Outcast - Short Story (Part 5)

He stayed with me for five days. Not because he had a lot to talk to me, because in the first two days I learned everything that was needed for the beginning. And further plans and ideas have already begun to be born in my mind. No, he stayed because he saw the opportunity to earn more for his trade. After explaining why I had stayed there, in that cave for so long, he decided to help me find plants or to hunt animals. He also wanted to see in close proximity how I made those drugs. I understood it all. I acted gradually. I discovered to him enough to be interested, but I kept some secrets of crafts or my personal secrets about the preparation of medicines for myself. I have to admit he was very helpful to me. At the end, there was something that I expected, and that's trade. He wanted, of course, too much to buy from me, and he began to bargain, and it was just because he wanted to help me earn enough money to survive in the city as he sad. Unfortunately, I sold him more things than I originally planned, but I would say that I got a better part of the deal. Of course, he promised me that he would keep secret about me, not to mention me, or to tell about drugs that I sold to him, as he continued his way to my village to do more trade.

Now that I had enough information, enough money and new plans for further travel. I wanted to come to the City of Mirrors, although he told me that there are no hospitals or pharmacists from whom I can study or who can sell my recipes. I wanted to, because I never saw the city, I need to feel how it works. And how is it possible that so many people live in the same place? Do they also work on the land as we do? Do they look the same as we do? What if everything comes to my head and ends up being somewhere far away and lost to everyone? Doubts everywhere.

The next two days I spent packing and preparing everything for a further trip. I knew what I wanted, but even though I had a lot of information, I'm still not quite sure what I can hope for. I also knew that I still have at least four weeks to go to the city, and after I leave this gorge and leave rich flora and fauna that existed here, I will enter a completely new world. Everything after that will be new to me, and I have not decided yet whether I will stop sometimes to study plants or animals. The backpack was much heavier than before, now I had many more medicines and carvings in it.

Days were passing and the landscape slowly began to change around me. Roads were more commonly used, and sometimes I would meet a peasant running a horse, or in the distance I saw houses with a cane roof. The courtyards were rocked by life and work. The child's reprimand was heard whenever I approached one of the estates. At first glance everything seemed completely different here than in my village. The estates consisted of several buildings that were built around the central well, while in my hometown everything was organized in a different way. Even the vegetables and fruits that grew here were different. Some species were the same, I recognized them, but in conditions of a different climate, they gave less fruit. I was not familiar with the plants and trees anymore; I would sometimes see the willow trees as they exist in my village, and every similarity ended there.

In a few places I managed to sell my elixirs against headaches and poke carving, but not enough. People always warmly received me, but only superficially. I saw in their eyes that they were suspicious and that they would just want to see my back as soon as possible. Which is understandable, they never saw anyone from my people, I was a stranger. Then I realized that I would always be stranger wherever and whenever I go, no matter how much I can help someone. In a great alien world I would be a stranger, and in my own world, an outcast. Maybe I will never have a home again. With these thoughts, not at all happy, I found a good place to spend the night. Soon I will get closer to the city, and I wanted to rest.

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