see it through. It’s always been like that, even when he knew he’d get a telling-off for it.’ He fell into thought, his mind drifting back to early spring, when the ships were leaving the harbour. ‘Ah… Besides, he’s luckier than he is sensible, so I doubt anything will happen to him.’
They walked on in silence, excited by the prospect of seeing their loved ones and hearing their tales from their long journey, which were, in fact, what they were looking forward to most. It had always been that way. News and various stories reached Stairon with a very long delay, and often the inhabitants of the island of Fiolvar were condemned to live in complete ignorance until the ships returned from their expeditions to the mainland. However, even these reports failed to bring the very latest news from the wider world, carrying only the stories that were the talk of the town where the ships were moored. Occasionally, a merchant ship would call at the small island harbour, bringing fresh news from the mainland, sometimes even from the heart of the XuinDo Empire. When that happened, the village would be gripped by excitement and everyone would be talking about it for at least a few weeks.
Now, however, the situation was somewhat different. The ships returning from their expedition carried on their decks warriors longing for home, spoils of war, trade goods and news. Relatives gathering at the harbour could hardly wait to welcome them back after long months at sea. A grand festival was being prepared in the village to celebrate their successes and remember those who would not be returning from the expedition. Einar was truly excited at the thought of seeing his father and brothers again. He honestly couldn’t wait to hear the stories they would bring back and see the gifts they had brought.
By the time they reached the harbour, most of the inhabitants of Stairon had gathered there. It seemed that, in the meantime, the druid had announced the imminent arrival of the ships, as whole families were standing on the quays,
