Esme - Blossom of Creation

CHAPTER THREE

The chill of the night air bit into my lungs, a discomfort I never quite got used to. But one thing I did love about these desert nights were the stars. The constellations whirled above, so densely clustered in places that the darkness seemed to vanish entirely; completely covered in their bright, white light. I glanced upward for just a moment, catching sight of the Sentinels, Valkyros and Coalith, the ringed guardian planets of Terradweth, looming silently among the stars.

In High Blacknell, when I was frustrated, or things felt unbearable, I would climb the Fort to its highest tower and sit there for hours, letting the wind and the stars remind me how much more there was to know and to be in the world. I wished I had time to do that now.

I only lingered at the threshold of the inn for just a moment before slipping out. I told myself it wasn't a tinge of guilt that made me pause, but rather a cautious instinct of making sure I wasn't followed, sensing for any sounds, footsteps, or someone's presence.

I approached the stables beside the inn, my steps swift and silent, guided only by the faint glow of a lamp fixed to its outer wall, near the arched entrance.

As I rounded the corner, I released the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. There it was, apparently untouched. It seemed a shame to be leaving the wagon and its contents behind, but it would only slow me down. And there was only one thing I needed to retrieve.

With hurried steps, I reached it and flung up the canvas and glimpsed the gauzy fabric outlining the figure resting beneath. It was hard to ignore the unease roiling in my gut as I gently hoisted the body over my shoulder. My bruised and battered body protested under the weight, pain shooting through me with every small movement. With my free hand I groped through the clutter of tinkling bottles until my fingers closed around the right one: Vitalis, the healing elixir. I drank quickly, the relief almost instant.

The smell of horses and hay tickled my nose as I peered into the dimness of the stables. Only one of the horses acknowledged my presence—an elegant light brown mare, her yellow mane swishing with indifference.

"Hello. My name is Esme," I introduced myself to the mare and was met with an unimpressed stare.

"Sorry. I'm going to have to... borrow you now." I continued, as her stare turned incredulous, as if I should be foregoing the pleasantries and simply proceed with my task.

"What's your name?" I inquired of her, glancing at the plaque illuminated faintly beside her stall.

"Daisy?" I chuckled softly. In response, Daisy huffed, shaking her head with disdain.

"Now, now. I think it's a lovely name. Alright then Daisy. Time to go." I wondered if the bounty hunter had discovered my absence yet.

Daisy remained remarkably patient, perhaps even apathetic, considering she was being handled by a stranger. Hastily saddling her, I used the bedsheet I had taken from the room to secure the body behind the saddle, praying it would stay in place. The thought of it slipping off made me cringe.

Leading Daisy out of her stall, I cast one last glance back at the inn before mounting and setting out into the star-filled night.

~

There was only one place I would dare to call safe in all of Viridia. Even then, to label it safe would demand the broadest interpretation of the word. As Daisy galloped down the dust track leading to the unassuming, weathered-looking farmhouse, I glanced behind me for about the fiftieth time, unable to stop checking if the body had fallen off.

Hawish might not have been the most up-and-coming township, but its residents certainly took pride in their homes. The thatched roofs were in perfect condition, and the pale limestone walls matched uniformly, no hint of discolouration.