They were walking and talking, and as the time went by, Zach started to like Adelaide. She carefully told him her story. She also came from lands that were far away, and was 21 years old. She was born in a family that was wealthy and had titles, but that also were very cruel, they treated her very badly. She grew up in a terrible environment, in a place with not much joy. However, since she was a child, she decided that she was not letting them put her down, she was going to act the opposite of them, and then one day, she would be free from them. When she was 20, after her mother gave her many slaps on her face, because she accidentally spilled some tea in her mother’s dress, she finally decided to run away. One night, she picked a chest, putted all her belongings she could put there, picked all the money she could find on her room, and escaped using the back doors. The only thing she had, besides her chest and some money, was a sick horse and a small wagon in a poor state. She had no choice though, she left town with these belongings and after going as far as she could, in the thick forest, she was exhausted. Going a bit further, she reached the town Zach met her, she was humiliated by the sentinels, but they let her in. She since then she has been living in a modest but nice tavern, working in the city as one of the secretaries to an important family of doctors. Being kind and always ready to help, the family grew fond of her and treated her very kindly and making Adelaide more certain of her decisions.
“That’s an amazing story, I had no idea you had been through all of this… but how did I found you in the forest, then?”
“The sentinels are brutal, but after my first humiliation, they left me alone. I made this city my home, with all its shortcomings and bad people, as I can find a lot joy and good people as well, like the people I live around on the tavern, and the family I work with. On my free time, I like to walk in the city and sometimes through the woods. It’s been sometime the city had its last war, I heard, and people are more carefree now, I think there’s one of the reasons the soldiers are so cruel, they must feel useless, I bet they’re craving some war so they can put their cruelty to use. Anyway, I was in the middle of my free time when I found you, just taking a walk. It’s been a while since this town sees a foreigner such as yourself, we mostly only trade with our neighbors, so I’ve heard.”
“And your family won’t miss you while you’re helping me? How about the tavern keepers, Adelaide?”
“I’m on my free time for these weeks, so I can help you on your journey without people missing me too much, do not worry Zach. We should be on the ice cream lake soon, and after that, I’m happy to say the land of socks is not very far away. It’s actually a shortcut!”
“I wonder why the map doesn’t show me that”
“I’ve told you before, these maps are not really good… We should keep on walking. It’s going to be dark soon, and tomorrow I think we’ll reach the Ice Cream Lake, crossing it wouldn’t be such an easy task, but I have some money with me, so I can pay an amphibian sleigh…”
“Wait, WHAT?! A sleigh?! I’m sorry, there’s no way I’m going inside a vehicle like that, EVER!”
“But Zach? How are we going to cross the lake then?”
“I don’t know! You can go to this thing if you want to. You shouldn’t, if you ask me. But I won’t go inside it!”
“Zach… help me understand you, why?”
“Vehicles are bad news! They crash, they sink, and people die, bad things happen! I don’t want to go inside it!”
“Well… the lake is frozen, but we don’t know how thin the icing is for you to cross ice skating, considering you have the material to do so and you know how to ice skate.”
"Isn't a roller skater a vehicle as well?"
"It's more of a piece of clothing than a vehicle..." Said Adelaide, trying to reason with Zach.
"Well... I can ice skate, yes, it should be no big problem, I suppose. Anything is better than that sleigh!” Zach was still unconvinced about ice skating, but reaching the land of Socks was a priority, and like he said, anything was better than a sleigh.
“But still, Zach! You’ll get tired!”
“I’m never tired, my dear, in case you didn’t know”
“And if we’ll have to go around the lake, it will be such a more demanding path! Oh Zach, I think we will have to figure something up when we get there…”
“Forgive me for my resistance, but if anything, I want to say it again: Thank you for your help, Adelaide, I would never be able to keep on my journey without you. We’ll figure something up.”
“Zach, I’m here to help you reach your destination as quickly as possible and with no major issues, as I told you, with the sleigh or without, we’ll get there, if that’s what you wish, and maybe you’ll find some peace of mind in the future…”
“Thank you, but my mind is none of your business, sorry for my rudeness, but there are some stuff I prefer not to discuss with you. I’m fine collecting socks… I love socks; and my grandpa is with me…”
“Well, like I was saying, no need to apologize, being kind to others it’s where I find personal joy and it’s my pleasure. We’ll be there soon enough. You are no bother to me, no matter what quirk you may have, Zach. We just have to keep on walking, I’ll help you”.
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