Chương 105: Chapter 104 – Finding Balance

Illianna and Roxie continued down the road toward the Abernathy Farm. Illianna was deep in thought while Roxie trudged beside her. Joe may have been a crotchety old goat, but she could not deny that he was an honest, hardworking man who would help anyone in need. The farm was one of the larger ones in the area. His claim to fame was some of the sweetest corn you could ever taste. For everything that Joe was not, Rosie was. She was one of the happiest people Illianna had ever met.

There never seemed to be a dark cloud over that woman's head. Elves did not eat the flesh of animals. They kept them for cheese, eggs, and the various other types of products that could be harvested without harm to the animal. Elves viewed animals much like they viewed each other. Necessary stewards to perpetuate the circle of life. They were here to provide sustenance, labor, clothing, but not to be sacrificed in order to provide.

"I'm not used to all this walking!" Roxie said, pulling Illianna out of her thoughts.

"Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, but my feet are starting to hurt." She snickered.

"When I changed into Nessa, I didn't consider practical shoes or comfortable walking attire." Illianna glanced down at Roxie's feet with a curious smile.

"Silly girl. Why don't you zap yourself a new outfit, if you are that uncomfortable?" she asked, puzzled, before raising her face to the sun. She basked in its warmth while the gentle breeze billowed through her hair. If they had been here for pleasure, the day would be simply perfect. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. An icy chill went up her spine as she reminded herself this jaunt was anything but a social call. Roxie looked at Illianna, half-smiling and raising her eyebrows.

"Zap?" she asked, finding the word utterly ridiculous.

"Yeah, you know, that thing you do, change, morph, you know, zap," Illianna replied.

"Not a bad idea, but before I do, I have questions," she said, becoming serious.

"Do elven women wear pants? This whole dress thing is kind of cumbersome, especially when trekking down a wooded road." Illianna stopped, lowered her head, and shook it in disbelief at the question.

"Yes, dear, fairy women wear pants from time to time. There is no law that says we must wear a dress." She scoffed.

"Some of us just find them far more comfortable than pants. It's a choice. Just a choice." She returned her gaze to Roxie.

"What about shoes?" Roxie asked, turning her attention to Illianna's feet.

"What about them?" Illianna asked, confused by the question.

"Footwear is no more required than dresses, just another choice."

"Ill, that's not what I meant and you know it," Roxie said, raising her eyebrows.

"What types of footwear would not stand out, yet be comfortable enough to walk long distances in?"

"Oh!" Illianna replied, flushing.

"We have different types of shoes too, but for everyday, most of us tend to wear these." She stuck her foot out so Roxie could get a good look at her woven sandals.

"They are comfortable and breathable, which makes walking so much more pleasurable." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Roxie nodded her head, looking closer at Illianna's shoes.

"They look simple enough," she muttered to herself, then looked around the wooded area in search of a suitable place to do her thing.

"Be right back," she said, darting off. Illianna took the time to enjoy the tranquility of the forest. She raised her face to the sun, letting its warmth encompass her. Then she giggled, muttering, "Do elves wear pants?" still finding humor in the question. Roxie rushed back sporting her new attire. Gone was the flowing dress, replaced by a simple pair of homespun pants and a matching lace-up top.

"You're right, these things are pretty comfortable," she said, showing Illianna her sandals.

"Now I have a question for you," Illianna said, looking at Roxie's feet and nodding.

"If you don't walk so much in your world, how do you get around? Horse? Boat?" Her curiosity piqued, she paused thoughtfully before adding, "Oh wait! Let me guess, you must use those teleport do-hickey things to get around." It was Roxie's turn to laugh.

"None of the above. I mean, you could if you really wanted to, except for the teleport 'doohickey' things, as you called them. Teleports are something relatively new. I didn't even know they were a thing until I came to work with Regina and Elena." She paused, thinking of a way to explain in terms Illianna could understand. She knew that the Elves were nowhere near as technologically advanced as the Goblins were, and putting it in terms Illianna could understand was proving to be a challenge.

"Okay, let me see if I can explain it. We have vehicles. They're kind of like, well, horseless carriages."

"So what kind of animal would you use? A donkey? A bull?" Illianna asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Why wouldn't you use horses? Do you have horses where you come from?"

"Yes, we have horses," Roxie laughed.

"We just don't use animals for that. Vehicles are machines, like a teleport, but they are not as advanced," she paused, trying to come up with a description Illianna could relate to.

"Basically, it's like a pod. You get in, push a few buttons, and it goes. You can tell it where you want to go and it will take you, or use the manual function and self-direct it." Illianna scratched her head, unable to hide her confusion.

"So you just get into this pod-like device," she began, trying to imagine it, "and then tell it where you want to go?" She turned to Roxie, trying to understand.

"Let me see if I got this right, then it takes you there, without an animal or anything else like that?"

"Basically, yes," Roxie said, knowing that Illianna could not truly envision it without a form of reference.

"You know what? I have an idea," Roxie said, her lips curling into a wide smile.

"When we're done with this and go back to HQ, I'll take you for a ride in my vehicle. Then you can see firsthand how different it is in the goblin realm. We have big cities with buildings taller than these trees," she said, motioning to the forest.

"There will be things you see there that will blow your mind, Ill." She patted the woman on the back as she nudged her forward.

"Right now, however, I'm going to leave it all to your imagination." Illianna tried to imagine Roxie's world as she looked at the landscape around her. She didn't think she would like seeing buildings taller than trees, or trading her strolls in the woods for busy streets. Technology could be wonderful, but nothing could replace the simple beauty of nature.

"We're almost there. It's just up ahead to your right," Illianna said softly, pondering how backward her world must seem to Roxie. Roxie looked to where Illianna had directed. She could see a small cottage off in the distance.

"Over there?" she asked, confirming she was looking in the right place.

"Yup, that's Joe and Rosie's place," Illianna said as a goat casually walked out of the woods. Roxie watched dumbfounded while a goat began munching on the tall grass by the side of the road.