The town was downhill and was a much easier trip than her uphill trek. The town was called Hillsdale. Not the most original name she’d ever heard (though to be fair to the town, she couldn’t remember any names at all right then).

The hills made raising herd animals relatively easy and profitable. So goats and sheep, with a smattering of cattle too, ended up being the primary export of the town. Second to that was travelers. Right through the center of town was a large open road, and from the top of the hill you could see it wind it’s way in and out.

Between the herd animals and the travelers, Hillsdale did well for itself. It was small enough to feel homey and neighborly, but big enough that there was always something interesting to do.

Or so Thio explained.

Frankly, it looked pretty small to Caroline. When she thought of towns, the pictures that came to her mind were much bigger. The houses and roads looked different. The impression she got of Hillsdale was a tiny old-fashioned town.

Actually, everything about this area seemed that way to her. Even how Thio dressed gave her that impression: His pants and shoes were dark rough leather, with a tan shirt that had a simple thick-threaded design embroidered onto the collar and sleeves.

When compared to her own clothes, which she only just noticed when comparing, it was definitely different. Her shirt was white in a lady’s cut style, with a printed pink floral pattern up one side. Her pants were a dark blue jean material and her shoes were average tennis shoes.

But, while she knew they were different, she didn’t know the names. She knew the pants were a dark blue material, thickly woven, but she didn’t know they were specifically called “jeans”. Her laced pink stripped shoes, were obviously not made of leather like Thio’s, but she didn’t know they were specifically called “tennis shoes”. It was strange. It was strange knowing her clothes were “normal” and his were not, but not understanding exactly why.

Walking into the town intensified her uneasy ignorance: The houses were simple wood structures with grassy roofs and dark dirt bricks packed on the side. Many had no glass at all in the windows. Paint was used on the wood frames, often a bright white color, making for a visually pleasant contrast to the sod siding. It looked very earthy and natural, but it didn’t look “normal”.

The people were the same too. The men wore something similar to what Thio wore, though their embroidered shirts all had different designs, using different colored threads. Actually, comparing him to the others, it seemed to her that fancier shirts with brighter threads were common. But Thio’s thread was just a dark brown and the design was very simple. But the pants and shoes were the same, though his looked a lot more worn down.

Unsurprisingly, her clothes were completely different from what the women were wearing. They all had skirts down to their ankles, with varying colors. And their shirts were embroidered too but much fancier. They also had their hair up in elaborate braids. Her hair was down and ended at her shoulders.

She was getting a lot of looks from the people around her. Women were looking in outrage and disgust, while men were wide eyed and frequently lecherous in their stares.

Caroline moved closer to Thio, biting her lip in worry, and tugged on his shirt sleeve. “I think… I think I’m making people upset.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Thio glanced around and grimaced. He was use to getting disapproval from people and tended to tune it out.

“Nosy, judgmental busy-bodies—” He grumbled unhappily, and then motioned to her to follow him down a side street. “We’ll just take the side streets, there are usually less people.”

He hesitated and then added: “Do you… have a change of clothes, by any chance?”

“No, what I’m wearing is all I’ve got. Literally.”

“I figured.” She saw his shoulders slump ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry.” Caroline felt guilty and worried. He was just some random guy crying on a rock and she could tell she was putting him in an awkward position.

Thio shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. “It’s alright. I’ll figure something out.”

As they walked, the houses got progressively more shabby: peeling paint, poorly mended doors, and loose sod haphazardly falling in clumps off the exteriors. Even the grass on the roofs started to brown. It became clear to her that these neighborhoods were for poor people.

They finally stopped at a very small home. It was smaller than a room from the house she used to live in. In fact, it was borderline shack sized. But it had healthy grass on the roof, and even if the paint was peeling, the door looked to be in semi-decent shape.

Thio coughed and opened the door, awkwardly announcing: “Welcome to my home. Sorry it’s…” He shrugged helplessly. “…what it is.”

Ah, Thio was poor. That was why his outfit stood out to her, even if everyone here was equally dressed weird in her mind. His outfit was far too simple and plain compared to everyone else’s, and that was because he just didn’t have the money to buy anything nicer.

“Don’t say it like that.” Caroline pointed at the grassy roof. “Isn’t that bright green color a sign that you take really good care of this place? Even if it’s small, if you love it, then you shouldn’t be ashamed.”

The young man’s mouth dropped open, speechless. Caroline paid no attention to his response and briskly entered the house.

Yep. It was just as tiny on the inside. To the left, just below a glassless window, was one tiny stove. On top of it was an old metal tea pot, clearly second hand based on it’s beat-up appearance. To the left of the stove, lining the wall, was a series of old metal hooks of varying sizes. On each one hung something different: a large pot, a bag filled with this or that, clothes, and so on. It was clear that Thio liked to keep things organized and off the dirt floor.

On the other side of the house, was a simple bed. It stood only a few inches off the floor and it’s lumpy mattress made Caroline suspect it was not filled with metal coils or cotton as she was use to. At least the sheets looked clean, even if he’d left his bed unmade.

Thio entered after her and just having an extra person made the space feel way too small. He grabbed the only stool in the room and motioned for her to sit on it. He then made his bed quickly and sat down on it too.

He stared at her in perplexed silence for a moment.

“I’ve never seen that kind of outfit before, and I’ve seen a lot of foreigners. What country are you from?”

Caroline opened her mouth and then closed it. Her mind visualized a map, and on the map where words. She knew what she was seeing was her country, but she could not think of the name. And the words, which she knew she ought to know, just looked like nonsense scribble to her mind.

“I kind of know and I kind of don’t know…”

“You said that before.” He frowned.

“I know but it’s true. I can’t remember the name of it, but I can visualize it. And I know it’s not anywhere near here.”

“Hm…” He stood up and went over to a woven basket hanging from a wall. He pulled out a chalk board and chalk from it and handed it to her. “Can you draw what you’re seeing?”

She nodded eagerly and immediately set to drawing the map from her mind. Caroline was disappointed in the result. It was clear she had no talent for drawing. What she’d made on the chalk board only vaguely resembled her memory.

Giving an annoyed snort, she handed it back to him, muttering in embarrassment: “This… this isn’t really that accurate but I did try. Really.”

Thio took one look at the outline and shook his head. “As I thought, I have no idea. I’m not a map maker but I know the major countries around here, and this doesn’t look like any of them. Not even close.” The corners of his mouth twitched: “I don’t think map making or painting are in your future either.”