Intrigued, Aden listened for any sound of life. A wrought-iron gate was slightly overgrown with young vines, and he could not make out the slightest sound. If this place were not abandoned, which it clearly appeared to be, then he would expect to at least hear the sound of a horse whinnying in its sleep or the bark of a watchdog.
He heard only silence.
If his mind were less exhausted, he knew he would make a better decision. But at the moment, he could not believe his luck. Tonight, he would sleep in the relative safety of four abandoned walls.
Not surprisingly, the gate was locked. Gauging the stone fence, he used the strength of his powerful new legs to hoist his body over the wall. He was surprised at his own gracefulness and felt rather proud of himself.
A small whine from the other side of the wall reminded him that Warrior could not make the leap quite as easily. Two breaths later, Aden was back on the outside of the fence.
Dropping to one knee, he reached out a hand for the pup. “Come on, Warrior. I can help you over the wall.”
The dog took a cautious step toward him.
“That’s a good boy,” Aden coaxed, “let me help you.”
The dog came all the way forward and tentatively licked Aden’s outstretched hand.
“Good boy, Warrior.” Aden remained completely still.
Warrior stepped even closer.
Aden heard one more sniff, and then the pup returned to his happy panting. Though he could not see it clearly since the dog was so close, Aden could still make out the swishing movement of a wagging tail.
Suddenly, his own sight grew even hazier as tears filled his eyes.
“Good. Boy.”
Keeping his rounded claws hidden, Aden reached out and gave Warrior the best ear scratch he could manage with his beastly paws.
The thumping tail whacking against his leg confirmed that they were best friends once again.
“I’m sorry, boy, I won’t betray you like that again if I can help it.”
He stood up and Warrior happily barked, running around his ankles.
“Can I help you over this wall, now?” Aden reached down and, with no fuss at all, lifted Warrior onto the top of the wall. Swinging over it himself, he carried the dog down to the other side.
Warrior immediately dashed into the large open courtyard of the mansion, exploring the new space.
Aden, however, kept his attention focused on the large house. As expected, all the windows were dark, and the place looked adequately abandoned. Almost ominously so.
Remembering to compensate for his shifting eyesight, he took in everything from this vantage point while he could still make out some level of detail.
It was a massive house, as big as an entire wing of his family’s palace though not nearly as tall. Only two rows of windows lined the main building. Large towers at either end of the rectangular structure pointed far into the sky.
He must have crossed into the northern kingdom of Allys, as the lower profile of the building denoted the sprawling style of most Allysian architecture, but unlike the creamy stone used throughout the rest of the warmer kingdom, this mansion was built in a dark gray rock that matched the wild mountain scenery.
In many places, the dark stone was covered in even darker vines and greenery that wound its way around the structure. It even grew across some windows. Clearly, no one had lived here for some time.
Aden also noted there was no scent of the smoke that would have lingered in the air had someone been living here and using the fireplace.
Satisfied that he was not intruding, he made his way to the front door. Not surprisingly, it too was locked. He wound around the house, where he discovered an open back door and slipped inside.
Finding himself once again inside the safety of four walls, Aden realized how truly exhausted he was. Exploring the house could come later. For now, he had one desire.
Relying on his new senses, he made his way out of the kitchen and into a great room with a double-tall ceiling. This was likely the entrance to the building. Crossing it, he climbed a set of stairs into a long hallway on the other side. He passed a few doorways, peeking inside to find salons and studies.
Finally, he opened a doorway to the wonderful sight of a large four-poster bed, complete with curtains on every side.
