Arcanae [Book 1]

Chpt. 05 // Call of Calamity

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As the light of day treads thin ice,
nocturnal dangers lie in wait,
draw forever closer.
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Hours of training had left my body battered and bruised. Engulfed in the meek candlelight, I stood in front of my bedside mirror. I could not help but frown at the prospect of my reflection. Upon a swift inspection of my upper body, I counted various black, purple and green spots.

In retrospect, although hurt, I was thankful for the absence of gashes.

At this point, it was a common sight to behold whenever I returned from sparring sessions, either with Adelaide or Captain Vhersio.

Years ago, when Adelaide first came to the island, we fought as equals under the Captain.

Now, all this time later, she was only second to Vhersio. She was faster and more precise, too, but lacked the brutal strength that rendered the Captain's onslaught of attacks so ferocious.

I wandered to the glass wall; a breath of fresh air was flowing into the room through an open window.

My baby blue nightgown wavered with each motion.

I closed the window, then trod back to bed, only for an unexpected glimpse of purple to catch my eye.

I had walked past it.

With narrowed eyes, I turned to my desk.

I tilted my head at the sight of the satchel I had dropped somewhere on the rolling hills surrounding Red Orchard. I was suspicious, pondering over how the bag had gotten here. Perhaps Petyr had found it before we left?

No.

That was simply said impossible.

After all, he had mounted his horse long before I did, nor was he close enough to retrieve the satchel without my knowledge.

With a trace of hesitance stowed away in my eyes, I approached the desk, ready to inspect the bag's contents, before a sudden recollection struck me like thunder from a clear blue sky.

I thought back to the encounter within the reach of Patchwork Fields' orchard.

The old man's voice resonated in the back of my mind, 'Hold onto the contents of this bag, young one. It is of vital importance that you ensure its safety, for as long as it is to remain on your person, it shall shield you from misfortune's grievous touch.'

Those words filled me with a sense of keen curiosity, but at the same time, they instilled a watered-down idea of fright; after all, why would a complete stranger hand me something of the sort?

Whatever contained secrets may lay inside, I opted to let it rest until the break of dawn.

My body felt sluggish; each motion of any limb caused a sudden ache to flare up. Admittedly, Captain Vhersio had gotten a good few strikes in, which I could only deem a necessary evil required to attain greater prowess with the blade.

I approached my bed, and my bare feet touched the soft bedside deer pelt. I crawled under the blankets; the encompassing warmth brought me back to years past, the time of the Long Night. I recalled the freezing state of the island. For months, there was only snow and ice as far as the eye could see. Oh, how grateful we were for the start of the storm season to commence thereafter.

I leaned over to the candle and blew it out, letting the nocturnal darkness drop its veil upon my room.

Still, sleep would never come to me.