Hunter or Hunted??

Tunnels

At this point, I wasn't sure who's side Violet was on and I was wondering where we were. I hadn't meant to send us into a completely different area of the castle by moving that desk. All I wanted was to block the door so we could figure something out but this was in more ways than one a better way to hide. Even though I had no idea where we were, I could smell something familiar and decided to head towards the scent. As it grew stronger, I recognized it as the citrus grove on the outskirts of the castle and I saw a grate that partially opened to let fresh air in. We could see freedom and breath fresh air in but still couldn't get out. I hadn't heard anything so I assumed the desk did lock and we hadn't been followed. We had light and fresh air so I decided to set my blanket back out and sit for a moment.

"Who is he?" I boldly asked, not really expecting an answer at first. "I could see the pain in your eyes as you ran, that's the man that hurt you isn't it?"

She looked hesitant but started to answer anyways.... "He use to be a kind and generous man.... a man that I called my father.... but he isn't the man he was and no one knows why. Yes, he's who hurt me."

"What really happened after the memorial? He's not just trying to kill me as to what it looked like... he's after us both." I said with complete seriousness. I looked towards her shoulder and started taking out my ointments without another word.

She seemed hesitant and unsure in ways as she thought of what to say. When I was looking over her shoulder it looked much better than it had and I was hoping our violent adventure was over so I could get her somewhere safe to rest and heal.

"I was heading to the library after we talked at the memorial and when I got in the castle a man approached me asking what I was talking about with you. I wasn't sure what he meant because he had startled me and he called you some strange name... it was... something like little paw maybe? I heard it twice but had no idea what they meant and then they described you and told me I was sitting next to you at the memorial. I told them I wasn't sure I should be talking to them and my Dad walked in.... He freaked out because I guess he recognized something about them. I think he thinks I'm a traitor or something. The two men that I talked to were huge though and the vanished after my dad showed up." she shook her head. "Just poof!! They were gone and I was left to his rage... He grabbed me and shook me so hard my shoulder went out of place yelling things I couldn't understand to do with wolves and forbidden ancestry. He sounded crazy, the moment I got the chance to run I did and when I do I typically sleep at library in the castle under the sky light. I love to lay under the starts at night and have a nice warm fire to lay next to. The books are always a nice addition since it's pretty much an endless supply."

She had been fidgeting with her hair and I wasn't sure if I had even noticed how pretty she actually is until now. Her hair and skin was always taken care of, she had real nails that were thick and that perfect length, she was right in the middle of braiding a strand of her hair. Where did that come from? My brain just went on overload for a moment there.

"Maybe he'll calm down after we talk to another adult about all of this? Who can we talk to?" she seemed to be in the same thought process as I was at the moment.

"First, we have to find our way out of here... but yes, we can go talk to Mama. She'll know what to do and more than likely know how to find out what's going on. The last 24 hours have been wild but I'm ready for my boring old life back without the axe weilders." I said with a giggle.

"I'm glad you have a plan because the library was my only plan. I was going to figure out where I was going after I met with you, I didn't think my dad knew about me staying at the library."

"It's alright, I'm sure you'll be welcome to stay as long as you need. Have you ever heard about tunnels throughout the castle?"

As we gathered everything up I wondered where her father had gone and what else was unfolding outside of these secret stone walls. "I have a bit but I've never been in them, just read about how they used them back in times of war. I thought that they were just ones like paintings that opened up or shelves that moved though, not moving a desk to fall through the floor and ride a slide to a cement floor surrounded by stone blocks." as we walked along the passageway I started to notice a smell that I had been smelling for a while but hadn't crossed my mind. What is it? Reminds me of a flower.... I look over and smirk to myself as I remember that some of us smell like wildlife naturally from birth as special gifts. Violet must have gotten her name from her special scent. "What's that look for?"

"I was just trying to figure out where a scent was coming from and realized it was you, sorry didn't mean to be weird or anything. I hadn't noticed it before now."

"Oh, yeah.... I don't even notice it." she belly laughs, "Comes in handy with all types of things though, like bug repellent and cheering people up when I'm close by. I guess my mom got really sick after giving birth to me as to what my Dad said and the only thing that helped her to lift her spirits was having me around. He always blamed me for her death but he would tell some amazingly lovely stories of us when he was in a good mood. I'm not sure if any of them were real but I love them none the less."

Feeling sorry for her didn't give any description to how I felt, it was heart wrenching. I had no memories of my family at all and no one to tell me stories of them or us but if I did have stories I would want to hold on to them like she was. "What's that?" I ask as I glimpse something that looks like.... sunlight maybe?? wait.... it's a light and a study with more books and a fireplace.... and a large bay window that looked into an area of the woods I had never seen... A door!! We rushed over to it and looked at each other for a moment. "Adventure waits, my dear Violet." and I bowed as I opened the door. Though I had offered to let her enter first I walked through along side her since the door was extra large. We couldn't really see very well in this room but it smelled almost like a root cellar or a vegetable stash house. I felt around to find a wall and Violet held on to the back of my shirt, I was glad I was wearing sandles because I wasn't sure what we were walking on. I found a stone wall and we followed it for a long time in the dark, silently. We weren't sure of what was down here and didn't really want to find out today. I started to feel a slight breeze and relief washed over me, we were getting out of here finally. I felt around to see if there was anything other than the wall but there wasn't and the other side was to far away to reach holding hands with Violet still touching the wall so we kept going the way we had been. When I almost gave up to take a break I felt water start to rush over my feet and something that felt like a hitch on the wall so I turned it and a wall slid open to reveal a beautiful pond and a forest that I never seen before.