An Eternal Wintre

Chapter 11

Lavender hair falls into Anai's face as she does her push-ups. Cain's voice floats into her mind as she remembers their conversation earlier. "You've got to start building stamina and muscle, you're a weakling in the state you are in now," he said. "From now on, you will train by yourself and with the younger ones to gain strength. It won't be easy." She had grumbled and flipped him off but she's held up her side of the deal so far.

Arms burning, she does the last push-up before collapsing onto the hard floor. Cool stone kisses her through the rug and she turns to lie on her back. Her workout finished for the day, she decides to bathe after a week of not cleaning herself. She's been dreading running into anyone that might see her naked but it's night so she should be alone.

Anai grabs a change of clothes before leaving her room for the pool. Those that have stayed behind are sleeping while the rest are out hunting and collecting food to bring back to the others. Children cuddle next to each other, some halfway through forms. They look almost innocent. Almost.

On her toes, she carefully avoids stepping on anybody or limbs before leaving the large room of sleeping shape shifters. Brisk air greets her as she steps out into the open for the first time since the Garnak attack. It feels good to be outside again.

Placing the clothes on a rock so they don't get wet, she strips out of her sticky clothes and dives into the deep pool of water. Crashing sounds echo under the water and she sees the foam before breaking the surface to breathe. Cool air climbs down her throat to fill her lungs, making her feel alive.

The water is a nice temperature and Anai starts to wash herself off. Dirt and sweat from days of exercise cake on her skin and in crevices. Sweat's never been a problem until now for her. Grimacing at the amount of old dirt and blood on her body, she dives back under the water and scrubs harder at her arms. When her arms seem to look white again, she starts with her stomach next before moving down to her legs.

So far, nobody has bothered her to her luck. Anai doesn't let her guard down, even with her new family right behind her ready to protect her if necessary. Nowhere was safe, not in Lutenia, not anymore. Death and pain always seem to follow Anai in black robes of disguise before striking their scythes down on her life again and again; ruining all that she's worked for. Maybe she deserves it for the path that she's chosen, yet somehow she can't find remorse or regret for what she's chosen and who she's betrayed. No, I've betrayed no one.

Resentment comes and quickly goes as Anai finishes bathing. She looks up at the moon's crescent. "A full moon's coming," she whispers, exiting the pool.

Fully clothed, she goes back inside, everything the same as she left it. Her dirty clothes are tossed into a corner and she throws herself in the chair at the desk.

Cain's asked for her to draw a map of the castle; exits, entrances, secret passageways, everything. So far, she's got the basic plan down on paper but nothing is marked as secret or whether or not it's an exit or entrance. The main entrance is easy to find because she drew it in the front, but there's so many other doors to the maze-like castle.

Bending over the paper, pen in hand, she starts sketching more passages and labels everything she can remember. Lastly, she marks the passageway leading from the sewers to her old bedroom. Has anybody found it yet? She distinctly remembers not placing the dresser back in its place, but those royals are too dumb to find out there's a secret door in her room.

Breathing outwards, she pushes out from the desk and rolls up the map before taking it to Cain's room, excitement flowing through her. Knocking twice, she enters to find him asleep, shifted, on the floor. He looks like a curled ball of fur, his head tucked neatly against his body. Anai places the rolled up map on his desk where he can easily find it and looks at him from the desk. Such a little boy has grown into such a horrible creature. With a shake of her head, she leaves.