Huntress in the Castle: Chapter Two (special preview)

Two:

My fingers are wrapped around the iron of the gate again. I am the only one that close. The others are behind making bets and laughing, bragging despite their fear to even come as close as me.

“I’ll go in first.” One says.

“You’ll chicken out as soon as we open the gates!” Another laughs.

“Fianna, you get off of there.” Craig barks at me.

I turn from the gate, one hand still attached. “Let me go in!” I call to the boys.

“No way.” Finn snaps. “This is as far as you go, young lady.”

“Don’t call me that!” I hiss at him. “You and Craig ain’t much older than I am! You can’t give me orders.” I turned back, wrapping my hands around the great big lock.

“A lass like you wouldn’t last two minuets in there.” Deerskin laughed, I had learned his name was Cillian, but I preferred deerskin because he stank like it.

“You don’t want to poke at Fianna.” Finn defended.

Deerskin laughed. “Then lets let the lass in.” He pushed me aside, smashing the lock open with his ax.

“No!” Craig and Finn started.

“Just come with me.” I scoff as the gate creaked open, yowling like a dying cat.

Finn scowls at me. “I may not be much older, Fianna, but I am still your elder. And in Niall’s absence-”

“Don’t make me laugh, Finn.” I huff. “Five minuets. We’ll go in for five minuets. If nothing happens we can leave and then I will behave myself for the rest of the trip.”

“It’s a good offer.” Craig whispered.

“Four minuets.” Finn sniffed.

I stiffen my jaw. “Ten.”

Finn scoffed. “Four.”

“Nine.”

“Five.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

I nodded. “Seven.”

Finn then pushed passed me, walking in first. I skipped in behind him, onto the broken stones and roots that made up the path. Craig came in behind us.

The front door was covered with moss and vines. Finn ripped through them, finding that latch that opened the door. At first, it seemed locked, but with Craig’s help they pulled it open. Debris fell on us as we walked inside.

The entry was smooth marble, some vines and roots had broken through around the edges and were growing inside. It smelled like dust and earth inside and I raced inside ahead of Finn and Craig.

“It doesn’t look too bad.” Craig murmured.

I ran to the staircase and began climbing. The stairs were made of stone and metal and didn’t move at all.

“Be careful!” Finn snapped at me.

I was up on the terrace, looking down at the entry and my brothers who were contemplating following me.

I went back onto the carpeted walkway, leading me down a great hall flanked by crumbled and rusting suits of armor. I knelt down, picking up an old shoe from the floor. It was dusty and molded. It looked like it had once been a fine red suede. The heel was hanging back the fabric and fell from my hand as I inspected it. Behind me I could hear Finn and Craig whispering to themselves.

Looking down the dark hall, I see something that makes my blood stir. I see light! Faint and flickering, I see it, it is too dark to mistake. I race on ahead, disappearing into the ink blackness before my brothers can see me go.

It isn’t too farfetched to believe that someone had snuck in and had been living here. What with all the legend surrounding this place, my brothers certainly each had their own story, it was the perfect place to hide. No one would bother you here! Niall was probably right, people had been passing this place for so long they didn’t think about it anymore.

I knelt before the door, peeking through the crack. It was a large room, and from my view I could see the fireplace and the makeshift bed before it. But I didn’t see anyone inside. I licked my lips and put my hand on the door, gently pulling it open to gain a better view. I began to see shelves full of books.

I poked my head inside, looking all around. It was a library. Great rows of shelves reaching up to the ceiling, framing a great archway with a marbled room inside. Paintings flanked the walls, some had been smashed to the ground, surrounded by destroyed statues. A shelf had been broken down, tossed over. Who could of done that?

I stepped into the room, barely thinking I was just in such awe of how big the library was. I had seen, at most, a handful of books at once.

Above the fireplace I saw a huge window, lit up by the quarter moon outside. I walked into the room, feeling a warm air from the fireplace against my cheeks. The makeshift bed before the fire, I saw, was made up of blankets, curtains, and some pillows and cushions taken from chairs. I also saw some books stacked about it and some plates with half eaten food upon it and a turned over cup of dark wine which smelled fragrant and pungent.

As I came close to the bed, I realized I had forgotten everything my brothers had taught me. I had simply walked into the room like an idiot, not like the hunter I was. Whoever had been in this room had left in a hurry, left their meal, spilled their wine.

They had seen me.

I reached for Grand Tooth in my belt, feeling the hilt and the leather against my fingers. I turned, making a circle to scan the whole room. It seemed impossible to see anything though that wasn’t right before the fireplace.

“Fianna!” Finn shouted, opening up the door again. “Fianna where are you?”

My eyes widened. “Finn, hush!” I hissed, and then the fireplace went out.

I heard Finn shout and then a muffled scream from Craig. There was some struggling, I heard books falling to the ground, something thudding against the walls outside.

“Finn!” I cried out. “Craig?” I raced for the door and I tripped, falling onto the cold floor. It was deathly quiet, save for Grand Tooth clanging. I lifted myself, blinking hard in the darkness, forcing my eyes to adjust.

“Finn?” I chocked.