Far away in a small rural village affectionately named Mudtrap, lived a family of Cow Herders. Their family produced much of the milk and meat need for the village. Carl, an averagely build man with shaggy sun streaked brown hair, spent his days caring for the cattle that made his family possible. While Marge, an average beauty with long curly dark brown hair, cared for the family.

Together they had one son named Howard. However everyone knew him as Howie. His happy go lucky energy brought life to the village and his family. Howard though had a dream! He did not want to herd cows as their large size and demeanor often caused him injury. No, he would be a herder of the majestic and intelligent goat! He had fallen in love with goats at one of the auctions his parents brought him to.

After the show Howard explained his wish to start up a goat farm on the outskirts of Mudtrap. Carl and Marge smiled indulgently at their son and agreed. They would fully support their son's dream! After all what kind of parents would they be if they limited his life. Plus if it failed he could always come back and take over the cattle ranch.

Determined the small family of three saved up their money to help open Howard's new farm. Ten years flew by as he learned about ranching and took up some odd jobs around the village. By this point he had managed to save up an astonishing five gold coins!

Howard smiled down at his life's fortune. Glee radiating from him as he made his way over to his parents. It was time for him to set off on his own. Granted he was only moving to the other side of the village, but it was still an adventure! His father was sitting at the kitchen table while his mother cooked over the open fire. Beef Stew being brewed with meticulous care.

“Mother, Father! I finally have enough to start my farm!” He exclaimed loudly causing his mother to start. Yet years of experience kept the stew safe from her fright. His father on the other hand didn't even twitch. Far too used to Howard's boisterous nature. One of the many reasons for the problems his son had with the cows. Hopefully the apathetic nature of goats would be a better fit for their son.

“That is wonderful Howie. Why don't you grab the bowls? Your Father and I have something to tell you.” Howard smiled and retrieved the requested items for his mother to serve the food. Tomorrow he would set out to find he perfect area. Then he would finally be one step closer to his dream. His mother Marge watched him with a soft smile while taking her place at the table.

Clearing his throat Carl spoke up while pulling a small sack into view. The sound of clicking hinting at its contains. “Your Mother and I have discussed this for a long time and have decided that you should take this.” He slid the bag over to Howard. Confused he untied it reveling five more shiny gold coins! Howard looked up at his father speechless. This was a lot of money to just give away. “We are thrilled you are going forward in your goals son, and wish to help.”

Tears of joy streamed down Howard's face as he hugged his parents. They ended up throwing a small party in honor of this new chapter in his life. It was such a heartwarming scene if a touch dramatic. As was mentioned he his just moving to the other side of Mudtrap.

The next day Howard rose with the sun. An annoying rooster, that he had named Screech as a child, the cause of such a timely awakening. If left alone all in the family would appreciate the ability to sleep past sunrise, but life was not so kind this far out. So Screech lived to see another day. Much to the dismay of his mother Marge who spent the morning muttering about different rooster based dishes she was just dying to try out.

Breakfast past quickly in the household and soon Howard wished his parents goodbye. It was time for him to find his new home! The village of Mudtrap was very small compared to the many others you could find dotted across the outskirts of the 'tamed' countryside. However despite its size Mudtrap was surprisingly diverse, and when compared to others very well established.

However like all other rural villages they were constantly under threat. Be it of attack from thieves in search of fast cash or monsters looking for a quick meal. It was not safe to wander outside the borders. This meant that Howard's dream to create a free range goat ranch is quite daring. With a skip in his step he passed the rickety little border fence. Sheets of scrap metal from broken tools dotted along to act as a warning system.

It was time to search. Howard already had an idea of where he wanted his ranch though. So it wasn't so much a search as a picking. He strolled along the dirt path leading along the forest edge. It didn't go far but Howard was sure that after he built his house and got a herd he could work on a more obvious trail to his new home.

He hummed while traversing the tall grass. The occasional growl or snarl echoing softly from the deep woods on his left. Howard dismissed it as the monsters were not likely to leave the forest unless under threat. So he was safe. Soon the tall grass shortened erupting into a beautiful view. Hills rolled across the land like water while a relatively good sized river cut across the landscape into the foreboding forest. It was perfect. The lush grassy area would be the best feeding grounds for his goats.

Seeing as the sun had reached its peak Howard set off to quickly build a shelter. While this would not be his permeant residence he needed someplace to rest until his real home could be built. It would take at least a week for the carpenters to come out and build it for him. Howard was many things but a craftsmen was not one of them. Finding a nice spot nestled against a slightly cliffed hill he began to create his temporary abode.

He wandered through the grassy plains finding broken wood and logs that could help build a rough structure. Pulling out his hand spun rope he swiftly lashed the planks together using almost bolder sized rocks rolled over to hold them in place. By nightfall he had managed to cobble together a vague dwelling shaped hole. Feeling immensely proud of himself he drug his pack into the hovel and laid out his sleeping roll.

Tomorrow he would continue working on the land and see if he couldn't get some grass cleared up. It would be a lot of work but he was more than happy to do it. As he bit into his dinner apple he thought of all the things he needed to do before he was able to buy his goats. A howl sounded in the night causing Howard to look at his brittle door. He would need something as protection of him and his tribe. Perhaps his cousin Jimmy would have a dog he could buy.