11/04 - (as I am one week behind)

Today was quite the exciting day. You see, today was my last day in the village. Tomorrow I shall set out for the castle, as most people do when they turn 18. They've been doing this for generations, ever since a king decided to start his own vegetable garden, and hunt his own game. Just like that the two most lucrative forest buisnesses were gone.
  Families suffered... until they realized that the king didn't know how to grow his own veggies or hunt his own game. They discovered that the king would pay quite nicely for a gardner or hunter, or a number of current jobs that his servants were not good at. Eventually, servants grew to be respected, to be treated as members of society. They were definitely still servants, but they were payed, and they were seen as equal to peasants, villagers, forestmen.
  So the oldest children of the families set out to earn money, to send back to their families. They would see their family once a year, for feast-day. The trip from forest to city took about 2 or 3 days. When they got to the castle they had to swear seven years of servitude, at the end of which time they were given a bonus sum of money and allowed to go on where they wished, or stay if they so chose. 18 was the youngest they would accept servants, though boys 15 and older were allowed to join the army.
  I am leaving tomorrow to journey to the cast and be employed in whatever serving job is currently available. I must admit, I am excited to leave this quiet village, but I am sad to miss my family, and I am worried about declaring 7 years of servitude. What if I hate it? Ah, my brother is telling me to go to sleep. He says that even if I don't care, we have an early start in the morning & my pen scratching is keeping HIM awake.

Goodnight,