Chapter Thirty Eight • Closer and Closer

                                    

                                          
-Jade- 
Jade tried to wiggle and pull her soaking wet boots off. The first one came off with a wet sucking noise as it finally gave in and freed her stiff cold foot. She dropped the boot, letting it land with a wet thud on the wooden floor. A relieved groan slipped out of her the moment the warm air in the room met the skin on her foot. She gently squeezed the ice cold limb in her hands before changing foot and liberated the other one as well. 
Afterwards, she leaned back in the high-backed chair and stretched out her legs before the fireplace. She did not care if it was un-lady like or not becoming for a woman to carry herself like this. Her poor feet were in agony and the fire was an irresistible remedy for it. So, she scooched down in her chair, making sure her feet came as close as they possibly could to the glowing logs without scolding them. Her chin almost met her chest as she scooched down further.
A breath of relaxation and utter exhaustion spilled out of her when the heat from the fire wrapped her feet in a long and warm embrace. 
I cannot believe he convinced them to let us in. She thought as she wiggled her toes to get the warmth in between them. Her eyes drifted from her pale feet to the fire, listening to it pop and crack. Small sparks danced as her body relaxed more and more. 
He actually managed to get us past the gates, into an inn and procured us each a room. Without having to cough up a single coin. I would be annoyed that he succeeded, but this... this is worth that smug look on his face. She thought back to how Brother Richard had shot her a proud look and pumped his eyebrows twice at her in victory when the gate keeper had granted them entrance. She had felt obliged to congratulate him on his accomplishment, although reluctantly. This had pleased the monk greatly. 
 She would gladly do it again and would be completely sincere in doing it. Sitting in front of a fireplace, with four walls and a roof around her, was heaven-like after a night of plodding through those pitch-black woods. The monk had earned her trust, and her gratitude once more.
She sat up and turned in her seat and looked for the monk. A couple of steps away, he was walking in her direction, carrying two bowls of steaming hot food for the two of them in his hands.
 Also free. She dared to guess. 
"Dearest." The monk spoke as he handed Jade her bowl. She took it with great eager and made sure to give her companion a look of gratefulness. 
"Thank you." She replied, feeling almost serene. She pretended like she was speaking to her real father while answering the monk. 
Memories of how her father would watch her eat during her time in Thornstead came to her. During times when she had been very hungry, she would sometimes catch him staring at her with warm loving eyes. Whenever she caught him doing this, she would ask why and the answer was always a single pump of his shoulders followed by a soft 'never mind me, just eat'. 
Brother Richard and Jade ate in silence. She relished in the fact that she could sit in the common room of an inn, among other people, without being recognized or feeling scared of every little gaze coming her way. Here, she had quickly realized that who ever looked at her, took no special interest in her, the way she looked or the state she was in. Their eyes never lingered longer than a second before they found something else to stare at. No one cared who she was or what she was doing there and it was blissful. 
In Old Aangstown, she was absolutely no one. And she loved it.
"Have you been here before, pa'?" She asked and took a large scoop of her stew. It was quite salty but other than that, very nice. It had a smooth and thick texture that send shivers of pleasure through her as she ate. The meat was tender and the vegetable soft and warm. "I have never heard of this place."