I've recently learned that the average length of service for medieval warriors was much shorter than I assumed. About a month instead of years and years as I thought. Just got me curious about former fighters away from their homes in general. If I was an ex-warrior who was many miles from home, what are the prospects of me making a life in the same area I fought in? What might my occupation be? What would the communities' attitudes toward me be, and what would our interactions be like? Would I ever want to settle there as the fighting was still going on, could I? Are there any expectations of me as an ex-warrior, either from the community I left or the one I'm trying to join? And what about my background might significantly affect whether and how I settle? (Lastly, I realize the average length of service may not be representative of distant campaigns. If that drastically changes the answer, I'm interested in that too)

I've made my post specifically about medieval European ex-warriors in the Crusades to fit sub rules, but I'm very interested in how this would work throughout history. Love this sub and thanks for sharing your knowledge!