A Legend Changes

Chapter VII: Connections

Chapter Seven: Connections

   Delrand wasn’t at breakfast, which was quite a relief. The dream I had made me worry about life and the bond you create with people, and I wasn’t sure if seeing him first thing in the morning would help; but after about half an hour and him not showing up, I decided to go look for him before either of us worried about the other.

   ‘Excuse me, but have you seen Delrand anywhere?’ I asked one of the masters.

   ‘He may be in the library, that’s his favourite place here. If not, I don’t know.’

   I walked off towards the library; I already knew where it was because Delrand tried to relay a mental map to me on the way here. The one thing I could remember clearly was where the library was because I knew he liked books and reading. Pacing through the beautiful calming corridors, I passed many students. They all seemed to step aside as we neared each other. Many of them were around nine to fifteen years old. I only meet a few who were about my own age. They appeared really childish and dim-witted. I also noticed the way they looked at me, as if they had never seen a girl before.

   I asked the librarian if Delrand was in the huge book room. He told me he was at the back. He offered to show me around the shelves but I told him I’d manage.

   Like most of the rooms in the school, the library was big. Along all the walls were shelves stacked and piled with books (except for the doors and a few large stained-glass windows high above the floor). The space within each of the aisles, width-ways, was enough for only three people to stand shoulder-to-shoulder together. I eventually found him wondering along one of the book rows. He was in an area where each book was probably no less than three inches thick or covered in Celtic or archaic designs and symbols.

   ‘What are you looking for?’ I asked.

   ‘A book on something. When did you get up?’

   He answered while still searching. ‘About half an hour ago. A book on what?’

   ‘It’s to do with transforming and illusions, if you really want to know.’

   ‘I thought you already knew about that stuff?’

   ‘I do, but there is more to it than Merlin can teach me,’ he explained, while he still searched.

   ‘Any idea of its title?’

   ‘Nope. If I did I would have found it by now.’

   As big as the library was it was kept in order quite easily. First the books were categorised, then they were stood up in alphabetical order within their categories. The librarian was obviously head of the library but he must have a few boys or men under him to help with organising the ranks of books.

   ‘Do you know its colour or anything that stands out on the cover?’

   ‘It’s black and leather-bound, which doesn’t help.’

   Looking along the shelves beside me it was clear that it would take forever to find the book he wanted, most of these books were black and leather-bound.

   ‘Are you sure you’re in the right section?’

   ‘This is the only section whose books are categorised under Sorcery.’

   ‘Ah.’

   After about another ten minutes, he gave up and went to sit at one of the polished reading tables in the centre.

   ‘It could be that someone has taken it and wants to try to uncover more power within them.’

   I sat beside him, cautious of the volume of my voice. ‘But isn’t that dangerous for them?’