30 Day Image Prompt Competition - August

Day 5 Prompt 1 - The Orb

“Kayla? Kayla, I really don’t think we should be doing this.” Anna glanced around the empty passageway, her face worried as she waited for hidden foes to leap out at them. “Your uncle will be furious with you if he finds you in this wing.”

“We’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t find out, won’t we.” Unlike her maid, Kayla was not allowing fear to prevent her from doing what needed to be done. Whilst her insides may be knotted up so tight it made breathing painful, she was not going to retreat with her tail between her legs.

The two women reached the end of the passageway and hugged the walls in an attempt to blend into the stonework. Kayla checked the way forward was clear before setting off towards the formidable looking door at the end of the passage. Anna followed in her wake, glancing over her shoulder with every step she took.

Kayla allowed herself a quick look around before slowly turning the iron handle and hearing the latch lift. The heavy oak door swung inwards revealing a small masculine solar. She peered around the door to check the chamber was empty before turning back to Anna.

“You stay here, hide in that niche over there. If anyone comes I want you to have a coughing fit or something so that I’ve got chance to hide.”

“What will I say when they question why I’m here? You know they don’t like us to be in this wing.” Anna’s face was pale, her brown eyes huge in her delicate features. Kayla wished that the young maid had stayed in their chambers but she had been adamant that Kayla was not going alone on her quest, whatever that may be.

“Tell them you’re looking for Pookie. They know he’s always running off so they won’t think anything of it.” Pookie was their cat, a mischievous bundle of fluff who was always getting into trouble. “Now, go and hide whilst I go and search his rooms. Remember what I’ve told you.”

Anna went to stand in the small niche, hidden from anyone who may be passing by the end of the corridor. After seeing her friend safely secreted away, Kayla entered her uncle’s rooms and closed the door behind her. She looked around the dark, masculine room where her uncle would attend to his private business and wondered where she would start.

Oak shelves stood either side of the large fireplace, leather bound ledgers standing upon their polished surfaces. Two velvet covered chairs sat either side of the hearth with a small table between them where refreshments would be placed. A curtained off archway led to the sleeping chamber and she hoped she would not need to enter that room. Tales she had heard about her uncle’s interests made her grateful the curtain was drawn.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, clearing her mind of everything other than what she was seeking. Ever since she had heard her uncle’s plans for her future she had been determined to find some way of stopping him. For weeks she had spent time in the great library, studying the ancient texts that lined the shelves for some alternative option that would help not just herself but also the people who looked up to her. Just when she had felt her future was doomed she had found reference to an object that could not only bring about the removal of her uncle but also the freedom for the kingdom that she craved. Now she just had to find the object.

She prowled around the room, looking in chests, opening drawers, removing books to look behind them, all to no avail. Despair started to weigh heavily upon her slender shoulders but she refused to allow it to crush her just yet. It had to be here, in this room.
She studied the bare, stone walls for signs of a secret hiding place, a button to reveal a hidden room but saw nothing. The castle had been constructed by some of the greatest builders throughout the kingdom. The stones used in the interior walls had been chiselled to an even smoothness and lined up so perfectly that you could run your hands over them and feel nothing other than the slightest ridge where stone met stone. There was nothing to disturb their perfection except…

She frowned and crossed over to the corner of the chimney breast. One stone stood slightly proud of its neighbours. It was only a slight protrusion but she knew the master builders would not have allowed it in their construction. Someone had removed the stone and then replaced it later. Excitement tingled along her limbs as she felt along the edges of the stone. There did not appear to be any secret switches nor did the stone seem loose. There was nothing to suggest that it was nothing more than a slight error in the construction.

Kayla frowned, refusing to believe that she was wrong. This was the place, she was certain of it. She just needed to find out how to open it. Her fingers frantically pressed at the adjoining stones, seeking out the slightest of all movements that would release the stone. Nothing happened. She was wrong even though it felt so right. Frustrated and angry at herself for believing in something so strongly she slapped the stone with her palm and turned away.

A faint click sounded in the silence and she turned to watch as the stone swung open to reveal a small space with something glowing in its depths. A slight shiver ran through her hand as she reached inside and removed a velvet blue bag containing a spherical shaped object. An object that glowed through the velvet, a gentle heat warming her hand. This was what she was looking for. She returned the stone to its original position and hurried to the door.

“Anna?” she whispered, not seeing her friend at first. “Come on, let’s go.” She urged her friend to follow as she emerged from behind the curtain.

“Did you get it?” Anna asked as they hurried back to their own chambers.

“Yes. Now, we need to go and bathe.”

Anna stopped dead in the corridor, her face creased in puzzlement. “Bathe?”

“Yes, bathe. I’ll tell you later. Come on.”

After a quick stop in their chamber to gather bathing supplies and a change of clothes the two women were soon standing by the outer gate of the castle, waiting for the guard to let them through. The blue velvet bag was concealed beneath Kayla’s bundle of clothing that she held tightly in her arms.

“Where are you two ladies off to?” The guard asked, looking them both over as though they were items that should be kept locked away.

“As it is a nice day, my maid and I have decided to go for a bathe in the lake and to wash our clothes. It is too hot to wait for a fire to warm the water.” Kayla hoped that she sounded calm to the guard because inside she was a mass of worry and nerves. They were taking a huge gamble in hoping the guard would let them pass with escort.

“You really should have an escort to take you to the lake. Your uncle would not be pleased if anything happened to you.” The guard looked doubtful and Kayla feared that he was going to refuse them.

“I know we should but all of the available guards are out with my uncle’s hunting party. Besides, do you think anyone would be stupid enough to try anything with so many soldiers in the forest.” Kayla gave him what she hoped was her most reassuring smile. “If anything happens we’ll just scream for help. The lake is in hearing distance to the castle as we found out with Lady Devere.”

The guard blushed as he remembered how a troop had raced out of the castle upon hearing the Lady’s screams only to discover her in an amorous embrace with her young groom whilst her husband watched.

“Well, it is not far from the castle. Just be careful, my lady.” The guard released the bolt across the door and allowed the two women to walk out.

Kayla smiled her thanks at the guard as she passed by and refrained from launching into a sprint once they were outside. She had to act as normal as possible for them to pull this off so it was with great effort that she walked at a normal pace along the worn path to the edge of the woods where the lake was situated.

“Kayla, the lake is to the left, not this way.” Anna stopped as he friend started down the right hand fork in the path. They were out of sight of the castle and Kayla seemed not to be going down to the normal bathing place.

“I know, but I need to go to this way to a small pool I found last week. Don’t ask me why, I just do.” Kayla looked at her friend and gave a slight smile. “You don’t have to come with me. I’ll catch up with you at the lake in a few minutes, when I’ve done this.”

“I’ve come this far with you, I may as well finish it.” Resigned to following her friend into whatever trouble found them Anna started up the path after Kayla.

The pool Kayla sought out was hidden in a small clearing at the heart of the forest. Ancient trees soared up towards the sky, grey limbs reaching out to create a gloomy canopy over the ground below. A small stream trickled along a shallow channel before emptying into a deep pool surrounded by moss covered stones. It was a mystical place and Kayla shivered at the power she felt hidden within its depths.

She placed her bundle on the ground beside her and uncovered the bag. The light seemed to be glowing stronger now and she wondered whether it knew where it was. Shaking her head to dispel such fanciful notions, she tossed her cloud of silver hair over her shoulders before untying the bag and removing the glowing orb.

Light pulsed in its depths as she held it before her. Heat warmed her hands, gentle and protective as though it was alive. She wanted to spend time with the orb, to study it, understand it but there was not time. Her uncle would be returning soon and she had to return the orb to its place of origin. She lowered the orb into the inky calmness of the pool, watching how the light illuminated its depths as it sank towards the bottom. A brighter light seemed to open beneath the orb, absorbing it with a pulse of energy that rippled the stillness of the water before it and the orb disappeared.

“It is done,” she announced as she regained her feet and brushed off her green dress. “Now we wait.”

“What should we do whilst we wait, though?” Anna asked, knowing that the king would not stop with his plans for Kayla’s future.

“We bathe,” Kayla replied, gathering up her bundle and setting off back down the path to the lake.

Anna looked after her and shook her head. Sometimes, in fact most of the time, she did not understand this young woman. She had plans she only involved people in when necessary and sought to protect those close to her from any harm that could come to them from her uncle’s wrath. No doubt she would discover more at a future date but for now it was bathing time.

Deep in the heart of the earth, a great bellow could be heard. It’s power caused the earth to tremble in its wake, the animals to freeze for a moment, birdsong to cease for a heartbeat. Something powerful was coming, soon.