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Philippe could have sworn he saw angels in that moment, angels flying over the peoples heads, angels throwing love and happiness down upon the people gathered inside the church, there was simply no other explanations, this happiness this love, it had to be a work of the angels maybe even god himself.
Philippe looked at them so happy together and knew without a doubt in that moment that everything would turn out great, he looked to his right, finding Father Imperius staring right back at him, smiling for all it was worth.
When they had hugged and said goodbye to the newlyweds, were they even wed? No prober ring or ceremony had there been but maybe a kiss and a bishop (even a dead one) could be enough to clarify it as a wedding right? Philippe thought, opening the door for Imperius, after one last look at his companions turned friends he walked out of the door himself, shutting it with a thief's smoothness behind him.
Now out in the open with the sun shining right at them, reality hit Phillippe, he hadn’t a single clue what he was supposed to do now that his adventure with the two newlyweds was over. God hadn’t spoken to Phillippe for some days now and his usual plan and routine as a thief was most definitely ruined now that so many people knew of his face, he could always go to another city and start up there but that would require stealing a horse and that in itself was hard enough for Phillippe to complete right now.
While lost in thought and worries he didn’t see Imperius come towards him nor did he see the hand reaching for his shoulder before it actually made contact with his garment, “Well, i have no plans now; the either left unsaid, perhaps you have any idea what an old man like me should do instead of taking home” Imperius said. When his sentence had started Phillippe regained his concentration and started to listen intensly to the old man, Phillippe had always been bad at social clues but if he weren’t mistaking he and Father Imperius were looking for the same thing, “Well what do you say about going with me? you got a horse and a carriage big enough to travel with both of us in it, not a bad thing i say, and to make it even better you can choose where we go'' Phillippe said to Imperius.
“Not a bad thing you say?, if you can have some booze in your possession by the end of the day then i will let you take with me.” Imperius answered with a faint smile at his lips, he often did that, it was actually really hard to read so Phillippe instead of trying to figure out what exactly that little smile meant had instead accepted this as Imperius own signature smile, but even though he accepted it Phillippe knew his curiosity would get to him one day and he would eventually ask and find out the mysterious meaning behind it.
“Well, where should we meet then?” Phillippe asked not conforming neither denying Imperius' request, “I expect to meet you at the pearly gates little thief” Imperius answered, turning away to go to his carriage.
The pearly gates he said, it wasn’t unlikely for Father Imperius to refer or talk about God and his heaven but for him to talk about it so clear-cut, so casually, was weird.
A sentence with such a deep meaning was not weird for Phillippe to hear from Imperius, Imperius was a serious person by nature and often talked about the problems instead of avoiding them like sir Navarre had a tendency to, so to hear Imperius say such serious thing with such a teasing spin to it made Phillippe very very confused.
As he stood there at the big water fountain made from hard work and mans hand in the middle of the square with the church only a few meters behind him and the homes for the people light brown and as tall as two men standing steady all around him, he could see the small streets he knew so well spinning between houses like a big snake and disappearing the most random places beyond what his eyes could see, it looked like that because of the makers of the snake gave up on it and continued their project another place forgetting all about the lonely snake now left alone.
He wondered if Imperius’ words were a metaphor, those; he was good at. Father Imperius could be referring to their new adventure or to take it more literally a port, ports were everywhere but Phillippe knew the town inside out and there were only very few places with ports that were beautiful enough for Father Imperius to refer to, it suddenly wasn’t the main port, yes it was beautiful and big but it was made in hurry and with no intention to be something worthy to be called or referred to as the “pearly gates” by a priest like Imperius, a port that you could refer to as if were as beautiful as the pearly gates were something built so you could never take you eyes of it, something crafted by man not in hurry but in respect and the main gate were definitely not made like that.
There were three ports Phillippe could think of that were worthy of Imperius words, the first port was located behind a baker and a market it was well known around town and was used frequently for people to export varieties of what they sell at the market food or pots and pan, everything got through there. But what most people overlooked was how beautiful it actually was, the port was as tall as two men and even if it had no decoration it had an aura of power, if you weren’t busy with the market you could end up gazing at it for hours and days, it was as if the two piles that hold the port together were two powerful guardians standing there tall and imitating.
The second port were less know but for thiefs and homeless it was like a safe spot, someplace to be without worrying for the public and it’s opinion on you, people that knew of the second port were not gods blessed and those who wanted to be had to try and work extra hard to get his blessing, Phillippe didn’t think himself as such, he was one of god's children and even spoke with him a lot even if the conversations were mostly; not always, one sided.
The third port was used as a fence, it marked were the town stopped so not many used that port, they knew it was there but hadn’t reason to use it or spend time looking at it, travelers were the only ones using the port but they were always so busy to keep moving they never got a chance to actually look at the port before they had passed through and it was to late, the port was made by a bishop angry that he no influence had over his own church “if i can’t use my talents on my own home i'm gonna use it elsewhere appreciated by all who look at what i made” the bishop said, he made a port so beautiful and stunning that he knew he couldn’t put it in a place where many people went, they would forget where they were and would freeze in time and place, if they caught sight of it, he placed it close to the church but far enough away that no person from town knew where it was “here were travelers pass i will build a port, a port so stunning and beautiful that every man will be drawn to it if he laid his eyes on it” the bishop declared, everytime Phillippe meet a man on horse who claimed not to know why he was here in the city Phillippe would know that they passed through the port by the church.
It had to be the third, the one by the church, how Father Imperius knew of it Phillippe wouldn’t know, but he was still oh so curious of the reason why Imperius knew of its existence, “did he perhaps travel through there so the lady and us didn’t notice he followed us to the city or perhaps he had erinds for the church so close to the port or maybe it was a coincidence, those i have a hard time to believe in, but maybe even so could the day have gone and he wouldn’t have known better, that’s just how thing align” Phillippe wondered to himself, while pacing around the water fountain like a mouse on a wheel not knowing if he should go to the church at the end of town or start by the more known port at the market which were closer.
Before Phillippe could get moving to his destination he remembered the deal he made with Imperius, he needed to get his hand on some booze before he took of where the path may lead him, he couldn’t get any from the poor they had only ale and beer and that was definitely nothing good enough for a priest such as Imperius, he needed to get more into the city were the big houses and riches was located, it was risky for a thief to wander through there but he had made a deal and those he took to heart, even if he was called a thief by people and knights, he would never break a promise or deal to a friend.
Phillippe didn’t really know who he was going to “borrow” some wine from but he at least knew where from, he took to walking down the street to his right that went between two houses, it was small and could only fit one person at a time, if you meet someone you either had to crawl on walls or go all the way back so they could get to their destination while you had to wait for your own turn to walk there, lucky for him it wasn’t a long street by comparison to others in the area.
It was the middle of the day and people were out but that wasn’t a big problem because the street all crumbled stones and green weeds at the bottom of houses was not a street used by workers, it was used by playing children, lost folks and the poor who lived there in the deserted place in the middle of town, it didn’t lead to the market either so Phillippe didn’t meet anyone on there way with food or bags to be filled.
The street lead to a small open place with houses in a more destroyed state then others in town, they still stood tall and proud but many places you could see the bricks and dust fall of and windows not closing also doors had a hard time with looking good, this place was a dead end for most, but not for Phillippe.
He had many months and seasons prior runned here chased by knights and then in his desperation had he ran into the house on the right where the door was creaked and old, an old lady had been in the house at the time but before she could demand to know what an ugly looking thief like him was doing in her house he had sprinted forward and jumped through her window that stood open because of the clothes that day hanging to dry in the sun, then when he landed on the other side did he find a barrel big enough for a young man like himself to fit into, it was filled with corn so lucky for him it wasn’t too unpleasant, there he sat chatting and mumbling to god as to pass the time while he waited for the knights to give up on their search for him and be long gone,when the knights were away he opened the barrel and picked himself up and out without spilling to much corn, it was after all the poor lady’s food and living.
Now many seasons after he would use the same path, the lady was out in town probably selling corn or buying the little food she could afford for dinner, when he got inside he didn’t touch or try to take anything, he merely passed through the house walking over to the window which he opened and crawled out of onto the street.
He hadn’t a proper opportunity to really look at the likes of the street those months ago but now that he had time he couldn’t help but notice the shift in the area, the street looked much better and the door to the left; the front door to house he had just been in looked much better and more secure, there was no weed or broken stones where his shoes touched but instead a long path made of fine stones that lead to the open place where festivals and games was held sometimes.
The festival place was perfect to blend in, if you had someone chasing you or had to be somewhere in secret this was the place for your needs. The place wasn’t a secret really, but usually people didn’t talk about it in the open, it was like a secret rule never spoken out loud.
He looked around making sure no one could notice him, it was very unusual people actually did notice him, he looked like every other boy his age and had clothes the same as everybody else, surely someone like Navarre would be noticed in an instant with all his travel clothes and dark tones to it, people were too busy staring at the preparations for yet another game.
“I loved those, did you know that? I would always come when i had the time to watch, but i suppose i have to remember the events instead of experiencing them now when my adventure starts and i can’t seem to find the time don’t you think? yes, yes you must do, it seems this is a way to go, showing me what i have to let go of, very clever of you i must say” Phillippe mumbled to god and himself while walking around the ladies and children in a hurry towards the market, he just had to go another 2 minutes then he would be at the more richer area of town, were all houses were built steady and with no trace of holes and paint missing, it was here he would locate a fine house or maybe a unlucky bypasser to steal the promised wine from.
When selecting who to borrow things from Phillippe had to follow a couple rules, these rules were made by himself with guidance from the lord, he couldn't borrow things from families even if they were riches and he couldn’t possibly ever even in the hardest times steal from someone poor, it is worth noticing the simplicity in the rules don’t make the rules any less important.
Phillippe knew these two rules by heart. Now that he had arrived at the more rich area of town he began to look, really look at people, some you would think didn’t have families just because they didn’t walk with children or a wife by their side, but Phillippe knew to look more closely, as an example a man walking with groceries or books was likely to have a family while a man walking with nothing or a young woman was more likely to live alone.
All around Phillippe was there people, it was hard to keep concentrating, but fortunately luck was on his side, when his eyes locked upon a lone man in his 30’s walking with two wine bottles in his hand, probably on his way to a friend, he was wearing a purple houppelande with bright yellow sleeves, the fur on the garment was of high quality and made everyone around the man look at him with burning jealousy.
Now that Phillippe had found his target he needed to actually set to work, he snuck up behind them man not to close but still close enough to not lose him in the mess of people walking and running around with groceries and families at their side, the man was holding a bottle in each hand so it was hard to get them both, not impossible for someone like Phillippe but still to risky if he was counting on meeting Father Imperius soon.
Phillippe walked fast over the man's right side, then proceed to squeezed the man’s left leg making him jump and look to his left angry at whoever dared touch him, while his attention were elsewhere did Phillippe hook a hand around the wine bottle in his right hand yanking with all the force he had out of the man’s hand into his own, then when he had a good grip on it which were in under seconds because of practice, he decided to run, the man who had felt the wine bottle yanked from him turned and had barely any time to do anything else the scream “Thief, get the thief!” before Phillippe had run out of his way.
Years of experience in Philippe's chosen path of life had him running at an incredible speed, almost jumping around people so as to not tumble into them and make them fall, he was especially careful with all the children he ran past.
First he made a turn down a alleyway, it was closed of and the walls were cracked and moss grew all around, the alleyway gave of the feeling of something old and used so it wasn’t likely for the riches and people who heard the man call after him to follow him down here where it was so gross but still when he looked behind him discovered he that there still were people after him, looking for a fast solution to get away from the two men got Phillippe to push the nearest object, a barrel filled with various seed in this case, hard toward himself making it fall behind him slowing down his followers.
At the end of the alleyway the two men were far behind, they weren’t used to running and their age wasn’t exactly looking good either. “Thank you for that, my legs felt like wings for a second” Phillippe told god with a faint smile on his lips, he really was lucky to had outrun the two men so quickly, “now let’s see what i got” Phillippe eclared, he was really excited to see what wine he had taken from the man, he hadn’t a proper chance to look at it the only detail he picked up when he snapped it from the man’s hand was that it was a red one, when he took up to his lips for a taste a thought stroke him, he had to share this with Father Imperius!, how stupid of him he thought to himself, ofcourse he couldn’t drink it alone, he had to drink with Imperius, if he stole the wine for him to get a ride then he could risk loosing said ride by tasting the fine wine bottle.
Deciding that it couldn’t hurt to take it slow and get a good look on the city before leaving for his travel with Father Imperius, Phillippe decided to take a more complicated road down to the pearly gates then he normally would have done.
He went in and out between alleyways with tall walls with cracks, on the walls where some windows were broken and others were opened by thieves or families who lived there.
It was interesting to think of all the different people living their own individual lives while looking at the homes he went by, people with their own problems and thoughts lived there. What was the story of the spilled liquid to his leaking out of a barrel, why was there two broken doors with one untouched between them, all these little things you wouldn’t notice or question if you hurried your way home and not looking at your surroundings, these were the things Phillippe tried to look at while walking to the pearly gates, he was usually a rather fast going person in life so this was something new for him to do, he needed to slow down and take his time even if it meant feeling bored at times.
Phillippe had walked up to the road that led to the port by the church where he was meant to meet Father Imperius, he had the wine bottle in hand and the small amount he owned in his pockets locked securely away from other thieves and foes.
When he got to the church he made a right turn and finally looked up at the fence, it was so long since he visited the church and looked at the fence, that he almost forgot how stunning it was, his thought went to god thanking him, for giving the determined bishop the idea to build the fence so long time ago.
“Phillippe Gaston, you made it” Imperius’ voice could be heard calling out, Phillippe turned his head down just now remembering why he was here, there stood Father Imperius with his horse and bags waving at him.
Phillippe walked fast the last meters separating him and Imperius as to give him a hug, he never was someone for close contact but with Imperius he always felt the need to hug or sit close with him, it made Phillippe feel secure and safe, something he wasn't used to and missed dearly.
When they separated from the hug Imperius turned to Phillippe and asked him, “did you get what i asked for?”, “yes, yes i did, i borrowed it from a rich man with no friends, the poor fellow was planning to drink alone so i thought i would help him get rid of his bad habit” Phillippe answered with a sneaky smile, Imperius chuckled a little at that comment, he didn’t expect much for a thief but Phillippe had once again proven that his heart was made of pure gold.
It was good to be reunited, even if they missed half of the company they were used to. Both Phillippe and Imerius missed Navarre and the lady, but they knew they would see the two of them soon, when time was right and their adventure had already begun. Their adventure didn’t necessarily need to be over before they saw the newlyweds again, maybe the couple would even join them in their journey next time they all meet?
Settling down in the carriage, Phillippe and Imperius opened the wine bottle and officially started their adventure, who knew what could be ahead of them, only time can tell.