~ For Argaland ~

Chapter VIII

"Do not tarry Amirah," Essie instructed me as the three of us led our horses down a cobblestone path.

"I can't help it," I responded, "this town is so pretty."

I drank in the sight of the village, flowers were growing everywhere one could see, and green grass carpeted the ground around the sandy coloured stone path. Quaint little houses sat a little way back from the path, lining the trail to the village centre.

"Did you hear that?" Essie asked me suddenly.

"Hear what?" I questioned.

"Those children," she replied, "I heard them talking of someone who can help travellers on their journey."

"Truly?" Adar asked, and Essie nodded.

Adar then beckoned the children over and asked them, "who were you talking about just now?"

"A woman who helps travellers," one little boy replied.

"How does she help them?" He questioned.

"She can warn you of danger ahead of time," the child explained, "one traveller was certain to meet his death, but he spoke with the woman and she told him when it would happen, so it didn't!"

The three of us shared a glance before I stated softly, "we should go and see this woman, perhaps she can tell us how our mission will end."

Essie nodded, and asked the boy, "young one, who is this woman? How do we find her?"

"The people of the village call her the one who sees," he replied, "she lives in a cabin on the outskirts of the town."

"Thank you, child," Essie stated before pulling on my hand, "let us go."

Half an hour later we found the woman's house just as the boy had said, a strange-looking, greyed wooden cabin on the outskirts of the town. I say strange since it looked both run down and beautifully kept. The grey wood of the cabin seemed to be hundreds of years old, with overgrown vines growing up over the sides of the small building. Oddly though, the vines seemed to be in perfect order, shaped as stars, and in the dark green twists were woven black and red wild roses.

The front garden was very much the same, but bushes filled the space, with tiny little yellow flowers growing on them and many flower beds lined the path up to the door with light blue flax flowers.

"Shall we go and knock?" I asked.

Essie nodded and tied her horse to the brown fence long with mine and Adar's, and made her way to the door.

As soon as she knocked a voice came from inside, "enter travellers, you are welcome here."

We pushed open the door and closed it behind us as we stepped inside. The one-roomed place was modest, a table and single chair sat against one wall and a bed in the corner by a fireplace. The three window ledges were decorated with roses and flax flowers, their pretty colours lighting up the space.

A woman stood by the fire, a stone pestle in her left hand and a mortar filled with spices was sitting on the table that was littered with petals, nuts and berries.

Her dark skin was smooth, although her body looked aged, and her dress was made of burgundy coloured cotton held together by red strings and a thick brown belt embellished with seashells. Red beads and white seashells were woven into her hair, the mattered strands hanging almost at her waist.

I was almost fearful of her until she greeted us with a warm smile, lighting up her pretty eyes, "com, com here, let me look at you," she beckoned to me.

I stepped closer to her and let her touch my hair that was hanging loose, "yes," she breathed, "'tis you, our princess. Oh long have I awaited your return to Argaland. Long and painful have been the years of your absence, but now you have com back to us!"

I stood openmouthed at how she knew who I was, I wanted to ask her about how our mission to retake the kingdom would go, but I remained silent.

She let go of me, "yes, princess Amirah, I know you feel nervous, but I know you will succeed in de uprising! You do not need to fear."

"Please," Essie said, stepping forwards, leaving Adar standing in the corner, "can you tell us more?"

"Tere is no more I can tell you but she will win," she said slowly, smiling, "she is de princess. But I can tell you what I see in her."

Essie nodded, "what do we call you?"

"I am Zoraida," she answered and turned to me, gripping my hands gently, "for you I see destiny. Destiney is what you are meant for, you are soon to fulfil what you were born for. Complete your destiny, defeat your enemy and take the kingdom back, you will do dis."

I smiled, "tell Essie what you see in her."

Zoraida let go of my hands and took Essies, narrowing her eyes she breathed out slowly before speaking, "for you, I see something different, 'tis not destiny, but fate."

"What do you mean?" I asked, causing Zoraida to loose Essie from her grip and turn to me.

"Selfless unto death," she stated, "dis is how she will meet her end. Dis shall not be her will, but it shall be her choice."

"Whatever are you talking about?" I asked, "you are supposed to tell us of our future demise and tell us how to escape it are you not?"

Zoraida lowered her eyes, "mmmm, for destiny, yes, but fate is not destiny," she said slowly, "fate is time, you cannot change it, or make it move slower or faster by what you do. It will eventually reach its end. Destiny is life, but life can only survive within de limits of time, you have to fulfil the destiny for which you exist, but you only have de time dat fate allows you. Neither can exist without de ovder."

"This is ridiculous," I asserted, feeling very defensive of my friend, "if I don't lead the revolt then none of this will happen."

"If you trow away your responsibility to destiny, you hand the reins of life to fate, and dat can be a much crueller master than destiny," Zoraida explained, "fate cannot be changed, but without fate, destiny cannot survive. She must do dis, dis is her fate."

"Thank you for your insights, but we will be taking our leave now," I stated coldly, grabbed Essie and Adar's arms and led them out of the cottage.

I mounted my horse, not looking my friends in the eyes as I muttered, "I do not think her all that wise, she sees nothing, she is just a deluded old woman."