Access

He woke to the sound of morning birds cawing loudly. Mouse opened one of his eyes and looked at the city central wall in determination and sadness.

"Today I'll get into the Capital Center."

He sat on the rafter that he was currently laying on, as confusion crossed his face. "That is strange, a few days ago this rafter was straight and very hard. Yet now it has become curved and slightly soft." He touched it and felt it move under his hand. "It's like it is alive..."

He slipped off the rafter and landed quietly on the false ceiling and moved slowly towards the edge of the house. He smiled as he pushed the loose roof tiles and climbed out onto the roof before stretching and replacing the tiles.

"A beautiful morning, today is the day…"

He looked up at the sky seeing a few stars still faintly shining and the false dawn light was starting to light up the sky causing the moon to slowly fade from sight. He climbed down from the roof, landing on the paved road with a thud.

"Now all I have to do is wait…" He smiled smugly.

He took a bite from his apple as he watched the sunlight start to fall upon the paved road. He smiled to himself. "Here it comes."

He knelt on the ground and placed his hand on the road. "It is near…"

"Rrrrrummm!"

He stood up and started to run towards the stone gate. He threw the apple core away."Time for me to show off my people skills." He smiled as he started panting heavily.

"Knock...Knock…"

Mouse waited as a small panel opened and a tired guard looked at him.

"Morning...deliveries... late... boss sent me... run ahead ... open gates.....so quickly pass." He pointed down the path to the transport that was now within view.

The sleepy soldier stared at him for a moment, and then looked at the incoming transport and yawned.

"Open the gate. Supplies are on approach!"

Mouse took a step back as the panel closed with a thud.

"This gate is amazing, no visible hinges or even gaps..."

He whistled softly as the large stone gate started opening slowly. He smiled as he watched as the guards approached the large transport.

"Morning... Entrance papers..." Mouse smiled and melted into the shadows of the Capital Center.

He whistled to himself as he looked up at the tallest building in the Capital Center." That has to be the keep. The place where I'll be able to find that court attendant."

His eyes followed its stone towers. He shook his head at the height of them. "These buildings really make me realize how small I am. Small as a mouse is exactly what I need to be right now, and probably the only way for me to get in."

"I better stop looking around with my mouth wide open or the guards will know I don't belong in here."

"The keep is where I need to be, I should check it and find a way in…"

He started to walk towards the keep as the sunlight danced on the wall of the keep. He stopped in surprise. "I wasn't expecting that to be here. Maybe a market or something, but it's beautiful."

A hanging garden located in front of the keep, he smiled as he saw birds fly above it and change his direction.

"How did they build this in a city of stone?"

He stood at the entrance to the hanging gardens and looked at the soft earth path leading into the garden. He looked around and took a step into the garden. He smiled as a gentle breeze blew and took a deep breath.

"Wow, I can smell the flowers and fruits here. This place is very beautiful…"

Mouse took another breath letting the smell of the trees, the fruit and the perfume of the flowers around him fill his lungs. He jumped in joy and walked slowly on the soft earth path.

"It seems this path is taking me to the sound of water…" He touched the bark of a nearby tree. "I wonder what I'll find there, but I still need to be careful."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr." He looked down at his stomach and smiled.

"Yes, lets get something to eat here in the garden." He stopped looking at the flowers and started to look in the trees for fruit.

He smiled as he stood in front of a very large tree with pieces of yellow fruit hanging amongst its branches. He quickly climbed up the tree picking one of the many yellow fruits. He sat on the branch and pealed the skin eating its juicy yellow flesh with a smile on his face.

When he finished eating, he cleaned the large seed left behind and put it in his pocket.

"That was amazing. There is no other fruit better than the one I just ate."

He smiled and put his hand on the tree trunk. "Thank you for a very delicious meal."

He jumped down from the branch landing on the soft earth and continued walking along the path going deeper into the hanging gardens.

"Is that water?" He stopped walking and listened to the environment around him. "Yes… That is water, as well as the sound of someone singing… I better get off the path, so I don't get caught."

He got off the path and hid among the bushes and flowers as the singing slowly got louder. He kept his body low with a serious look on his face.

"Can't get caught now, I still have to find out what happened to bossman and the others."

Mouse held his breath for a moment at he was able to hear the footsteps of a person walking in his direction.

"This song... What is she singing? Why am I being affected by her voice?" He wiped tears from his face watching the person come into view. He watched her stop walking and she bent over on the path.

"Snip... Snip... Snip..."

"Not even bossman or the others would be able to find me." he smiled with a grin as he enjoyed her singing. The singing stopped.

A melodic voice called out. "You can come out. No harm will come to you."

He froze in surprise, "how did she know I was here?" He said and didn't move.

"Maybe she is calling out to another person?" He checked his surroundings finding nobody else except for them and the crying birds.

���You're good at hiding, but the trees told me you're there, you don't have to hide from me." Her voice changed tone and became deeper and slower. "You can come out now. Let me see your face."

"Arrrgh... My body… It's moving on its own. What did she do?"

His body stood up from his hiding place and started walking towards the woman until he was standing on the path behind her as she continued working. Her melodic voice called out to him and made his heartbeat faster.

"Sorry that I had to call you out here, but you don't need to hide from me. I won't tell the guards nor hurt you."

He watched as the woman stood up and turned towards him. He looked into her eyes and his body froze.

"Her eyes... They are looking into me… Who is she?"

"Mouse is your name I see... You're here looking for any information about your friends that have gone missing after the meeting in one of the main thieves' dens."

He nodded as he felt his body under his control. He scratched his head confused. He watched as she turned her back to him and knelt among the plants.

"How did y..."

"I've no idea about your friends nor what happened to them. But there is one thing I know. These trees really like you, especially that mango tree back there with the seed that you carry in your pocket."

He watched the back of her shake."It has been acting all proud telling all the other trees that it's fruit is the best."

He sighed as she looked at him smiling."I'm old and gray, and my life is here among the trees. You, on the other hand have a lot to do and far to go."

She pointed a finger at him as she stood up looking at him.

"You need to be ready for what is going to come next, as everything isn't as it seems."

His eyes opened wide as she leaned forward and kissed him on his forehead. He felt blood rushing to his face as it started to burn and turn red. He took several steps backwards in surprise as he watched her laugh.

"You're cute, but if you really want to get into the keep you need to find those that are in the shadows. Don't be afraid of the answers, no matter if they are good or bad, at least you'll know.

He watched as she walked down the path away from him. She turned and looked into his eyes with a smile.

"The trees will keep you safe here, and will keep you well hidden, but before you go find the shadows, go take a bath as you stink…"

...

He opened his eyes, blinked and stood in surprise looking around him. "What happened? What did she do to me?"

He looked down at his clothes and saw he was in the middle of dressing. He looked at the small waterfall. "I must have had a bath here."

"How did I get here? Who was that woman? I have too many questions and no answers."

He touched his forehead and smiled. "At least I remember that part, and her eyes, they were so blue and beautiful."

He dressed and looked up at the low hanging fruit and laughed.

"It's like the trees and trying to compete in which fruit I should eat."

He picked a red apple and sat by the waterfall and took a big bite out of it. "Very juicy, and very tasty, thank you."

He laid back on the rock letting the sunlight warm up his body and watched the early morning birds fly above the water catching insects.

"She said I need to find those in the shadows, but how can I to do that since, all the thieves are gone?" He kicked the rock in annoyance and cursed loudly when he felt intense pain in his foot.

He stared at the clouds in the sky above him and took a deep relaxing breath.

"Shadows." He mouthed the words and tried to add words. "Tree shadows, no... hmmm, who are the shadows?" Where do you go to communicate with them?"

He sighed and cursed again. "Garrn would know what to do…"

He sat up and watched the trees in the garden sway in the morning breeze. He smiled. "Thank you trees you've given me an idea."

He stood up and dusted himself off and started to whistle. "A tavern, is the perfect place to get information." Mouse finished the apple smiling and walked on the path towards the tavern that he saw.

As he took his first step out of the garden the cold stone of the cobblestone road caused him to look down at the road and sighed sadly.

"There is a big difference here, but no time to be thinking about that,"

Mouse looked around as the road was starting to become busy. He looked down at his dirty clothes."I need to go buy some clothes to fit in here, so I don't look so out of place."

He walked past the tavern and walked into the nearest store selling clothes and cloths.

As he walked into the small store he was greeted by a loud sniff. He turned and made a face at the attendant who covered their nose with a small perfumed cloth.

"Boy, you have as much fashion sense as a sailor during shore leave, let me get you something more fitting." The attendant walked over to him and dragged him by his collar and pushed him into a room with a stool and a mirror. He cursed as he watched the attendants hand appear a few moments later holding a large pile of clothes.

"Here try these on, they should fit you well, and suit your body well..."

Mouse sighed and put on the clothes that was handed to him and smiled at himself in the mirror. He walked out of the room and smiled at the attendant who was nodding approvingly at him.

"Thank you for the help, I am not good at this stuff."

He watched at the attendant laughed into the perfumed cloth."if I had a gold coin every time someone said that to me, I would never have to work."

The attendant walked up to him and straightened the collar and patted him on the cheek."Now that is more like it, the green over coat really shows off your emerald eyes."

Mouse quickly gave him several gold coins from one of his many purses and took several steps towards the door. He kept his eye on the attendant who was laughing again. "Thanks, please come again, I'll be happy to dress you anytime… Maybe next time I can make something more fitting… or even clothes that seem to fall off..."

The attendant winked at Mouse as he smiled back sheepishly and left the store sighing loudly as the door closed behind him.

He took a few steps away from the store and shook his head slightly, touching his cheek. He looked down at his new clothes and smiled.

"This is more like it, now I don't stand out like some beggar or someone from the outside."

He walked towards the tavern opening the door letting the smell of fire, meat and sour wine greet his senses. His stomach growled at the smell of food being cooked and walked into the tavern."Hopefully, I'll find what I'm looking for here, or at least a direction to go next."