The Root

Chapter 2 - 2

It rained through the whole night, but somehow Amelie slept well. She woke up before Harkonnen and began gathering her equipment so they could continue as soon as possible. The rain had ceased when the morning came, but clouds still painted the sky with bleak shades of gray. Soon enough, Harkonnen emerged from his tent, and looked at Amelie.

"You woke up early today."

"Yeah," Amelie said. "Slept like a log."

Harkonnen nodded and began to help Amelie, who was already packing.

"How long do you think we'll have to walk before we reach Dunnow?"

"We'll be there before noon."

The few hours of walking were silent, as both Harkonnen and Amelie were still waking up. It was chilly, and mist crawled through the forest and onto the road. It wasn't long until the gates of Dunnow were visible. Amelie beamed with joy.

"Have you been here before?"

"A few times," Harkonnen replied. "Once with your father."

They walked through the North Gate into the city. It was still early, so the streets were mostly devoid of people. As Harkonnen had left to look for an inn room they could settle in, Amelie knew that she had the city for herself for the day. She smiled and began wandering aimlessly. A cool breeze blew from the sea towards the land, tousling Amelie's dirt brown hair. She hadn't been properly alone in weeks since she had been traveling with Harkonnen, so she found solace in her brief solitude.

Much unlike Nassos, Dunnow was a clean city. Amelie noticed guardsmen wearing the gold-and-white tabards of the Order patrolling the streets frequently. The Order did not have much of a presence in Nassos, even though the majority of Midlanders worshipped the Creator. She recalled that the Kvenns did not care much for the Light; they had their own gods. The Order of the Creator was something different, though. Militant and hostile to most other beliefs, they had seized the control of the entire land a centuries ago by converting the King of the time into their religion.

She looked around and noticed that she had come across a building which caught her attention. It was strikingly different compared to anything she had seen before: it was shaped like a six-pointed star, and the sides were made from a mix of pale and reddened stone. Amelie walked around the building and found the entrance. It was empty with the exception of two guards, who were standing in front of the main door. So the building is important somehow?

Amelie approached the guards. "Excuse me?"

"State your business," the guard standing on the right side of the door said. He was a gaunt man but did not look much older than Amelie.

"Oh," Amelie responded. "I'm just a visitor from Midlands. Could you tell me what this building is?"

"Yes, uh," he stumbled. "This building houses the Royal Library of Dunnow. It contains a vast amount of knowledge, and the King's scholars work there."

A library?

Amelie smiled. "Ah, thank you kindly."

The guard nodded nervously, and Amelie began walking away from the library building. The library had an aura of mystery around it, as it did not seem to fit the city. Perhaps it was built in an older time, Amelie thought. She turned a corner, and suddenly bumped into someone. She stumbled and regained her balance quickly, but the other individual wasn't as lucky. Dozens of paper sheets were floating in the sky, and a dark haired, pale young man was lying on the ground, rubbing his shoulder. He quickly realised that Amelie was staring at him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" he bubbled. "I was in my thoughts, I didn't see you there!"

"It was me who didn't see you!" She kneeled and observed him. "Are you alright?"

"I uh- I'm fine, erm," he reddened and stood up. "Ah, my father's research!"

Amelie noticed the mess she had made. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Let me help you."

"Thank you."

She began to gather up the papers that had flown out of his hand. The papers hadn't flown far and were intact — luckily enough there were no puddles nearby. She attempted to be as polite as possible and not read someone else's notes, but her curiosity quickly overtook her, and she snuck a peek. Even though she had a general knowledge of mathematics and philosophy, what was inscribed on the paper was the most complicated thing she had ever seen. It was mostly scribblings she couldn't decipher, as well as complex diagrams detailing some process she didn't understand. The man's father was evidently a high-ranking scholar.

"What's your name?" Amelie asked, out of curiosity.

"Who? Me?" Eran flustered. "Oh, I'm Eran. Pleased to meet you. I think."

"You think?" Amelie grinned. "My name is Amelie. I'm from Midlands."

She arranged the research notes as she could and gave the stack to Eran, who smiled awkwardly.

"You've come from afar."

Amelie nodded. "Is your father a scholar? I'm sorry, I couldn't resist glancing at the research."

The colour fled from the boy, which was a strange reaction to such an innocent question.

"Ye-yes he is! He's a crown appointed scholar of the Order!" Eran said. "I'm afraid I must go. My father expects me."

Amelie waved at Eran who was half-running away from her. Had she said something wrong? She decided to push it off her mind and go find Harkonnen. There were a few inns around that part of the city, but Amelie managed to find him quickly — his form was hard to miss. He was standing in front of the inn, evidently waiting for her. Amelie picked up the pace. Since they had begun traveling so early that day, it wouldn't be a bad idea to rest up.

"I already paid for the room, you can go there if you wish."

"Thank you," Amelie responded. "Come join me for dinner."

Her meal looked delicious: beans, sausage, charred bacon and freshly baked bread coupled with a mug of ale. As she began enjoying the food her mind wandered back to the man he had met. Eran. He had been nervous, especially after she had spoken about the research and his father.

"I saw this man today," Amelie began.

"Hm?"

"I bumped into a man today, he was carrying some sort of research. I asked him about it and he seemed to become nervous. Something just feels off about the whole ordeal."

"Strange," Harkonnen replied. "Probably nothing, though."

Suddenly, he grinned knowingly. "You'll probably figure that one out later."

"Anyway, our ship leaves tomorrow. It should take less than a week to reach Kvennland, and a few days after that to reach Svarthold."

---

Author's notes: Hey friends! Thank you for  taking the time to read chapter 2 of my writing project! This time, writing definitely felt easier compared to the previous chapters. Anyway, if you liked the story remember to vote and if you have anything you'd like to share with me, feel free to leave a comment. It helps me as a writer and stuff! Anyway, thanks for all your support :)