The courtroom was filled with a tense silence after Verunt's short speech until the bald man continued, this time facing away from Verunt and towards the rows of people. "Does anyone in the audience have anything to say in this matter?"

Verunt let go of the reassuring sight of Amber and turned towards the short man with the bronze pin, a Seeker as Amber had called them, who had taken the opportunity to rise. To make sure he was seen and heard he got up on the seat he'd sat on and rose his voice.

"This young man, who've done what none other has been able to do, could be the answer to our prayers." He addressed the people around him, rather than the council in front. "It is our duty and privilege to be able to investigate the possibilities he brings us. Since he could enter through the barrier, does that mean he could leave as well? Could he even set us free?"

A buzz of agreeing and skeptical voices arose as the audience whispered to each other. The short man's company gave him an applause as he sat down and the long man with the scar smiled approvingly. The woman with the sharp face took a few quick notes as the bald man told a guard to escort the speaker outside. None of the council members bothered to reply before they left through a side door to discuss the verdict.

Verunt felt like the council had been away for hours before they entered the room once more and reseated. This time it wasn't the bald man who spoke, but the woman who had taken notes.

"After having discussed the matter of Verunt's arrival, the council has decided that he will be granted freedom inside the city's walls, as long as he abide to our laws."

"What about the barrier?!" A girl with short brown, curly hair and a bronze pin yelled through the room.

But like when the short man had spoken, the girl was escorted out and received no response from the council. They closed the hearing and left without giving her a single glance.

Verunt's mind was in a chaos worthy resemblance to an anthill, with an additional boot in it, as he left the courtroom with Amber. He tried to ask her about the Seekers, but she just shook her head.

<<>>

The days after the hearing slowly turned into a week. While Amber worked at the infirmary, Verunt, who had no desire to be in those hallways once more, spent his time wandering in the City, noticing the fast arrival of spring. The waterfall had swelled and caused the river to rise, the trees had turned a lush green and birds could be heard wherever he went.

The fact that he wasn't allowed to leave the City was starting to make him restless, regardless of the many new things he discovered. One of his favorite places to visit was the market. Each day he would buy a new fruit or vegetable with the coins Amber gave him and try it out in the park. He had bought a slender pocket knife for the daily task, but it brought more sorrow than joy since it reminded him of a dagger he'd lost in the snowstorm.

After the first day alone he told Amber he wanted to learn her way of speech. He saw it as a way of giving back after all the kindness she had showed him. Amber gladly took on the challenge and turned out to be an excellent teacher. Together they spent afternoons and evenings in the library or in one of the City's two parks, were Verunt eagerly took in most of what Amber thought him.

Name of city is city? Verunt asked Amber one day when they ate wraps with fish and springkale in the Waterfall Park, using his hands the way she had taught him.

Yes, it's the only one we have. It might have had a name once, but none bothered to use it so eventually everyone simply called it the City.

Why not you here eat meat? 

Why do you eat meat? Amber replied, both correcting him and returning the question at the same time. She emphasizing some of her words by raising her eyebrows.

Verunt shrugged. Food is food. If  hungry you eat .

So you'd eat any animal you can get your hands on then? Like that cat? she signed and pointed at a stone grey cat walking by.

No, not cat! He waved his hands in front of himself.

What makes them different? Amber wanted to know.

Verunt thought about that for a while. All of the answers he came up with seemed useless, so he simply kept his eyes on the cat as it walked along the river.

<<>>

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