Getting away (solo)

[Grein]

It was a late but Grein wasn't feeling sleep at all. Instead he sat up in his room, equipment laid out on the bed ready to pack. A food sack - inside some dried meat and bread, some flint he stole from one of the farm hands, a small knife, and a few warm shirts and socks. He put the items in his bag and carried the clothes to the window, placing them on windowsill. Walking back to the bed he picked up his healing staff, briefly touching the faded green gem enclosed inside, watching it glow faintly. The gem was about the size of his fist, and fitted into the staff by small clamps that held the irregular oval object in place. The staff itself around 2 feet long with a thin handle, allowing Grein to easily slide it into a loop on his belt. He put on his cloak adjusting the shoulder pad until his arm felt free enough, then put out the candle on his nightstand and walked to the window looking outside into the courtyard.

He waited for his eyes to get adjusted and pulled himself up trough the window crawling out on the flat shed roof next to his quarters. He picked up his clothes and walked as quietly as he could to the edge of the roof. The caretakers' quarters were across the road and and torches were still up in the courtyard, but Grein wasn’t too worried about getting caught. Even if he did what would the consequences be? Like they would do something. With that he moved to the next building find to a way down. Walking on the slanted roof failed however and without the use of his arms he lost balance sliding down roof landing on his feet, but hard. He grunted trying to stand up with the wind knocked out of him. Cursing himself he started fumbling in the dark for his clothes.

“What the...” - he muttered angrily to himself. Reaching for his staff he touched the gem illuminating the ground. Getting his clothes together he again got looked out into the road. It was deserted, and though he could hear voices from the open windows on the upper levels, he moved on crossing to the other side. A few minutes later he was in front of the stables.

[Grein]

Grein walked next to each of the pens in turn looking for a horse. He had not owned one since the time he was sent here, and was forced to use one of the older horses when traveling outside the estate. This was not going to do, and to leave he would need a horse he could actually rely on. He was not going to steal his Aunts best horses, but she wouldn’t hurt too much over one of the less prised. He picked out one of the nicer saddles and put his clothes inside. Placing his staff trough another loop he attached it to the saddle and jumped up on the horse, trying to keep it quiet.

Trough the sound of hoofs and fighting with the unsettled horse it suddenly struck Grein that if someone caught him, Auntie would not be so forgiving now that he was making off with so much of her stuff. The idea hadn’t really realized itself until now, and Grein suddenly thought that he would be much better off getting away with the horse, than getting kicked out without one and the supplies he had already picked up. With such a consequence for failure it was hard to keep himself steady on the horse, and not break out in full gallop panic at the same time. Keeping the ground in focus he started counting along with the horses steps, trying to keep himself calm and push the temptation to speed off into the night out of his mind.

Finally he looked at road behind to see the estate flickering in the distance. The trees were denser here, and in the middle of the night he would have to ditch his horse and supplies if pursuit caught up. He steeled himself trying to gauge the distance to the road. 5 minutes? It was a long time to handle before he would let his horse break off into a gallop. With the tension he was experiencing, listening for any sound of pursuit became impossible and a few times he was sure he heard horses galloping behind him. Suddenly the moon became visible trough the clouds illuminating the way in front - Grein twisted around and could see the road all the way to the estate, and no sign of followers. As if the horse felt his excitement, it jolted forward taking off before Grein could utter a word.

[Grein]

Caught up in his emotion and the adrenaline from what he was going trough, Grein pushed the horse to go faster. Speeding up on to the road it seemed the he barely slowed down around the turn, then once again breaking out at top speed.

“Ill be long gone by morning.” he thought to himself, but there was some business to attend to still and as he neared the the a small clearing Grein slowed down and turned into a tiny pathway trough the trees. A short distance away was a cottage, hidden from view from the road. The light was on inside, and a familiar smell of moss and decaying wood was in the air. Dismounting, Grein tied his horse to a nearby tree and walked up the steps. Knocking on the door he waited only a few moments before letting himself in.

“Whoose there?” - He heard a man’s hoarse voice - “Grein? It is late friend, what are you doing here!”

Shuddering at the sound Grein eyed the man that was staggering out of the small kitchen area. His name was Tim, and though he had been Grein’s closest acquaintance for a while, they were hardly friends. Tim looked like a tall, skinny, cat that walked on its hind legs. Hair and beard covering his face, always keeping him barely recognizable; Grein had been surprised to find out that Tim was only in his early thirties. His house looked much like the man himself, with its ragged floor and patched up windows it contained no sign of what Tim did all day, besides crawling trough nearby orchids to sustain himself.

Grein had caught Tim on one such occasion, only to find out that most of the neighboring farms already knew about him, and considered him pretty much harmless. Apparently his operation was large enough that he could eat all summer long without raising too much attention from any individual farmer. During the winter he simply moved to one of the cities in Lycia where he sustained himself trough a combination of petty theft and panhandling. Grein sighed looking him once over then looking away in disgust.

“You know why I am here Tim, you still owe me for my bow you never returned” Then adding in exasperation “It has been a YEAR Tim, don’t you think you can fess up a few gold at least and I will forget about it? I am leaving and really need the money.”

“You know I dont know what happened to that bow” Then continued “Wait.. You are leaving? Well then I have just the thing, and we will be even again!” He staggered back into the kitchen. Grein knew not to be excited and instead looked around for somewhere valuables would be hidden. Of course, there was no such place in this shack, and with a groan he followed Tim.

[Grein]

“Here.” Tim said pushing a small, badly carved bow in front of Grein “For Yeh.” He could see by the beard that Tim was smiling.

“This?" He looked at the roughly wood and read the engraved letters near the handle that spelled ‘Tim’. Trying to keep his voice steady Grein started “This? My bow was quite expensive and IF I still had it I would be selling it for my trip. But I don’t. Instead you are offering me.. this.” He put the bow on the table.

“I know you don’t have near enough what it was worth, so all I am asking for is a couple of coins and I can get a few warm meals along the way.”

Tim looked amazed: “But I made you THIS bow. Sure, it is not expensive. And sure, it does not shoot straight. But it is good enough for hunting.” Then raising his arms “It is like I am giving you 100 deer!”

Grein stared at Tim wide eyed. He was not sure weather he was joking, or if he actually believed his idiotic way of thinking. Either way it was something Tim did a lot, and Grein was positive he was just stupid.

“First of all.. “ he stopped. There was nothing else that would be gained from this so Grain just grimaced. “Thanks. But you owe me, and I don’t forget a debt.”

He waited and talked with Tim for a few minutes longer, getting tips on how to hold the bow and dodging his’s prodding about his destination. Grein didn’t like telling people his plans, so he waived him off as visiting relatives. Finally he said his good byes and left the shack.

As he walked out it occurred to him to him that Tim was his only actual farewell. As dirty and lazy the old sod was, for once Grein did not feel so superior. Looking at the bow it was nice to own something intentionally given him, and although completely aware of his silliness he still prised the crude woodwork and the rough letters on the side. With final glance at the shack he got on his horse and headed to Bern.