn aside, letting Manuel and Oskar take over introducing Enzo to the villagers he hadn’t met yet.

Enzo beamed as he shook countless hands and learned about his new neighbors. Even Cornelia briefly made an appearance and added a few special herbs to the boar before vanishing back into the darkness of the evening.

This is incredible, I’m so lucky to have found such a good group of people here. I’m finally home.

As darkness fell completely, the children and their parents gathered back around the main fire and watched as Tobias and Gunnar carefully removed the boar from the spit and set it on a table to carve. To Enzo’s surprise, it was Olena who stepped forward with a large knife in hand and a dangerous grin. She tore into the beast with surprising efficiency and, after a few minutes of work, she turned her devilish grin on Enzo.

“Well, mister guest of honor?” she said impishly. “Going to say anything, or are we just going to dig in?” Every face in the crowd turned to Enzo expectantly.

I’m gonna get you back for that, Enzo thought as he shot her a brief glare. He took a deep breath and steadied his heartbeat then looked around the crowd, at the people that had welcomed him with open arms. At Tobias, who had already made him feel like he’d found a home. He smiled a warm smile.

“Thank you for everything,” Enzo began. “I’m just thankful that you all have welcomed me into your community so openly. I look forward to working with Tobias, and Gunnar and the rest of the guards to make sure I pull my weight around here and earn my place.”

He looked down, a bit overwhelmed by the moment, when Flynn clapped him on the back.

“Don’t you worry, I’ve got plenty of work for you to do!” the grizzled veteran barked, and the villagers burst with laughter. “Alright then, let’s eat!”

The crowd cheered and Olena set to plating up as much of the boar as she could. Side dishes seemed to materialize from nowhere as the children were all sent back to their homes to retrieve the parts of the meal the villagers had prepared throughout the day. Seasoned potatoes, grilled leeks, loaves of fresh bread and a litany of fermented drinks appeared and were dispersed throughout the crowd and the casual energy of the get-together returned.

Enzo escaped with his food and moved to a quieter corner to eat while admiring the village. He’d managed to capture a log laid down to serve as a bench and fully intended on devouring the delicious meal before indulging in any more of the smattering of alcoholic drinks that had worked their way into his hands all evening.

His brief moment of peace was immediately interrupted, however, as a young woman and her father approached him. The woman seemed a bit nervous, as though she might turn right back around if not for her father behind her. Bookish, average height, straight brown hair, and skinny as a pine tree, Enzo felt like a strong wind might blow her over. He smiled politely as the pair approached and gestured to the rest of the log.

“You’re welcome to join me,” he said warmly. “I just wanted to eat before I get swept up into the thick of things again.”

“Go on then,” her father said, pushing the girl closer to him. Enzo scooted over and made room for the both of them to join him, but the old man just grinned and disappeared back into the crowd. Now alone, the girl stood frozen in front of him unsure of her next move.

“Uhh, hey there,” Enzo began awkwardly. “Pro’lly already know, but I’m Enzo. What’s your name?”

The girl glanced down at Enzo, then strode over and sat next to him. Despite all of the awkwardness, she was suddenly very close.

“Rena,” she replied quietly. “My dad’s Phillipp, one of the Elders here. At Gunnar’s suggestion, he set everything up to welcome you here.”

“Well… uhh, I’ll have to make sure to thank him personally,” Enzo responded. The delicious food on his plate called to him, but the girl sitting so close had messed everything up. She’s just a regular girl, just be cool. I’ve talked to Olena plenty, Rena’s just a bit more... unusual.

He glanced over at her and watched as the fire light danced in her bright hazel eyes, illuminating a yellow ring around her pupils. The beauty of it caught Enzo by surprise. Impulsively, he began to build mana in his hand, to form a fire to dance in different shapes just for her.

No, stop! I can’t show off to a girl I just met like this, they just threw a party welcoming me into the community!

She turned and faced him, catching him looking at her. Enzo blushed and turned back to his food.

“So Rena, what do you like to do?” Enzo asked, hoping to change the subject.

“My father thinks I should pursue you. He thinks I need a husband before I can take on a leadership role in the village,” she replied, cutting right to the point. “You’ve already gained the trust of two of the pillars of our little community. I saw you looking at me just now. Do you want to marry me?”