Eight Intertwined

177 - Daniel

Through some vague mercy, the boy from the cathedral did not move from his spot near the banister after the travelers moved to chase him. He was still looking out over the water below, his glassy eyes proving that mentally, he was far from Goldshore. Ophilia slowed to a stop at his side, brushing out the wrinkles that had appeared in her robes during her pursuit. "There you are. I saw you in the church earlier." Ophilia didn't tell the boy that she felt inclined to follow him in a way that she simply could not describe. He probably wouldn't have wanted to hear it anyway. 

The boy whirled around to face Ophilia with panic and rage in his eyes. His fear far outweighed his anger, and he staggered backwards to try and grab the stone railing. "What do you want?! I don't know anything!" 

Ophilia shook her head. "Settle down. I never said you did anything," she assured him, but the boy's shoulders remained tense anyway. "My name is Sister Ophilia. What's your name?"

The boy finally looked up at Ophilia properly, and the terror in his eyes slowly but surely began to subside. "I'm... I'm Daniel," he replied carefully, almost as if he feared he would be attacked if he admitted his name. 

Ophilia didn't let her panic rise to meet his, instead pressing a kind smile on her face that betrayed none of the sudden anxiety in her stomach. "What a lovely name. It's nice to meet you, Daniel," she told him. 

Daniel nodded dully, though something in his eyes told Ophilia he didn't believe it. "Yeah... Nice to meet you..."

"Were you there in the cathedral to see the bishop about something?" Ophilia asked next. 

Daniel's eyes went wide before he schooled expression back into composure. "Uh... Yeah, I guess..."

"He sure seemed to have a lot on his mind," Ophilia remarked, and Daniel suddenly found the stones beneath his shoes far more interesting than Ophilia's eyes. "It was as though he was anxious about something... Or even... Afraid."

Daniel nearly tripped over himself in an attempt to escape, pressing his back against the banister. "I... I don't..."

Ophilia pressed her hands to her knees and leaned a bit closer, keeping her voice to a whisper. "Daniel, if you know something, will you tell me?" she asked softly. "If there's any way in which I might be able to help, I'll do it."

Daniel remained quiet for a long moment before he let out a breath he had been holding for their entire conversation. "I brought a letter to the bishop," he explained. 

Ophilia's eyes went slightly wider. "A letter?" she echoed. 

Daniel nodded. "Somebody asked me to give it to him. It was a stranger," he went on. "But when the bishop read the letter, he went all pale. I'd never seen him look like that before..." All of a sudden, Donovan's paranoia made a lot more sense, but at the same time, it didn't make any sense at all. 

Ophilia's frown threatened to grow deeper, but she didn't let it as long as Daniel was watching. The last thing the boy needed was something else to be afraid of. "I'll bet you don't know what the letter said," she hummed, and Daniel nodded his confirmation. "Can you remember anything about the person who gave you the letter?"

Daniel thought about it for a long moment before he took to pushing the toe of his shoe into the ground absentmindedly. "Hm... Well, I'd never seen him in town before," he started. "And I've lived here in Goldshore my whole life. I know a lot of people."

Ophilia hummed and nodded. "A newcomer to town... I see," she murmured. "Thank you, Daniel." She shared an uneasy glance with the rest of the travelers before looking back down to Daniel. "I think it's time for me to go and talk to the bishop about this. Would you come with me to speak with him?"