In the Days of the Guild

On a crisp early‑morning in Henry II’s England, a lanky lad named Robert—known in his village as Hob—shoulders a tightly bound bale of wool and waits on a windswept down for the distant jingling of merchant pack‑horses. Raised by a shepherd grandfather and a stoic grandmother, he has learned the rhythms of flocks, fields and the quiet patience of a life tied to the land. Now, with his grandfather gone, the boy hopes the wool‑traders will take him and his precious cargo toward the bustling market of London.

The ragged track he walks winds over rolling hills, skirts shallow streams and narrows where only a few riders can pass, offering a glimpse of medieval England before roads and railways ever existed. As the faint clatter of horse‑bells grows louder, Robert’s simple plan—trade the wool for coin, earn his keep, and perhaps glimpse a world beyond his village—holds both promise and uncertainty. Along the way, the sights, sounds and strangers of the traveling caravan hint at the bustling guilds and distant towns that await him, setting the stage for a journey of growth and adventure.