The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 3

We left late at night when nobody was watching. We took the main route out of the Noble's estate. My plan was to get back to my stuff where I was camping the night before I got caught and we'd stay there until tomorrow. The dark sky was covered with gray clouds that threatened to pour any minute. I felt we wouldn't go much further, so might as well just stop. We didn't light any fire. We just sat under a nearby tree and waited for the night to pass.

We had been on the road for two days now and the rain hadn't stopped one bit. It was considerably slowing us down. Between Lord Alessio's winter estate and the next town, the trip was supposed to be about a day and a half long. Yet, at this rhythm, we wouldn't be there till tomorrow night. We had barely exchanged any word ever since we left. All we did was silently agree on everything, like we were used to work together, but instead it was just awkward. We didn't get our blankets out because they'd be damped anyway. So, we just slept under some trees two days in a row, waiting for the downfall to stop, but we'd probably have rain for like a week.

It's not like I hadn't tried to talk. I did, the first night. I tried to have small talk with him, try to get to know each other since we'd have to travel together for a bit more than three months, but no response came from his lips. I had even tried to connect with his shadow, but even it didn't want to. He was stubborn head to toes.

Finally, the next day we arrived at the village.

Since to noble left me some money, I was able to rent us a small room with two beds where we could dry up. I wasn't much for sleeping inside, let alone paying for something, but with the weather we had been given, I gave in. It had been a while since I slept in a bed, a few years at least. I hadn't bathed in a bathtub in about as much, in hot water for more. So, I intended to enjoy it. After we hung our stuff near the fireplace to dry it up, I called for the hot water to be brought up and filled the wooden bathtub myself. Percevin was reading a book in the corner of the room, and I didn't feel any shame in stripping down and stepping into the bath.

I think I stayed there for almost an hour. My skin was unbearably wrinkled, and I enjoyed the warmness of the water that smoothen my muscles. When I got out of the bath, I just dressed in a robe and laid down on my bed. I stayed there for about another hour, just enjoying the fact that I was laying on a mattress. I didn't fall asleep but instead was in a state of meditation. The knight-to-be was still reading this book in the corner of the room. No one talked. Later, I went down to order some food. It came to the room about 10 minutes later and we enjoyed dinner without exchanging any word.

I thought about what brought me here. I was stuck with a contract, an assassination, and I couldn't get out of here. maybe I could make a run for it? maybe I could slip away from Percevin's dreadful watch. and maybe his Lord wouldn't find what I was hiding. Maybe I could escape all this. There was hope, yet I didn't have any. I was dreading the moment we'd reach the King's castle.

After dinner, and since I was clean and my companion was clearly busy, I got up. I walked to the door and opened it with the intension of going downstairs. Percevin suddenly stopped me.

- Where are you going, he asked.

- To the Tavern.

Before he could say anything else, I closed the door and went downstairs. A few hours later, I was half drunk and flirting with a beautiful young lady. It had been a long time since I had such a good time, like I had to forget about everything. I went for stronger alcohol than I was used to, but it was good and I needed it. And, I had the money to pay for it.

The girl was cute. Younger than my usual type, she was about 18, but beautiful long brown hair, and gray eyes. She was quite tall, tan skinned and had a slender but strong physique. She worked hard for a living, for sure. She was quiet at first, too, but soon opened to the conversation. her charm and the spark in her eyes were stunning. She had an aura about her, she wasn't trying, yet succeeded.