Take Note : It's All Different

15. Wandering Hallways

Unsure of when he would return I walked my way towards the library.

The winding hallways through the castle got me lost. Instantly I was confused. Instantly I was walking aimlessly. I'd walked this castle once or twice and being alone now was not the ideal situation. I walked for what felt like ages before I finally had passed the same window view three times. I had not gone up any flights of stairs but I hadn't turned only right or only left either. The shape of the castle and this particular circling hallway had something peculiar about it.

The stones of the walls remained a constant pattern of grey. Every so often like in the village of Andal a flag hang. But here is was purple. The flames here were not burn out. They burned endlessly and in full brightness. Spaces between torches alight were full of shadows. I watched as my shadow curled the edge wall. The flickers of the flames constantly kept me awake and alert. The falling of burnt ash sent me jumping to space.

I was the only one here. Yet I was so afraid I was being followed. Constantly looking behind me I must have looked crazy. With a hand rested upon my hidden dagger I let my other fall by my side.

To my conscious mind I was oblivious that my sword was now enclosed in leather and slung across my shoulder. I scratched the frill of my dress and fold the leather of the band. The leather tightly fitted my sword but it was obvious. Anyone would have been able to see it.

Why had I not noticed it before?

How had it got there?

Was it actually my sword?

I stood within the shadow of a doorway as I took the sword from its place resting against my back. I slowly unsheathed it. It was my sword. I could read it. It said as it had earlier on today. The leather of the case was also special. Much like Tanner's saddle the design on the leather case was detailed although more complex than Tanner's. Probably for my safety and keeping my identity secret there was no name imprinted. Not a single word was imprinted. Just vines of trees and swirls of all kinds. None however overlapped. All evenly spaced. Possibly handcrafted. It was magnificent.

I manoeuvred the sword back into the leather case and slung it across my back. Hoping that I did not look suspicious if I came across an unfamiliar face I kept slightly turned to the wall. This way it was somewhat hidden. I continued to look behind me as I strode down the hall. All the doors appeared the same. Same design. Same metal framework. All that was different seemed to be the age of the wood. Some were brand new while others were falling apart. Locks on doors or the lack there of also separated some from others.

As I continued to walk I finally saw someone. I was not the only person here. Before I saw him I heard his footsteps from around te corner. A young boy dressed in shorts and a blouse stood still at the top of the hallway. He looked much like a postman with his satchel across his left shoulder. He looked straight at me. He had never seen me before although I did not seem to frighten him. He seemed intrigued. As I continued in his direction he turned and left. I listened to his soft footsteps as they faded out down the hall.

When I rounded the next corner I was sure I hadn't been here before. It was a hallway where the walls were filled with paintings. To the high ceilings some painting reached while other spread horizontally across the wall. Many were of Kings, perhaps the Royal Family. The King's of times past had all been very young whilst they were painted. With their Queen's by their sides they stood tall with the Crown Jewels atop his head. In the background of each painting was the painting of the King just past. In order they ascended from oldest to newest.

On the opposite of the hallway were paintings of landscape. Vast country side. Treacherous jungle. Never ending desert. There was also a few paintings of the villages of Hasbury. You could distinguish between them due to their colour. Pendelum had the purple flags. Andal, yellow. Quersan, green. Jadesan, navy blue.