It's getting late.
The alleyways were still bustling with activity. The self-confident, now drunken laughter of the foreign soldiers echoes through all parts of the city.
Nidal watched the wild back and forth of the people.
"Girl, don't be like that!" one of the strangers always tried to touch a young girl.
"Disgusting!" she screamed, slapping the man in the face.
"Bitch!" he insulted her.
The other strangers came to his aid and dragged her to the ground. Another came and punched her several times in the face. "Do you want to now?" he said, laughing. The woman lying on the ground cried bitterly.
The other strangers caOne of the soldiers dragged him away.
"Good. . . that's enough."
"All right. . ." he huffed. "You've had another lucky escape."
The group of soldiers slowly moved away from her, and a couple of teenagers finally came to the woman's aid and helped her up. They carried her to the side of a small house, where they finally disappeared.
All of a sudden, the alley has become incredibly quiet.
"T-This is.." Nidal mumbled to himself.
Lost in thought, he simply stared at the cobblestones in front of him. The way the light from the streetlamps was reflected in the smooth surfaces.
A woman grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the house.
"What are you doing here?" the stranger scolded him, her eyes wide open.
"They don't come into the alleyways because of us women, but because of you youngsters. They need soldiers, and that's why they're looking for children like you!" She grabbed Nidal by both shoulders and shook him vigorously.
She was wearing a long dark blue dress with a cooking apron around it, which showed that it had been in use for a few years. She also wore glasses that were scratched and dirty. In general, her clothes were a bit dusty, apparently she had been present at the riots in the marketplace.
"O-Ok. . ." was the only thing Nidal could manage. The scene from earlier was still bothering him.
"E-Eria!" the woman called out.
"Y-yes, mother?" a petite-sounding voice replied. It was a young girl who then suddenly came running quickly down the stairs. She had long red hair and freckles on her face, and was wearing a simple brown dress.
She stared at the woman, who must have been her mother: "W-who is that mom?"
"Never mind, you remember the canal your father once showed you? This one, I told you that you were leaving the city and going to live with your uncle in the country. You'll take him with you out of town! It's no longer safe for either of you here!" she said in a worried but demanding voice.
"All right . . ." she stammered.
Nidal looked at what was happening with an absentminded expression, he didn't know what situation he had actually found himself in. Nor did he know how bad things had become in his own homeland.
She ran up the creaking steps of the staircase once more. It sounded like she was looking for something. It took a while. Meanwhile, the worried woman wiped the dirt from Nidal's face.
"Poor you. . ." she looked at him sadly.
She literally came running down the stairs. And fell into her mother's arms one last time.
". . . even if they have a father."
The woman calmed the now crying girl.
"Listen . . . your uncle will take care of you. They're there, so far south, and they won't find you. And maybe . . . can . . . good. Go now!"
"Mom. . .!"
She grabbed Nidal and Eria by the arms and dragged them to the old rotten back door. She opened it slowly and looked carefully to the left and right to make sure there were no strangers waiting in the alley.
The woman urged them both to leave the house at last.
"Come on! . . You have to go now!"
"But . . . Mother." said the girl anxiously.
"Don't worry, we'll meet again, my sweet little girl," she said in a heartfelt voice.
Slowly they both walked forward, she waved to her mother one last time until they finally lost eye contact.
They walked silently side by side, he glanced at her from time to time. But he didn't really dare to speak to her. She noticed that.
"Is something wrong? Come on, we don't have forever."
"O-Ok. . ." he stammered in response.
"I-I just wanted to know what your name was. . .!?"
Suddenly she shoved him aside behind some barrels standing on the side of the road. She covered his mouth and he just stared at her, startled.
"Mmph!" was all he could manage.
"There!" she pointed her fingers at the soldiers walking along the road.
They have a few men with them who look pretty battered. Much more as if the soldiers had done bad things to the men so that they no longer offered any resistance.
"If you'd just come with us, we wouldn't have had to beat you up like this. From that point of view, it's your own fault!" said one of the soldiers snidely.
The men just looked down and followed the soldiers silently and obediently.
"They found another few and took them. That's why I want you to come with me, they kidnap men fit for military service and then send them north."
She looked resigned, almost as if she had already had to endure this in her own circle of acquaintances.
They simply ducked away and waited patiently until the soldiers passed by with the men. When they were gone, she carefully checked to make sure the coast was clear.
"All right, come on. They're finally gone."
Nidal nodded and followed her.
"Eria. My name was Eria. . ." she said kindly and smiled at him.
They arrived at another place. It was named after the new count, and his flags flew from the beautifully lit lanterns. Some were torn down and stained with dirt. The white and brown half-timbered houses were lined up next to each other, and in the middle of the square stood the statue of an unknown man who, according to popular legend, once founded the town with shield and sword.
Nidal looked impressed.
Eria saw this and wondered.
"You're not often in the city, are you?"
"B-but, actually, quite often. But not in the last few weeks, no." he stuttered.
"Then what's wrong?" she asked curiously
"It's just, actually, it's nice here."
". . .it's true, you do get used to it. But it's still always nice to see the old houses. But . . it was nicer here before them. More peaceful and, above all, quieter."
Nidal raised an eyebrow when he heard the word quieter.
"Never mind . . come on!" she said to him. "It's not far now, right up ahead!" she added.
Now he could see where she wanted to go. A canal ran along one side of the square. Which led in one direction directly to the city wall.