With a slight sense of offense in his heart, the boy opened the front door and was about to go out, but at the last moment, his gaze fell on the wooden surface where a black cloth and a tray of fruit lay.
Near the door, with his back against the wall, stood a tall figure, about two and a half meters tall, clad in elegant dark fabrics resembling a battle kimono. The familiar sword resting on his belt was gone, as if it were not needed.
Looking at the figure, Finn, without saying a word, reached for the set of clothes lying next to the fruit tray, took it, and, after closing himself in the bathhouse, carried it away.
First, Finn, of course, examined the food tray: ordinary fruits, from apples to some hairy... However, he immediately set it aside, not wanting to try this novelty.
The hunger that had been living in him for more than half a day made itself known, and a couple of seconds later, the boy greedily ate one fruit after another.
Having finished most of the tray, Finn could not fully satisfy his hunger, and his gaze fell again on the hairy fruit. Taking it in his hands and squeezing it, he concluded that only the peel was hairy. Breaking the fruit in half, he discovered a juicy green core.
"It looks better inside..." it flashed in his mind, and he immediately sank his teeth into the green pulp, quickly finishing the first fruit and starting on its hairy brethren.
Having finished eating, Finn examined the clothes. Taking the pants in his hands, he grimaced in annoyance. "There's enough room for at least three of my legs in there!.." but a second later he remembered that everyone he had followed wore the exact same outfits.
Putting on the bulky pants on his slender body, Finn spread his legs as wide as possible so they wouldn't fall off, and at the same moment, pulled on the upper part of the set. Looking at the belt, which lay on the ground, Finn spent a few minutes thinking about how to tie it correctly, trying to remember how others did it.
Having failed in these attempts, Finn tied the belt with two simple knots, not tightening the second one completely, so that it could be easily removed in the future. Having finished dressing, he slightly opened the front door.
Nothing had changed behind the door: the masked figure still stood motionless, leaning against the wall. Finn decided to take the opportunity and examine this living statue.
Looking closely at the leader's figure, the boy made several discoveries for himself. She had a perfect physique, at least, he decided, looking at her from behind. Perfect posture, a strand of snow-white curls peeking out from under the collar.
"Have you examined me enough?... Finn." A sudden and chilling voice broke the silence, filling Finn with fear. He didn't understand why he became scared, but he intuitively felt that he had done something wrong. "It's time for us to go, the elder is waiting for you."
"Y-yes! O-okay!" His voice sounded unnaturally loud and firm, which was uncharacteristic for him, but for some reason, it came out that way.
The woman in the mask, without turning around, moved towards the center, towards the fountain, whose streams went upwards, into the sky. "How did she notice I was looking at her?" he wondered, following her.
"Maybe she has some ability? Sensing other people's gazes is very useful, especially when a monster is looking at you! And if not an ability, but an item? Even better. Maybe they have others like it? I wonder, is everyone here that strong? No, I don't mean they're weak, they're strong, but surely there are those among them who are weaker, and those who are stronger. Otherwise, why would they have those who are in charge?" Passing by hut after hut, Finn was lost in thought. He didn't try to filter them, just considered different options. After all, he hoped it was some kind of special item.
Continuing to follow her, Finn didn't notice how they approached the fountain. Coming closer, he had the opportunity to examine it more closely.
The fountain was the color of old wood, from which it seemed everything around was made. On its rim were carved wavy lines, one superimposed on the other; each line could break off anywhere, and after a few dozen centimeters, start again. The water inside the fountain powerfully gushed upwards, not dropping a single drop from its stream, and disappeared into a crack in the cave ceiling. The crack through which the water flowed was covered with moss, on which pink flowers grew. All this was extremely strange and seemed to make no sense.
The masked figure, walking ahead, turned left, towards the nearest house, which was no different from the others. But with every step that brought him closer to this hut, Finn was covered in goosebumps. He wasn't scared; he knew he wouldn't die and nothing bad would happen to him. At first, he had such thoughts, but he quickly dismissed them, understanding their attitude towards him. They didn't treat him like a prisoner or a captive; they didn't watch him closely, sometimes they talked to him, answering Finn's timid questions, and the fact that they saved him from the knights became proof of his rightness.
Approaching the entrance, the masked figure knocked three times lightly and, after a moment's wait, opened the door, stepping aside and letting the boy inside.
"Please," she said calmly, looking at Finn.
Finn didn't make him wait and stepped through the door.