Sig - Seven years has been time enough to put some rust on my memories of growing up in Dowery. More than anything, my sense of scale is entirely different than I remember. Walking down the streets, I can’t help but remember how much bigger buildings and city blocks seemed as a child. Not much has changed significantly, as far as I can remember. The shops are roughly the same. The noise and bustle of Dowery remains constant. The bakeries and the aroma of their fresh loaves wafting down the street still evoke a mouthwatering response. Nostalgia washes over me with every step.
I can’t say I truly remember the shopkeepers and other townspeople bustling about. Sparks of recognition trigger in my mind, but they are fleeting are far between. Age hasn't been kind to the few that I do remember and still recognize. Here and there I can spot signs of gray peeking out where I remember locks of deep brown or lustrous blonde used to be. The few that I seem to remember don’t show any sign of remembering me, but why would they? I was practically a snot-nosed child the last time they would have seen me, not even in my early teens at that point. Just another stranger’s face peeking in their shop, possibly spending a few coin on their wares. A face in the endless crowd at this point.
Still, I wouldn't mind stumbling in to more familiar faces. I’m sure some of the kids I grew up with haven’t left Dowery. It’s not as small town and sheltered as Hlofreden, but like Hlofreden, most people who are born here tend to stay here. I can’t help but wonder what became of Isaac and Howell. They lived just down the lane from me before I was sent to live with Pop-pop in Hlofreden. We were practically inseparable as children but I haven’t spoken to them since leaving. Maybe if I had more than half a day here I’d take the time to track them down and see what became of them. I wouldn't mind sharing a pint or three and reminiscing about our childhood and maybe having a laugh over old times.
It would probably be prudent to track down father as well. A year and a half without as much as a letter is quite a stretch. Did he expect me to come bounding back to Dowery the minute I turned 18 and when I didn't he stopped sending them? No…maybe the miserable bastard finally found a fight he couldn't win. Either way, good riddance I’d like to say, but truly I need to know if the git still lives or not. It’s just a matter of time before I’m back here again and hopefully I’ll have a chance to find out.
