Fabula Obscrua

Known this all along - 3 - RSD

Known this all along

Part 3: Seeking Peace of Mind

She booked the train for the next day. It was about twenty-six hours via Amtrak to Vancouver, and another thirty via VIA Rail to Saskatoon. From there, she'd be hunting him down with relatively little to go on. Mingan wasn't good about carrying a cell phone.

As highly adaptable as he was, there were still quite a few advancements of modern technology he still hadn't caught on to. She wasn't much better. The tape deck in her apartment was a testament to that. She wasn't entirely sure anymore if things were changing more quickly, or if she was just tired of trying to keep up.

Though the trip was cramped and long, it was far better than driving, and she loathed flying. The scenery made it all worth it, though. California slipped by as she slept, and woke to a lush wonderland of mountains and trees. Despite the stops in the cities, the buildings slipped past before she could take much notice.

Most of the tracks wound through less inhabited areas, the quiet sorts of places that with her fae eyes, she could catch glimpses of the spirits that still wandered the land. It was heartening to see so much land that was still wild, that humanity hadn't managed to transform all the earth into asphalt, buildings and well tilled farm land. The little bits of magic of this world still clung to patches of green and wild, and in the north, still controlled vast swaths of land.

After a lengthy layover in Vancouver, she was soon on her way to Saskatoon, another nearly two day trip. Four days of travel, she finally arrived in the station at a bleary-eyed eight in the morning, found her way to a bench, and looked around in despair. From what she could see from the train, she was on the outskirts of what could be called civilization, on the more upscale end of a train yard. The map she found in the lobby only confirmed this suspicion.

With a sigh, she asked the ticket clerk for a hotel suggestion and called a cab. At least she'd have a place to shower and nap before heading out to hunt for Mingan. She could only hope he was somewhere in town, and not out running across the plains she'd stared at out her window as the sun was rising.

Once she was feeling human again, she set out on her search. She was rusty, but with just a touch, she could slip into a human mind and ask every so gently if they'd seen a man like Mingan. He was hard to overlook, even to mortals who didn't know what it was they were looking at. Though they couldn't see the power lurking behind his eyes, they would notice him, and wonder, if even for a moment, why the leathered, brown skinned man had drawn their attention in the first place.

After a long, and mostly fruitless effort, she found only glimpses and hints of him in the downtown core. She'd half expected him to find an old haunt in the area, since he'd likely been to some of the oldest buildings when they were new. After hitting dead end after dead end, eventually she got a lead. To the north of the city, there was a place called Wanuskewin Heritage Park. A park that focused on the heritage of the First Nations people. Mingan's people.

It was there that she found him, working with children, giving demonstrations and participating in whatever way he could. She watched from the sidelines, and while she knew he'd noticed her when she'd first arrived, she didn't dare interrupt him. Finally, once his long day was over, he came to her, arms crossed, but smiling.

“Never expected to see you here,” he said. “I take it Sarah told you where I was staying?”

Elloreah laughed. “She practically booked the train tickets for me.”

“She's gotten pushier over the years.”

“Nah, she's always been that way. She just doesn't bother with the subtleties anymore.”

He nodded and looked out over the plains, lush and green in the warm summer weather. “Did you enjoy the trip?”

“It was amazing, to see the land from the train. I couldn't believe how much is still wild, hidden off the beaten path.”

“The train is good for that, the tracks don't travel on roads where man congregates.”

She sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets. She'd imagined an emotional reunion. To be swept away, to throw herself into his arms. Not this awkward sort of distance and hesitance. “Where are you staying?”

“Camping,” he said, nodding in the direction of the campgrounds she'd seen on the way here.

She nodded and remembered the many years she'd all but camped at the old ranch. She could do it again, if he'd have her. “Is there room in your tent for two?” She asked, staring hard at the tips of his boots.

He laughed, and she glanced up at his face. He was smiling, gold eyes crinkling at the edges.  “Might be a little cramped, but I think we could manage,” he said. “Are you sure you want to?”

“I'm sure,” she said softly.

He took her hand in his, and she stepped into him, resting her head on his shoulder. His free hand settled on the top of her head, stroking her hair lightly.

“Can you remind me how to live instead of just wasting time?” she asked.

He hugged her tight against him, as if that were answer enough. She melted into him, then, feeling for the first time in a long time, truly content.

* * *

If you enjoyed this piece in particular, I'd like to suggest reading "Save Me," which is in the same collection. It touches on Elloreah and Mingan's relationship and  covers some of what leads up to this particular story.

This story was written as my final entry for the Romance Smackdown hosted by @CupidsCorner . We were asked to write a fantasy romance using a variety of prompts, including pictures, songs and quotes in under 5000 words.

Below is some information about the prompts I used for the judges to reference, if needed. :)

The entire story is just under 5000 words. I've gone back and tweaked here and there, so I'm not sure about the exact word count at this point.

Quotes are all bolder through out the story.

Use of images are all italicized. I assumed the hall with lights was a hospital. Most the images are taken care of in part one, which is alluded to using the animated image under the multimedia.

Use of songs were done through quotes and mood, or references to the song. Each section of the story has the song most heavily referenced in that section next to it in the multimedia.

Quotes from "Dirty little secret" are sprinkled through out. Fragile lives, wasting time, and other quotes from the song are used. "Animals" is referenced in the beginning of the second part, with the nature documentary and Elloreah's cowboy from the bar. "Blackjack Jezebel" is referenced in Elloreah going to Saskatoon, which is where Jezebel caught her man, as Elloreah did but with happier results. :)

This smack down was a great deal of fun. Struggled writing this, mainly because these are well used characters of mine, and it was hard to write a story that would be understandable to those who don't know their entire story. I'd originally planned something else, but I couldn't make it work. This, though, came about easy enough. I hope it is enjoyable to read as it was for me to write.