[The Sanctuary] The End of a Long Road

by **Roland Eir** on August 7th, 2013, 5:45 am

Following Kavala from the bath, Roland swiftly accepted the robe and towel. After the warmth of the water, the air chilled his wet skin. The stone floor, however, shared some of the warmth from the adjacent bath. While Kavala spoke, he used the towel to dry his hair. "My own room?" he asked with a smirk and a yawn. "Sounds nice. Unsure of what to expect, he followed the Konti into the hallway and over to the room.

When Kavala pushed the door open, Roland gaped. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that Kavala was saying this was his. The room was larger than the one he had shared with his whole family as a child. And far, far more luxurious. Running a hand along the wall, he took in the deep colors than swam through it. As he stepped over to the bed his bare feet crossed the night lion's pelt, feeling its dark, coarse fur. At this point he should have known it would be beautiful, everything in this place was.

He turned to thank Kavala, but she had already gone for the blanket. Shrugging, he turned and examined the wardrobe. The stained wood was carved with smooth, rolling waves that wrapped around the knobs, so that they looked like round pieces of stone jutting out of the water. The waves seemed to crash upon them, and Roland could swear he could hear the soft, rolling thunder of waves upon the shore. With a tired smile he opened the wardrobe. Empty, of course. And it would probably stay that way until he had earned some new clothes. It wouldn't surprise him if the trappings he'd worn here were burned, considering the state they were in.

When Kavala returned, she immediately set to making the bed, so he did not bother her with conversation. After a quick glance through the side door, he wondered about his neighbors. So far he had only met Kavala, and the two kelvics. They all seemed innocent enough--though looks could be decieving--but he knew nothing of the others in this place. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind. It wouldn't do to appear ungrateful or suspicious of her household.

As Kavala finished, he turned back to her and listened. "Thank you," he said earnestly. "And goodnight." She left, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

With a weary sigh, Roland sat heavily on the bed. His skin felt soft, rubbed almost raw in the effort to remove the dirt that had covered him. It stared back up at him, pink and shining. He smelled like flowers and herbs. What a change this is, he mused. Yesterday I tied off my horse and curled up under a tree. Tonight I'll sleep with a full belly in a soft bed. For the first time in his life, he lay back on the sheets without fear of lice or other mattress-dwelling nasties.

It seemed too good to be true. Were things so different here, so far from home? Kavala had taken in a stranger, and in the same night she had fed him, healed him, and given him a home. In the same situation back in Sunberth, he would be dead. From his wound, or even more likely from the locals. Deep in his reverie, the knock at the door startled him.

As swiftly as he could manage, he was swaying on his feet and facing the door. Nothing happened. Fool, it's just your bags. Old habits died hard. Settling down, he walked over to the door and eased it open. His bags rested on the ground outside, and soft footsteps retreated into the distance. Roland dragged in the muddied packs and left them at the foot of his bed by the trunk.

Soon, he was in his bed blinking blearily at the stone ceiling. Fresh sea air filtered into the room through the vents and he breathed it in greedily. When he had the chance, he decided, the first thing he would do would be to go look out over the water. Though Sunberth was not too far from the ocean, he had never seen it himself. Plenty of washed up drunken sailors had passed through the city, and he'd heard tales of free sails and sparkling seas, as well as roaring squalls and wild waves that pounded the warmth from your bones. It sounded fierce and beautiful to him, and he wished that he had bought passage on a ship to get here. It would have been easier than riding.

With a laborious yawn, Roland closed his eyes. Easier, perhaps, but he would not have ended up here. And this place held promise. With thoughts of magic dancing through his mind, he finally drifted off into a deep sleep.