Mirror Walker

Prologue

GREY storm clouds gently rumbled in the sky, looming over the world and blocking out the sun with their dull, grey existence. They grumbled and mumbled and threatened to crack their lightning whip, yet never fulfilled their promise of a more entertaining sight. Instead, they let their tears drop down in a drizzle, drowning the world in their contagious, miserable attitude.

The trees that reached up to touch them shook in the gentle, warm, autumn wind, that gave a heavy feeling to the bones and lulled everyone's eyes to sleep with the foreboding of a storm that never seemed to come but exhausted everyone all the same. Their leaves, which were turning a sickly yellow, caught the droplets from the sky with a swift pitter patter echo, hushing the rest of the forest with its gentle lullaby. Winter was coming too soon, and all the hibernating animals were tucked into their cosy little beds, which the carriage horses very much envied.

The two, strong, black and dappled drafts trotted through the heavy mud that gathered on the road, their necks arched and flexing as their legs slipped and skidded through the sludge, barely able to keep a grip in the slick conditions. Their noses flared as steam clouded around their nostrils which huffed and puffed in a desperate panic to move forward in order to avoid the driver's crop.

He was in a particularly bad mood this afternoon, as he sat huddled in his roofless seat, black winter coat drenched and cold which bared no protection against the heartless wind that nipped at his red nose and threw the icy drops into his already watering eyes. If the horses misbehaved, they surely wouldn't be shown any mercy tonight, hence they heaved the carriage onward, pinning their ears at each other as both were convinced they were doing the bulk of the work and the other was slacking off.

Meanwhile, within the carriage sat a group of three, including a newly wedded couple which held each other's hands as they stared into each other's eyes and chattered away as if they were young lovers at the blissful age of sixteen. Mrs Carmine, recently changed to Lady Elwood, was a lovely looking woman of thirty. Attractive features littered her face with her upturned chocolate eyes, button nose and thin lips that were currently smothered with red lipstick while framed with loose strands falling from her tightly combed bundle of oak brown hair. She would look towards her new husband, Lord Elwood, who was not ugly, but most certainly the lesser being in the pairing, looking like a fairly average noble with only his long, curly moustache being the most noticeable thing on his face. Next to him, the new Lady Elwood's smile looked radiant, beautiful, perfect... and ever so fake.

Ten-year-old Miss Charlette Carmine decided this as she watched the two, huddled in the corner of the seat opposing the couple. She looked in many ways like her mother, with her oval face shape that for the time being was filled with childish chubbiness, and her matching wavy hair that hung loose past her shoulders and covered the features that she contained of her father. Her nose was slightly larger and more average than her mother's perfect one, lips thicker even without her pouting, and though the eye colour was a perfect match, her curious eyes were round and wide... when not squinting of course.

The pair of newlyweds whispered secret love poems to each other, or so Charlie presumed as they practically melded into one underneath their blankets, giggling like small children as the carriage tossed and shook over the uneven terrain. Suddenly, Lady Elwood let out her gorgeous, perfect laugh that filled the whole chaise and four, earning an eye roll from her daughter before she pulled the hood of her cape tightly over her ears and stared out of the window. Despondent weather doomed the world outside, matching the face of the little rain cloud that sat gloomily propped against the window, wishing she were anywhere but here.

"Are you looking forward to your new room at the estate, Miss Elwood?" the forty-year-old man asked her, his eyes now on the little girl as he tried to look past the physical barrier of her cloak and find her eyes. If he was lucky, he wouldn't find them at all and avoid the daggers that were ready to be launched into his head.