He pushed open the cold iron gate, the damp moss covering the bars causing his fingers to tremble involuntarily. Taking a deep breath, he watched the rotating hinges nervously. Carefully, silently, he stepped into the inner grounds. Pulling his robe tightly around him, the icy wind stirred its hem as he timidly crept forward, his thin silhouette betraying a hint of panic.
Like a thief tiptoeing under the veil of night, every rustle of wind or grass made him shrink back and pull his hood lower over his face. Glancing left and right, he surveyed the desolate expanse around him, holding his breath as he maneuvered his body across the barren land with the furtive agility of one moving through a crowded marketplace.
"So cold..."
"So cold..."
