They walked down from the ridge at an easy pace, the kind that didn't push them forward or hold them back. The valley floor stretched out with open grass and scattered flowers, and the path ahead was clear without needing to be chosen.
Fate looked around slowly, taking in every detail as if seeing it for the first time.
"This feels… normal," they said quietly. "Almost like I'm just another traveler."
"You are," the Dreamer replied. "And that's a good thing."
They continued walking until they reached a small group of houses at the edge of the valley. Smoke rose gently from a few chimneys, and the smell of warm bread drifted through the air. A couple of villagers were out sweeping their porches or tending to their gardens.
No one looked frightened.
No one bowed.
No one whispered about Fate's presence.
They simply nodded politely, as they would to anyone passing by.
Fate returned the nods, unsure at first, then more comfortably as they went on.
