The second day it was easier to walk and she covered more ground. The forest continued before her with no end in sight. Several more days passed before the wounds had healed enough to be within her powers to affect. Then she was able to heal them enough to only cause her some slight pain when she walked. Her pace picked up after that. That night she had more nightmares but she could not really remember them the next morning.
Around mid day of the next day she was starting to think that the woods were endless. As she was pondering this she stepped into a large clearing and happened to glance around. In the middle of the clearing was an old human woman who looked familiar to Tara, although she wasn't sure from where. She had a mischievious grin on wrinkled face.
The woman was sitting on the tree trunk staring at her. Tara stared back for a moment, but felt too uncomfortable and looked away. The woman smiled. Tara took a few more steps uncertainly.
"Hello." The lady said.
"Hello." Tara answered.
"Lovely day." The woman swung her legs a bit and looked around, the expression on her face similar to a child's.
"Yes, it is." Tara said, "There must be a village nearby if you are here."
"No, it is quite far." The woman stuck out a crooked bony finger, "That way."
"Then I had best be on my way, thank you." Tara nodded to her and started to walk off.
"But he isn't that way."
Tara stopped and turned around.
"Who?" Tara asked.
"The one you are seeking." She answered, "He is in another direction."
"I see." Tara said, not knowing what to think.
"Eldan has been very busy of late." The woman said. Tara could not hide her surprise and the old lady laughed at her expression, clapping her hands in delight. "He is not expecting you at all," she continued. "Are you going to tell him about Keegan?"
"I don't think he'll care." Tara said.
"Oh, he'll care. His brother is his rival."
"Then perhaps I won't." Tara answered.
"A lot like your father you are little Tara." The old woman laughed.
"How do you know my name?"
"I just do."
The woman leapt nimbly off the trunk and hobbled towards Tara.
"You," the woman, who was about a foot shorter than Tara, pointed a finger at her face, just inches from Tara's nose, "take things too seriously. And you're far too insecure. You base all your conclusions on the assumption that you are worthless. That's going to get you into a lot of trouble."
Tara stepped back, thoroughly confused. "Who are you?" she asked.
The woman giggled and it seemed for a moment that her smile grew unnaturally large. Her eyes widened and then she turned and hobbled away. She reached the edge of the clearing then turned around.
"What would your father say?" the woman shook her head, "If he saw you now. He was so proud of his beautiful little girl and now here you stand with his sword, a virtual exile. You think he would be ashamed of you. For breaking the vow of your betrothal."
"I never knew him." Tara said, "It does not matter what he might think."
"Oh but it does." She said, "Deep down you worry about it. You dream about him being the kind of parent your mother never was. You want him to be proud. You want to be the kind of person he would respect."
The woman began to hobble away into the woods, she moved amazingly quickly for one who looked so old. Her voice drifted back to Tara.
"Take care little Tara. Find your path. Go west into the mountains."
The woman was gone. Tara stood there for a moment and decided to sit down for lunch. She pulled out some rations and thought about what the woman had said. A very strange lady. Tara wondered who she was and how she had known who Tara was. |
