It had been an hour since their departure. The sun was touching the tops of the distant mountains, the morning breeze was still cool, and Edan took a sip from his goatskin water sack. His Master didn’t speak much; he only told him of where they would stop next for rest and their route proceeding forward. The groups of trees passing by were still sparse, along with the bushels. Occasional small critters and mammals passed them along their Walk, but Edan was instructed to pay them no mind. Edan felt a little weary, due to his lack of stamina. His legs were already fatiguing due to the steep inclines of the hills, compared to the flat terrain of his home he was accustomed to.

“Um... Master?”

His Master turned his head slightly, adjusted to hearing behind him. He still was in stride, not interested in slowing down. Edan felt hesitant but continued.

“How long does it take to finish the Walk? I know we just started, but will we be going through so many steep hills?”

His Master let out a sudden laugh, bewildering Edan and causing him to tip slightly. His Master was known for being stoic and detached from society, but hearing him laugh was unusual.

“Oh, boy, if you think this is the worst it will be, you’re in for a few surprises. With the route we’re taking, it has some more.. interesting elements to throw in our direction. But, it must do in order to reach the main route to our destination. Do you see what I’m saying? It’ll toughen you up some, I believe.”

“Oh, I see.” Edan felt a knot in his stomach. He wished he would've known earlier, let alone being mentioned in passing.

“From where we are now, it should take a week to get to the main road. After reaching it, I’d say an additional fortnight or so. It probably sounds daunting, but I’m sure we’ll be all right.”

“You’re sure we’ll be all right, or you know we’ll be all right?” Edan felt a pang of disinterest in his chest.

“That depends, Edan. If you’re willing to listen to me and follow my lead, we’ll be in better hands. Now, we continue.”

And before Edan knew it, another two hours passed in silence. Edan’s legs and shoulders were aching. The weight of the bag made him feel sluggish, sweat accumulated on his brow and upper lip. The sun was ascending higher into the sky, no clouds to forgive his already sweltering skin. With all of this in mind, it made it harder for Edan to take each proceeding step. He had to stop, he needed to adjust, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Edan, we’re stopping already?”

“Master, forgive me, but I couldn’t take it. I need to catch my breath.”

Edan felt himself panting as he removed his travel sack and his cloak. He felt a wave of relief alone just from removing them, but the thought of putting them back on pained him. His Master watched him, observing him quietly. Edan tried to ignore it, as his frustration was building. How could his Master not care about his well-being?

“We’re already behind schedule, boy,” his Master finally spoke, a flick of impatience in his tone, “do I need to remind you of how long-”

“Yes, how long it will take to get there; one week from here and then a fortnight later, I remember.”

Fear immediately then struck Edan’s heart, his Master quickly approaching him and grabbing him by the collar. Despite the sweat dripping down his skin, it quickly went cold. From all of the stories about his Master, he never once heard of his quick anger and impatience. Edan could only stare back like a scared mouse into his ice-grey eyes, unsure of what to say or do.

“You listen to me, boy,” his Master’s hot breath swept across Edan’s face, his eyes burning with anger, “you giving me lip will not get us there faster. What did I say about your belongings?”

Edan’s voice was stuck in his throat, confused by his kind-hearted demeanor turned cold exterior. His heart was beating so hard, he swore that his Master could hear it.

“T-to carry only w-what we need, sir.”

“Exactly,” his grip loosened, causing Edan to collapse to the ground hard, “now empty your bag.”

“M-my... what?”

“You heard me; empty it.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Edan quickly retrieved his sack and flipped it open, contents spread about. Books, pens and pencils, parchment, rations, spare clothes and silks, compasses, hunting knives; all littered the ground. He didn’t dare look up at his Master, feeling the guilt wash over him.

“As travelers pass, you must sell these goods. We don’t need all of this.”

“What?”

“The only things you need are essentials; water, food, a hunting weapon, and one item for leisure. The rest is only weighing you down and are considered junk. You must sell them to passerby folk.”

“But Master, these books and knives are family heirlooms, I can’t part with them!”

“Yet you bring them on a tedious and strenuous journey, boy. Do you think that was clever of you?”

Edan’s emotions were scrambled together, making him feel slightly nauseous. He felt tears well up in his eyes, his lip quivering. He could only manage a small shake of his head, hiding his shame from his Master. Edan felt incredibly stupid, he knew he packed too much. But he thought it would've been okay if his Master saw from his perspective. But, Edan underestimated the Walk, and already he was at a loss.

His Master gave a loud sigh, scratching his beard in thought. He then knelt down in front of Edan, resting his hand on his head. Edan mustered the courage to look his Master in the eye, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Edan,” his tone was softened, “you need to understand the importance of survival. You have to learn how to be a man. We can’t get mad or scared of small inconveniences. That’s all part of the Walk. Now, what among these items are the most important? What can you absolutely not part with?”

For what felt like an eternity, Edan and his Master sorted through his belongings. In the end, his travel sack then contained less than half what he originally packed, the rest laying out in the sun. They then decided what the worth of each item would be, placed the sellable goods in his cloak, wrapping it up, and tying it at the top. Proceeding back on their Walk, his Master silently volunteered to carry the sellables as they walked along the trail.