Princess in Trouble (complete)

10 - The City of Tutela

Becoming frustrated with the amount of unguarded but with double doors and locked passages, Vondra decided to take a narrow passage-way that was more like a ramp leading upwards. 

Turning a corner, she heard a voice hail her from ahead, "Be quick, Miss. You can go out, but you won't be allowed back in until the invaders have been found and dealt with. Seems we have an infiltration here and a much larger one at the outer wall past the city; it's supposed to be impossible to breach the wall but it seems they've set up battle equipment. Most of our guards are out there with the army."

Glancing around her location and at the man who wore the clothes of an official, Vondra asked, "Do you not have guards at your door here?"

"No, not yet, they've never been needed but now guards are placing men at all the others so the intruders shouldn't be able to get past the internal doors— they're working at placing guards on all doors to this main servant's free-way out but might not be done yet as I've not had word... seems they have an intruder already inside..." the sound of running and shouts interrupted his words and he stepped around her to view those coming, saying, "You'd better go, Miss, before they shut and lock this door."

Glancing back with the feeling that she, herself was the 'intruder,'  Vondra saw a company of men running from the corner. Feeling glad that this man believed her to be a bonafide servant, she hurried out the open door into a short hall. Faced with marble steps rising upwards, she bolted up them, two at a time, ignoring the shouting growing in volume behind her.

Stepping out on a terrace from which she soon descended, down, down, down, into a huge park-like area. Pagodas were dotted among multiple fruit trees of different kinds. She realized, from the position of the sun, it was about mid-afternoon.

The feeling was of a season much warmer than spring and she decided not to dwell on the multitude of questions she had about how this place existed; she would just enjoy it. Looking back and upward from where a horn sounded, Vondra gathered the skirts of her dress and ran, wending her way through the grove of fruit trees, avoiding adult pickers with baskets and children who helped themselves. Families sat in some of the pagodas, sharing food. She wandered through the many avenues in this amazing, expansive orchard-park. 

Looking back from to where she had come from, she saw no one in pursuit of her and guessed the guards had no orders about following her out into the city. Perhaps they need to stay in protection of the facility there. 

The brightness and heat of the sun surprised her; it was warm here, summer-like in feel; no expected chill of winter's end like she experienced when leaving her home kingdom as well as the cold damp along the way. The snow outside the cave entrance to Tutela had spoken of winter as well.

Longing to sample one of the tempting golden-colored fruit, she knew if she stopped to do so, could mean her capture. Perhaps it is a peach?— But it looks too large... An older girl held out a fruit she did not know, reddish-purple in color and she paused to take it, calling, "Thank you."

While walking quickly, she took a bite and found the flesh of it to be soft and juicy; very sweet. As she expected, there was a pit in the middle of it. Eating all of the delicious flesh off it, she kept the pit in her mouth, sucking on it.

Relieved that no guards chased her now, Vondra decided to back-track to the giver of the fruit. Spitting the pit into her hand, she asked, "Excuse me, but I'm rather new here and I'm wondering how I get into the city itself?"

"You're in the city already."

"But where do the people live?"

"I'll show you," the girl replied, adding, "You're going the wrong way, it's this way. Follow me." Pointing at a can fixed on the side of an empty pagoda, she said, "Put the stone of the plum in there and it will be prepared for growing."

Seeing guards ahead and wondering how they had circumnavigated the orchard, Vondra threw the pit in the can. Turning, she hurried after the girl.

"You go through that arch and I do hope the rest of your day goes well." Glancing back the way they had come, she saw a quad of guards running towards them. "Oh, are they here for you?" But Vondra was already halfway to the archway.

I'm the hunted, again... she thought, likely they'll be wanting to find the unknown servant girl who fled from that conceited prince of theirs. 

Soon, she was lost among streets and small houses, many of them connected in a blocks of tiny homes, some built with clay bricks, other solid clay, painted soft earthy shades, many with rounded roofs, others flat roofed with furniture atop and railings around the edges for protection of those up there. Likely children live in those homes... she mused.

Each subdivision featured a park-like area with varieties of trees and gardens; blossom trees, herb plants, vegetables and more, cared for meticulously, weed free and available for anyone to harvest. Vondra walked through each settlement with wonder and delight, thinking, I could live in that lovely little cottage... and that one... this is amazing...

She happened upon a market place and wondered what they would sell here if all of the produce was for the taking. She heard chickens squawking and a vendor calling, "Fresh chickens, choose one and it will be dressed for your pot or stove! One chicken for two tad; three for five. Two hours till closing, three hours until the sun goes down behind the Western Wall. Buy now... fresh chickens, they don't come fresher!"

Meat of all kinds, bread and other bakers' goods; so much fresh food, presented on long tables with canvas covers above them, shading the food and the vender's heads. 

Threading her way through the crowds of shoppers, some with wooden shopping carts, others with large bags, back packs and shoulder bags, Vondra wondered how she might get to the wall. Having no idea now whether she was heading east or west now, she glanced up into the sky, spinning around to work out which way west might be. She saw mountain peaks with the sun above them and hoped they were in the West. But where was the Western Wall?

Passing more houses, she chose the lanes and avenues which kept her on track moving toward the peaks. Trees were up ahead, a sparse forest it seemed, then she saw the thick, high wall behind. It appeared the land sloped down to the base of the wall making the wall appear lower than it was... Trees in the woods were spaced apart, very tall trees as well as small ones. Between each of the young trees Vondra saw large round stumps, not very high from the ground. Young men worked at chopping at the stumps, others digging out roots, all of them taking care not to walk on any seedlings or stumble on the tender branches of those growing .

They're preparing the ground to grow more seedlings, she told herself. This place is amazing, unbelievable.

Navigating her way through the trees, Vondra drew nearer the wall.