Moon Glade

Investigating

Despite a long day of training and a challenging evening dinner, when I went back to my room I wasn't tired. The small clock on my dresser showed it was just past midnight so I got changed out of my training clothes and into some simple cotton pyjamas. 

I saw down on my bed, the sheets smelt fresh so they must have been cleaned by the housekeeper today.

I pulled the cloak that Camille had given me on the night of the feast closer and ran my fingers over the little embroidered moon. I thought back to that day in the town, the day that had started it all. The day that pushed me from using my healing magic in secret, on farm animals, to using it on an actual person. That day was the reason I was in the guild now. 

Could it have been Camille beside me that day? 

I thought back to earlier when I had healed Camille's hand, her draco scales seemed to start further up her wrist, leaving her hands clear like a rune's. The hooded figure in the market also had clear hands. 

I stared out of the little window on the wall next to my bed, the window offered views of the small back garden of the house, leading on to the forest. The moon was full and high in the sky and the trees beneath it seemed to glimmer in it's light.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Camille stood in the back garden. She was wearing another black cloak with the hood down and her hair tied up in a pony tail. She was looking into the forest but it was too dark to see what she was looking at. 

This could be a good opportunity to ask her if she was at the market that day, if she was also there when I failed to save a mans life.

Pulling her cloak around my shoulders I sneaked out of my room, quietly closing the door behind me. I tip-toed down the stairs, through the dining room and out of the back door in the kitchen. 

As I stepped out into the back garden, I realised Camille was no longer there and I had forgotten to put shoes on. I was about to turn around and head back to bed when I heard the gentle sound of Camille's boots on the rocky path that lead around the side of the house and towards the rest of the guild estate. 

Deciding to follow her, I accepted the muddy fate of my feet and walked through the grass towards her. She had longer legs than me and was much faster, I struggled to keep up with her as she left the guild estate through a small path next the infirmary building and strode onto the empty and ill-lit street. 

Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I silently followed a good distance behind her, thankful that I wasn't wearing any loud shoes. If Camille found me following her in the middle of the night, it would probably be the end of my time in the guild, or I would just die of embarrassment.

Camille seemed to take streets she knew would be empty at this time of night, purposely avoiding streets with taverns on them. I didn't know the town's layout very well but I knew we were still somewhere on the edge of town, because between the buildings I could see the familiar forest trees. 

Camille came to a stop at a large gated building, the sign above the gate said 'Solaris' and I immediately placed it as the other magical guild that had come to pay their respects at Balin's honouring. I watched as Camille opened a small gate to the side of the larger one, you wouldn't even notice it without seeing someone use it. I lingered for a couple of minutes, internally debating whether I should continue this stalking or just head back, but I was too far gone. I opened the gate silently and following Camille in.

The layout of the Solaris estate seemed to be much more confusing than Moon Glade's. The houses were smaller and close to each other, leaving little windy paths between them. Camille navigated them with ease, avoiding paths near houses with lights turned on, she seemingly didn't want anybody to know that she was here.