Walking Between Dreams

Chapter 30

Ranges of orange and red light was scattered across the twilight hue as I gazed out of the window at the early sunrise, no clouds were to be seen. Snores bounced off the walls and floors and I felt a jab in my side. I propped myself up on the sofa to find a grim looking Lolos; he was dressed for travel. Lolos gestured for me to get up so I donned my weapons and a bag of supplies that he handed to me quietly, being careful not to disturb anyone in the entry room. Ashes caught the reflection of the sun, swaying in the air like snow flakes on a winter's day.

Silently we exited through the red door while slipping a letter under a broad sword by the door. Lolos' eyes were filled with tears as we made our way to the road. Grass rustled in a gust of wind from the north, chilling us to the bone, a reminder of the land of the Fae.

"You will be okay." I comforted as we walked down the dusty road out of Rifthold, "The guards would have eventually found me and if we stayed your family would have been imprisoned or worse."

Lolos revealed with an empty look in his once vibrant eyes, "Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it."

"In my experience you might never know but once you see them safe then it is. All we can do is what we think is best even if it does not seem like it," I reasoned, touching his arm softly to remind that he is not alone.

With a huff of air we quietly followed the roads out to the country where there were more land between the houses than before. Fences lined some of the road to keep in cattle and horses that were grazing on the luscious, bright grass. Soon the grand city was a mere speck far off in the distance.

It was nightfall once we reached the nearest village so small it was never named on any official maps; it was a farming community. There was a little, charming inn that that had torches flickering in the cloudless night with the chitter chatter of people. The dark sky was etched with twinkling far off stars and the moon was full and bright.

I wandered in causally with Lolos at my side requesting a room with two beds; however, that did not happen. The wiry inn keeper gruffly pointed towards the first door in a narrow hall to the left that ended in a fading light.

The door creaked open while I pried it, showing a dark room with a bed across from a stone fireplace. There was a thin layer of dust on the floor, but it smelled fresh since the window was agape.

"I will take the floor," I announced as I laid a fuzzy blanket and pillow on the wooden floor in our room.

Lolos stacked up fire wood from the corner and shrugged. "If you want to."

I stretched out on the warm floor and yawned loudly, propping my head on the pillow to watch the fire being lit. Then I heard Lolos stomach growl like a wolf hunting its prey. He looked over at me sheepishly as I stood up.

"I will get us some food if you light the fire," I declared while I left the room quickly.

My stomach growled as soon as I smelled a delicious scent down the hall. I raced towards to find a bar full of drunken men laughing and gambling as I put on a cold face. I swaggered over to the counter to see a young man running the place. He was sliding full cups of ale across the bar counter top; it took years of practice to be as precise as him.

"I will take two meals of whatever you have," I ordered when I knocked on the counter to get his attention.

He wiped a cup and placed it in a stack. "Certainly. We only have a stew and some pastries."

"Perfect. I will take some stew." I tossed him a few coins and sat down on a tall stool with my feet barely reaching the floor.

The air was stuffy and stale with no windows open, curtains were drawn shut. On the other side there were tables full of drunks singing ballads about something with a violinist. The counter was nearly empty with a table by it decked out with cards and coins clinking on the wood.

Next to me a dark figure pulled up a stool by me and ordered a cup of ale. Pure white hair peeked from under the hood that was shadowing the face. I barely heard the rattling of iron under the cloak and my hair stood on end.

"I will take another bowl of stew please," I asked as the bartender dropped off the drink.

He answered hastily with people demanding more ale, "I am sorry but we are out. We only have pastries left."

I slid over a copper coin and shifted in my seat to see the hooded figure better. They were of average height who moved with lethal precision and practice. The sound of a glass plate being pushed across wood caught my attention and I noticed pink frosting flowing out of a golden brown, flaky wrap of thin breading. It smelled sweet as sugar and steam still floated above it.

I shoved the pastry to the stranger and picked up the stew of whatever meat they had. I carefully made my way through the maze of limbs in the bar and down the hall to my room.

As I pulled open the door Lolos excitedly burst through it to grab his bowl; he was nearly drooling.

"This is the best stew," Lolos stated with a brown drip sliding down his chin.

I smirked as I sipped on it, "I don't even know what type of meat they used."

Lolos' eyes widen and he slowed his eating although he grinned a bit about the food. The fire crackled when I leaned against the bed on my blanket, Lolos' feet hung off the edge of the bed by my face.

"I am hitting the hay," yawned Lolos while he handed me his bowl.

I took it from him and nodded my head nearly hitting his now bare feet. The glass clanked when I stood up to leave the room back to the bar. Closing the door shut, I made my way back to the bartender to asked about the dishes.

Inside there was not a soul to be seen except for the bar tender who was putting lids onto the barrels of ale, it reeked heavily of alcohol.

"Thank you for the meal," I spoke curtly, putting the bowls down, "it was delicious."

The bar tender chuckled, "That is the first time I have heard of that."

A cold hand turned me around to face the hooded figure from before and they dragged me out of the room into the dim hallway.

"What do you want from me," snarled a female voice from the hidden face.

I admitted sternly, "Nothing. I just wanted to do something nice."

"My race eats you for meals," the hooded figure threatened with a harsh tone, "and we do not take kindly to you."

"That is your issue and not mine," I snapped with a raging temper.

The hooded figure swung a fistful of iron nails at my throat, but some how I able to miss it and only got a few scratches on my cheek. I poked three long claw marks across my face, my blood was hot to the touch. I ducked low and lunged for her, knocking the hooded figure into the sturdy walls, and her hands caught my belt.

"That is enough!" ordered the inn keeper as he pulled us apart, "I will not allow that vile behavior in my establishment. Take it outside or leave now."

The hooded figure breathed with an edge, "I was just leaving."

I sauntered back to my room and slammed the door shut without waking a soul. Lolos' breathing was even and calm, I laid on the floor, and the fragrance of fall swept through the open window. My heart pounded as I touched my belt and found a scrap of paper there.

With shaky hands I opened it to find only a few words on it: Travel south.

I gazed up at the blank ceilings for hours waiting for sleep that never came.