Paths of Green and Gold

Thoris - walk

"I'm sorry to disturb," Adrian looked embarrassed. "But it became somewhat... crowded upstairs. And your cousin is back. I thought maybe you'd like to..." he trailed off and looked at Thorn expectantly.

The warrior put away the needle and nodded. "Thank you very much, sir," he smiled. "I'll gather my things."

The young man waited patiently for Thorn to pack all his belongings. The warrior put the pile of papers, a narrow box, and the pouch in the pocket of his robe. When the sword and the backpack were safely back in the storage room, Adrian locked the door, and went down the corridor, walking away from the entrance they used before. The warrior followed him in silence.

Narrow stairs led them to the ground level. They passed a spacious room where three women gossiped over a washtub. Finally, Adrian stopped in front of a wooden door.

"I guess you'd like to... refresh yourself," he said, bowing his head slightly.

Thorn looked at him gratefully.

"If you go this way, you'll get to the infirmary - it's the door at the end of the corridor."

"Thank you very much again, sir." the warrior said, smiling. "And... where would I find my clothes?" 

"I'll make sure they will wait on your bed. In the bathroom, you will find a fresh robe."

After Adrian left, Thorn entered the small room. In the middle, there was a big tub lined with a sheet. The water was not very hot, but he enjoyed the warmth relaxing his tired muscles. Somehow he managed not to make the bandages very wet. Wrapped in a clean robe he went back to the big room.

He didn't have to search for his bed.

Selena stood next to it with her arms crossed and a fierce expression on her beautiful face. Although he couldn't see it between the beds, he was sure her foot was tapping on the floor in irritation.

"And where do you think you're going, if I may ask?" she spat as soon as he was near enough to hear her. "I turn my eyes away for a while, and you're already looking for a chance to pack your things and disappear?"

Thorn unconsciously raised his arms in a gesture of surrender.

[I got off the leash for too long... Tactical mistake. What am I supposed to say to get out of this? Why are these angels always so strict?]

He fought to hold back a smile, which was trying to creep upon his face and knock remorse from the picture. 

[No, no! Wrong! Focus! You have to say something sensible...]

He stopped in front of Selena.

"My things are safely locked in the basement, cousin," he said hesitantly, unsure if these were the right words.

"I caught Adrian smuggling your clothes here." She pointed to a neat pile on the bed. "I understand you had a sudden need to mend them?" She was speaking calmly, but it was the calm of a cat lurking in front of the mouse hole. Instead of a twitching tail, she had her shoe rhythmically tapping the floor.

Thorn sighed, feeling helpless. He bowed his head and now looked like a little boy scolded by his mother for tearing his clothes again.

"Adrian has nothing to do with it," he said quickly and stopped, not knowing what should come next.

[Great! I even managed to get the kind helper in trouble...]

"I... was... just... mmh... hoping I could take a walk around the city..." His voice grew quieter and quieter with each word. 

For a while, Selena observed him in silence, her lips trembling. Finally, she laughed, getting the attention of everyone in the room.

"Oh, Thorn," she said, shaking her head. "You're not a prisoner! Saying you should stay here, Doctor Tregarth didn't mean you can't go outside! I also think that a walk can do you good, just..." She suddenly became serious. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

The warrior sighed with relief and smiled.

[I'm not a prisoner? Who would have thought...]

"My weapons stay here," he said simply.

"Then just drink this and you can go play with the neighborhood boys," Selena laughed again. "But if you get your clothes dirty again..." She wagged her finger at him.

This time Thorn laughed as well.

[Neighbourhood boys? I thought I was supposed to stay out of trouble...]

He took the cup from her and obediently drank the bitter infusion.

She nodded satisfied, serious again. "Please, be careful." Not waiting for an answer she turned around and walked away to her duties.

He got dressed quickly and took his things from the robe's pocket. He folded the fabric, leaving it on the bed and walked out of the hospital room. He felt incredibly light without the burden of the great sword on his back. The physical weight of the weapon had nothing to do with how heavy it felt to carry it. He passed the garden and went outside, stopping on the steps and looking around. 

It was cool in the hospital, but outside the heat was still harsh.

Leaving the building, he found himself in a big square, which was mostly deserted. The wide empty space seemed to attract the sun rays and focus them, turning the cobblestones into a burning pan.  

In the center of the square, there was a huge statue - a bearded figure of an old wizard or sage. A simple robe and a walking stick suggested someone not corrupted by power, and a dog sitting at the feet of the statue created an image of a loner who preferred a company of an animal over people. Thorn smiled - he could relate.

He stopped in front of the statue and looked around - the hospital was the most modest one of the nearby buildings - grey walls, sturdy doors, austere wooden shutters. The townhouses around it boasted vivid colors and gilding, showing off their painted reliefs of animals and fantastic creatures, and many glassed windows were protected with bars. Two more buildings stood out among the decorated houses – an inn of red brick was the only building in the middle of the square, over the door, there was a tattered sign with a painted rooster; the other one was a huge white temple pointing at the sky with its many towers. The warrior frowned and started walking.

He had no idea how big Thoris was, but he hoped he would be able to find what he needed. 

At a corner townhouse next to the temple he finally noticed what he was looking for. He nodded and turned into the side street, his steps more confident. His eyes glided over the facades of the buildings he passed. Instinctively, he registered the details - a ginger cat lying on a window seal, a demon shaped door knocker, a curtain with embroidered swallows, a grapevine-shaped banister – meaningless details, decorations of a rich people district. It was amusing that he had to search for his path in the labyrinth of ornaments and expensive toys belonging to people who didn't care about things they couldn't buy, and whatever they could and did buy lost meaning as soon as it stopped entertaining them. Another corner, another street full of the same colorful houses decorated with trinkets.

He stopped in front of a house which seemingly didn't differ at all from the others - it also had an intricately decorated banister guarding the stairs, colorful curtains in the windows, and a relief on the facade.

But it was different.

The warrior slowly climbed the stairs and knocked on the door.

He waited for a while looking around the neighborhood. The people around here didn't seem to be particularly nosy - at least not in an obvious way. His simple clothing didn't match the fancy architecture of this district, but he hoped he didn't get anyone's attention.

The door opened quietly. A thin, older man with grey sideburns bowed stiffly, unaffected by the appearance of the unexpected guest.

Thorn returned the bow.

"Good afternoon, sir," he greeted the butler calmly. "I recently arrived, so I'd like to pay my respects to the representative of my employer," he said, truly impressed with the unshakeable calm of the servant - even one muscle didn't twitch on the polite face, even the smallest glint of the eye didn't betray the fact that a complicated game of appearances was being played.

"Please wait here, sir," the butler said dryly. "Master is now working. I'll make sure if he can see you now, or arrange to meet you at a later date."

He bowed again pointing to an armchair, and went upstairs, his steps silenced by the plum-colored carpet.

Thorn didn't accept the offer to sit but looked around the hall.

The stone floor gleamed like the surface of the water. Comfortable armchairs stood on both sides of a huge mirror in a golden frame. Between them, there was a small table with a vase of colorful slender flowers. The spiral carpeted staircase had a banister of a subtle wavy shape matching the pattern on a violet wall. The light coming through the windows on the first floor made the whole room bright. Except for the entrance he used before and the staircase, there were two more doors on the opposite sides. The right one was slightly ajar. The returning butler stopped in the middle of the stairs.

"You will be received in the library, sir," he said simply. "Please, follow me."

On the first floor, the servant opened a door in front of the guest. Thorn saw a spacious room every wall of which was completely covered with bookshelves. He thanked the older man with a nod and entered.

He wasn't surprised by the elegance of this place. He already saw similar houses in other cities. He realized that the services offered by the organization were expensive, so both the location and interiors had to be sophisticated enough to make the potential customers feel comfortable while talking over their orders. 

[Finding the place was not difficult... Let's see how it goes from here...]

Left alone, the warrior started walking along the shelves admiring the contents. The collection was impressive, although it was nothing compared to the enormous library where he spent most of his free time as a child. The majority of the titles were unknown to him. He was tempted to pick one up to pass the time, but he didn't want to risk offending his host.

"Have you found anything interesting?" The voice was low, polite, and warm like a cup of milk.