Awaken His Eyes | The Awakened Book One

Chapter 16

Saba turned from the western road and headed northeast into the hills, making his way on foot as the sun began to set. The outskirts of Bastul were populated by farmers who were attending to various tasks outside, trying to make the most of the daylight. Most of these hardworking people waved to Saba as he passed along the road, and he couldn't help but think of the contrast in lifestyles between the city and country folk. These farmers worked from sunrise to sunset, sometimes even longer. But within the city, the workday had already ended hours ago so that the citizens of Bastul could enjoy baths and leisure time before their evening meals.

The small dirt path wound through the foothills for a short distance before cutting into a deep canyon dividing the mountain range. The setting sun cast strong shadows that separated the canyon into areas of intense orange light and patches of complete darkness. By the time Saba had climbed out of the canyon and into an area of rolling meadows, the sun had dropped behind the ocean. Saba turned off the road and followed a walking path between fields of mature lettuce and cabbage, ready to be harvested.

Just as expected, Trenus was still outside, washing the soil from his hands at the well. It was difficult to see in the fading light, but he was a short, sturdy man, with light brown hair. His clothing, like all country folk, was similar to what a slave might wear. His tunic, now stained with dirt from a hard day's work, was not made of white linen, but of a coarser, thicker material that could stand up against the harsh lifestyle. His sandals were not really sandals at all, but boots that covered his feet completely and laced on the top of the foot. Trenus waved as soon as he caught sight of Saba. It took a few minutes before they were within earshot of each other, and by that time he had finished washing his hands.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Starving. I've been walking most of the day."

Trenus smiled. "I've got a stew going. Come inside."

The main house was a humble wood building with tiled roof and walls plastered on the inside. The layout was a departure from most houses in this region. There were only a few doors off the main living area, and it contained a limited amount of practical furniture. Obviously, Trenus had built this place for function only.

"Have a seat." Trenus pointed to a table on the opposite side of the room. It was situated only a few feet from the stove, upon which a pot of stew simmered.

"Thank you," Saba replied, slumping into the chair, grateful to be off of his feet. Once he caught his breath, he looked around the room. He had only been here for an hour a few days ago to drop off his belongings before he went back to the city to check on Maeryn. He felt bad now at barging in on Trenus, though it didn't look as if it hindered his life one bit.

"What does that look mean?" Trenus asked, looking back at Saba while stirring the stew.

Saba decided to give him an honest answer. "This place needs a woman's touch."

"Yeah, I know. Maybe someday it will have that. But for now, I kind of like it."

Saba nodded his head. "I must say, it is ... efficient."

Trenus laughed. "That's one way to say it." He brought two bowls of steaming food over to the table and set them down. Pulling back his chair, Trenus was about to sit down when he realized that he had forgotten the spoons. "Oops," he said, turning around to grab those as well. "I'm not used to entertaining company." He handed one to Saba.

"That's quite all right. Thank you, by the way, for letting me stay here."

Trenus waived his hand in dismissal. "Never mind that. Tell me how it went, though it seems obvious by your quick return."