The day stays dark and wet, dampening the mood of ours spirits. I can't tell what the time is, nor the length that we have ridden for. We can barely even see much ahead of us, only feel the air temperature getting cooler and cooler as we slowly travel up the mountain.
Griffin is my only source of warmth, my hands lost feeling awhile ago, and the only reason why I haven't fallen off is because thankfully, my body has got stuck into a routine
Conversation appeared in little bursts throughout the morning, but since lunch time we've all ridden in silence, lost in our own worlds, Killian plodding on ahead and Sage behind me.
The village of Colben has a reputation of being very bright and a beacon to lost travellers at the edge of the mountains, the fog and rain however those traits so much so, that I don't realise we have got to the village until a little girl runs out fog startling all of us.
"It seems as though we have arrived," Killian's strong voice calls out from ahead and he draws Sunshine to a halt.
Wordlessly we draw up beside him and dismount, my body numbly sliding off Griffin.
"Do we know where the inn is?" I ask, teeth chattering.
"Its over here," A stout women emerges from a dark building that I can only just see the outline of. The little girl who ran by us before is now clutching the leg of the women and peeking out at us from behind skirt, "Welcome to Colben, my daughter alerted me of your arrival."
"Thank you, do you have room tonight for three travellers and three horses?" Sage steps forwards.
"We do indeed, this is, of course, the place to be on this dark wet evening, and you came just in the nick of time, we were about to close our doors for the evening."
"Well, we are very relieved that we made it in time," Sage smiles with warmth, though his lips are tinted slightly blue, "where shall we take the horses?"
"Hold on a mo," The women turns her head back, "BRINLEY! ACKERLEY!"
I wince, my ears were not prepared for that noise. Two young boys suddenly burst out of the building, skidding to a halt.
"Yes, mama?"
"Take these fine traveller's horses to the stables,"
"Wait, let us get our bags," Sage quickly puts in before either boy can take Winnifred or the other two.
"Don't worry about that, we have dry and," The women looks us up and down, "clean clothes placed in all the rooms, the boys can bring your bags in when they've finished with the horses."
"Thank you." Sage bows his head and we pass the reins to the boys who lead the horses off.
"All right now, come with me." We follow the lady off the track and into the dry safety of the inn.
Dim candles light the hall entrance, flickering warm light and we close the large door behind us, shutting out the cold night air.
"Will you be wanting food this evening?"
"Yes, if you're still offering it," Killian answers.
"Of course, not many people are staying here at the moment so we have too much time on our hands." She smiles, "Go through that door and help yourself to any room you wish after the table in the hall, come back through here and through this door once you're ready for food."
"Thank you ma'am," I say and we venture through the new door.
"You know what this means! We each get our own warm, non leaking rooms tonight!" Sage says, eyes lighting up.
"This is going to be one of the last good nights we shall have on this journey so make the most of it." Killian says, "See you in a few."
He gives a short nod and turns into a room.
I smile at Sage and shuffle into my own room and close the door behind me, sighing. Looking around the room I smile, its small but cosy. Warm clothes and blankets lie folded on the bed and inside I jump for joy. On the outside I am still freezing so with shaky hands I take of my cap and start peeling my soaking wet clothes off my body.
I grab one of the blankets and wrap it around myself and flop onto the bed in relief. We have survived another day and are safe for yet another night, thank goodness.
My stomach then lets out a very unladylike noise and I giggle, the unlikely situation that I'm in fully hitting me. I can imagine Will would be laughing at me right now if he were here and I smile, the memory of him warming me.
With a lighter heart I change into the dry clothes and turn to tackle my hair. It is a nightmare, full of tangles that mothers warn their daughters about from a young age and threaten to cut of their locks if it gets this bad. Because it is a true nightmare and especially bad without a comb.
A knock on my door suddenly rings out and leap to my feet in panic.
"Hello?" I call out.
"Leon?" It's Killian.
"...Yeah?"
Frantically I twist my hair up and pull on my damp cap from the ground.
"Killian and I are going to eat now." Sage is also there.
"Okay." I sigh, the hair can wait, "I'm coming."
I open the door and find them both outside waiting.
"You didn't need to wait for me," I smile sheepishly.
"We don't know who could be staying here, they could be waiting to get us on our own," Killian says striding down the hallway. We follow and make our way to the dining room, a few hooded figures are loitering in the shadows at tables in the corners but other than that it's mainly empty.
The little girl from before dashes out from around a door and comes towards us, "Papa is just finishing of your soup, please have a seat!"
We choose a table near the side and sit down, pretty quickly a man comes over carrying bowls.
"And here we have pumpkin and carrot soup, fresh vegetables from our patch this morning!" The man announces.
"Looks delicious," I praise.
"If you men need anything else just call out, we aren't busy tonight."
"Thank you,"
"Being dry again feels so good!" Sage says, taking a spoonful of his soup as the man walks off.
"It's a wonderful feeling." I agree.
The soup is delicious, creamy and warm, ideal for this cold evening.
"Tomorrow we need to stock up on long term food," Killian says.
"You're right, the next part is long. I've only ever been through these mountains once before when I was a young boy, and I remember it feeling endless." Sage tells us.
Killian nods, "Yes, it is very long and perilous stretch of the journey, which will test both our minds and bodies,"
This will be my first time journeying through the mountains and I'm nervous but also anticipation is pumping through my veins. I am going to be free.
A/N:
My country is now in self isolation for awhile so this hopefully means some extra updates over the next few weeks!
Although this chapter wasn't the most exciting the drama will begin again shortly!
Hope everyone is being safe, keeping clean and staying away from other people not in your self isolation bubbles!
SouthernAlps over and out...
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Goodbye to the Knight✔️
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