Chương 91: Book 3; Chapter 90; Welcome home

Rainee and Blake were standing side by side in a large pavilion and watching a large gathering of unfriendly people in the far distance. They had reached Blake's home village only a few hours ago, but the joy of welcome had already been disturbed. When they came back, it was truly heartbreaking to see Blake's mum's reaction. Not only Blake, but everyone around was given hugs and kisses, including Rainee.

After the first excitement passed, curiosity took over, and with that, Rainee received a less friendly look as recognition had awakened some memories. It was obvious that in Blake's mum's mind, the culprit in the disappearance of her son was found, and it had to be no one else but Rainee.

"So you met your old friend and went travelling?" she half-stated, half-asked Blake.

"And didn't want to tell me because you were afraid I would not let you go? I guess it is my own fault for not allowing it last time… But still, it is not good to behave like this. You made me so worried I nearly died from sorrow. We all got worried. But never mind, what is in the past is in the past, just never do it again. Not in the way you did now. But come inside, you both must be really tired. Your name is Ren, isn't it? I am sure I remember it correctly. You haven't changed that much over the years.

We will have to make a big party this evening for everyone in the village, but let's take a little rest and talk before. But you have grown up in these few days!" she spoke to Blake again.

"And a good deal!" Rainee didn't argue and walked inside, thinking to herself how often people get things completely wrong, but still they firmly believe that they got it right without even bothering to give it a second thought. And the difference between how people feel and how they act struck her once more. She knew that Blake's mum didn't want her to come in. If anything, she wanted Rainee to leave and never come back, as she strongly believed her to be a troublemaker.

But instead of saying what she felt, Blake's mum opened the door and showed Rainee in. As usual under such circumstances, Rainee didn't know how to take it — to marvel at the strength or at the stubbornness and blindness of people. But once again, she thought to herself that she wouldn't ever like to behave like this, and she would definitely not invite into her house anyone she didn't like, no matter if they had done good or bad. But Blake's reaction was a very pleasant surprise.

When his mum spoke, at first he was ready to argue, but then changed his mind and allowed his mum to speak as much as she wanted. That was way more mature than Rainee could have expected of him. In the state his mum was in now, people don't really hear what they are told, so confronting her would be equal to arguing, which would probably lead to pointless accusations. His mum didn't ask any questions, so she didn't want yet to hear anything that would challenge what she believed.

And there was no one else around who could be misled by these inaccurate statements. So there was no need or reason to interrupt her, as it would just bring further agitation. For Rainee, it was easy to do, as she understood all the reasons. However, Blake, on the other hand, didn't know anything, but still, he managed to compose himself and let his mum to talk to her heart's content, not paying much attention to the inaccuracy of her words, thereby allowing her to ease her stress while talking.

By now, Rainee knew how difficult this was for people to do, as most didn't understand that you could stay in your own truth, unaffected by the misunderstanding of others. Even if that misunderstanding was aimed directly at you. For that, she was truly impressed with the inner shift that had taken place inside Blake in the past few days. He really had grown, and not just in size. So the lock that kept him frozen had been broken.

It would be interesting to see where these new, open spaces would take him, whether it would be back to the prison or into the open waters. Blake's mum, on the other hand, was much affected by time and didn't look anything like the young and pretty woman she had met all those years ago. It couldn't be different, as the way she chose to live her life would not break her free from regular standards, so it was no surprise to see her like this.

Once inside, excitement and stress slowly passed, and Blake's mum became willing to hear the other side, not only to be heard. Just then, Blake told her what happened. It was interesting to listen to what he said, as he was mainly presenting events from Rainee's point of view, but it was also nowhere close to how Rainee saw it. He told how he and Deamon slipped down the cliff, how Rainee somehow heard him, and how she rushed to his aid.

He told how, when her horse didn't dare to come any closer, she ran and jumped into the canyon without a second thought, and how her bird came and caught her in midair and then went after Deamon. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. And how Rainee, seeing that he was falling, left the safety of the bird's back just in time to save him from falling.

And how he was scared to let go of the tree, and how Rainee patiently waited until he became brave enough, and how they landed on the back of the bird, and then how Rainee showed him how wonderful the world was, and he saw it. And he flew, flew, flew. He flew like the wind—no, actually faster than the wind. While speaking about it, he couldn't sit and ran around the room with his hands spread wide until he finally fell down on the floor, reliving that moment with the widest smile on his face.

Then he told how Rainee offered to take him back home, and as her horse didn't want to carry Blake, she walked together with him. And how she fed him, and how she saved him from wolves, and how she taught him many things on the way back. He said that he probably grew up because he learned so much that all this knowledge didn't fit anymore inside a small child, and he had to grow up to get it all in.

He told how people became afraid of Deamon, as Deamon had grown too and didn't want to give them a ride, and how he realised that he didn't even want that ride, as he really liked travelling, and because Rainee was not travelling anymore but going back home, they chose to spend the rest of their trip walking and enjoying themselves. So many things that he said weren't true, but Rainee didn't correct him as it wasn't a lie either.

It was simply that, he and she had different knowledge and saw what happened differently. If he knew as much as Rainee, he would see events in a different light too, but he didn't, and just because of that, his understanding wasn't any less valid than hers. Besides, it was very interesting to listen to him. In the middle of Blake's talk, Rainee started to get the feeling that she should go now. Like some other place was calling her, like she needed to be somewhere else.

By now, she already knew that this feeling led to something new and interesting, or somewhere, where her help would be needed, but this time she chased it away as, first, she wanted to hear Blake's side of the story, and second, Blake's mum was having a tighter and tighter grip on her. And it was a real, physical grip, as while listening, she moved closer to Rainee, had first gave her a hug, and now was sitting and firmly holding Rainee's arm with both hands, unconsciously pressing it harder and harder.

By now, all unfriendliness was gone and replaced with gratitude and awe. Rainee didn't know how to leave now, while being held like this, so she stayed. Such an inner shift in Blake's mum was strange and alien to Rainee. Not unknown, as by now she had witnessed it countless times in many other people, but still, it never stopped her from marvelling at it, nor could she understand it. Why would people value each other just by what they think another person did? It was so strange and so unstable.

Why does the attitude towards her have to be only about her actions? As if people wouldn't even see a person behind those actions… Maybe they really don't see it? This thought was returning to Rainee's head more often lately than ever before, but she relentlessly chased it away. Surely it cannot be true! There has to be a different explanation for this reaction. Otherwise, it would mean that people are valuing each other just by what they know about them.

And that usually has nothing to do with the other person at all. Like now. First, Rainee was disliked for something she never did; now, she is liked for something that doesn't represent the truth either. What if Blake told his mum that many of these teachings he received were about how to recognise the abuse he is receiving from his mum? Would his mum dislike Rainee again?

And what if someone were to come and enlighten her that the major shift this little trip had made in Blake has little to do with what he is telling right now, and it will be irreversible, as it was plain open and obvious now, despite not being known either to Blake or to his mum? The prisoner broke free. And no matter what direction he will choose from now on, it is highly unlikely he will ever return to the prison.

Even if he chose to do so, it would be on completely different terms, as way too many invisible strings had been broken. It was funny to compare a mother's love to a prison, but Rainee couldn't think of a better match, as that's how it felt and that's how it was. If Blake's mum realised how much she had lost in these few days, it would horrify her. Would she dislike Rainee for that? Or maybe even hate her? And if she did, then Rainee wouldn't even be able to say that she hasn't done anything.

On the contrary, it happened exactly because of Rainee. And it didn't fall into the could-have-or-should-have category as it had already happened, no matter that it is not yet known to others. It couldn't be helped — stolen life doesn't benefit the one who stole it, it only cripples the one it was stolen from. And no matter how it is done, whether by evil intentions or by love. So the sooner the life is returned to its rightful owner, the less both sides will suffer. That much Rainee already knew.

While all these thoughts were going through Rainee's head, that urging feeling inside was getting stronger, but she chose not to listen to it. She didn't ignore it completely, and at the same time, while listening to Blake, she was also paying a lot of her attention to what was happening outside, but there was nothing unusual happening, at least nothing that would require her attention.

"Did you really jump into the canyon?" Blake's mum asked, looking at Rainee after Blake finished his story.

"No," Rainee smiled at her, "I jumped onto a bird. There would be no point for me to jump into the canyon, as I would just fall down. But I understand why Blake said I did, as that is the way he saw it. From Blake's side, it might look like I jumped into the canyon, but not for me, as I could see the bigger picture and knew that the bird would be under me when I needed it."

"But how could you know it? How did that bird even come to your aid?"

"Help will always come when you ask for it," Rainee answered without a shadow of doubt or room for dispute.

"How can you be so sure?" Blake's mum could not understand.

"Because that's how it is, that's how The One created the world, and it cannot be any other way."

"Help doesn't always come to us…" the woman didn't want to argue with this strange girl who, in her eyes, performed a miracle while saving her son, but couldn't agree with this statement wholeheartedly.

"Because most people are ignoring the help offered and expect something that they want to receive instead. That is not how it works." And that was where they got interrupted. Rainee jumped to her feet and left faster than the other two could react. Blake ran after her, and his mum followed behind. That's how they ended up at this pavilion on the very outskirts of this village.

Everyone else was running in the opposite direction in fear and terror, and Rainee came just in time to slash the arrows flying after the slowest villagers. By the time Blake and his mum reached the pavilion, all they could see was just Rainee with a sword in her hand and a cloud of black dust surrounding her. Also, there were a dozen strange-looking people dashing away at full speed.