Finding A New Path (Sideon)

[Quetzal]

Ri'Shei had not had the best of times following the Battle of Uru'baen and the end of both the civil war and the Empire. Having been severely injured with a wound to the stomach during the fight, she had taken over a week to recover in the healer's tents before being questioned by the Varden; she could hardly sneak off and escape while lacking the energy to do much more than sleep and heal. They had seen that she had not been forced to do what she did. Of course she had taken the oath like everybody else, but she had no true objections to the Empire. Her loyalty was genuine and she had meant her oath when she said it freely. Naturally that had not gone down too well. Thankfully since she had never done anything so horrific it was considered a crime, she was simply fined to help repair the war's damage and sent on her way knowing she would be shunned wherever she went as a former Empire supporter. What she did she did to protect the country. They needed law and order. Galbatorix was cruel, yes, but a strong unyielding hand had to rule. The Varden were too soft. Before long she expected Alagaesia to fall into chaos. It was a wonder that hadn't already happened.

The spartan was easy to pick out due to her race being scarcely seen outside the Hadarac desert, tall as Kull and with darker skin than most Alagaesians. That led to questions, which were fine before, but now the war was over if she was identified as a warrior and asked what she did during the war led to awkwardness. People gossiped, word spread, and it was easy to pick her out in a crowd. She loathed the glares and whispers, not to mention the more violent responses. Many tried to pick fights. No one dared show her any kindness. Sick of being treated in such a way, she had retreated out of civilisation for the time being. She had no idea where to go or what to do. Her chances of finding her old tribe in the desert were slim, and that life was boring anyway. That was why she had joined the Empire in the first place.

That was why Ri'Shei was currently walking through a lightly forested area with no destination. She didn't really know or care where she was. The desert had made her hardy, so this land was bountiful in comparison. She had a small tent and bedroll. A waterskin was filled frequently as streams were so common here. Food was not hard to find, even if she did have to resort to shooting squirrels. Occasionally she would buy from a farm or village, but she avoided towns altogether. Too many guards, too many judging citizens, too many questions. What stung was how the people hating her were the very same she worked to hard to protect. Spying a tree bearing fruit, she hoisted herself up to a lower branch and picked one from just above her. She sat swinging her legs, chewing on the too firm unripe fruit. There was nothing to do any more. Her life had got so boring now she had no purpose.