The captain left his empty tray on the floor next to his chair and stood up with a determined gesture. He looked at the vice-captain, who was still savoring the last bites of his meal, and said with a firm voice, "I'm going to the town hall to see what we're going to do. I'll be right back."
Without waiting for a response, he left the cathedral and ran towards the town hall, trying to avoid the rain as much as possible. But while he was halfway there, the rain intensified, turning into an unrelenting downpour that hit him hard, causing a sharp pain on his skin. He quickened his pace, almost running through the soaked streets.
Just as he crossed the threshold of the town hall, a thunderous noise resounded behind him. He turned in time to see hailstones the size of marbles beginning to fall, bouncing off the ground with a dull noise. He frowned at the sight and, shaking the water off his cloak, quickly climbed the stairs to the top floor.
Upon opening the door, he found the room in an unsettling calm, with only the presence of Urraca, seated on the throne, contemplative and distant. He approached one of the chairs in front of her and took a seat, his gaze fixed on the figure wielding power.
"Lady, we have already cleared the trenches," he began, his voice resonating in the quietness of the room. "How shall we proceed?"
Urraca slowly turned towards the windows, watching how the hail fell hard against the glass. After a brief moment of reflection, she responded calmly, "Now that hail is falling, it's impossible to continue. Go down and look for the mayor, tell him that nothing else is needed and that all the guild masters can go to sleep."
The captain nodded, preparing to stand up, but she continued, "After telling that to the mayor, go and tell the guards that they can go home."
With clear orders, the captain stood up, ready to carry out Urraca's instructions. The storm outside roared with a ferocity that presaged a long night ahead.
The captain left the room with a firm step and descended the stairs of the town hall until he reached the mayor's office. Without hesitation, he briefly knocked on the door and entered. The mayor, buried among piles of papers, looked up, interrupted in his work.
"Lady Urraca has ordered that the guild masters can retire; their services are no longer required for today, and they can go to rest," the captain communicated, maintaining formality but with urgency marked in his voice.
The mayor, with a gesture of understanding, drummed his fingers on the table, thoughtful. "Understood. I will take care of it as soon as I finish with these documents," he replied, his tone indicating that the task would be attended to without delay.
The captain nodded and, with nothing more to say, left the office. Upon opening the town hall door, he was greeted by the roar of the storm. The hail fell hard, but he, determined, covered his head with his hands and ran towards the cathedral. Despite the intensity of the downpour, he managed to arrive without being hit by the relentless ice stones.
Inside the cathedral, the vice-captain and the guards were already ready, their looks reflecting the tension of the day. "You can go home," the captain told them, his voice resonating in the vast space. "With this hail, it is impossible to continue with our work."
The guards, grateful for the order, left one by one, spaced carefully to avoid the danger of the hail. The captain supervised their departure, ensuring that each man had the opportunity to reach the safety of his home.
Once they were all on their way, he approached a cleric passing by. "Please inform the archbishop that, by the mandate of Lady Urraca, we have ceased our labors due to the hail. The guards and I are heading to our homes," he instructed respectfully.
The cleric nodded, and the captain, feeling satisfied with having fulfilled his duty, went outside. This time, the hail hit him sporadically as he ran, but nothing he couldn't endure. With each step, he got closer to the safety and comfort of his home, where he finally arrived, soaked but safe, closing the door behind him and leaving behind the fury of the storm.
Urraca got out of the bathtub, leaving behind the still warm water that had embraced her thoughts and concerns. She wrapped herself in a soft towel and began to dry off with methodical movements. Once dry, she slipped into her pajamas, comfortable attire that promised her the deserved rest after a long day.
She approached the window and watched how the hail relentlessly struck the ground. The rain, companion to the ice, wove curtains of water that blurred the view of the outside world. Urraca sighed and murmured a silent prayer, hoping that the storm would soon subside.
Hoping that her words would find divine ears, she moved away from the window and headed towards the bed. The candles, which had been her faithful sentinels, flickered their last dance before she extinguished them with a gentle blow, plunging the room into the tranquility of the twilight.
Finally, Urraca slipped under the sheets, welcomed by the warmth of her bed. The outside world, with its fury and noise, slowly faded in her mind as she surrendered to the embrace of sleep, trusting that upon waking, she would find a clear and serene sky.