Farshield

It was a quiet one-hour ride out of the village to the old Babel Bridge. The last bridge that connected Old Hollins and Pelinburst given that the main one had collapsed last three years.

After this bridge, they found the old market station where Bianca boarded another carriage that would take her into Pelinburst.

She had said her goodbye to Mr. Lamwel, who was offloading in the market and was not going any further. He was kind enough to help her maneuver her way through this market and find a suitable carriage that was going straight to Farshield.

She thanked him and paid her coins in good tidings. She climbed into the carriage and waited for the coach to load up as she was the first passenger.

The money she paid for the ride was quite expensive. It had cost her almost half of her savings, and if not for the mysterious pouch of coins she was given that night, she would have been sad now.

It still felt strange whenever she peeked at these rare gold coins each time over the past weeks. As much as she wanted to spend them badly, perhaps offering her mother more of it to take care of herself, she still couldn't begin to. She wondered endlessly who could go about with pouches of gold coins in their pocket, willing to give it away that easily.

She was rid of her thoughts as the coach loaded up, and soon they set off to Pelinburst.

The journey was long and arduous, but she found solace in the rhythmic sway of the coach and the scenery around her. She fell asleep many times and woke multiple times, given that she hadn't slept well in the past few days; her overthinking got the best of her.

She ate the last crumbs of bread and pie she had in her pocket and then engaged in listening to the numerous tales and discussions of the passengers, who were mostly traders.

As the miles passed, her mind, which had been blurred over the past days, cleared, leaving room for new possibilities the more she thought of reaching the city.

By the time they arrived in Pelinburst, it was already evening. The sky was a deep shade of purple, with streaks of orange and red peeking through the dense clouds. The streets were dimly lit by flickering gas lamps, casting eerie shadows on the gothic buildings and lonely streets.

The passengers offloaded, and she got off as well, being handed her bag just like the others. It was a breath of fresh air breathing in this new city, even though it was evening.

"We are stopping here, miss. You can get a carriage that would take you into the town or sleep somewhere at the inn and then continue tomorrow, as it might be difficult to get one going into the town today due to the curfew." The Coachman told her when the passengers had all offloaded and she was still standing there with her bag.

Surely there was no way she would be lodging in an unknown inn in this strange city. She found it too risky.

"Thank you for your concern, sir, but I will be awaiting any carriage I see."

"Well, then, good luck, miss. Have a nice evening." He saluted her at last, climbed his carriage and sped off.

It took a few seconds before it dawned on her what the man meant. It seemed to have escaped her mind because of the excitement of reaching finally that he mentioned a curfew! No! Wait! She wanted to shout but the carriage was long gone in the distance.

The silence of the street finally dawned on her. The city was engulfed in an eerie darkness. The narrow cobblestone streets were lined with tall, imposing buildings covered in intricate carvings and menacing gargoyles that sent shivers down her spine. The type of buildings you would never find in her village, they scared and amazed her all the same.

The flickering streetlights cast shadows that seemed to dance and twist in the misty air. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and smoke from the chimneys of the old factories that stood in the distance.

Bianca couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched as she stood there. Her stomach twisted, and she thought of what could happen to be here alone. She held her bag tightly and made her way through the deserted streets, the only sounds being the distant howling of a lone wolf and the faint whispers of the wind. Truly, Pelinburst was a city of mystery and intrigue, especially in the stillness of the evening.

Her boots clicking on the cobbled floors were the only thing she could hear as she walked blindly through the streets, never caring if she knew where she was going. A point to remember next time, she told herself. Is to never get carried away. Cause if not, she would have asked the coachman for help and given how helpless she was feeling now, she would have taken in in any inn she saw. But there was none on the street she walked through.

Through the mist, she saw someone, precisely a man, walking gingerly towards her. She had to stop, given how the person was marching towards her. Was she to run or…

She was about to turn and start running through the other street path when she saw a carriage riding towards her. She had to run into the road and start waving for the coachman to stop. When the carriage stopped, she turned to look back, and alas! The man was nowhere to be seen. He seemed to have disappeared in the mist.

"What on earth!" The man screamed.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" She ran to the side to catch a better view of the man on a hat, atop the carriage. The man drew his burning lamp to check her face.

"What is a young lady like yourself doing out here by this time of the day? You have no idea the streets are dangerous?" His eyes roved her up and down.

"I'm lost, sir. You see, I've just arrived and…"

"A traveler."

"Yes. And I— I believe I'm lost."

"Where are you headed?"

"Inside town."

"From where?"

"Old Hollins."

"Oh, far place."

"Please, if you would be kind enough to help me, at least to the nearest inn." She begged.

"I'm headed into Farshield." He announced, and Bianca could swear she had never felt this amount of relief before.

"But wait!"

He jumped down his carriage and brought the lamp closer to her face to examine her. And that left her dumbfounded when he brought out a cross to touch her forehead.

"In God's name, what are you doing, sir?" She was so shocked she had to ask while arching herself.

"Checking you. We drivers get attacked every day by these creatures. Especially on red moons." He nudged at the sky, and Bianca confirmed what he said when she looked up; half of the moon had already turned red and casting color in the street.

"These are dangerous times, miss." He said as he put the cross back into his neckcloth where he had brought it out from.

"You shouldn't have traveled today. You are lucky enough to have met me. Many other drivers would not spare you a glance or chance." He took her bag from her and kept it inside the carriage and then helped her climb into the seat before he climbed into his.

"Sit tightly." He said and hauled the reins instantly jolting her. "It's going to be a long ride."