Chapter 2, page 2: A familiar voice.

The old man has been resting for the past days, regaining his strength.

He slowly wakes up and tries to open his eye, but no matter what, it seems shut and as he reaches for it with his hands, he realises that he isnt in a room.. "Prison.." he gently whispers, still trying to reach with his hands towards his eye.

It doesnt take long until he notices that his hands are shackled to a nearby wall, he barely reaches his chest.

"Ah, he is awake.. Are you feeling alright?" he hears a voice, somewhere near, without his sight, he cannot see how stretched this prison is.. 

"Aye.. Im fine.. Mind tellin' me what these are for?" he asks the voice, trying to put on a strained smile, but without food, his strength is slowly vanishing..

"Well, since I do not know who you are.. Or capable of, I decided that it was the best.. For all of us.." the voice coming closer, slowly unlocking the chains..

The old man doesnt do anything to try and walk away, all he does is moves his hands towards this eye.. Was it sewn shut?

He feels a pair of rugged hands touching his own, "Dont worry, your eyesight will return in time.. The sun has just damaged your eyes a bit, but they will heal in time.." a young voice calms the old mans worries..

"Are you hungry? We have some meat and bread if you would like?" he aks the old man in a gentle tone..

The old man nods and shortly he feels a familiar scent, which he cannot put his finger on.. But he knows it from somewhere.. The crashing of a bowl interrupts his thinking and is shortly followed by a loud smack and a harsh yelling he barely makes out..

"Im.. Im sorry master.. I will clean it up, I promise!" an old woman promises in fear of her master.. 

A memory comes back in the old mans head, hitting him like a hammer.. "That voice.."

The rain had plagued the city for days, the crashing of the drops on the windows had grown familiar to everyone living there.. The only warmth now was the fireplaces in the houses, every man and woman able to steal a moment of it was happy for it..

"Another apple, John?" the young woman asks him, holding out a fresh green apple towards him. 

"Thank you dear.. You've really made it good here.." John tells her with a gentle smile.

"Oi, you bugger.. Find your own wife" Greldin tells him from the stairs, with a gentle chuckle following.. He kisses his young wife, whilst John warms himself by the fire, eating the apple..

"We are heading back soon.. To that damned tower.." he tells Greldin, with no attempt to hide his frustration.. "It feels like we are just being wasted away on a-" he is interupted by the young woman, who holds a hand on his mouth. 

"Watch your language, young man.. The children have just gone to bed.." she gently tells him and lets go of his hand.. 

John nods in silence and looks at the fire.. "Lucky bastard" he thinks for himself and smiles, he knows that if she wasnt married, he would have tried his luck and most probably fail.. 

"Well John, this is something we should get used to then.. Perhaps if we take with us some nice cloth, we can make it prettier?" Greldin mocks him in a gentle manner.. 

"Greldin, dont tease the young boy.." the young woman tells him, followed by a smile..

The young woman smells of lavender and her blue piercing eyes can melt even the most hardened heart.. But John has never seen her hair, she has always worn a cowl when he has been present, as if trying to hide something.. 

"Well John, go get some rest.. We should head off as soon as we are able.. You can use our guest room.." Greldin tells him as he throws a small house key to John.. 

The young man by the fire only nods as a thanks.. "Crimson tower we should name it, since the chance of a suicide of boredom is higher than usual" he says as he looks on the key. 

Greldin only smiles and ignites his pipe, with the tobacco smoke rising in the room he gently whispers "Crimson Tower.."