Life of the Strange

Not a Star

Grit yawned--the start of her day, (or night, rather) just beginning. She sleepily walked into the Dinning hall with a plate of breakfast. Her ears prickled at the sound of crickets and the forest that encompassed the castle.

She took a bite of mac n' cheese.

First, she was going to check the spiral half of the building, move on through the front parlor, check the boxy half, then circle her way to where she started along the back of the castle. Solid game plan.

Grit pondered while she chewed. Should she also see how the underground corridors are holding up? She hasn't visited them in a while.

She soon finished her meal and got up to get to work.

The halls were quiet and empty. Only the sounds of the world sleeping met her ears. The silence was nice.

She hadn't run into Veil, Siren or Aardy so far (the three biggest offenders on staying up later than they should by wandering the halls like annoying ghosts at night.)

That was a good change. Grit didn't like the idea of one of them getting into trouble (especially knowing how Veil is)—when one castle member is up when they should be sleeping, that could only mean that something was bothering them. Whether it was just plain old insomnia, or something else.

No one was up, nothing bad was happening. Just how she liked it.

She checked each porthole to scan the yards and tree line. Nothing out of the ordinary, not yet at least. The night was still young.

Grit moved into the front parlor as the carpet gave way to checkered tile. The tall front doors and rigid, red-carpeted stairs stood still.
The room was lit with the flickering chandelier overhead, and the round portholes dotting the far walls with dim moonlight. Quite peaceful.

She started checking the outside's condition, looking through the glass to see the night air.

Far into the treeline she though she caught the site of a flicker. Like a firelight or a flashlight. something was glinting through the trees. Like a star that had fell from the sky and went to live in forest.

Anyway, it was just a light.

Grit frowned and starred. It didn't look like a glare from the window, it look real.

She remembered what Duke had told her, a few days ago. About the light he saw, and frowned some more. It looked closer than how he described it.

...Grit took a step back from the porthole after a long second.

It could, of course, be nothing-- but what was this sick feeling in her gut?

What was she to do anyway, if it was indeed something?

Walk on over into the monster-ridden forest to see what's up? Not likely. Even if she did have her bow and arrow with her, a good amount of muscle, and an attitude to match; she didn't feel like prancing around a dark forest filled with sharp teeth and claws just 'cause a stupid light made her feel uneasy.

Still though. This was very concerning, to say the least.

It could be people.

Should that be concerning? The concept of new people, the concept of outsiders?

It always boils down to one risk though if one were think about it; whether something is going to hurt you or not, and at this point, Grit didn't know. It could be just a light, or it could be people, or maybe a more mysterious, third thing-- and she didn't know if either of the options could hurt the castle or not.