Sparrow's Journey: Chapter Fourteen

WRITTEN: 11 July 2012
==Chapter Fourteen: Return of the Thief==
Nearly a year had passed since Lucien Fairfax’s death, during which time Reaver had spent his days sweating in Samarkand. He wished he had never gone there. When the scholar, Garth, had told Reaver that Samarkand wasn’t as he imagined it to be, the pirate had assumed that the Mage had been lying to try and prevent him from going with him. Garth was telling the truth. The nights weren’t just hot, they were excruciatingly scorching, and Reaver found that there was a miserable amount of exotic substances and a definite shortage of uninhibited people. On top of that Garth hadn’t been able to teach him much about his homeland, much of interest anyway. In the end, he gave the scholar a parting gift and gratefully hoped on the next ship heading to Bloodstone. Reaver would never recommend Samarkand to anyone… except perhaps someone he really despised, but then, those he despised never lived very long after their meeting.
When Bloodstone came into view, Reaver was relieved to see that it was the same as he had left it, and when he exited the ship, many people came over to greet him and welcome him home.
‘How about you and I have a private party later tonight, Reaver?’ a few prostitutes asked him.
‘Maybe some other time I’ll take you up on that offer,’ Reaver said, giving them one of his charming smiles.
Normally he would take them up on their offer, but tonight he couldn’t. Tonight he needed to organise another sacrifice to keep him young and beautiful.
Arriving back at his manor, Reaver listened to his men’s reports about issues that had arisen while he was gone and how Bloodstone was thriving, before heading into his study to find his dark seal. He walked casually over to his desk – seeing as that is where the Shadow Court always sent it to him – only to realise that it wasn’t there.
Odd, thought Reaver, before searching the room. It was not there.
He then turned his search to the rest of the house. He ended up turning the house up-side-down to find the seal, but still he could not find it.
Maybe they haven’t sent it yet, Reaver thought. Yeah, that’s it. By the end of the week it will be here.
It never came. 
Reaver was getting worried now. So in the end, he decided to travel to the Shadow Court himself to get some answers. He was very reluctant to do this, but what other choice did he have? He needed to find that seal so he could send someone to keep him young. He wasn’t ready to give up the life he was currently leading just yet. Maybe in a few thousand years he would be, but not now.
The journey to the Shadow Court was quite unpleasant. Hollow men around every corner, banshees and their little ankle biter children reminding him of the mistake he made hundreds of years ago, and then there was the marsh itself ruining his clothes as he grudgingly walked through its dirty, muddy water. When he arrived at the Shadow Court, he found the Court’s door unlocked.
Strange, thought Reaver, since when do they leave this door unlocked? 
He ended shrugged it off and walked confidently inside. He walked through its dark corridors silently with the only sound that could be heard being his footsteps echoing around its corridors.
All the Shadows he came across never bothered him. They just looked at him, before going about their business. Reaver calmly walked past them and into the actually court, where he then waited patiently to be received by the Shadow Judges.
‘Welcome, Reaver,’ the Shadow Judges, said in unison as they entered the room. 
‘To what do we owe the pleasure?’ asked the head Shadow Judge.
‘Your excellences,’ Reaver said with a slight bow. ‘I have come to collect the Dark Seal, which, for reasons unknown, I currently do not have.’
‘We do not have the Dark Seal either, Reaver,’ said the Shadow. ‘We assumed that the Hero gave it back to you when he took it off the girl sacrificed.’
‘Great,’ Reaver said, clicking his tongue in annoyance. Sparrow could be anywhere in Albion. How was he supposed to find him now, unless…
‘Would you happen to know where he and the seal are now?’ Reaver asked hopefully. ‘He does still have the seal, doesn’t he?’
‘We will be back in a moment.’ The Shadow Judges walked off and fifteen minutes later they returned.
‘We were able to locate the Hero,’ the head Shadow Judge said when they returned. Reaver stopped his pacing and looked at them.
‘Yes?’ he pushed eagerly.
‘The Hero has been in the same place he has been for nearly a year… in the Bowerstone Prison.’
‘Thank you, your excellences,’ Reaver said with a bow, before heading back to Bloodstone.
From there, he gathered his belongings, gave him men specific orders and went to the local sea captain to travel to Westcliff, which had changed much since his last visit there a hundred years ago. From Westcliff, the pirate made his way, via carriage, to Bowerstone Market, which had also changed since his last visit. 
Once in Bowerstone, he confidently walked over and into the Bowerstone prison and requested to see Sparrow. The teenaged guard on duty reluctantly led Reaver to Sparrow's cell, though he was also surprised and slightly suspicious. Sparrow had been locked in jail for nearly a year and had had no visitors, except for Derek, Bowerstone Old Town's sheriff who remembered Sparrow from when he was a kid. It was also Derek who fought to have Sparrow's life spared arguing that there was good in him, not that the other sheriffs and guards believed him.
When Reaver arrived outside Sparrow's cell, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The once strong and powerful Hero of Bowerstone lay on top of a stone hard bed dressed in filthy rags. His hair was longer, oiler and messier than it had been since Reaver last saw him and he had also grown a beard which matched his hair. His skin was also filthy and clung tightly to his body. Sparrow had lost a lot of weight. He had even lost his Will lines.
'He hasn't moved from that spot in roughly a year,' the guard said taking in Reaver's shocked appearance. 'At first Derek, one of the sheriffs, used to force feed him until he died. We guards are all surprised that he is still alive seeing as he hasn't eaten in three months, same with drinking. He has just let himself go; lost the will to live, if you ask me. I just wish he'd hurry up and cark it. With him gone, the people of Albion will feel safe again and the children can be free to run around playing.'
Reaver glared coldly at the young guard before turning his attention back to the sleeping Sparrow. For reasons he could not explain, Reaver felt a surge of responsibility to look after Sparrow. It was probably due to the soft spot he had for the younger Hero, not that he would ever admit to having a soft spot.
'When does he get bail?' Reaver asked suddenly.
'Whenever someone pays ten thousand gold pieces,' replied the guard. 'Thankfully no one has come forward to grant him bail, probably because no one wants him walking free.'
'If he were to get bail, what would the rules be regarding his semi-freedom,' Reaver inquired, not taking his eyes away from the grubby man.
'He is forbidden to leave Bowerstone and he is forbidden to carry any weapons. He also has to have someone watching him at all times. Also, if he breaks any laws he will be thrown back in prison and may even get the death sentence seeing as Derek isn't here to defend him.'
'Right,' said Reaver, pulling out a bag of gold and pouring its contents on a nearby table and counting it all up. 'Here is the bail money.'
'Y-you can't be serious!' the guard gasped. 'You wish to have this monster back on our streets?'
'That monster is my friend who has had a cruel life,' Reaver said coldly. 'Besides, this Derek was right. Sparrow does have goodness in his heart. If he didn't, he wouldn't have sacrificed what he really wanted to bring those who were killed in the Spire back to life.'
The guard stared dumbfound at Reaver before grudgingly opening the cell's door.
'Where will you be taking him?'
'To his home here in Bowerstone,' replied Reaver. 'He does have a home here, doesn't he?'
'Yes, it overlooks Bowerstone. It also has a great view of the castle. It is located in Old Town. I will give you the address before you leave.'
Reaver nodded curtly and entered the cell. 
'Sparrow?' he said, bending down next to the sleeping Hero, trying not to gag at how badly he smelt. 'Sparrow, wake up, son.'
In the background, the guard gave Reaver a weird look for calling Sparrow son. After all, they did look the same age.
Upon receiving no answer, Reaver gently shook Sparrow's shoulder. Sparrow slowly opened his eyes and looked at Reaver. Reaver gasped. Sparrow's eyes looked dead and stared at Reaver unfocused and unresponsive. 
'What has happened to you?' Reaver breathed, before helping the younger Hero unsteadily to his feet.
Reaver then tried to walk Sparrow out of the cell but he had no luck. Sparrow was too weak. He hadn’t moved in almost a year and his body was slowly beginning to shut down. 
‘Why isn't anything ever easy with you, kid?' Reaver sighed, before picking the convicted criminal up and holding him awkwardly in his arms.
The journey to Sparrow's house wasn't an enjoyable one. While Sparrow was underweight for his age, height and build, he eventually became heavy in Reaver's arms. It was then that Reaver half-wished Hammer was there. She would have been able to carry him no trouble. Then there were the people of Bowerstone. All of them were curious to see a well-dressed man carrying an unconscious dirty beggar, but then the truth got out. 
As Reaver was carrying Sparrow, a little boy was dared by his friends to have a closer look and when he did, Sparrow briefly opened his eyes and looked at the little boy, whereas Reaver completely ignored his existence. The boy's eyes widened when he saw Sparrow's black eyes and he knew immediately who was in Reaver's arms. Hence, the truth was spread, just as the fear began to spread.
'How could you grant him bail?' an elderly woman demanded angrily to Reaver as she blocked his path. Many citizens then surrounded them all wanting to know too.
'He has rights just like you and me,' Reaver said hotly, losing all his charm. He was not in the mood to deal with anyone. All he wanted to do was to put Sparrow down.
'No he doesn't!' snapped the blacksmith's wife. 'He lost them when he murdered all those people -'
'And I believe he regained them when he sacrificed what he really wanted to bring those who were killed in the Spire back to life!' Reaver snapped, not having a clue about the murder people the blacksmith's wife was on about.
'One good deed cannot make up for what he has done!' the elderly woman snapped. 'You have just condemned us all! We'll all wake up to find loved ones dead, raped or missing, because of you! Our children will never be able to play freely outside again!'
'Don't be so ridiculous!' Reaver snapped. 'Now move before I put a bullet through your senile brain!'
Everyone quickly moved out of Reaver's way allowing him to continue to Sparrow's place.
'I think you are in for a rough recovery, kid,' Reaver said quietly to Sparrow who had his head resting on Reaver's shoulder and his eyes closed.
Getting inside Sparrow's locked house ended up being a challenge too as Reaver had to try and balance Sparrow as he searched for a key. Then, when he found the key, he had to try and open the door with Sparrow's dead weight in his arms. Eventually though, Reaver got inside and gratefully place Sparrow on his bed, before stretching his arms. Sparrow was heavier than he looked.
Once he was sure Sparrow was safe and what he thought was a comfortable position, he went downstairs into the kitchen to see if there was any food. The cupboards were empty. In fact, Reaver couldn't even find a crumb!
Grumbling, Reaver took some money that he had found in one of the cupboards and went back to Bowerstone Market to get some food.
When he returned, he prepared some food that he could force feed to Sparrow and went upstairs to where he had left the sleeping Sparrow, only Sparrow wasn't lying in bed asleep. Instead, he was sitting at his bedroom window absently staring outside.
Reaver took this to be a good sign. After all, hadn't the guard said that Sparrow hadn't moved in a year?
'Sparrow?' Reaver said hesitantly, moving closer to the younger man.
Sparrow turned and looked at Reaver through dead eyes.
'Reaver,' Sparrow acknowledge, though his voice was as dead as his eyes. 
'At least you are up and moving around. That has to be a good sign, though you could have done it sooner so I didn't have to carry you from the jail to here.'
'I didn't ask you to,' Sparrow said emotionlessly. 'So why did you free me?'
'Let's just say you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age,' Reaver said, handing Sparrow the food he had prepared. 'Besides, friends help each other, don't they?'
'What are you helping me with?'
'I'm helping you become that confident and stubborn Hero who I slept with again.'
'What if I don't want to be him?'
'Sparrow, I'm not trying to make you into a feared criminal,' Reaver said surprisingly patiently. 'I helping you become healthy again and then help you get your life back on track.'
'Why can't you just let me die? The guards and everyone else are happy enough to.'
'Sparrow, do you honestly believe that everyone wants you dead?' Reaver demanded.
'Yes.'
'Well you are wrong. Do I look like I want you dead? If I did I would have just found my Dark Seal and would have left. And what about your girlfriend, Hammer, and that blind hag?'
'Theresa is not a hag and Hammer is not my girlfriend,' Sparrow said, looking back outside the window, not even accepting his food. 'They would be happier with me gone, especially Hammer.'
'Actually, they would be the last people to ever celebrate your death,' Reaver said seriously. 'Listen, Sparrow, I may not know what you have been through or what your exact relationship is with the girls, but the short time I was around, I could see that they both cared for you deeply. When we thought you had died, Hammer screamed for you to wake up and could not stop crying.'
'You're just saying that to make me feel better. She despises me for what I did.'
'Maybe, but she's a monk. Aren't they taught to forgive?'
'She'll never forgive me.'
The two men fell into silence. Sparrow continued to look absently outside while Reaver critically examined Sparrow's filthy appearance.
'If you clean yourself up I'm sure you'll feel a lot better,' Reaver said suddenly, unable to bear Sparrow's appearance and smell.
'I doubt it. So why bother?'
'Maybe because you smell terrible and it is starting to make me sick.'
Sparrow turned his dead eyes upon Reaver.
'So, why don't you have a bath? Once you’ve gotten that filth off yourself we can go to the stylist and get your hair done. Then we'll visit the tailor and get you a new attire.'
'I'm not going anywhere,' Sparrow said firmly. 'It would be best of everyone if I crawled away and died.'
'Don't start that again,' Reaver said firmly.
Sparrow just went to staring out the window.
Sighing, Reaver left the room dreading the weeks ahead.
As the weeks past, Reaver found his patience pushed to the limit and on several occasions he had snapped at Sparrow who never reacted. He only gazed at him through dead black eyes.
For weeks, Reaver would go on about Sparrow's destiny not yet being over and how Albion still needed a Hero, but it did no good. Nothing Reaver did would change Sparrow's mind. However, Reaver was happy when, on several occasions, Sparrow ate a small amount of food and drunk some water.
Then the unexpected happened...
Reaver sat at the dining table half asleep with his untouched breakfast in front of him. He had not slept well last night due to the same reoccurring nightmare he had since the destruction of Oakvale.
'Looks like someone slept well last night,' said a weak joking voice from the stairs.
Frowning, Reaver looked up at the stairs and felt his jaw drop.
Sparrow was standing there clean, shaven and with his long hair tied back in a ponytail. In fact, he nearly looked like his old self again.
'I take it you have no wish to die now?' Reaver asked, pulling himself back together.
'No, not know that I have seen my future,' Sparrow smiled as he went to get some breakfast.
'What are you on about?'
'Theresa showed me my future,' Sparrow said simply.
'She was here?' 
'No,' Sparrow said before recounting last night’s events to Reaver.
Sparrow tossed and turned in his sleep as he relived the horrid events of his past. That was until a familiar tune made its way into his nightmare sending away all fears and waking him up. At first he just laid there dripping in a cold sweat. He then turned and looked at the Relic. The music box was open playing a soft tune which slowly began to calm him. 
'Thanks,' he muttered to the ancient device, before trying to close it. It wouldn't let him. Instead it showed him a vision of Murgo the Trader setting up store on the Bowerstone Docks.
'You want me to go and see him?' Sparrow asked the Relic.
As though confirming, the music box fell silent and closed itself.
Not knowing why the box wanted him to see Murgo, Sparrow quietly made his way out of the house so he wouldn't wake Reaver. He then slipped out of Old Town and into Bowerstone Market. Once in Bowerstone Market, Sparrow dodged the guards and made his way down to the docks where he found Murgo, the trader who had sold he and Rose the music box.
‘Well, I do believe I see a Hero before me,’ Murgo said, when Sparrow stopped next to him. ‘Who else would have recognised a genuine magical music box after all?’
‘You remember me? After that brief meeting?’ said Sparrow, surprised.
‘Yes, I remember you,’ replied Murgo. ‘I heard what happened in the Spire. All of Albion gives you her gratitude.’
‘She owes me nothing,’ Sparrow stated glumly. ‘Besides, it’s not gratitude that she is giving me.’
‘But one days she will,’ Murgo said wisely. ‘Anyway, I have in my hands an item that offers visions of the future and it’s – well, it’s not what I was expecting when I paid for it. I was hoping for a nice crystal ball, or some pretty cards, or even a bucket of entrails would have been better than this. Here you can have it. I’ll never be able to sell it to anyone else, and to tell you the truth, it gives me the willies… and not the good kind.’
He handed Sparrow a statue, but it wasn’t any kind of statue. No, it was a remarkable replica model of the Tattered Spire. In fact, while Sparrow held it, he could feel the same unnatural hum that emanated from the real Spire’s walls. It was almost as though he was actually in the Spire. Sparrow blinked. He was in the Spire. In the very room he had killed Lucien.
Now how did that happen? Sparrow thought before…
‘Here you are again,’ Theresa said, smiling, from the middle of the room. ‘You knew you’d return here one day, did you not?’
‘I had a hunch… a gut feeling,’ muttered Sparrow. ‘I wasn’t the only one the Spire gave a gift to, was I? It gave you one too.’
‘Yes,’ replied Theresa. ‘The future has always whispered to me, and I have followed its sound blindly. But now I can see all possible futures. There are many threads – too many to count. Yet there are moments when they all converge, events that cannot be avoided. There are futures which must be fulfilled. It is time I showed you one such future.’
‘Why? I’ve completed my destiny. I saved Albion from Lucien. Isn’t it time for another Hero to step forward? I mean, the Hero of Oakvale served his purpose which was to defeat Jack of Blades; Father’s was to save Southcliff; and mine was to defeat Lucien, right?’
‘No, your destiny has not yet been fulfilled,’ Theresa offered him her hand. ‘Take my hand, one last time.’
He did as she said and to his surprise, their destination was Fairfax Castle.
‘Fairfax Castle?’ Sparrow questioned, looking glumly around.
‘Yes. It is many years from now,’ Theresa answered as a handsome man walked through the entrance and along the red carpet. He was wearing a golden crown and looked oddly familiar. He had long light brown hair and green eyes filled with knowledge and understanding. He was also abnormally tall with blue Will lines on his tan skin. He was an older version of Sparrow.
‘That’s – that’s me, isn’t it?’ he gasped.
Theresa nodded.
‘A king feels age weighing him down and the responsibility of an entire kingdom,’ Theresa said as they followed the older version of Sparrow.
‘Did – did you just say king?’ Sparrow knew he must have misheard.
‘Yes, I did. These are his men,’ Theresa added, when they came across a line of soldiers, either side of the red carpet. . ‘Loyal soldiers who would die for him as many already have, on battlefields at home and in faraway lands. They would follow him wherever he leads.’
‘Why? Why are they loyal to me, when many of them I have wronged, whether directly or indirectly?’
‘Because people change and in time they will see how much you have changed, if you prove it to them,’ Theresa said wisely. ‘These are his people,’ she added again as they passed a crowd of Albion citizens from all regions. The citizens all bowed and cheered when they saw the older version of Sparrow. ‘Subjects who worship him, who trust him to guide them, protect them and govern them. And this is his throne. Albion's seat of power, where he has made countless decisions, delivered justice and led a nation,’ Theresa explained when the King sat down and began to listen to reports. ‘Yet none of this is of the least importance.’
‘Then why are you showing me this?’
The future seemed to be on fast forward for everything seemed to be moving quickly. And in no time, the hall was empty, apart from the King.
‘Because this is the real future,’ Theresa explained as a child came running towards the King.
He looked like a miniature version of Sparrow. He had the same brown hair and green eyes. He was also carrying a toy gun and sword.
‘Is – is that my son,’ Sparrow asked, choking slightly. He was going to be a father!
‘Yes, a boy very much like yourself,’ Theresa smiled.
Sparrow was about to ask her something else, when a pregnant woman walked in. For some reason, Sparrow couldn’t see her face.
‘Why can’t I see her face?’
‘Because you will know who it is when the time is ready,’ Theresa said mysteriously.
‘So the real future is that I will have a family?’ asked Sparrow, his eyes locked on the family he longed for.
‘No, the real future is his child, not yet born, but destined for greatness. His child upon which the fate of all Albion and Aurora will one day depend on.’
‘Aurora? Isn’t that the desert across the sea?’
‘Yes.’
‘So the child in my future wife’s stomach will be a Hero too?’
‘I do not know.’
‘But you just said –‘
‘I do not know if it is the child yet to be conceived in this vision or if it is the little boy.’
‘But you said it was the one not yet born!’
‘Neither of them has been born yet, Sparrow.’
‘Oh, yeah, right,’ mumbled a slightly embarrassed Sparrow. 
'These things you will understand in time,’ Theresa said as she took them back to the Spire. ‘For now you must live your life, and prepare for what is to come.’
‘I will,’ Sparrow said with a smile gracing his features. He was going to be a father! He now had a reason to keep on living. ‘Thank you, Theresa,’ he added, embracing her tightly.
‘Take care, Little Sparrow.  And remember, I am always here, always watching.’
'... So I guess you were right. I still do have a destiny and Albion still does need me,' Sparrow concluded.
'See, you should listen to me more often,' Reaver said with a smirk. 'Now comes the difficult part, getting the people to see you as a beloved king.'
'I think fighting trolls, banshees and balverines all at the same time will be easier.'
'Good to see you've got some of your humour back,' said Reaver. 'Well, before you start making a good name for yourself, you need to get your strength back. While you're doing that, I'm going to spread the truth about your sacrifice around. It will at least get people thinking.'
'But there is something I want to do while I'm recovering, I just need you to convince the guards to allow me to leave Bowerstone,' Sparrow said eagerly.
'And what is that?' Reaver inquired.
'When I was waiting for Hammer to come to terms with her father's death, I went to Brightwall and found an old mansion there. I wish to turn it into an academy for people to go to read and study for free. I have enough books of my own to start it up, and funds. I also am going to have it as a sort of museum for books and documents that are irreplaceable.'
'That is surprisingly generous of you.'
'Actually, I sort of have a hidden agenda,' Sparrow said sheepishly. 'Underneath the mansion is a reliquary that is said to be filled with hollow men that never disappear no matter how many times you clear them out. I'm going to hide the music box there so no one can get it... at least for as long as I live. Once day I'm sure someone baring the Guild Seal will come for it.'
'You're just full of surprises, my friend,' Reaver laughed.
-----SPARROW'S JOURNEY-----
The next morning, Reaver took Sparrow back to the Bowerstone jail to speak to the sheriffs. On the way, many people ran off screaming, children cried, while the braver ones insulted Sparrow.
'Now you know why I have little patience for people,' Reaver grumbled.
'Yeah, but I deserve it. In their eyes, I'm a monster.'
'Just remember they will one day see what a load of idiots they have been,' said Reaver.
'No, they will see that everyone has good inside them and not everyone is as fortunate as them.'
'If you say so,' Reaver shrugged as he entered the jail.
'Come to put him back behind bars, have you?' asked the young guard who had released Sparrow.
'No, I've come to discuss a way for Sparrow to semi make up for what he did,' Reaver replied, while Sparrow stood silently next to him, his face clear of all emotion.
'He can never make up for what he has done,' the guard snarled.
'And he knows that, but he feels as though he can repay the people in a little way.'
'And what way is that? Is he going to take his only pitiful life to help the children sleep better at night?'
'No. He wishes to go to Brightwall and open an Academy.'
'Weren't you listening when I said he wasn't allowed to leave Bowerstone?' the guard demanded angrily.
'That's why we are here seeking permission to leave,' Reaver said coldly.
'No.'
'We weren't here to get your permission, but the sheriffs'.'
The guard went red, whether in anger, embarrassment or both, Sparrow did not know.
'I'll go get them,' he growled, before storming off.
'Charming kid,' Reaver said sarcastically, looking over at Sparrow who was gazing sadly at a small memorial of Derek the sheriff.
'Apparently he never gave up on you,' Reaver said, walking over to Sparrow.
'I know,' Sparrow said sadly. 'He always looked out for me and my sister. He was a great man.'
'I'm surprised to hear you say that, Shadow Fiend,' said Michael, the head sheriff of Bowerstone, walking into the room with the sheriffs for the market and Old Town. 'But I have to agree with you. He was a great man.'
'I'm surprised that you can actually recognise a great man,' John, the new sheriff of Old Town, said coldly.
Sparrow didn't reply.
'Why do you wish to give the people an academy?' Michael asked suspiciously. 'What's the catch? Are you going to steal their money by ripping them of? Or is some sort of trap to rape people and then kill them?'
'I've never raped anyone!' Sparrow snapped, surprising the guards and amusing Reaver. 'I just want to give the people something after everything I've done to them. I'm not expecting forgiveness or anything in return!'
'How do I know you aren't hatching some sort of dark scheme?'
'You don't.'
Michael stared into Sparrow's black eyes, trying to look into his soul, and he soon did. He saw that Sparrow was telling the truth. He was starting to see what Derek could see in the young man all along. He saw that Shadow Fiend was starting to change. His eyes didn’t seem as black.
'Very well,' Michael said finally, 'but Walter is to stay with you at all times.'
The young guard, who had given Sparrow bail, spluttered.
'You want me to babysit this murderer?' he said.
'Yes, Walter. Make sure he doesn't break the law,' Michael said firmly.
Walter did not look happy about the new arrangements.
'When will you be leaving?'
'Tomorrow morning,' Reaver answered.