Entwined Paths ~*~ chap 2 part 3~*~ {pg 13+}

[ishaah]

Chapter Two – Arrivals
Part 3
~ Serenity ~

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Serenity looked around and wondered for a moment if she’d made the right decision, though she soon remembered why she left in the first place. Determination is a strong thing especially when what you’re determination is towards is something you have wished for your whole life.
Serenity sat down and watched people in the distance, it amazed her that this town so far away from her own was no different, people rushed around to get things done, children were playing wherever they happened to be, shops were open and it all just seemed so real, so free. Seeing this only made Serenity’s determination grow, these people all had there own lives and she, SHE was running from her royal life to find a place where she could just be herself.
After a few hours of just watching Serenity knew she had to get moving again before her families guards found her, This place was far from home, though it was still a place she knew, the furthest place from home she could concentrate on. She stood up and looked around for some idea of where she should head now until a voice disturbed her “Excuse me miss” the kind man’s voice said from behind her, Serenity turned around and looked at the man “Sorry to interrupt you miss, Its just, you look rather lost” the man smiled “Oh” Serenity said “Forgive my ignorance sir, I am rather lost, though I am not sure where it is I am going” The man laughed a soft friendly chuckle “Well Miss, no one knows where they are going, if they did it would make for a very boring life, Can I offer you a ride as far as Ravensburge?” Serenity thought for a moment about the mans offer, she knew she did not know this man and had she been in a position where she actually knew anyone she may have thanked the man for his offer and refused, but she upon taking her situation into account she smiled and thanked him graciously “I would appreciate that very much” she said “how far would you like to go miss?” The man asked feeding his horses the last of their carrots “As far as you could take me would be most gracious of you sir” Serenity said “Hope up into the cart and we shall be on our way then, I hope you don’t mind miss, I like to take the long way to get the most of my journeys, there are allot of amazing things people miss because they all move so fast”
Serenity climbed up into the cart “I would love to see everything” she said then sat down in the center so she could see to both sides of her “Sir, could I give you something for your kindness, some money?” The man climbed up onto the riding part of the cart and turned his head slightly so he could see Serenity “Your smile is payment enough” he said and returned to facing forward and shook the rains and the horses started to gallop graciously.

For the first part of the ride Serenity sat in silence just watching the amazing scenery as they road past the fields and lakes, through small villages and some large towns, They stopped at night times just long enough to sleep, people in each town knew the man so there was always someone willing to give them a bed to sleep in. After a few days they pulled up to a small village, here though people weren’t moving around, no children were playing and everything was remarkably still “Sir, this is where I must leave you” Serenity announced out of the blue, almost surprising herself by her words “Miss, forgive my intrusion but why would you wish to stop here, even I do not stop here longer than to let the horses rest” The man questioned “This town is not a nice place, it is believed to be cursed and those who take homes here along with it” Serenity was confused “Sir, if this place is cursed, and the people who reside here along with it, does that not give more reason to be kind to these people, I do not intend on living here, but something inside me tells me to stop here, maybe there is something I can do to make these people happier, maybe they will want me to leave, but this shall be the end of my ride with you, Thank you very much for your generosity and your company on our journey, I will never forget you” The man smiled “It’s a terrible shame there are not others in this world like you miss, even I do not wish to take such a risk” Serenity smiled softly “Risk is what makes life exciting Sir, I know what it’s like to feel locked away, and if there is even the slightest difference I could make, then I intend to do just that”.
Serenity stayed with the man until he continued on his journey then she walked into the town and looked around, she wasn’t sure where to go first so she went to the closest house and knocked on the door, no one answered so Serenity just knocked again, she figured that if she were to knock long enough someone would answer. She was about to give up knocking at this house but just as she was about to turn around a young man older than her but not terribly old opened the door, He looked afraid, even when Serenity smiled he looked afraid “Good afternoon sir” Serenity said kindly “I am traveling and I was wondering if I could bother you for a glass of water?” She said, Serenity didn’t like lying and to some degree she wasn’t, she was thirsty and had no water of her own so she asked a question that would be unlikely to come across in such a way as to make the man more afraid than he already looked “Water?, How far have you come?” The man asked now looking confused “I have come a very long way Sir, I have been traveling for a few days and I parted with my companion today” Serenity said softly “Have you come as far as to have not herd about this town?” The man asked “No sir, I have herd about this town, my companion told me of a curse that is supposedly on this town and those who live here” She said before the man interrupted “Having herd of this place girl, tell me why you still come here and intend on accepting a drink from me?” Serenity looked the man in the eyes “Because sir, even if this place is cursed, that does not give reason for me to avoid it or the people who live here” The fear on the mans face dropped a lot “You can come in, I’ll get you that water” he said then showed Serenity into the dining room, got her water and sat at the table with her “Can I ask you something girl?” he asked “Of course” Serenity smiled “Anything you would like” The man didn’t speak again for a few minutes then took a moderately deep breath “Why do you not fear the curse, people generally fear this town and those of us who live here?” Serenity put her glass down “I come from a place sir, where I was locked away and only aloud to be free when I was being displayed to my Families town, it is no way to live, in my eyes it does not matter whether you are a princess or cursed, no one should be locked away from the world” the man smiled “you’re a rare breed girl, It seems it doesn’t matter to you though I’ll still tell you, this town is not cursed, We are just people who could afford no other place to live, We come out at night when people do not travel through for our own safety, people who fear things they do not understand just try to get rid of it all together, But we have built this town up a lot from how it was when we first got here, we all had great plans of how we were going to make this town but our money ran out fast” Serenity smiled “I think this town is lovely, its only missing children playing and the feel of happiness” Then man smiled even more “Serenity, you are as true as I had expected you to be” Serenity looked at the man oddly “H-how did you know my name?” The man laughed “I’m your guide; I was told a long time ago I would find serenity and I was to guide it to the rift, I never understood it until now, But I can clearly see it now, that the word serenity was never the noun of peace and clam, but the name of a girl who has ideals of the same nature and I have to show you the rift” Serenity looks extremely confused “In a manner you were told I’d come and you were to show me something called a rift?” “Yes” the man said “I don’t understand, how possibly could you have known I would be coming, how would anyone have known I was coming and….oh the same way I just knew I had to stop here” She said more trying to understand it herself than actually asking the question “Can you tell me sir, What is a rift?” The man laughs “The rift is like a portal to another realm, its where you are destined to go from here, I will show you to it in a moment, but can I suggest that you wear a scarf or hat or something to hide your ears, not everyone is understanding of what they do not understand and it’s something non-elf’s will notice without a doubt” Serenity felt her ears then looked at the mans little rounded ears “Oh my” she said “I have nothing to use as a scarf” she said looking even more confused than before “Its alright, I will give you a scarf, my sister use to live here with me and she left some of her things behind” He said, got up and walked over to a shelf, took a beautiful silk scarf out of a drawer then walked back and handed it to Serenity “I think Serenity, that it is time for you to leave now, If you’ll follow me I will show you to the rift” Serenity tied the scarf around her head elegantly like a headband and her hair covered her ears, then she stood up and placed her money bag on the chair and followed the man, she was extremely confused now but she knew very well this is what she was doing and clearly it was her destiny long before even she had known she had one, she followed him all the way down to the last room in his house then into that room, in the center of the room stood a shimmering rift “This is the rift” the man said “Stay Safe Serenity, and good luck with your travels, all you have to do now is step through the rift and you will be on your way” Serenity took a deep breath, she felt the same way she had felt when she was a child sneaking out, a guilty excitement, she stood next to the rift and turned to the man “Thank you for the water, and guiding me here, I left something on your chair for you, I hope it helps your town be as you wish it to be” she said then walked through the rift before the man can even open his mouth.
As serenity stepped through and looked around she was amazed, her glance stopped however in the distance when she saw something that looked somewhat like a person laying on the ground not moving…