Another knock on my door woke me up, but this time it was a shy one, although very insistent. It was perhaps morning, or evening, but I couldn't tell for sure, for it was very cloudy and the blizzard didn't give signs to cease very soon.
"Who is it?"
"The innkeeper. I brought you food."
I opened the door and let the short, chubby woman in. She put the tray on the table, waiting.
"Thank you."
"I made boar stew with vegetables, and bread. Also ale. I was low on supplies and the market... will be closed for a long time. Not that there is much to sell anyway..." she muttered. "Mind if I join you? There is not much to do at the inn with this weather. It's past midnight, everyone sleeps."
"She is in a talkative mood, and I can see how eager she was to talk to me. Is that curiosity? Or something else... Be cautious, Miha! She can't be trusted. No one can be trusted."
"Not at all, I would be glad to have some company. Why me though? I mean, why didn't you let me sleep more?"
"You looked so pale and fragile last time I saw you that I was afraid you'd faint or... worse. I feel responsible for all those who stay at my inn. Also, you're my only guest."
"I see... Thank you. Why aren't other guests? When I arrived here, the streets were bustling..."
"Did you see any of them truly happy?"
I thought for a few seconds.
"I didn't really pay attention to anyone at that time, but no, I don't think I've seen any of them smiling."
"Indeed. There was no reason for celebration…"
I smiled at her and sat at the table, waiting for her to tell me more, but she kept quiet. The smell of the stew wasn't too appealing to my nose, but my stomach growled embarrassingly loud, so I reluctantly took a little sip of watery stew.
"This is so good! It's the tastiest thing I ate in my entire life. But that could be because I'm starving right now. With my healing pearl I won't fear poisoning, but is it safe to show such vulnerability in front of this woman? What if she hurts me? What if she was sent here by those guards? Better safe than sorry. What if Bezmal..."
"I didn't poison anything," she interrupted my thoughts. "It didn't sit right for me to present you a bitten bread though. I know it doesn't taste great, but you need to regain your strength as quickly as possible... to leave this place."
My stomach made another furious growl and I gave up my resistance. I was just too hungry to think of anything else.
The woman sat in the chair next to me. Smiling softly while watching me eating, occasionally looking with a melancholic gaze out the window. I could sense her sadness. There was something very pitiful in her eyes, and her expression seemed like that of someone with a shattered heart, trying too hard to hold her tears back.
"You should take it easy, or your stomach will hurt" she warned me and my spoon stopped mid-air. "Poor you! After I heard yesterday about your ordeal in the forest, I was so tempted to call a healer here, but when you said you lost your bag I thought that you won't have enough money to afford a healing, besides, they can't replenish blood loss. So you must gather your strength through a good rest and lots of food."
She sounded like a mom and that made me smile again, a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through my chest.
"I saw that look you gave to that guard yesterday, when he mentioned the healing temple..."
"Because they can heal you there based on how much you can pay," explained the landlady. "And those gravely ill can't afford it. The list of prices for the healings... Even the rich ones started to complain about it. It's like you go to the temple and look at the prices to see what illness you can afford. But it is really not the healers fault either, but the ki…" Her eyes grew wider and placed a hand on her mouth. "No wonder that people started to look for other methods. I am truly sad that you lost your work."
"I remember most of it, so I can write it down again and continue it," I assured her, finishing the stew and attacking the bread.
"Now I realize that my questions are very suspicious for someone who claims to be in this kingdom for a while."
"That's good to hear." After a short pause, she continued. "A few days ago, people had a reason to celebrate the summoning ritual that blessed our kingdom with heroes, but aside them, there is nothing really to celebrate in Galanthia anymore. People never wish to come here to the North... not anymore. And the remaining ones try to escape..."
I forgot about the hard bread, my eyes and ears fully focused on the innkeeper.
"Escape from what exactly?"
But as my question popped out I immediately wanted to take it back. I knew all too well things weren't good at all based on what I've seen at the castle.
She gave me a terrified look, as if I was crazy, her body tensed and her hands clenched into fists.
"From this kingdom... From the new king... From The Priestess... You are not safe here." She suddenly took my hand into hers and looked into my eyes. "You mustn't save them!"
"What?..."
"I spoke too much. Please, listen. I'm a Foreseer, not a powerful one, but I can still see bits and pieces that are soon to happen in someone's life. And since the moment I saw you last time, I keep seeing you trying to save them, but in the end it is all in vain."
"Save who?"
She ignored me.
"I see you in the snow, bleeding, with your chest mauled by a beast that is watching your heart's last beatings... and when your heart is buried in snow..."
"Then what?" I asked involuntarily.
"Nothing. There is nothing else for me to see… There is no chance someone would survive to such a wound."
"What beast is that?"
"An abomination. A white one that is invisible in the snow. I couldn't see it well, but it's white."
I gulped. I needed a few more seconds to process her words. If someone would've told me this in my world, I would've considered that person crazy, but here things were different. I was already on the edge with everyone I met and I couldn't ignore the only person that warned me about the dangers surrounding me.
"But... what if the innkeeper was made by someone to tell me that and scare me, so I would make mistakes?"
"Do your visions always come true?"
"No. Because the ones that listen to my warnings have a chance to escape and change their fate. The place you die in my vision is nowhere near town, but still somewhere in our kingdom, and it snows heavily. Also..."
"Also?" I encouraged her to continue, although I was afraid of the answer and the stew that I ate threatened to come out any minute now.
She avoided my eyes, frowning.
"My visions are limited by a maximum of three days. That means it will happen soon..."
My heart started to beat with such a speed that made my chest hurt. I tried to keep my cool, but the fear was suffocating, my mind conjuring the images and pain from when my throat was cut. I never wanted to experience something like that ever again. The pain was just unbearable. Only by sheer luck I have been able to survive until then.
"I have to stay calm or else I won't survive. Fear is an enemy that clouds judgement. I must overcome it for my own sake."
It wasn't easy at all. I was shaking. Even my teeth were clattering as if I was outside in the biting cold. I wanted to ask her many more things, but the words were blocked into my throat, where the healed wound was pulsing as a reminder of that still fresh death encounter.
I took a deep breath, then another. It wasn't working.
"Then why do you want me to leave this place? If I stay here for three days, won't I trick this horrendous death?"
"It's not safe to stay here. I've had a very bad feeling since the moment those knights came to my inn. I truly wish to help you, but I can't do more than that for you, and I can't put my family in danger. I pity you, but please understand."
"I can pay you. I have a few coins left…"
"This is not about the coins. I'm truly sorry. You should take a bath. I will prepare some clean and warm clothes for you, and some food too. Just be ready to go."
"Go where?"
"I will come with a plan."
Her assurance didn't make me feel better, but I decided to follow her advice and went to the bath.