The Rogue World Of Dostira

A Date Of Sorts

The walk from the refectory to the Charlie's room felt like a never-ending journey of complete silence. It was so quiet that Audrey often found herself becoming startled from the simple sounds of castle doors closing and echoed chatter, she tried to control her hurried breathing as she constantly wiped her sweaty palms onto the bottom of her sweater.

She would occasionally look over at Kane who had a stern but menacing expression on his face, and noticed the small container under his arm but she didn't have the courage to ask him about it and so the silence between them endured. They soon arrived at the entrance of the Caeli house room and a large spiralled stair case, that was much similar to the one leading to Audrey's room, was only a few steps ahead. She noticed the carvings on the stone walls that lay on either side of the staircase, a strange creature with large wings and the face of an eagle but a long lion-like tail that curved upwards was carved deep into the stone. She admired the creature for only a moment as Kane began to walk up the stairs and she hastily followed him, desperate to stay by his side but also nervous to see what would lie at the top of the stairs.

Her mind whirled with memories of Charlie, the freckles that ran over his nose and under his forest green eyes, his blonde wavy hair that always looked soft to the touch, his endless supply of pine coloured t-shirts, his kind grin that made her feel safe, and his laugh that always seemed to tickle a smile onto her face. As she walked with Kane, remembering Charlie as he once was, they soon were walking down a long corridor with numbered wooden doors on either sides.

"Now listen," Kane began, his voice low but strict, "Try not to mention his appearance".

Audrey nodded as she looked at Kane, they stopped outside a wooden door with the number twenty-two in silver hammered into it. She took a deep breath and placed her hair behind her ears, the strands of her hair almost sticking to her sweaty fingertips.

"Oh and one more thing," Kane said with his voice playful and a small smile on his face.

Audrey looked up at him waiting for him to continue, his smile suddenly dropped and he leaned close to her with a threatening look in his dark eyes, "Don't do anything to irritate him". His playful tone vanishing as he lifted a hand and knocked on the door twice.

Audrey swallowed hard, she was sure that her heart might burst out of her chest as it was beating at a rate so fast that the skin on her face began to uncontrollably redden.

The door creaked open and Kane gestured for Audrey to enter, she slowly lifted the heels of her feet and walked into the room that was lit by a single lamp near a bed. Her eyes rapidly darted all around the room looking for Charlie, and taking in the details of his room.

He had a single but reasonably large bed with beige coloured sheets and a dark mint coloured blanket to the left of the room against the wall, a side table where a small lamp stood with a small dark coloured glass bottle beside it and a wooden desk in the corner of the room where a gathered mess of books lay splayed out across it.

She jumped as she heard the loud shut of the door behind her, and she snapped her head around to see Kane leaning against it with the small box in his hand. She heard a tap running water and her attention quickly shifted to the door that was against the wall near the end of the bed, she took her time walking towards it as with each step she grew more anxious. The sound of running water suddenly ceased and Audrey took a quick step back, almost as if it was a natural reflex.

The door opened with a creak and out stepped Charlie, wearing a white shirt with damp hair and a towel over his shoulder. He looked sickly and pale, yet Audrey's stomach flipped at the sight of him as she couldn't help but smile. His eyes met hers and a smile grew on his too as she quickly looked away to the floor, Charlie quickly covered his right hand with the towel as he made his way to Kane.