#(title stolen from abba's chiquitita because some of us have songs stuck in their heads okay)

[stories-by-rie]

127 try once more like you did before

it is time for another thing for @flashfictionfridayofficial, minor warning for mentioned smoking, other than that it's actually very lighthearted i think, 780 words, hope you have fun <3

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Someone too close was smoking too much. Usually Rabea was not that deep in someone else’s business--if they want to smoke, they can smoke! But this had to be the fiftieth cigar this evening because the smoke was actually clouding the tavern’s room and the whole atmosphere got a kind of mysterious that was too dramatic even for her tastes. Which really meant something, considering she sat in the darkest corner, the hood of her cloak covering half her face in shadows.

All she wanted to do was to get a tiny break before setting out into The Forest again, but perhaps journeying to the sea  was a better idea, to get her lungs cleaned out by the salty ocean air. Actually, it seemed like a better idea the more she thought about it. A change in scenery had never hurt anyone and, sure, she had that one hire to venture into The Forest and destroy the wall’s gate and obtain a book from the library behind it that may or may not be cursed, but her client was immortal so a little vacation should be in it. Right?

Rabea just got ready to leave when the door opened and a group of young travellers came in. It was impossible not to overhear their conversation and who was Rabea to deny her ears.

“I followed the manual to the T”, one of them proclaimed. “My sword is polished, the tinctures are correctly labelled and my water bottles filled. There is nothing that could go wrong.”

“Did you also work through the chapter “Waterfalls and Other Sopping Escapades”? I mean, we’re going into The Forest, how many bodies of water could we possibly encounter?” another wondered.

“Well, I mean I skimmed it and I know the gist, so I consider myself well prepared, still”, the first one said.

Rabea took a deep breath and instantly lapsed into a coughing fit. Those younglings were about to see the last of their days.

“Very reasonable”, another mumbled, “I also skipped the chapter about fighting fire witches. Everyone knows those live near volcanoes, there’s no way we’re going to encounter one.”

The rest of the group agreed in different tones of mumbles and Rabea felt herself nearly cringe to death. It would be an embarrassing end, but surely everyone would see its inevitability. Fate truly was the cruellest of all.

“If I may be so bold to interrupt”, Rabea boldly interrupted with a raspy voice that made her sound at least another 430 years older, “but I happen to have ventured into The Forest before and I cannot recommend the chapter about fighting fire witches enough.”

The group turned towards her, eyeing her with suspicious gazes and one or two blanching faces.

“Oh shit, are there truly fire witches in The Forest?”, one of them asked with a thin voice.

“Well, not exactly, but there definitely are burning bog snakes and handling them roughly works the same way as handling fire witches”, Rabea replied. Not that anyone had given her that advice when she had walked into The Forest the first time, but she was a great supporter of shared and free knowledge. So.

Suddenly each and every one of them had burning questions (well, not that kind of burning) about The Forest and Rabea found herself answering them all with enormous professionalism backed by her own experiences.

“Who even are you?” one of them asked with an impressed spark in her eyes.

“Me? I am Rabea.”

“Rabea the Ruthless?” one cried and suddenly, the whole group looked again as if they were ready to bolt out of the tavern.

“I? Don’t know?” Had she gained a moniker while she had been trying to conquer The Forest? Why had no one told her about this?

“Rabea the Ruthless who is known for slaying even the greatest beast, who has ventured into The Forest countless times and remained victorious no matter how many times she tried? Who ruthlessly goes against anyone in her way? That Rabea?”

Well. That sounded somewhat more dramatic than she had expected. With great flourish, she pulled back her cloak’s hood.

“Maybe? I sure have been in The Forest quite a lot. But only because I keep failing at my mission? So I am really not certain if that holds up to anyone’s expectations.”

The group stared at her now with a mixture of wonder and fear.

“If even Rabea the Ruthless keeps failing, how are we supposed to even make it behind the first line of trees?” the biggest of the group cried pitifully.

Rabea took a coughing sigh. It seemed like the ocean would have to wait.