Light Shadows

Chapter 13~Reliving

It is still dark when i open my eyes. I sit up and yawn, stretching my arms. It feels too early. I glance at the clock on the wooden nightstand beside my bed and find that it is just past midnight. The ball is later today, technically. I sigh, then lay back down but do not try to go to sleep again. I am wide awake now. There was no returning to sleep when i felt like this. It actually happened quite often. Just a feeling. A fleeting feeling that would wake me in the middle of the night. There was no explanation for it really. I was just unable to go back to sleep after waking up from something that i can not quite explain. Something that lies on the very edge of the cliff in my mind that i can not quite grasp or reach no matter how hard i try to creep towards it. Something that was so frustrating because, for all of my strength, i am not able to have it.

I sit back up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I might as well do something. I had to do something when i was like this. This sort of restless sleep. I drift across my rooms and change out of my nightgown and into all black clothing so that i will blend in with the night. As i lace up my black boots, i wonder where i will go. Somewhere high. Where i will be able to see the entire city of Skye in the Forelands. I want to be able to see all of the lights of buildings both up close and way off in the distance. Luckily, tonight was very dark. It was one of the actual nights of the Forelands where there is usually almost eternal day every day and every night.

I debate about going through the door and sneaking out using the hall but what if a guard sees me. I could not take that chance, therefore, the window it is. I tie my hair back quickly while staring out at the city through the window that i was going to get out of the castle of Skye with. For my return, i would have to figure something out unless i wanted to scale the castle of Skye until i reached this exact window that led into my rooms. I slowly open the window and pull it into my rooms. I go so slow that i feel as if i am not moving the window at all but in reality, it is slowly moving one painful inch at a time until it is opened wide enough for me to slip through

I put one leg out and find the small ledge on the outside of my window. Then the other leg. I use my hands to steady myself by pressing them to either side of the window in my rooms. Then i am out of my rooms and in the outside air. There is a breeze that ruffles my hair despite the fact that i had tied it up. The wind pushes some of my hair into my face, the pieces that had already fallen out of my quick work of tying up my hair. I do not have an extra hand so i leave it instead of pushing it back out of my face.

I look down. There is a two story drop if i fall. Although i am not afraid because i have scaled so many buildings in training. A two story building is so simple to me. My eyes follow the wall of the castle of Skye down to the ground, automatically finding footholds and handholds where i can place my hands and feet in order to climb down from my two story perch on this window ledge. I step off to the very edge of my window so that the window that led into my rooms was not right behind my back. Now, i can lean against the wall and figure out how i will get down. Most of the wall is smooth white stone but if i could hang onto the many window ledges that dotted the wall, i could get to the ground safely.

What if i used my magic though? Can my shadows even do that? I did not know but i guess that there is only one way to find out. I would have to jump from my spot at my window ledge. I do not hesitate to jump from my ledge. This is just one of those things that, if i overthink it or even spend a moment thinking about reality, i would not do it. Therefore, i simply jump and feel my feet touching on open air with nothing at all beneath myself or supporting me. I do not think, i merely feel what i need to do because it is in the blood that rushes through my veins and into my heart. For a brief second, i fly.

I feel the wind rip through my hair, freeing more pieces that smack me in the face. I ignore my hair and concentrate on my landing. The ground was rushing into me and i had to be ready for my landing. I had to know exactly what i was going to do when i touched the ground that was coming up to meet me. I did not want to hurt myself. I have a quick thought of what i would look like if i landed the wrong way. My blood spread out on the light cobblestone path and my Father ripping through the castle of Skye until he found me. I can picture Father's form bending over my cold form and i can see his hand reaching out to touch my face. The rage on his face that i see is almost blinding before he turns and dark tendrils rapidly spread out from Father. They wrap around the entire Castle of Skye and encase it all the way around until it is just a swirling black mass of shadows.