The Star Weaver

The Necklace of Rock

The old man was...Strange. Asteria was not usually one to jump to conclusions, but as she regarded the man in front of her, this was the only thought that would come to mind. It had been early morning when she had first come across him, standing on the large forest road with an air of uneasy confusion about him. A look that Asteria was used to finding on those who had accidentally wandered too far into the trees and no longer knew the way out. Usually, those few and foolish 'adventures' would end their exploration long before they ever made it to the center of the deep and leafy maze, so Asteria had had a bit of a shock when she stumbled across the elderly man, bent over his cane and looking disturbed but not outright panicked. When he had spotted her, he had lifted his hand and waved, a cheerful smile replacing the look of quiet unease that had moments before ruled his expression. It wasn't until she began to approach him that Asteria realized just how out of place the man seemed, his presence a stark contrast to the green and life-filled forest around them.

She had to look three times, blinking rapidly, before she was entirely convinced that he was real and not some strange hallucination concocted by an exhausted mind. His white hair was thin, and there was a perfectly round bald spot on the exact middle of his head, and his smile, though wide, was made up of two yellowed and cracked teeth. His back was hunched, making him appear even shorter than he truly was, and his crooked and hooked nose looked as if it was about to jump right off of his face. Out of all of this, his eyes were the most normal thing about him, a deep and friendly blue that sparkled with knowledge. But even they looked a bit too bright as if he had stolen their color from the rushing river that winded along to their left.

As it turned out, the man had been eager to talk, informing Asteria that he was in fact lost and needed directions to the little town of Cassiopeia. After several long moments of conversation, Asteria had concluded that the man wasn't as worried about his situation as he should have been, acting as if being alone in the middle of a vast forest was something that happened to just about anyone. Ultimately, she decided it wasn't her place to pry and offered to escort him to his destination, thinking about all the dangers that crept within the shadows of the trees. She lived near the outskirts of the little dwelling and thus knew how to get back from any direction. The man quickly agreed, telling her that he would very much like the company, as it had been three long days since he had last been in the presence of another person.

As they walked, the man told her about his long life, his accent making it difficult to interpret what he was saying. At first, Asteria had assumed that he had been born in a distant land, or perhaps on the deck of a ship, but to her great surprise he informed her that he had been born and raised in the nation of Denab, never stepping foot outside of its borders. He worked as a storyteller, gathering anything from fairytales, to myths and legends, and at times even news or rumors from other nations. He spread information from village to village, and in turn, the people that he visited would supply him with enough money and food to see him to his next destination.

He had last been in the city of Sooraj, a bustling and loud place that Asteria had visited only once before, finding the insistent noise and overfilled streets far too overwhelming for her tastes. He, though, spoke of the city quite fondly, telling her of the places he had visited and the kind people he had met and shared his stories with. He said he had spent far longer in that city than he normally would have, finding the people who lived there to be interesting and delightful. But eventually, he knew it was time to move on, and forced himself to leave for the nearest town on his map.

"It is not my first time visiting Cassiopeia." The man's childlike voice informed her, as he leaned heavily on his cane, seeming to struggle with each step forward. Asteria didn't know how he had managed to make it this far with how weak his legs seemed to be, yet each moment when she was sure he would collapse, he took another shaky step forward. "I've been there two times before, long before you were ever born." Asteria waited for him to continue speaking, but for the first time since they had met, he was silent.