5 Minute Freewrite Day 455: Church Lady

Again a new village, small one in a mountain province. Boddynock looked at me from his position at the front of our cart, and smiled softly. I tried to return the smile sincerely but it faltered not one second after trying. Last night I had another nightmare about the fire, and now my glove-covered hands were pulsing in a way that wasn’t quite pain, but made me remember what it was.

This was going to be another stop in our merchant route, to sell some wares, purchase that which was interesting, and then go away, to the next place, wherever that may be. But in the meanwhile we stopped in a busy section of town, part marketplace and part playground and leisure place. The stores, both static and mobile –like ours- plagued the place, and while my gnome friend shouted about the goodness of his ware, I just looked around, trying to find something to concentrate my attention in.

And I found it once a particularly big group of people cleared the way towards a cozy two-story house in which’s front a trio of people were singing and playing musical instruments. A very young-looking Dwarf –his beard barely starting to come out- was playing a flute, while a Draconid girl swiftly made bow movements in her viola. In the middle of them, an old human lady gesticulated, as if telling a great tale. The emotion showed in all their faces and I got closer and closer.

Their presentation finished, it had been a legend about how the alliance between the Free Elves and the Human Tribes of Galia came to be, joining forces against the Old Empire. The old woman looked at me, snow-white hair arranged in seven braids and robes of white and blue; she motioned me to enter the place, and I followed, passing through a door with a symbol I would end up using as my own. That house was a temple to The Moon Lady, the Unveiler, and the old church lady my mentor, giving me a path to follow.