Forest of Dreams

Chapter seven

We arrived at the entrance to the city – a huge gateway with walls several feet thick flanked by enormous iron gates on either side. A heavy portcullis loomed ominously on top. I felt tiny as I walked through it, I wondered if it was designed more to intimidate than for anything practical. The first thing that hit me as we entered was the atmosphere. It was as if the air was saturated with the spirit of the city. It was full of smells and sounds – food cooking, laughter echoing, the clang of blacksmiths, the clatter of coins. I looked around, trying to take it all in as Ayol guided me through the streets. It was busy, everything and everyone was close together. Despite the size of it, it felt condensed, as if a city four times bigger had been squeezed into the space.

A large man barged past me, almost knocking me over in my weakened state. Ayol quickly put his arm around me as I stumbled, drawing me into his torso and tucking me under his protective arm, while cursing the perpetrator. He loosened his grip, but I stayed there holding on him, not wanting to move out of this safe little enclave.

'Are you ok?' he whispered, leaning in.

'Yes.' I realised how tightly I was gripping him and let go, embarrassed.

'It's not far now, stay close to me,' he said as we started to move again. I stayed very close to him.

We arrived at a small inn, hidden away on a backstreet. I couldn't imagine ever being able to find my way around this city, let alone be able to locate this inn again. There wasn't so much of a reception as a single chair and a basic desk with no-one at it. I sat on the chair while Ayol went to find the owner, returning alone and instructing me to follow him. We went up two flights of stairs and along a corridor before Ayol stopped and opened a plain wooden door. The room was large inside, on the left there were two single beds – one pushed up against the wall opposite the door and the other next to it. There was a chest of drawers against the wall immediately on my right, and after that there was a small round table and two comfy looking chairs in front of a large window. Directly opposite the door was a large wooden desk and to the right of that was a door to the bathroom.

I sat in one of the chairs, dazed and exhausted. I jumped when there was a knock at the door. Ayol opened it and an old man, presumably the innkeeper, brought in a tray of soup and bread, placing it on the table in front of me with a large grin, missing several teeth. Ayol sat on the other chair but I didn't speak to him as I wolfed down the meal. Afterwards I sat back, sated, and looked at Ayol – he was still only halfway through his.

I went to look at the bathroom. I'd never stayed anywhere overnight before, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was large and airy, with a freestanding bath tub. I switched the taps on and went back into the room. 'Can I have a bath?' I asked nervously.

He smiled. 'Why are you asking? You don't need my permission to wash. Besides, I can hear that you're already running it.' He seemed amused.

I turned back towards the bathroom but stopped halfway. 'I don't have anything clean to wear,' I said, turning to him. I don't know what I was expecting, it's not as if he would be able to magically produce some women's clothes from somewhere.

He handed me a shirt from his bag. 'Sorry, it's not much, but it's clean,' he said apologetically. 'First though, will you tell me what happened with Thaniel after you left us?' It was more of a command than a question. I didn't feel as though I could refuse to answer. I switched off the taps and sat in the chair opposite him.

I told him how we'd washed down the river and how we'd managed to climb out, how he'd insisted on finding a rock to cut his ropes and how I'd done it. I told him that we'd barely spoken, both so cold and tired, and how we'd shivered together through the night until I woke with the dagger, although I didn't tell him the details of the dream. I replayed the moment when he'd tried to force himself on me, and how I remembered that I had the weapon, although I wasn't sure of it until I put my hand on it and felt it, knowing I was fully awake. Then how I'd stabbed him, twice, and then Garrett had arrived. He listened attentively as he finished his soup, his eyes moving between sympathy and anger as I spoke.