Shattered Sanity

After instructing the students, Garron left the inn alone, taking nobody with him that day, as before departing, he informed the children that he had important business to attend to within Stoneville and would return before supper.

The moment he disappeared down the staircase, the atmosphere inside the communal room noticeably relaxed.

Several of the children immediately stretched themselves out across the woven floor rugs before falling asleep almost as soon as they closed their eyes, determined to make up for the countless hours of restless sleep they had endured throughout the journey.

Others, however, were far too excited to waste their first afternoon inside a real town sleeping.

Instead, they rushed toward the two wide windows overlooking the street below, squeezing shoulder to shoulder as they eagerly watched the bustling world outside unfold before their eyes.

Riven naturally found himself amongst the second group, as together with Mary, Stacy, Garsim, and Dara, he quietly gathered beside one of the windows, and leaned slightly forward to get a clear look at everything unfolding below.

*Street bustle*

*Chaotic sounds*

From above, the market street looked even busier than it had from ground level.

Handcarts rolled endlessly along the road below while merchants loudly advertised their goods to passing customers, as men and women carrying heavy baskets weaved through the crowds with practiced ease, occasionally bumping shoulders before continuing on without even looking back.

One elderly man pushed a cart overflowing with fresh vegetables whose vibrant greens and deep purples looked almost unreal to children who had spent the past month surviving upon dried rations and whatever the wilderness happened to provide.

Not long after, another peddler slowly passed beneath the window with dozens of freshly baked loaves stacked inside wicker baskets, the warm aroma drifting upward strongly enough that several children around the room instinctively swallowed.

”I forgot bread could smell this good...”

Stacy whispered, as her eyes remained fixed upon the disappearing cart.

Moments later, another merchant appeared carrying colorful fabrics draped across a wooden frame, while behind him came an old woman selling polished clay ornaments, followed by a travelling musician leisurely walking through the crowd while playing an unfamiliar tune upon a stringed instrument.

It felt... Alive.

For nearly half an hour, the five simply stood there watching people come and go without saying much, content to quietly observe a world none of them had ever imagined existed beyond Ashfang Village.

Then another cart slowly rolled into view.

Unlike the others, this one did not carry food or clothing, but rather flowers, as both Mary and Stacy felt their eyes widen as they saw the cart.

”My master once brought a red rose for her mistress back in Ashfang....”

Mary murmured quietly, almost as though speaking to herself rather than anyone around her.

”I still remember how happy she looked that day....

She placed it beside her bed, changed its water every morning, and wouldn’t let anybody touch it.”

She chuckled softly, as her eyes continued to track the flower cart longingly.

”It only survived for three or four days before it withered away.

But during those few days... she cared for that flower more gently than she treated any servant inside the house.”

Mary slowly lowered her eyes.

”I never understood why.”

She admitted.

”It was just a flower.”

”It wasn’t useful.”

”It couldn’t feed you.”

”It couldn’t keep you warm.”

”And yet... whenever she looked at it, she always smiled.”

For several quiet moments, nobody spoke.

”Ever since then, I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to receive one.”

Mary admitted, as she slowly shifted her gaze away from the flower cart and looked toward Riven, almost as though a small part of her wondered whether he might one day be the one to give her such a gift.

The glance they shared lasted for no more than a fleeting moment, however, it was enough to make something stir inside Riven’s chest, as although neither of them said another word, he somehow felt as though he had just been entrusted with a wish that was far too precious to ignore.

’If someday I can fulfill this wish of hers, I surely will.’

Riven thought, however, before he could continue the conversation, Stacy gently tugged at Mary’s sleeve.

”Come on.”

She smiled.

”Let’s go see if those baths downstairs really have hot water.”

She suggested, as Mary nodded in agreement.

”Coming.”

She said, as the two girls quietly walked away from the window together, continuing their conversation as they crossed toward the opposite side of the room.

However, the moment they were gone, Dara slowly turned toward Riven and gave him a rather mischievous grin.

”Well...”

He said, nudging Riven lightly with his elbow.

”You’re thinking exactly what I think you’re thinking, aren’t you?”

He asked, as Riven raised an eyebrow in confusion.

”Oh, come on, man. Don’t you want to get that flower for Mary?”

Dara asked, as Riven immediately gulped before turning his face away from the mischievous grin plastered across his friend’s face and looking back toward the bustling street below, his ears already beginning to turn red.

”Of course I’d want to do that for a friend, but you know we’re not allowed to leave the inn, right?”

Riven replied, as although he tried to sound composed, the hesitation in his voice was obvious enough that Dara immediately realized he had guessed correctly.

”Oh, don’t give me that.”

Dara complained, waving a dismissive hand.

”I’m not asking you to run across Stoneville or disappear into some dark alley. The flower cart is practically parked outside the inn, and we can still see the front door from this very window.

You still have those silver trinkets you stole from Hagrid’s place, don’t you? The rest of us don’t have a single coin to our names, so even if we wanted to buy something, we couldn’t. But you actually can.

Think about it for a second, Riven. Mary has wanted a rose ever since she was little, and now that you’re finally standing somewhere that actually sells them, you’re just going to let the opportunity pass?”

As Dara spoke, Riven instinctively reached for the satchel resting beside his feet.

The silver ornaments hidden within had remained untouched ever since he escaped Hagrid’s house.

Originally, he had stolen them only because they looked valuable enough to trade for food someday if he desperately needed to.

He had never imagined using them for something like this.

’I really could buy one...’

He thought, as his eyes unconsciously drifted back toward the street below.

”I still think it’s a stupid idea.”

Garsim suddenly cut in, as he folded both arms across his chest.

”The instructor couldn’t have been any clearer. He told us not to leave this inn unless he personally took us outside.

You heard everything he said just now, so why are we even discussing this?”

”Oh, come on.”

Dara replied with an exaggerated sigh.

”You’re acting as though I’m asking us to cross the entire town.

We’ll be gone five minutes, maybe ten at most. We run downstairs, buy the flower, grab a few skewers from that stall by the corner while we’re already there, and then come straight back upstairs before anyone even realizes we’ve left.

By the time Garron returns, we’ll already be sitting here waiting for supper like nothing ever happened.”

Garsim shook his head.

”And if something does happen?”

”What exactly is going to happen?”

Dara asked, spreading both hands.

”We’re not wandering into the dangerous part of town. We’re not talking to shady people. We’re buying a flower from an old woman pushing a cart.”

He then looked back toward Riven.

”Besides... don’t pretend you didn’t notice the way she looked at you.”

Riven blinked.

”What?”

”When she said she’d always wanted a flower.”

Dara grinned knowingly.

”She looked straight at you.”

Riven immediately lowered his eyes.

’Did she...?’

He wondered, as the memory of that brief glance replayed itself inside his mind.

”Imagine how happy she’d be if you handed her a rose before the day’s over.”

Dara continued.

”She’d probably remember it for the rest of her life.”

For several long moments, Riven remained silent.

Deep inside, he knew Garron’s warning had not been an empty threat.

The instructor had repeated it again and again.

Do not leave the inn.

Yet...

’It’s only the flower cart...’

He thought.

’We’ll still be able to see the inn from where we’re standing.’

Seeing the conflict on Riven’s face, Dara smiled to himself.

He knew he was winning.

”So?”

He asked.

”What do you say?”

Riven hesitated.

”I...”

However, before he could answer, Garsim spoke once more.

”Don’t.”

He said firmly.

”I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

”Bad feeling?”

Dara laughed.

”The only bad feeling you’ve got is because Garron scared the life out of you with that speech.... And because you’re a wuss.

But Riven’s not a wuss, he’s a panther killer!”

He said, before stepping closer to Riven and lightly punching him on the shoulder.

”Come on, man.

You’re not really a coward, are you?

When has any love story ever started because the boy was too scared to leave the house?”

Riven’s face immediately flushed bright red.

”T-that’s not...”

He began, before quickly lowering his voice.

”It’s not like that.”

”Oh?”

Dara replied, unable to hide his grin.

”Then prove me wrong.”

Silence followed.

Riven looked once more toward the street below.

The flower cart had not gone far.

It had merely stopped a short distance away, where several customers were still browsing the colorful blossoms.

His fingers slowly tightened around the strap of his satchel.

’We’ll only be gone for a few minutes...’

He told himself.

’Buy the flower... come straight back... nothing will happen.’

The thought repeated itself over and over until, eventually, even he began believing it.

Finally, after biting his lip for several seconds, Riven slowly let out a quiet sigh before giving the smallest nod.

”...Alright.”

He muttered.

”But we buy the flower and are straight back. No dilly dallying....

The moment we’re done, we return here.”

Dara’s face immediately lit up with excitement.

”Now that’s what I wanted to hear.”