The words stop him from closing the door completely, leaning around the frame to look at the man laying on the bed. “Of course not. I’m not leaving you alone. You’re ill.”
“So? I’ll still be ill, whether you’re here or not,” Gabriel argues. “I just need to sleep and rest.”
James purses his lips. He can feel his brows furrow. “Better if there’s someone keeping an eye on you though.”
“I’m not letting you waste your day in this cabin, while you could be out seeing the sights of the city.” If Gabriel hadn’t been this poorly, James knows he would’ve been pouting. The tone of voice implies enough. James huffs. “Your health is more important.”
“Honestly, James. It’s just a few hours. I’ll mostly be sleeping, I think. And we both know you’ll be back around five anyway.”
Again, the acknowledgement of his idiosyncrasies makes him flush. The obsession he has with being on time seems to be something that Gabriel has taken the most notice of. Gabriel is right, of course he is. Dinner is served from six to ten, so James indeed planned on being back onThe Adventureraround five to give himself enough time to settle back in and give him some time to get ready for dinner. It’s, however, starting to look more like an evening of picnicking in theircarriage instead.
“But-”
“James, please.” Gabriel sits up as much as he can in his state, his elbows shaking underneath him. “Just go out and have a good day. We could do another movie tonight?”
*
An hour later he’s reluctantly making his way out of the train. When he got out of the shower, Gabriel had already fallen back asleep, snoring softly and tucked in up to his chin beneath the sheets.
James left him there, with plenty of water on his bedside table and his phone plugged into the wall beside him. He left the tablet within reach and the empty bin next to the bed.
As his feet hit the pavement outside of their compartment, the frosty air nips at his cheeks and nose. There’s only so much protection his scarf and hat can provide after all. He tugs his sleeves a little further down over his hands. His bag settles across his body, resting underneath his elbow at his right side.
His notebook, already worn and weathered a little by the damp air, rain and snow he encountered, is clutched in his hands as he looks down at it and contemplates his next move. The plans he made for Rothenburg ob der Tauber weren’t overly extensive, but he still figures that they might be too much to complete in one day.
With somewhat of a heavy heart he puts a line through the guided tour after sunset, to watch the city lit up by the various lights. He also puts a question mark behind having lunch or dinner in the little town. For a brief moment he thinks back to the Christmas shop they visited yesterday, how he had wanted to look for some ornament that represents the charming holiday themed town. The crowded store and the worry about Gabriel’s wellbeing prevented him from doing so. He hopes to rectify that at the market today.
He’s deliberating about starting at the market or the historic walls when someone bumps into him from behind. He stumbles for a moment, his feet soon catching up with the sudden shift in balance.
“Stopping in front of the door, are you for real?” Someone grumbles from behind him. In turning around he finds Riley crossing his arms with a scowl on his face. James swallows.
“Ri, leave him alone. He’s probably too scared to leave.”
Both men chuckle a little at the degrading remark. James can feel his flush darken as he mumbles out a quick apology before he stuffs his notebook into his pocket and scurries off in the direction of the town. Not feeling up to mingling around a lot of people right now, he settles on walking the Town Wall route someone recommended online.
The next two hours he goes up on the historic walls that surround the town, navigating through tight staircases andmarveling at the view some of the viewpoints provide. It turns out to be the best distraction, during which he only checked his phone twice to see if Gabriel reached out in need of anything. The gloomy day casts the walkable town in a wintery melancholy. The later it gets, the more the temperature drops, but it’s the perfect excuse for him to stop for a cup of Gluhwein as soon as he enters the market square.
The fragrant, tart wine warms him up from his toes to his fingertips and generates a pleasant buzz underneath his skin that smooths out the more present static of his nerves. It’s busy on the street. That’s an easy observation. Every inch of the square is crowded with people, either drinking a warm, comforting drink of their own or browsing through the stalls.
From his hiding place next to the booth it’s overwhelming. It’s also festive in its own right, with people enjoying the spirit of the season and togetherness. Friends enjoying a night out on the town, tourists gawking at the lights and the unbelievably unreal landscape around them.
James is ashamed to admit that with every passing second it gets more and more overwhelming. The talking echoes through his head, the pressing of bodies getting closer and closer. The only thing he’s thinking about is leaving it all behind and enjoying it from a distance.
So he does. He steps away from the edge of the market and inches his way out of the square. His watch beeps twice.A reminder to be at the station in an hour. It feels like the perfect excuse to be able to leave the town center behind and slowly make his way toThe Evergreen.
There’s one more spot he intends to see as he breaks away from the throngs of people. Siebersturm, a famous town gate, that’s nestled in between scenic houses worthy of the adjectives ‘historic’ and ‘medieval’. It’s utterly charming in the lower light of the afternoon. As he snaps some pictures, gazing up toward the tower, he’s happy with the knowledge that this is the last snapshot he’ll have from this charming little town.
Just before entering the station he stops at a local bakery to grab some Schneebälle - deep fried pastries in the shape of snowballs - for him and Gabriel.
Stepping back onto the hallway of their train compartment feels like a relief. While he enjoyed the day in town, happily learning more about the culture and seeing how Christmas is celebrated in this part of Europe, the edge of anxiousness that was present all day had been too present to ignore. It feels nice to be back in a space he knows, with someone he knows will understand.
The pastries and sandwiches he managed to grab at the bakery will be a nice dinner, while he makes sure that Gabriel’s alright and teases him about falling asleep during the movie the night before.
13 [Gabriel] From Rothenburg ob der Tauber to Prague
December 9th & December 10th
That evening, when James returns to the train all happy and satisfied at having spent time in the charming medieval town, Gabriel can honestly admit that he’s excited about the next city they’re heading toward. Prague isn’t only supposed to be beautiful, from what he’s seen in the brochures and all, it’s also got this big Astronomical Clock in the center of the city.
