Outcast - Short Story

I remember, I was very young when I left home. Since then it's been too many years to remember all the details, but in fact the story is standard. I was full of dreams and ideas about a world full of adventures that just await me. We were a little tribe in distant hills far away from big cities, and nobody left our small community ever, not even for a trade. Other than me. Mother, and the elders of our Council, expelled me in the end. I did not even know that my decision to wander a little around the world can so much anger them. And so, based on crazy dreams of adventures, I found myself exiled and alone. With very few personal things I found myself on the road, I had my belt knife. That item my father personally carved for me, and he was made for hunting and fighting, and that way he could be transformed into a tool also. It was a great demonstration of my father's skills, and, in general, my peoples skill in metal processing and making small mechanisms that we were widely known around the world. Various people and nations have come to trade with us, but we have never left our habitat far in the hills. And that's why I decided to travel, and at the cost of being expelled by my own people.

The only thing I knew was that the road from our village led through the forest, the gorge, and went out into a large field, and on the southern end there is Mirror Lake and the city of Mirrors on its coast. My goal was to go there, and by the way in the woods I pick up enough wood that I could carve in something good, and I sell you my small arts later. I always liked to work in a wood, from which I did various things. That talent was part of me, just as soon as I found the right pieces of wood, I immediately saw what it could be. I saw in it purpose, and from it I would make or decoration, or tool, or sculpture. Most of all I liked to make the sculpture of our many gods, because in our pantheon there were more than twenty.

The forest I was passing through was ancient. That can be seen through the great trees that gave her peace, and dressed whole forest with wisdom. The animals were everywhere, and they were not afraid of accidental passers-by. The birds followed my path and complemented it with a song that touched my heart. I was not sure how much will be needed until I reached the city, but I had the intention to enjoy at all moments of my trip. I tried to enjoy it, although it hurt me very much that I was driven out. The ugly and heavy words were pronounced, and I was not sure if I would ever be able to return again. In their eyes I saw a betrayal, but my desire to create new stories for me was strong enough and I did not have a single moment of regret at all. Every step of the way, I was farther away from my people but closer to these remote civilizations. Exiled.

In addition to that skill of carving wood, I had the knowledge of making medicines from plants that could be found in our forests. The older teachers spoke of having a rare talent for both of these skills. The idea was to travel everywhere, and to see more cities, more and more miracles that were discussed by traders who came to our village. I wanted to learn from the design of wood and medicine, to learn from the best masters that exist there. Maybe even become one of those masters. That was the desire that pushed me forward.

It was strange, that my connection with the plants. I studied cycles of growth, flowering, I studied, and I explained to many facts the different forms of the application of these plants. And somehow I always managed to get the desired effects, with very few bad reactions. Some of my recipes were written in the Knowledge Books in our village. For some reason, it was forbidden for us to share this knowledge with traders. I have never been told why, but I had my doubts. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why everyone opposed my departure.

The weeks went by, and the end of that ancient forest I traveled was not seen. I enjoyed every moment of my trip. I was constantly thinking about the skills that awaited me. I wanted my medication to help everyone, if there's a need for it. I'm really interested in whether these peoples also have those powders and potions that I'm making? How do they cure their illnesses?

With these thoughts, I fell asleep under one willow tree, with my knife in one hand and half finished with the carving of God of Body and Soul in the other.

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