The Alley
His steps crunch on the hard snow as he moved through the alley. Nobody seemed to have bothered to clear the snow off the path during the day. The sun had warmed it and now everything was about to clump together into a solid, slippery mass. Again and again he threatened to lose his grip, when his foot suddenly slipped under his body.
"That was a crazy idea!" Shot through his head, "That's exactly what mother means when she talks about that I will break my neck one day."
As unobtrusively as possible, he looked back at the beginning of the alley. In the penumbra of the houses he could see the shapes of his friends, who watched alert as he moved through the alley. Why did he have to open his mouth? Everyone was scared of the crooked alley, it was no secret. But no, of course he had to pretend it was the easiest thing in the world to go through here. If not because of the ice, then because of all the deaths that happened here. The city guard was constantly in the area to bring out victims of robberies.
He took a deep breath to calm down. No one would show up in the cold. Probably everyone preferred to crowd in front of the stove and drink together. And he had reached almost half the distance. Gasse made a small curve ahead of him before making another turn. It owed it nickname to this strange route. None of the children in the neighborhood knew the real name of the alley, but probably none of them were interested either.
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Motivated by his own thoughts, he speeded up his pace. It would be silly if he couldn't make it through an alley.
He was at the level of the bend when his eyes surprisingly fell on a door. It was a simple black wooden door with a shop sign over it. An inkwell and a pen were depicted on the board. Icicles hung in the lower end and a layer of ice had formed over the wood. He had no idea that there were shops here. Was it the only one? Before he could see the bend further down, he heard a croak. Then wing beats and the next moment a raven whizzed down on him. A sharp cry escaped him as he staggered back and lost his grip the next moment. In the distance he thought he heard someone running away. Probably his friends. Then he hit the ground with the back of his head. Pain went through his head. He lost his orientation for a moment and only came to his senses when he tried to turn himself to the side. He felt a touch on his arm and he realized that someone was leaning over him. Panic rose in him. He wanted to scream but couldn't get a sound out.
"Are you all right? Can you hear me?"
He blinked. The figure was slowly becoming clearer before his eyes. A woman was hunched over him. He couldn't see much in the shadows of the alley, but she seemed to have dark long hair pinned up. She was wearing a emerald green dress and white gloves.
He blinked again before groaning and trying to sit up. Something irritated him about the stranger, but his thoughts were driven away by a sharp pain at the back of his head.
"At least you're moving again."
The woman reached out with astonishing strength and helped him to his feet. When she straightened up, he noticed that she had foreign trains. Her eyes were narrower and her face looked slim and finer than he knew from other women. However, he also became aware of what had irritated him. Her eyes were milky white, so that her pupils were almost completely gone. Was she blind?
"I ..." was all he stuttered out.
The woman smoothed her dress, which was very tied on her body, and cocked her head slightly.
"I heard the noise and your scream from inside. Are you all right?"
It was strange that she spoke to him but didn't really look in his direction.
"Yes I think."
He finally found his voice again when he realized how rude it was to keep silent. He still felt the pain on the back of his head and raised his hand to feel it. He immediately felt something damp and warm on his hand.
"I'm bleeding," he gasped when he saw his fingers.
"Oh dear. Come on in. I'll give you something to clean the wound."
The woman turned and went to the shop door. Inviting she held it open. He starred in the shop and had to swallow. He couldn't make out much because there were hardly any candles to be seen.
"I think that's okay."
"Please, I insist. I can't let you run home bleeding."
With a silent sigh, he gave in and entered the shop.
It was a short moment before his eyes got used to the dim light. The shop was very narrow. There was a small stove with a kettle on it, and some displays and shelves. In the middle was a counter with a cash register. Quill pens and other writing utensils were on display, while piles of parchment were on the shelves. Only one shelf was filled with books. The woman walked past him to a door in the back of the shop. However, she only disappeared for a brief moment. When she returned, she was holding a wooden box. She put it down on the counter and started groping through it.
"What's your name, young man? I assume you live around here."
He nodded before realizing that she probably couldn't see it. "A quarter further, by the river. I'm Cren."
"How nice to meet you Cren. My name is Ayane."
She smiled in his direction as she pulled a towel from the counter and began to pour the contents of a bottle onto it. After putting the bottle away again, she stretched out her arm in his direction. "Come here. I don't bite either," she added with a smile,
"You better press the cloth on the wound yourself. You know where it is better than I do."
Reluctantly, he came closer and accepted the cloth that she held out to him.
"And that does what ...?"
He sounded more suspicious than he had thought. Ayane didn't seem to mind him, however. She still was smiling.
"It's a herbal tincture from the market. It stops bleedings. Just press the cloth on the spot for a while. If you are already feeling good enough, you should also go home. I think it's getting dark."
After a quick look at the cloth, he raised it to the back of his head. His wound started to burn instantly, but it quickly eased and the pain began to fade as well. He exhaled in relief after his head throbbed less.
"Thank you. I should really go, but that ..."
"Keep the towel. You have to keep it on the wound for a while so that it heals well. Better hurry to get home well."
Ayane cleared her crate again before looking in his direction.
"Thanks again. I'm on my way."
With the words, he turned and left the shop. He didn't stop looking back until he was almost back at the beginning of the alley. All that was left of the shop was the shop sign. A shiver ran down his back when he saw a raven sitting there. The bird seemed to be watching him, as it sat there in silence. Was it the same bird as before? It didn't really matter. No ten horses would surely bring him back there. That he swore to himself, when he spotted Ayane standing in the shadows.