Wind Reach, Summer 2, 512 AV
Norien thought to himself, I'm finally home... He had left Wind Reach several years previous with a caravan, to learn more about healing and to test his new skills at being a bard. Now, being 23 and older, hopefully wiser and more experienced, he came back to Wind Reach. "My friends, how I've missed you," he said softly. The Sanikas Gate was in view now, and he trudged the last few hundred yards slowly, savoring his homecoming. It was, however, bittersweet. He had heard news that Wind Reach was in ruins, and that Ivak had escaped, causing the damage. He wondered how many of his friends were still alive, and how much of the city still stood. He pulled the glass-handled chain slowly, and after the ringing of the bells faded, he waited for the Gatekeeper to come and welcome him back home.
It was after he pulled the handle of the chain and snapped out of his private reverie that he noticed a figure standing off nearby. Not close enough for comfortable conversation, but close enough to be noticed. Norien tilted his head slightly, much like a bird, and said in a loud tenor voice, "Hello over there? Are you trying to get into the city, too? You have to ring this bell, in case you weren't aware of it." He smiled at the figure and thought, Well, never a dull moment, I'll say that much. The world is quite the interesting place.