Chapter 219 City Wall
Em was impatiently looking around, as if she hoped someone else would arrive soon. Sensing her frustration, Aleshia said, "Let's wait for Rey to come. Since I've just arrived, it means Rey will likely be here soon, too." She hoped this would ease Em's worries and allow them to wait a bit longer.
Unfortunately, Sam disrupted her plan by countering her reasoning. "That doesn't mean she will arrive any sooner or later if she isn't coming at all," he said. "We know what her schedule is like, and we were all warned that she might not come."
Em looked down, feeling a bit sulky at those words. Meanwhile, Ren shot a glare at Sam for making her appear so dejected. Perhaps unaware of the silent pressure from Ren's glare, Sam continued to deliver reasonable explanations.
Aleshia didn't want to hear him discuss it any longer, primarily because it was upsetting Em. She realized it was time to change the subject. "Let's hold off for a moment," she suggested. "I'm still waking up, and it looks like we won't have enough light to see outside for a few more minutes." She said this in an attempt to provide a lifeline for her earlier plan.
Sam seemed to grasp her unspoken message; he stopped criticizing and fell silent, idly sitting by. A few minutes went by, and Rey still hadn't arrived. Just as Sam's patience began to fade, Rey finally broke the silence by pushing herself off the wall she was leaning on. "Alright, that should be enough time," she said. "Everyone, let's get going."
After saying those words, she headed for the door and left the three behind. Aleshia and Em were the first to follow, while Sam quietly regretted his choices, feeling as though he was wasting valuable time by doing nothing.
Outside, the experience wasn't as adventurous as Aleshia's first time, nor as exciting as Lucia's. They casually walked down alleys with crooked splits and bends, easily avoiding people sleeping on the ground and the occasional pickpocket who had just made their morning haul. Aleshia had been a victim of theft once or twice, but Ren and Em quickly retrieved what they stolen and more while giving the thief a beating.
Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the slums and approached a massive stone wall that looked formidable. Aleshia marveled at the stonework and wondered how long it must have taken to build and how long it's lasted.
While admiring the structure, they arrived at a fault in the city wall. The section they approached was crumbling and had noticeably more cracks than the surrounding areas. As they got closer, Aleshia noticed a few wooden boards that were partially hidden beneath layers of old dirt and mud, covering an opening in the wall.
Sam and Ren approached the board and carefully lifted the ends together, lowering it quietly. They made little to no noise, only a soft churn and thunk as the board settled into the dirt beneath its heavy weight. "Aleshia, Em, you two go first. We'll be right behind you," Ren said.