A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind)

I scooted down the booth bringing Zarsha with me as I did so. A man and young boy both wearing traveling cloaks like ours scooted into our places at the table, as the people seated at the surrounding tables were getting up or causing a general stir of activity that diverted attention from us to them.

The wall closed behind us and a lamp flared up immediately lighting the dark corridor ahead of us. The serving girl motioned for us to follow her. Coming to the end of the corridor she pushed a block on the wall in front of us and once more the wall moved. I stepped through the opening holding onto Zarsha's hand as I did so.

We were in a livery stable building. There was a fancy carriage ready and waiting for us. I did a double take at the horses pulling it. Two big black horses, only one of them was Flin and he wasn't looking to happy about his circumstances of ending up in the traces. I went to the carriage and opened the door. It was empty. I picked Zarsha up and placed her in a seat and then I climbed up to sit beside her.

Zarsha's eyes where wide open with excitement and a little fear at seeing so much more of the world around her that she had never experienced before. She clutched my hand with a death grip as the carriage started to move. I put my arm around her and pulled her closer to me.

We left the inn behind and started to enter a neighborhood filled with more elegant houses. The carriage took us through a maze of streets until we came to the end of one of them where there sat yet another elegant looking mansion off by itself. The carriage stopped and the door was opened shortly thereafter. Hands were offered up to lift Zarsha down to the ground and I let her go. I exited the coach and studied the man who had helped Zarsha down.

The carriage moved away and the man motioned for us to continue towards the house. There was no way I was letting the capable looking man walk behind me. I motioned him ahead with one hand, while my other hand rested on my sword. He gave a deferential nod and headed up the pathway to the house as we followed behind him.

The rich mahogany doors opened and we were ushered into an elegant foyer. Zarsha gave a gasp of amazement at her surroundings and clutched my hand tighter. I had seen such elegance before, and was more used to it yet, I too, was impressed with the tastefulness and richness of the house's furnishings.