Fate

Joleen sat outside the small hut on a bench looking over the hills she had climbed to reach this place, her head in her hands, unsure of what had just happened and uncomfortable at her uncertainty. The sun was shining down on her, its warmth countered by the gentle but frigid wind that blew through her hair. The bench was hard and clearly not built for extended periods of sitting. Perhaps it was meant to usher visitors inside more quickly. But she did not move.

She heard the door to the hut open and close behind her, and a set of footsteps drew close to her. She did not turn to see them. "Were you unsatisfied with your future?" the older voice asked. It belonged to the wizard who lived in his hut atop the hills, who offered readings of futures for any who came to visit him. It was not an easy journey to reach him, and only the most resolute were likely to reach him. Less than an hour prior, Joleen had been that kind of person.

"It is not that I am dissatisfied," she answered flatly, refusing to turn her gaze away from the skyline. "To be honest, it is not even... unexpected."

The wizard hummed and sat beside her. She shifted away from him immediately. "You are to be a heroine," the old man muttered. "To serve and save your people. To be remembered in the analogues of history, and to die a hero's death, fighting against evil. Your death will not even be in vain. Your death will rally the people so that they might finish your fight, and bring a peace that most are unfamiliar with. Your very name shall bring joy to those people's children."

Joleen nodded silently. She had already heard him say all of these things, and in much greater detail. The acts of valor and bravery. The injuries and rewards received for her actions. Everything that she would ever do, and the consequences of her every action. That is what she had come to hear, and it had been delivered to her. But still, she was not happy.

"What is wrong, then?" he asked.

Joleen wasn't entirely sure. That's what she had been trying to decide on. "When I came up here," she voiced quietly, "I wanted to know who I would be. I thought that if I knew, I would feel more confident that I was on the right path. That I was doing the right things, and that my choices weren't a waste of time. But now that I know... I guess I just feel like I cheated."

The old man chuckled, and finally Joleen turned to see the smile emblazoned on his face. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"You feel like you cheated because you know your fate. You should try knowing everyone's."