Moongrace

Part 13

He led her back to their room after a while. Eleeza was very confused by all the sounds that surrounded her. She was moving her head all the time trying to locate the source of them and that way losing her orientation. They, or rather Evan, packed their stuff that night and left in the early morning. They decided that they would sleep in the public stagecoach which they would pay from the money they had saved over the past months. He did not tell her where they were going, but kept it a surprise.

Eleeza was very tired. She had not been able to sleep for the many sounds her ears could now sense.

They got up at four o'clock in the morning to avoid being seen by too many servants. Evan fixed her veil, took the two bags with all their belongings and helped her down the corridors and narrow staircases of the servant ways. She still was disorientated as she heard strange sounds everywhere: The aches of the wood of the floor underneath her with every step, the snoring of servants in the room they passed by, the birds singing towards the rising sun, the metallic sounds of the guards outside the window in the court, the rustling of their clothes and thousands of other sounds. She did not tell Evan about this, for she did not want to stress him out any further.

When they stepped out of the castle through a small servant door, she stopped dead in her tracks being totally shocked. It was not because she had hardly set a foot outside the castle in the past months but the immense variety and density of smells and sounds surprised her. She was overwhelmed, tightening her grip on Evans arm.

"Is everything alright, Eleeza?" he asked, sounding tired and worried.

She realized again how hard all of this must be for him and so quickly nodded: "Yes, sorry. I was just a bit disorientated." But then she could not stop to add: "Please, hold me tight now. I have actually almost never been out here... and definitely never took the way to the stagecoach. In truth, the city frightens me, Evan."

Evan held her very tight when they made their way through narrow alleys which were already filling with rushing people, horse carts and many other people and animals. Eleeza was very afraid, walking through the streets while not knowing where she was going. It had been different in the castle. There she had at least known most passages and corridors. Plus, it had not been as dangerous. Evan kept her more than once from running into a person or being hit by a carriage. He was talking to her all the time, telling where they were and what was happening on the streets.

She was very thankful for this. It gave her at least some orientation, something not to feel completely lost. The walk through the streets was the most horrible thing for her. She was stumbling, walking without orientation, wincing at every loud sound around her. Quite a lot of times she ran into a person, against the edge of a wall or stumbled over a hen or a rat. Evan caught her every time, apologizing that he did not prevent it. Eleeza was overstrained. There were too many loud sounds from every direction. When she tried to focus on one and find out what it was, she missed the sound of a carriage in front of her. Sometimes she got almost sick from a smell, then again fragrances of many different flowers came from one shop. She just couldn't cope with what her body told her. Only Evan pulling her through the streets kept her walking.

Evan was very tired, though relieved to be finally free to leave the castle. Most of all he was looking forward to be finally together with Eleeza without the Queen standing in between. At this moment, he wanted to get out if the city as fast as possible. Eleeza gripped his arm very tightly, but he understood how hard it had to be for her. She turned her head all the time and winced every now and then. He already tried to avoid the main roads, but the city was bursting with life. After what seemed like ages they reached the station of the stagecoach.