Lavender & Ice

40. A New Dwelling

"Where are we going?" Ashima asked Joreth half an hour later.

"The guards will be combing through this hall soon. We have to move you if you still do not wish to be found." He turned and waited for her response. She nodded and continued walking.

Within minutes they were rushing quietly down the hall. Joreth brought her down a direction she hadn't been before and opened the door to a set of dark stairs, smaller than the set she'd used previously on another section of the hall.

"These aren't used much. They're more for emergencies should everyone need to evacuate quickly." Joreth explained.

"Are we going to a basement or something?" She asked when she realized they'd gone down lower than the other stairs usually ended.

"You'll see."

"You're not sneaking me off somewhere to kill me are you?" She chuckled nervously, only half joking as she became more nervous.

He stopped in front of a door on the lowest level, turning to face her as he held a light in his hands. "Ashima. I know I haven't been very friendly toward you." He paused when she shifted weight into one of her hips as she crossed her arms, giving him a nervous stare. "I do regret how harsh my words were at times. But I only ever want to protect my family and my people. I'm sure you can appreciate that, yes?" She nodded. "That does not mean I wish you any harm. I assure you, you are safe with me."

With that he opened the door and stepped through, holding it open for her. She had to keep quick steps to keep up with his long strides but she still managed to look around in awe at her surroundings. They had descended to a lower area along the outside wall. Instead of opening up to the bustling city center, they were in a quiet, stone pathed alleyway where vines were covering much of the green stone walls.

Before long, the path turned and went away from the wall of the Grand Hall. The path was probably 20 feet wide and had two stone walls that were probably 10 feet high on each side, the top connected by arches covered in vines.

"This path is beautiful, yet it feels ominous. What is it?" Ashima asked in a loud whisper.

"Be quiet, this is not the time for questions."

They continued on quietly for several minutes before the path opened up into a small courtyard with three path options. She followed Joreth as he quickly chose the leftmost path and continued down it. After several more minutes, the pathway narrowed down to where only a few people could stand side by side and the walls gradually shortened to where she could almost touch the top archways above the pathway, covered in vines. Joreth had to duck slightly to continue walking. A little further and the pathway ended, leaving dirt and leaves beneath her feet and branches and vines surrounding her.

Ashima took in her surroundings now that the walls and vines archways weren't hindering her view, noting they were in some fairly thick foliage within the forest. She turned toward where they had just come from and was surprised to see the tunnel they had come out of was barely visible. If she hadn't known to look for it, she wouldn't have known it was there. She wanted to ask where they were and where they were going but she decided to trust him and therefore decided to remain quiet as she followed him.

An hour later, Ashima was drenched in sweat from the heat and humidity and she found herself wishing she'd brought some water. She took relief in the fact that the thick tree canopy had provided shade and now the sun had set, providing a bit of relief from the heat.

"We're here." Joreth spoke suddenly.

Ashima thought she'd feel relieved, but after spending the last hour worrying about a specific lavender Qarthan, all she felt was more uncertainty.