Sentience

Chapter 2

 My nightgown clung to my sweaty body, perspiration still licking my skin. I needed to wash off all that had happened, to try and evade further bother from below the water.
I let out a groan as I peeled off  my duvet and padded over to the clawfoot tub in the room attached to my own. I ran the water hotter than I usually did and sprinkled lavender into the liquid. As the water rose, I shimmied off my nightgown and let down my hair. With the dip of a toe, I submerged myself. Letting the water engulf me as I dipped my head below the surface. One of the maids must have slipped in and lit the candles whilst I was sleeping. The flames danced chaotically despite the lack of draught. I drew in a deep breath and then exhaled before taking another plunge. I rose again, wiping the water from my eyes.
"You still need to come with me."
I screamed. In anticipation, the creature drew his hand over my mouth, muffling all noise escaping me. He was sat beside the bath tub, his cotton shirt untied slightly and his hair mussed; the white of it looking slightly duller than before.
"I was thinking that I would like to be called Elryn." The creature proposed, slowly removing his hand from my mouth. His eyes remained on mine as I became aware of how very naked I was. Silently, the creature got up and retrieved my robe for me. He held it out and looked away as I stood and took it from him. I wrapped the robe around myself and tossed my wet hair over my shoulder; a cascade of black falling down one breast. 
"You can't just appear." I snapped, padding back to my wardrobe and swinging the door open so hard the hinges groaned. 
As I sifted through my clothes, trying to find a new nightgown to slip into, the creature appeared at my side.
"I can just appear." He told me matter-of-factly. 
I grunted in his general direction, pulling a lilac nightgown from the wardrobe.
The creature assessed the thin bit of fabric I held in my hands, "You'll need something warmer than that." 
I ignored him as I slipped into my nightgown. Luckily, he had the good sense to turn around. I grabbed my thicker robe, tied it around my waist, threw my hair up into a bun and made my way out of my bedroom. The halls were covered in portrait after portrait of long dead family members; all of them had the same, condescending stare. I rolled my shoulders as if to shake them off and continued on. The creature popped at my side again.
"Do you have to keep doing that?" I asked, rounding a corner.
"I'll stop." He said, keeping his step inline with mine despite my attempt to stomp ahead.
In close proximity, I could hear a mixture of voices, I quietened my steps and refrained from rounding the next corner. 
"We need to leave." My father, sounding frank.
"We cannot just go! My mother laughed although it was humourless. 
"If I may-" Someone cut in.
"You may not." My father snapped, silencing whoever that was.
A brief pause.
"Lena, you and I are going to the country estate. By the border. It will be safer there." Clean, cut words from my father. 
"This is our home." My mother argued.
"Not anymore." My father chided, "This attack was not a coincidence. We should have seen this coming as soon as we heard that the Orb was missing."
The Orb? I looked at the creature. He looked back, smirked, and then tapped his nose as if to say 'you didn't want to know'.
"But no," My father pressed on, "I let you continue to live out this fantasy. Let you pretend everything was fine. Let you go to that ball with that daughter of yours." He seethed. 
I looked at the creature again, this time, his expression of confusion matched mine. He just shrugged.
I heard my mother sniffle slightly. I peeked round the corner in time to see her back straighten, "I am lost on you, Arther." And with that, she turned on her heel and disappeared down one of the hallways. I backed up, again out of view just as my father turned.
My father let out a groan, "Women." He huffed, face red.
"Have the preparations made." He told the third party, "We are leaving tonight." He said in way of goodbye as his footsteps got fainter and fainter. 
Again, I glanced around the corner, "Hervad?" I asked, stepping out of the shadows. 
"Lena." Hervad smiled, straightening the slouch he'd relaxed into after my father left. He had grown since I last saw him. Even through his clothes I could make out how muscular he had become. Dark stubble complimented his jaw. His eyes, contrasted with his black hair, shone almost yellow. 
"Where have you been hiding?" He asked, striding over, a grin plastering his face. My eyes danced from his face to the sword he now had strapped to his belt. It looked heavy. And expensive.  He didn't stop approaching until he was close enough that I could smell him. Oak and mint. Gods, I had to get a grip.
"You obviously weren't looking hard enough." I joked, only realising after that my tone was bordering on flirtatious. 
He schooled his features well but I saw the light that danced in his eyes. He wanted me. He's wanted me for a long time, too. We used to play together when his father had business with mine. Mostly, we'd climb trees and I'd get stuck and he'd guide me down. The last time I saw him was a couple years ago and he resembled nothing of what he did in that moment. Still the lanky little Hervad that I had always known.. That was until I caught him doing something with another highborn girl. I had felt sick afterwards and at the time, I couldn't understand why. It was jealousy, I realised all too late.
Lazily, too lazily to not be purposeful, he leaned his arm above my head. His muscles stretching underneath the fabric of his shirt, "It's been a while since I saw you last."
"Is it?" I asked, feigning innocence, "I hadn't noticed." 
He leaned closer, "I'm meant to be taking you away." He flirted, leaning in closer. Shivers ran down my spine.
Oh heavens. I wanted to grab his hand and run straight back down my hallway and lock him in my room. I was going to let him-
Three knocks sounded from the door. I glanced over Hervad's shoulder as he turned. Shock ran through the entirety of my body. 
"Ah Hervad, It's me, Elryn." The creature stepped into the entrance hall. His long, white hair was tied back, his clothes similar to Hervad's. The comparison between the two was almost comical. Where Hervad was stocky, and obviously strong, Elyrn was nimble. His muscles tight and corded. In every way that Hervad was like a bear, Elyrn was like a white wolf. 
Hervad stopped leaning against the wall and began approaching Elyrn, his hand grazing his sword with too much precision to have been anything but a calculated move, "I have never heard of you, Elryn" Hervad spoke, his voice laced with the authority of whatever station had provided him with his heavy, expensive-looking sword.  
Elryn's mouth quirked up at the side, "Easy Hervad, we go way back. All the way back to the training camps, remember?" And as he said it, purple plumes of smoke slipped from his lips and caressed Hervad's face. 
The man seemed to relax, hand withdrawing from sword. I stepped forward, unsure of what to do. 
"Elryn!" Hervad exclaimed, pulling the creature in for a hug, "It's been too long."
It wasn't possible. I never possessed... my Majic brought me things. It was Lynti wielders, the Maji whose Majic glowed blue, that could alter minds.
The creature winked at me, "I've been assigned the duty of taking Lena to the country home." 
Hervad glanced from me, the girl he'd known for years, to the Elryn, the creature he had just met, "Brother, best of luck to you." And with that he clasped the creature by the shoulder, gave him a friendly squeeze then headed straight out the doors. 
"You..." I blinked, bemused, "How?"
The creature, as arrogant as always, just tapped his nose.