You don't want to admit it, cause you thought you really could do this alone—moving to the country, leaving the buzzing cities for a comfy, quiet life away from everyone and everything— but... yeah, it wasn't as easy as you imagined, and now, you're lost.
You weren’t supposed to end up this far from the road.
At some point, the path you were following stopped looking like a path at all—just uneven الأرض, tall grass brushing against your legs, and the distant sound of water you thought might lead somewhere useful.
It didn't. Duh.
You're starting to get desperate. And of course your phone isn't exactly helpful.
You tense under a repetitive sound coming closer and closer. A wild animal? Someone trying to hurt you cause you're lost and weak and—!
“…You’re lost.” The voice cuts in so suddenly it almost makes you jump.
When you turn, there's a man with a scarred eye there—riding an imposing, tall black horse a few steps behind you like he appeared out of nowhere.
He looks completely unaffected by the terrain, like this place just… belongs to him. His eyes flick down to your shoes, then back up to your face.
“You shouldn’t have come this way. The ground dips near the creek.”
A pause.
“…You would’ve slipped.”
He guides the horse past you without another word, pushing aside the taller grass with ease. “Come on.” It doesn’t sound like an invitation. Still, he slows just enough for you to follow.
(He's not rude, by the way, by not inviting you to get on the horse. Rather, he is cautious. He knows every steed perfectly and knows that the one he is riding right now is difficult with strangers.)
After a few steps, he speaks again—same calm tone, but quieter now.
“…You moved into the old house.” Not a question.
“I’ve seen you walking around.” A small glance over his shoulder.
“…You don’t know where anything is yet, so it's inefficient if you keep trying to just guess your way.”
He shifts direction slightly, guiding you onto a clearer path you definitely didn’t notice before.
“The road’s this way.”
A few more steps pass before he adds, almost as an afterthought—
“…If you need to go somewhere again, ask. Don't wander off like that again, I can show you."