Danica stood there for a moment longer, watching the last wagon of the small caravan kick up the dust from the dry road. They headed further to the west towards Vadona, leaving her to ponder a decision at the crossroads. Should she follow the group at a distance towards Drakkenoir to look for Lorik, or head south to lands unknown. Somewhere that the other races might mingle with society and without the many prejudices she’d dealt with so far. Somewhere she thought may only be in the imagination of a lonely young woman with nowhere else to go.

  Staying in Yeville had been tense at first, hiding in the day and only going out in the dark of night. She’d at first refused to stay with Matteo, the kind old man she’d met during Angela’s burial, but eventually relented when she realized that no one was pursuing her. It was a decent arrangement, her taking care of tasks he was no longer able to, and in exchange she had a warm place to sleep and decent food.

  Everyone paid her no heed for a while, but the grumblings soon started after being in the area for what they considered too long. Unfounded rumors and whispers of evil began to circulate from gossipers who had too much time on their hands. Soon everyone was giving her an all too familiar look, and Danica knew it would be time to go after the last snowfalls thawed out. She knew Yeville was never going to be her home from the moment she had arrived. It was only the first stopping point to wherever her life’s path took her.

  One night Matteo passed away peacefully in his sleep, leaving her alone once more. She made sure to speak to anyone who might listen that she would be gone soon, hoping they didn’t drive her out into the bitter cold unprepared. She had no idea if they would, but someone would soon come for this dwelling and the meager possessions of the old man. He had no close family to speak of, but someone would come, and they most likely wouldn’t be as tolerant of her being there as Matteo was.

  As luck would have it, her opportunity to travel on soon arrived. A small caravan coming from Norport arrived, making an impromptu stop for a busted wheel. She honestly didn’t care where they were heading really, so long as it was as far away from there as possible. Far away from the misery she seemed to find around every corner.

  She approached the apparent head of the group, “Your caravan is light on guards. I’d like to join you wherever you’re heading.”

  He turned around and nearly fell over some boxes sitting behind him. After a few moments of recovering his wits he scoffed at her. “This ain’t women’s work. I need men. Not…” He trailed off and gestured towards her in an exaggerated manner.

  Anger began to creep into her now, the same as always when dealing with people who underestimated her for any myriad of reasons. She pulled a small dagger out and went through a series of flashy movements she had been practicing recently. It was just useless showmanship, but it seemed to have a profound effect on the man.

  After finishing, she placed the blade effortlessly back into the sheath. “Not only am I capable, I’m absolutely confident that I could take any one of your men in a fight. I’ll even prove it if you want. Not to mention I can see in the dark, unlike you humans. I’d be the best night watch you ever had.”

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  He mulled it over for a moment and nodded. “I don’t expect trouble along the way, but that don’t mean some fool wouldn’t try their luck and I only got five men for three wagons.”

  She nodded and turned away.

  “Don’t you want to know the details?” he called out to her.

  She turned back around for a brief moment and shook her head. “Anywhere but here.”

  It didn’t take Danica long to pack up her meager possessions, Mostly it was only what she’d brought with her and a few rations for the road ahead. Matteo was a frugal man that lived within his means and had little more than that. There was nothing more of value here save for the home itself.

  She stopped by the graveyard and knelt down over Angela’s grave. The flowers she’d planted had begun to sprout now and Danica smiled, thinking of how beautiful it would be. She’d give the world just to hug her adoptive mother once more and feel the love the woman had held for her.

  “I’ve got to go now,” she whispered towards the ground. “I don’t know what’s out there, and I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not sure I even know who I am anymore. I will be back one day though, that much I do know.”

  She stood and walked away from the graveyard and out into the town proper. From out of the corner of her eye she could see some of the women watching her and talking in hushed tones. Did they know she was about to leave? They’d soon be witness to it and gossip would spread like fire through the town. Let them. They’d shown her that small town life was not in her future as well.

  Neither was working as a caravan guard it would seem.

  The other men avoided her at first, oftentimes cutting snide remarks just barely audible to her. She assumed they didn’t think she’d hear the things they’d say, but more often than not she did. She simply shrugged it off and did the job she’d been assigned, watching for any sign of danger from sun down until the morning light finally broke. It was easy, but rather dull.

  One night however, one of the men decided to have a little too much alcohol before going to bed. He’d approached Danica rather forcefully while she was on watch and came back to the camp swearing with a deep gash in one of his hands. He grabbed a crossbow and swore he’d get back at her, but was unable to even get it cocked. She was tensed up, sword out and ready, just in case he somehow did manage it. It would have been the last mistake he would have ever made.

  In the morning they decided to part ways, the merchant continuing east, asking her not to follow too closely if she decided to continue along the same route. And now she stood there, in the middle of the woods with a decision to make.

  To the east, more human cities and more of the same. To the south, there’d be elves and dwarves intermingling into society and perhaps more tolerance for who she was. Perhaps they’d be more likely to kill her on sight.

  She took her first step to the east and stopped, shaking her head. “No. No more. There’s got to be somewhere I belong.”

  And finally the decision was made to head south, into a land she knew nothing about. Maybe, she’d find some dark elves somewhere. The other side of her people. They couldn’t all be evil.

  Could they?