Freedom

The space was filled with rolls of white cloth, as well as ropes and a large bucket overflowing with thick black pitch.

“I still can't believe the cost of those iron nails… that bald guy noticed our rush and raised the price.” Grige talks to himself as he packs hundreds of nails and meters of rope into a large wooden box to take to the beach.

"How long will it take to repair the ship?" Lyaria asks as she continues to help Anali sew part of the ship's huge sail.

“With the help of a few acquaintances of mine and Dartan. A week according to the old carpenter, but only if the weather is good on the day we sail.”

It seemed like a short time, but small and fine blocks of ice were already beginning to be seen that formed between the waves of the sea. It will not be long before the sea would become impassable.

"I'm going to take what's left to the cabin, sur …" Before he can finish his sentence, Grige is interrupted by Dartan who swings open the door and strides into the store.

“I spoke with Sani and told me that she spoke with the escort of our mysterious visitor…" Dartan pauses and seeing that Lyaria wasn't following the conversation, explains briefly. “Sani is my second wife, she works as a maid in the Karsin castle and… well, there are many details. What matters is that she received the information that a young man looks like your description… although according to the informant, he was not right in the head, he had shit all over his body.”

"This changes things… now we have to make sure it's really him. We don't have much time either, by the end of this week, the ice will threaten to block the oars.” Grige puts down what he was carrying and sits in a nearby chair, contemplating the situation. "What do you want to do Lyaria? The choice is yours.”

"If he really is inside that prison, then he'll leave some kind of mark, he knows I'm looking for him."

“Ah …. I don't think we can get him out of there in such a short time. You will have to be prepared to try it in the summer in the worst case.” Dartan crosses his arms and sighs.

"The dye won't hold until then…" Lyaria replies as thousands of possibilities are created in her mind. Now they had another titanic task to accomplish.

“I have connections almost everywhere in the city, the prison is not one of them.” Grige leans back against the seatback and continues after a few seconds' thought. “Although the city walls are higher than the prison walls… if we can make our way there… maybe we can see him.”

"I don't think you will see him, after all, the prisoners are always inside." Anali intercedes having finished the largest patch on the old sail.

“It's better than nothing.” Grige shrugs.

“Ah, this time Sani told me who the guest is, the one who visited the prison. It's called Boron Rolennar, the heir to the neighboring lands to the south.”

“Are you sure about that!?” Lyaria asks setting her needle aside.

“She never gives wrong information.”

“This complicates things again… He is strong, much stronger than me. If we're forced to take him out and Rolennar acts…” Lyaria feels her head start to ache, there were just too many variables. Honestly, it would be better if Ezer was on the islands sold as a slave.

"We won't get anywhere with speculation. Lyaria and I will go to prison. Who knows? Maybe we can get a word or two out of the guards. Dartan, I entrust you with the ship.”

“Of course brother.”

The prison was on a corner of a neighborhood whose houses were barely standing, even it was not uncommon to see several leaning, one on the other. However, there was no house within fifty meters of the place most feared by all.

"Let me talk to those guards at the gate, try looking for any weak spots in the walls. If memory serves me, there should be an alley right next to the town wall.”

Lyaria nods and heads down the alley following the large wall to her right.

Reddish bricks rise to her left, old but firm, the mortar that held them together showing no weakness either. It was clear that nothing would bring them down in a few hours. The alley barely saw light during the day being surrounded by walls, which made the place damp and darkness reigned.

Some small silhouettes could be seen at the end of that gloomy corridor, little did Lyaria know that she had interrupted the test of courage of some neighborhood children who left with genuine terror at seeing such a beautiful ghost wandering in the darkness.

It was at that moment, perhaps halfway there, that Lyaria sensed something strange, something familiar. The feeling causes his gaze to drift to the ground where a rock lies wrapped in a piece of cloth. Inside the wrapper was a lock of black hair whose tiny tips reflected a light gray.

Lyaria sighs and immediately afterwards a big smile forms on her face. She no longer had any doubts.