This story is part of the Wanderer series.
As the wind picks up, the tallgrass dancing, her turban flails, revealing tufts of bright pink hair. Nozomi watched the wind glide across the plains, softly howling, animating the landscape like ripples across a golden ocean. It was a nostalgic sight, reminiscent of her first journey through this country. She breathed out, smiling. Across the plains, she notices a flock of goats. Then, within that group, a small figure holding a stick. The shepherd. The only soul she’s seen in this desolate pass.
It was another nostalgic sight. Coming off the mountain path, she realized her route would rendezvous with the flock. Nozomi adjusted her turban, tucking in her hair and tightening it again. Might as well greet the shepherd, she thought.
Approaching the flock, Nozomi noticed a brief change in the shepherd’s behavior. The figure stopped moving, only for a moment, before resuming, pretending Nozomi wasn’t there. She could tell the shepherd was still keeping an eye on her, however, as the figure’s face was still half turned towards her. Nozomi wondered if it was a good idea to approach this person if they wanted to be left alone. Perhaps she was thinking too much about it, so she figured she may as well give it a try.
Once Nozomi was close enough, yet still a safe distance, she hollered out a prolonged greeting.
“Oi!”
The sudden, loud calling certainly caught their attention. The shepherd turned their head, letting Nozomi see their face for the first time. The figure had a petite nose and soft features. Though they were also wearing a turban, Nozomi realized this shepherd was a woman.
Nozomi slowed to a stop outside the flock, smiling. The goats paid her no heed, continuing their grazing.
“I am Yumi! Nice to meet you!” Nozomi continued, using her alias. She paused, and after a bit, the shepherd answered back with a soft, mellow tone.
“It’s rare to find another woman wandering these lands.”
“I was thinking the same thing!” Nozomi laughed. “What a coincidence!”
The shepherd silently gazed at her. Nozomi looked around at the flock.
“Say, this is an impressive group of animals you have here! How do you manage them all by yourself?!”
More silence. Then, the shepherd spoke again. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
Nozomi turned back to the small figure and observed her for a moment. The woman noticed this action as their eyes met and locked for a few seconds. She backed away a bit, her chin dipping ever so slightly. Nozomi smiled, reasoning the shepherd was benign enough.
“No, I’m travelling to meet a friend!”
“Ah.” The shepherd seemed to relax. Nozomi’s smile had done the trick to calm her down.
“What about you? Where are you heading…?” Nozomi’s voice trailed off. Quickly, she added, “Ah, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to!”
The woman nodded, walking a bit closer. Like an invisible command, the flock of goats followed her. Nozomi watched as they engulfed her, adding her to the herd. Realizing this, the shepherd stopped. Nozomi wanted to pet the goats, but knew she shouldn’t.
“If you’re going further north, closer along the coast, I would be careful. It’s the season for trade, so there are bandits roaming around.”
“Ah, thanks for the warning!” Nozomi looked up. “I can handle them, don’t worry!”
The shepherd nodded again.
“Then, what about you? Will you be okay?”
“Me…?”
“I mean, I guess, you have all these animals to protect you!” Nozomi joked, laughing.
“I should be fine.”
Looking back at her, Nozomi stopped laughing and observed the shepherd some more. In a sudden realization, the wooden staff the shepherd was holding jogged Nozomi’s memory.
“Ah, I see.” Nozomi smiled brightly. “You’re a mage!”
In a sudden change of expression, the shepherd’s eyes widened and her lips pinched together. Her face grew red, showing emotion for the first time. The shepherd suddenly looked a lot younger.
“Heh?! I mean… N-no! It’s not like that!”
The shepherd tried to stay calm and collective, but her stammering voice betrayed her fluster. She gripped her staff tightly with both hands, drawing herself in. Seeing this, Nozomi remembered the secrecy the mages of this land were supposed to have.
“Ah, sorry, I shouldn’t say that. But, it’s okay, I have a friend who was just like you.”
Again, Nozomi’s bright smile worked its magic. The shepherd softened her shoulders, lowering her hands and loosening her fingers.
“… Eh?”
“This is part of your trial, right?”
“…!”
It was that moment that the shepherd realized Nozomi knew her. Nozomi knew what she was going through, and just like that, it became much easier for her to talk to this stranger from another land.
“… Kind of… Yes.”
At the same time, in that moment, Nozomi realized this little shepherd was a young girl.
“Well, don’t worry! Your secret is safe with me! I was just worried about your safety, that was all!”
The girl nodded. “I mean, I still try to stay away from the spots I know people travel through. I’m still starting out.”
“Is that so? That’s great!”
“I’m guessing you are too? I thought I wouldn’t see anyone here, as this path doesn’t really lead anywhere.”
“No, I just…” Nozomi thought for a bit. “… decided to take the scenic route, you know…”
“Ah, I see.”
Ashamed with the lie, Nozomi gave in a little. “Sorry, I can’t really say where I’m going. Because… that’s kind of a secret too.”
The girl straightened a little, curious to this first expression of secrecy from someone who approached her so openly.
Nozomi awkwardly laughed and put a hand behind her head. “Sorry, my friend wouldn’t forgive me if I gave away where I was going!”
With that, the shepherd suddenly figured out what Nozomi was saying. “Oh, I see. I think I understand. It’s okay.”
Nozomi nodded. “Thanks.”
“It’s a flying castle, right?” she made sure.
“Yeah. I can’t give away its location.”
“No, I get it.”
“Or, at least, where it’s going to pick me up.”
“Yeah. I know what you mean.”
Nozomi assumed the girl also came from a flying castle. “It’s a difficult life, you guys have! I used to be no good at secrets when I was your age. And I’m still not that great, I think!”
“I see… Well…” The girl shrugged. “I’m just used to it, I guess.”
“Easier when you’re raised that way, yeah?” Nozomi looked up to the sky, seeing the sun-dyed clouds go by. “I wasn’t really raised to be good at lying. Sen didn’t want me to lie to her.”
The shepherd wasn’t really paying attention to what Nozomi was saying, gazing down aimlessly. “This… friend of yours…”
A pause.
“Hm?”
“Is she… an Enlightened, then?”
“No, she failed that journey.”
“…?! Oh…”
“But, that’s because she left it to join me and my friends. So, it’s kinda my fault!” Nozomi laughed it off.
“Ah… I see…” With each exchange, the girl was opening up to Nozomi more and more, becoming more comfortable with the traveller. “Yeah, they’re very strict about what we can do. It can’t be helped.”
“But it’s what you want, right?”
The girl looked up, her gaze meeting Nozomi’s sparkling bright eyes. Finally, she smiled for the first time.
“Yeah. This is my path.”
“If that’s the case, then go for it!” Nozomi encouraged.
With an affirmative grunt, they stared at each other, both smiling, for a few moments of silence, before the girl awkwardly looked away. Nozomi reasoned she was a shy one.
“Um… If it’s okay with you… but…”
“Hm?”
“Can I look at your hair?”
As she said that, her voice faltered. The girl seemed to retreat without even moving. Nozomi could tell she was worried, as if she had asked too much. Nozomi thought for a moment. It would defeat the purpose of travelling under a veil if she revealed her identity here. Once again she had to decide whether she could trust this girl she just met. All the while, the little girl seemed innocent enough, and Nozomi wanted to entertain her curiosity to help her loosen up. Leaning forward, Nozomi lowered her voice to a playful hush.
“O-kay! Come down here and I can show you!”
Ducking down into the herd, Nozomi sank into a sea of golden grass. The goats provided additional cover, so much that even the shepherd couldn’t see her anymore. The girl, her curiosity piquing, moved forward, closer to where she saw Nozomi sink, and lowered herself to a crouch, bringing her staff to the ground along with her.
Under the shade of the prolonging shadows, Nozomi shone a keen smile and pulled back her turban, revealing a waft of her bright pink hair and allowing it to cascade down, covering her forehead. She saw the girl’s expression light up, drawing closer. After a while, she quickly drew back, giving Nozomi some space.
“Sorry, I’ve just… never seen hair like that before. I’ve only read about it in manuscripts.”
“Haha, don’t worry about it!”
“So, wait, did you travel all the way from the west continent, then?!”
“Actually, no, I come from the Land of Forests.”
“Oh! Okay, that makes more sense, then.”
“But I get why you would think that.”
“Mm.”
“Even where I live, my hair is unusual.”
“Ah, yeah. It’s more of a pink than it is a red.”
“It is pink.” As the words left her mouth, Nozomi realized that was more identifying information she was willing to reveal.
“Oh, really?!”
The shepherd looked closer. At this point, if Nozomi did give herself away, it was too late to draw back. She just accepted it, but thankfully, the girl truly was a novice.
“Then, I haven’t read about it. I only know of purple hair from the northwest parts of that continent.”
“Yeah,” Nozomi sighed. “I don’t know how I got it either. I only hide it here because it stands out, you know?”
“Mm, right.”
“And if someone sees you with someone like me, it might attract trouble, so that’s why I hid down here to show you.”
“Ah, I see…” The girl blushed. “Well, thank you. I appreciate your consideration for me.”
Nozomi giggled. “Don’t mention it!”
Tucking her hair back in, Nozomi tightened her turban, making sure to conceal herself well, but stayed crouched in the grass, resting her elbows on her knees, watching the shepherd with a smile. The girl awkwardly gazed back before eventually dropping her gaze. From their interactions thus far, Nozomi knew she had to be the one to initiate the conversations and gestures.
“Anything else you wanted to ask?”
“Heh?” The girl perked up. “Eh… no… That was the only thing I was wondering.”
“What is your name, by the way?”
“Ira.”
“Nice to meet you, Ira!”
Deep down, Nozomi now felt bad for asking, as Nozomi herself did not tell Ira her real name. She only asked because she didn’t want to keep referring to the girl as a nameless person.
With a huff, Nozomi stood up, emerging from the tallgrass, and lurched back, stretching her arms and back. Ira stood up with her, lightly brushing off her pants. She looked off to the horizon, watching the sun dip into the clouds. Looking around, Nozomi noticed the herd had fully engulfed her, eerily keeping the shepherd in the center at all times. To Nozomi’s surprise, Ira spoke first this time.
“The sun will set soon. Do you need somewhere to stay?”
“Oh, is there a village near here?”
“No… But, I mean…” Ira paused, rebuilding her confidence. “You can… stay with me for the night, rather than out and alone.”
Nozomi beamed. She was once again hit with nostalgia from this request. “Ah I see! Watch each other’s backs, right?”
“Y-yeah… Kind of. I mean, the goats will keep us concealed… so, you don’t need to stay up at night.”
Nodding, Nozomi looked around again, smiling. “How nice, how they always follow you around. They’re well trained!”
“Well…” Ira gripped her staff tighter. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Nozomi noticed this, but didn’t say anything. She propped the straps of her bag further up her shoulders. “Okay, then, Ira! You lead the way! You’d know the better resting spots here!”
“A-ah. Sure.”