19 A Trip to the Library (1/2)
Isilla pulled herself out of the safe confines of the Veil and back into wakefulness slowly. Her eyes filled with the side of Ilun, as solid and real as he had been when she fell asleep. Only the blanket pressed against her back, Arren had left. Pushing herself up to sitting, she looked around the room.
The curtains closed, the shadows were normal darkness, nothing magic about them. She climbed from the bed and opened them, casting the room in early afternoon light. ”No time at all has passed since this morning,” she said to Ilun.
He followed her, his body thumping to the floor and crossing the distance to gaze out of the window with her. To her right, the rocky side of the mountain the castle was built into and under that, far below, the forest.
”We're up very high,” she said wondering at the strange architecture of the place. Maybe I just need to see more of it to find my footing, she thought, frowning.
She turned back to the room, examining it again in the light. A long, sage colored dress waited on the chair for her. Undergarments folded neatly, sat on top of the skirts. She pulled off Arren's shirt and placed it on the bed before dressing herself in the clothing provided. She frowned as she smoothed the sides, her hand falling through a slit in it. A hole, she thought feeling for her own leg. Her fingers stretched, meeting another seem. A pocket, she thought.
She retrieved her book from the dresser and placed it in the pocket, smiling at the fit of it. Pausing she glanced at herself in the mirror. Her hair spread wild around her, unkempt. She finger combed it, picking out the knots that sleep had put in it. She didn't bother with the braid this time, instead she let it float free around her head and down her back.
She stopped examining her face again. Her own face stared back at her, as it had always been. She pushed back her hair, looking closer at her two cheeks. Their color a honey brown, not mark on either. Lifting the sleeve of her dress revealed an arm that looked to have never been scratched. All her wounds from earlier were healed, her skin perfect.
I just heal fast, she thought but the shade's words played in her memory. Could this be more, she thought before shaking her head. ”I have always been like this. There's nothing to question here,” she said out loud, to convince herself. The worry remained, a dull tremor under her thoughts.
She glanced back at his bed, the blankets still thrown back from her exit. She reached in her pocket for the book.
Arren, I know you are very busy but I would like to know you better. If you can, please find some time to spend with me. We did agree to be at least friends. Thank you for letting me rest here.
She reread the brief message before signing her name and ripping the page from the book. She placed the note on the dresser, hoping it stayed.
He'll see it by tonight, she thought unsure of what she wanted, or even expected the outcome to be.
”Ilun, come on,” she called softly as she walked to the door, pushing it open.
A familiar antechamber opened before her, the same room she had meet with Arren before. There was a garden under that window, she thought, why couldn't I see it from the bedroom?
”Oh, you're awake ma'am,” a young voice said. She turned to the couches. The young boy with shaggy brown hair popped up from the floor where he had been, it seemed, playing with some sort of box. He placed it on the couch and dusted off his pants.
”Arren, I mean the prince, he told me to wait for you and then take you back to your rooms. Whoa! Did he make that?”
Isilla looked down at Ilun as he tried to squeeze past her. She patted his head and he stopped, his tail wagging. She smiled at the boy and nodded.
She moved so Ilun could press by. The beast sat at her side, waiting while the boy watched, his eyes big as saucers, mouth slightly open in wonder.
Can you read, she wrote.
He nodded, ”Yes ma'am.”
We've met before, what's your name?
”It's Julen. I'm Arren's page. Can I touch him?”
She looked at Ilun for a moment, frowning. I'm not sure if he'll let you but you can try, she responded.
Julen nodded slowly and crossed the room, holding out his hand to Ilun. The animal pressed his head to it, forcing the boy to pet him which Julen responded to gladly. Laughing her rubbed Ilun behind the ears and over his long neck. ”This one is a lot more fun than the other ones!”
She shook her head, confused on what the boy meant.
”Oh you know, the little ones in his office? With the wings? All the do is work but this one looks like he can do more!”
Ilun had fallen to his back, his belly exposed, four mismatched legs in the air and more tails than Isilla could count, all wagging and beating against the floor at once.
Julen gave a final belly rub before standing. ”I have to take you back now. Arren said right away.”
She nodded and followed him out of the room. Ilun walked close to her side as they passed down the halls, occasionally he sniffed at the boy's head in front of them, prompting Julen to stop and scratch his ears before he remembered himself.
How old are you, she wrote, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention.
”I'm ten,” he answered. ”I've been working under Arren since I was really little.He took me after my mum died.”
She touched his head, a comforting gesture. My mother passed away too, she wrote.
”Do you remember her? I don't remember mine, I was too little,” Julen asked timidly.
Isilla smiled, their journey paused for a moment. Yes, she was a dancer. She had hair like mine but it was black. She used to sing all day and tell me stories about spirits that lived in the sand. I miss her very much.
”I wish I could remember her,” Julen said. ”Sometimes I think I see her in my dreams.”
Isilla smiled, I'm sure you do! We see all kinds of things in our dreams.
The boy smiled back, showing a missing tooth. ”We've got to get going. I'm supposed to have you back by now. He'll know if I took too long.”
Will you be in trouble? Will he punish you, she wrote as they walked.
Julen shook his head, ”No, he'll just frown a lot and make me do an extra lesson before bed.”
Arren cares for this boy that much, she thought as they walked, coming into half familiar halls. Finally they reached her rooms. He stopped at the door and bowed as he opened it.
Thank you, she wrote.
He smiled wide, ”I'll see you later!”
She watched as Julen dashed down the hall. Is he going to report back to Arren, she thought as she stepped into her apartments.
As usual, the quiet hall met her. She passed down the empty hall and back into her bedroom. A lunch sat on her table, waiting for her. Two covered trays sat side by side.
She sat down and lifted the domed lid off the lukewarm soup. How long has this been waiting, she thought as she ate it, dipping hard bread into it and chewing slowly. Besides her Ilun whined, licking his lips with his long, wet tongue.
Lifting the lid from the second tray, she revealed a full roast. This is more food than I could possibly eat, she thought, the soup being enough.
She frowned and cut into the roast, the inside showed red, only the outside having been seared. Ilun whined again besides her, drool running from his lips.
Standing she lifted the second plate and placed it on the floor. Ilun moved to devour it but she stopped him. ”Just the food! Not the plate,” she said before stepping out of the way.”
His jaws closed on the roast, ripping meat from it as she settled back into her chair and picked up her spoon again. The ripping and chomping sounds of Ilun eating filled the room and she wished that she her silence could extend to him. Thankfully, he finished quickly. The roast seeming to be enough he padded over to the window and sitting in a false ray of sunlight, curled up as if to sleep.