While almost the entire world knew who Wraithvine was, ze was unknown in this village. It was a peaceful, quiet, place, mostly. Though they had their issues like everywhere else. But unlike most of the world? Here? The name Wraithvine was entirely unknown. -- Anon Guest
[AN: This prompt has been corrected from having erroneous pronouns]
A wandering Wizard walks the road less traveled. It's the way ze finds the most interesting situations. The places where ze may be needed the most or, in this case, the places ze needs the most.
A quiet little village in a quiet little vale that didn't seem to be much bothered about or by anything outside of their little realm. The kind of place that only existed in romantic paintings of the countryside. The kind of place that may make people like Wraithvine suspicious that there was something wrong with it.
Wraithvine began to relax as soon as ze observed that it wasn't perfect. Horses still dropped their apples on the street and someone maintained the job of cleaning them up. People still cussed at each other and goodwives were cutting each other dead in the street over some long-past offense. Children still oscillated between tormenting each other and annoying the adults in their lives before deciding to once more play with each other. In other words, it was completely normal.
Normal enough to goggle at a stranger in town because they were a stranger. Not because ze was an Elf in mostly rags and patches. The innkeeper was shocked to see Wraithvine had coin to rent a room.
"You found a patch of luck?" said the innkeeper. "Trip over a cache? Break a tosheroon?"
Wraithvine considered hir clothing. "More like I had more important things to fret about than clothing. I should commission something new. You have a seamstress, here? A tailor?" At a small, slight pop from hir left boot, ze added, "A cobbler?"
"All three, sir. Though if you want a bath, the hot springs are further down the hollow. Just follow the plumes to the steamhouse."
"I'll pay for the room, first," said Wraithvine, then visit your clothiers and cobbler. I should need at least a new robe ere I get the road dirt off me."
"And a lot more other dirt besides," mumbled one of the patrons.
"I've been walking a long time," said Wraithvine, writing hir name in the logbook.
"Wraithvine," read the innkeeper. "Unusual name for an Elf. They either go for something more complicated or something more simple."
Nobody present reacted. Nobody looked alarmed, or began to whisper to each other.
"I'm an unusual kind of Elf," said Wraithvine. If ze didn't have more to do, or a world to fix, ze might wish to live here forever. Alas, the world still needed a lot of fixing. Ze would enjoy the time to relax and enjoy anonymity before the world pulled hir onwards.
[Image from https://unsplash.com/photos/a-painting-of-a-village-in-the-mountains-tUcRNVUJbVA ]
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