When she had first set out on her journey, Tanya had been overcome with excitement every time she had come across a new town. Each new place she visited had been a wonderful cacophony of new sights to see, new people to meet, and new experiences to have. Even the smallest and most rural backwater villages had been able to offer her something. The borders of Tanya’s world had grown, and she had grown alongside them…or so she liked to think, at the very least. More importantly, each new place had been a new opportunity. Another chance to accomplish her mission, prove her decisions justified, and save the world.
Several months of hard travel and limited success might have dulled someone else’s enthusiasm, but Tanya did her best to remain optimistic. She had known when starting her journey that things would be difficult. Given how large of a place the world truly was, finding the chosen hero was bound to take time. Her quest was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. In a dozen haystacks! Except with more walking. And sweat. And road dust. Honestly, it would’ve been a miracle if she had somehow found the hero already. And so, she could hardly be upset that she hadn’t managed it just yet.
The sun was nearing its zenith by the time Cyseal came into view. The trading caravan Tanya was working with peaked the lip of a small hill, and there it was. A decent-sized farming village, nestled in the curve of a gentle river, and the next stop on her search. From here, it seemed the exact same as the dozens of others Tanya had visited, but looks could often be deceiving. Even so, standing alongside the stationary wagon, she lifted a hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun’s light so that she might get a better view.
“This is going to be the one. I just know it.”
Almost without realizing, Tanya spoke the words out loud, muttering them under her breath. She told herself the same thing every time she came upon a new place. It was basically tradition at this point. She knew that, statistically speaking, the chances of her being right were shockingly low. Tanya had never been the type to let such grim assessments keep her down, though. Besides, things were going to be different this time. She could feel it.
“What was that, lassie?”
The voice of the caravan’s driver and owner – an older merchant by the name of Tev –interrupted Tanya’s idle musing. Lowering her hand, Tanya glanced over at the balding gentleman to find him staring.
“Oh, nothing important, Tev. I’m just looking forward to a warm bath and a proper bed tonight. The sooner I can get out of these leathers, the better.” The lie fell from Tanya’s lips easily enough. This wasn’t the first time she had gotten caught talking to herself about things better left unsaid, and she’d gotten quite good at recovering quickly. What’s more, her words technically weren’t untrue. In fact, they were a sentiment every traveler could relate to.
Her words elicited a gentle chuckle from Tev, who was quick to answer. “I’d expect a caravan guard to be more used to long stretches beating the cobbles. You didn’t trick me out of your fee, did you?” From another person, Tanya might have feared an accusation. Tev’s tone was jovial, however, and she knew him well enough by now to tell he was just poking fun at her.
“Even if I had, do you really think I’d tell you that?”
Her response was equally light-hearted. The two of them traded playful barbs back and forth for a moment, before Tev finally decided they had wasted enough time. He whipped his caravan into motion again. Tanya quickly fell into step alongside the lead wagon, desperate to be off.
Dressed in the boiled leathers often favored by mercenaries and caravan guards, Tanya’s outfit was a perfect match for the role she was playing today. She carried a spear in her left hand, and let it rest against her shoulder idly; another suggestion that she really was just what she claimed to be. A messy bun, belt knife and stuffed pack completed the look. From a distance, nobody would ever guess that she was more than just a simple caravan guard. That, concealed within her pack, was a powerful magical artifact. Possibly the most powerful in the world.
Their caravan reached the bottom of the hill before long, and the road quickly leveled out. There was a bit more traffic here, closer to the town’s outskirts. Fields lined the road on either side, and Tanya could see several farmers working their own patches at irregular intervals. She smiled and waved at those who met her eyes as she passed. Partially because it was just her way, and it never hurt to be polite. But also because any one of them could be the hero she was searching for, even if she didn’t know it yet.
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