Questions remained in her head as she walked further towards the light, holding onto the wall. Previously some judges had come saying something about the trial.
Would it happen now that I'm gone?, she thought as she pushed herself to walk further.
Occasionally she had to take a break and slowly her stomach also gave her a sign that some food once every couple hundred years would be nice.
Now!?
She walked further until the light blinded her almost. After a short while of getting used to that much light again she saw in front of her a city full of people. Houses lining the streets and merchants calling out to passing people.
This was the capital of the kingdom.
Her stomach grumbled again and she fell to her knees.
"Hey! Is everything alright?", a passerby came over and held a hand to her.
"I'm fine. Thank you.", she said taking his hand and standing up. "I'm just a little hungry."
"But... You don't look that well... Your clothes...", the man who helped her pointed at her clothes or what was remaining of them.
"Oh... I just fell and needed some pieces to cover wounds.", she made up a lie on the spot hoping the man wouldn't inquire further about her "fall".
"Oh... Then let's first get something to eat. My name his Hannes. What about you?"
"My name... Feyra.", she answered walking behind Hannes holding her grumbling stomach.
"That name isn't common. Say how old are you?"
Although the saying went one should not ask about the age of a woman most people didn't seem to mind it.
"A couple hundreds of years.", Feyra answered finally walking upright again.
Hannes took off his jacket and gave it to Feyra.
"Seems like you're an Immortal then. Take my jacket and put it over. The meal is my treat."
Feyra nodded and took the jacket before following Hannes further to a well known restaurant.
Many people sat inside and a lot of people also chose to sit outside. Although the weather wasn't that great the chatter clearly showed that people enjoyed the food and would even sit here if rain fell from the sky.
Hannes led Feyra inside and found a table with two chairs.
"Sit down. As I've said this is my treat."
Feyra did as he said and looked around a bit.
A few waiters were walking around taking orders from people or bringing drinks to tables.
"Choose whatever you want.", Hannes said putting the menu in front of Feyra.
"Thank you."
Feyra took the menu and opened it. The dishes were divided by which meat they included and at the back were drinks.
She looked at the dishes with chicken and pig for a bit and then at the ones with fish.
If her memory didn't betray her then she had barely eaten fish when she was younger and usually had dishes with pig.
Seeing all those options in front of her she almost didn't know what to choose but ultimately settled on a simple dish.
"Have you chosen?", Hannes asked taking the menu from her seeing she was going to put it back on the table.
"I have. What about you?"
"I'm going to look again but I feel I'll take the usual again.", Hannes answered honestly. "Do you want some beverages or something non-alcoholic to drink?"
"I take just water.", Feyra answered to Hannes' question.
Shortly after a waiter came to their table.
"I take a cutlet with some potatoes and salad. As for my drink a glass of wine."
"And the Miss?", the waiter asked looking at Feyra.
"Oh... I take salmon with some noodles and spinach. For drinking a glass of water."
After placing their order the waiter got their drinks and told them to wait a bit until their meals would be ready.
"What were you doing behind those houses?", Hannes asked, looking at Feyra, finally having the opportunity to talk to her.
Feyra looked around before looking at herself. "I came from somewhere."
"Doesn't seem like a good answer. Anyway... I don't really know what to make of you seeing your clothes. I don't really believe you till now."
Feyra looked at the table letting her head hang low. The truth was something most people wouldn't believe as the kingdom would have hidden all the details and evidence away.
"I already told you I fell, got hurt and then I went back to the city and ended up behind those houses. I thought hiding was better than walking around like this on the streets.", Feyra tried explaining. She knew those were lies. But if she said the truth... Who would believe her now? She didn't even know what had happened in the kingdom all this time and what they told the people.
"Fine. I won't pry further. Anyway... What are you going to do now? You'll need food, clothes or better said... You'll need money to get all that.", Hannes chimed.
Feyra thought about this too until another question struck her mind. "Why did you help me? Isn't it a bit weird to be so kind to someone? You don't even know me yet you treated me to a meal."
"Oh I like helping people and... Well I lost my mother just recently. She got the plague. She was such a kind person willing to help people. No matter if she knew the person or if they were a prisoner who had escaped she would give them food, clothes or money. Sometimes even food, clothes and money. So I wanted to continue to be like my mother and help people. The elderly were always happy seeing her."
Feyra listened to Hannes' story before giving her condolences. She was surprised that his mother would even help prisoners who had escaped.
If she was still alive she would've clearly helped me too... Just like her son now does. What a shame she had to fall to the plague, Feyra thought.
She almost didn't even notice the meals they had ordered had already come if Hannes hadn't reminded her to eat before it gets cold.
"Is this your first time eating fish?", he asked, munching on a potato.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Oh you just seem to be overly careful about remaining bones or the like in the fish.", Hannes chuckled continuing to munch on the potatoes.
Feyra was happy as she finally had some food and also was able to eat fish for the first time in her life. Frankly speaking she would've been happy to eat any kind of meat that wasn't pig.
Feyra dug the meal in realising that the fish had nothing dangerous in it at all.
Hannes just looked at her stunned seeing that she emptied the plate faster than a starved dog.
"It's delicious.", she praised before rubbing her stomach and feeling relieved. Now the worry about her hunger was no longer there.
Hannes also finished his meal praising the cook over and over again as well as the restaurant. After a while he paid and drank the rest of his wine.
"You'll need some clothes too.", he said as the last bit of wine had went into his mouth.
Feyra looked at herself again. Not only did she need clothes but likely also bandages for her wrists.
"Just some linen clothes will do.", she answered honestly and Hannes nodded.
"Alright. Come home with me and I'll give you some. We can talk there a bit more."
Hannes' house was near the middle of the city where the castle and the plaza were. This meant he was better off than others who could only afford a small house on the outskirts of the capital.
"Welcome in my home. First, let me get some clothes.", he said after he closed the door behind Feyra.
"Some bandages too if you have.", she added quickly so he wouldn't have to walk more times than necessary.
"Alright. Sit down in the meantime and get comfortable. If you need anything to drink you can go in the kitchen and get something."
Feyra nodded in understanding and sat down on the sofa that stood in the living room.
Pictures hung on the walls depicting places of the kingdom such as the capital and a harbour city, others depicted the king and other nobels and known people. Only a few of these pictures actually showed various landscapes or even mystical creatures.
One of those pictures depicted the rough sea with a ship on it while a dragon is flying by towards the capital.
"Do the pictures interest you?", Hannes asked before putting down a linen shirt, linen pants and some bandages.
"The ones showing landscapes and sceneries are my favourite. Feels like you could feel the tranquility of nature captured in a picture.", Feyra mused while looking at another picture which showed a mountain range one could see from the edge of the capital.
"I've bought the ones showing landscapes on an auction. The rest were gifts by various people I've already met."
"Then you must've already met a lot of people.", Feyra said still looking at the pictures before taking the linen clothes.
"Where can I change?"
"The room over there is a guest room. You can use it for now.", Hannes said showing to a room across from the stairs.
Feyra nodded and went inside to change out of her old and battered clothes. She didn't even have shoes on anymore after so many years and all that remained of her original clothes was just enough to cover the upper half of her upper body and her skirt covered only a small amount of her lower body, just enough that her private area was hidden.
Luckily I got some pants now. That way it's a bit easier, Feyra thought as she put on the linen shirt first and then the pants.
They may have been a bit big for her but good enough that she could hide her wounds.
After changing she looked around the room and saw even more pictures hanging on the walls. Most of the pictures in this guest room showed landscapes but one also showed a woman.
The woman in the picture was sitting on a chair washing clothes smiling. The background depicted a ward for the sick near a church. She was dressed in clothes of a nurse.
Feyra found this picture interesting but also calming. To help the sick was something she also liked doing. Though she wasn't supposed to know about all the knowledge she had she still helped people when they were sick.
A short while later she emerged from the room again and took the bandages to wrap them properly around her wrists.
"What are you going to do now?", Hannes asked.
"I'll try getting some leather armour first I think. After that I may travel and see where I can help to earn some coins.", Feyra answered still concentrating on wrapping the bandages.
"Here take this."
Hannes pushed a bag towards her. Some things clanked against each other inside. Feyra knew that this was the sound of coins.
"Oh no I can't accept this.", she said shaking her head.
"Take it. If you want to get some leather armour then you'll need coins. Look at me. I'm pretty well off so you don't need to worry.", he said in a calm tone showing with his hand around his house.
Indeed he was well off. He had a house near the plaza, had food, had various wines and even quite a few paintings.
"I guess I'll accept then. Thank you very much.", Feyra said taking the bag full of coins.
"That should be enough for a leather armour and some food for you. If you ever need help sometime when you come back I'll be willing to help you.", Hannes said.
Feyra stood up and said goodbye to him knowing it was best to get some proper clothes as soon as possible.
"I wish you good luck on your journey. May you find people you can help.", Hannes said winking after her.
"Thank you. I'll remember your words. And also thank you for the meal and clothes. If I get the chance I'll pay you back in the future.", Feyra said before walking down the street.
Now all she needed to do was find a store for armour, buy some and find a way out of the kingdom.