Chapter 2 - Planning and Preparations
I gazed out my window at the Wayless Wood and sighed. I had never been outside the castle before. I had always watched the Wayless Wood from my window, but I had never had a chance to enter into its depths and discover its mysteries. It was something that I had always longed to do.
Before I had been brought to the Adderhead's castle with my mother, I had used to sing occasionally, if there was no one else around. I couldn't do that anymore. If anyone heard me singing, I didn't know what would happen to me. The Adderhead hated anyone who was of the Motley Folk, and only the Motley Folk ever sang any songs.
I felt alone. A song came to mind, one I had sung often before when I had lived among the fire-raisers. I sang softly, praying that no one would hear me.
"Don't be afraid feeling this way
Gonna make you understand.
It's not about you
'Cause I am the fool,
Building castles in the sand.
If I were crazy, just don't care.
It doesn't need it all with you're near.
This is the story about me and you.
And it's called
"Faith, right beside you is where I'll stay.
Faith, just take me as I am,
So please, have faith.
"So many times in so many ways
I didn't know just where to go.
You gave me a sign that opened my eyes
That's the reason why I know
That you are different,
You still hear.
I guess you figured me our right there.
Now I believe that we can make it through.
And it's called
"Faith, right beside you is where I'll stay.
Faith, just take me as I am,
So please, have faith.
I felt even more alone after singing the song, but the music eased the pain in my heart. Music had always seemed to sooth me. Perhaps that was because my mother had previously been one of the Motley Folk, before she had been caught stealing something, and Mortola had taken her to be a maid. When I had been small, my mother had always sung lullabies to me to help me sleep.
I thought about the man and his daughter who, according to Mortola (yes, I eavesdropped on occasion as well), were the ones who had killed Capricorn. I had been sad when my father had died, but only because he had been my father, and he had never really done much to harm me directly. It had only been to others, like my mother, to whom he had been cruel. He had allowed Mortola to beat my mother, and one time it was within an inch of her life.
I found it hard to believe that a man and a little girl could have killed Capricorn. It seemed quite impossible. Still, though, it must have been true, because Mortola hated them. They had eluded her twice, and it had made her furious.
As I continued with this line of thought, something occurred to me. If I were to capture or kill those who had killed my father, perhaps she would grant me one wish. If she did, I would wish that she would stop beating my mother. But the only way that I could get out would be if I escaped, and Mortola would beat from my mother my whereabouts.
The only solution to that problem would be to not tell my mother anything about my plan. She couldn't know anything.
I jumped off my bed and grabbed my blanket. I took two hairpins and pinned the blanket in front of the picture that stood over my mantle, which had obviously had the eyes cut out. It was the only picture in the room, but it was near the center of the room, so whoever was looking through it could see whatever he wanted that was in the room. I didn't want anyone to be spying on me while I was preparing.
Once the blanket was securely covering the picture, I set to work immediately packing a few things in a towel. I couldn't take an actual pack because that might tip someone off as to what I was going to try to do.
I packed some clothes, and four necklaces. One of them because it was my favorite, aside from what I was wearing, and the other three because I might need to sell something for money to buy food.
I touched the pendant of the necklace I was wearing: a square emerald, with tiny diamonds surrounding it, on a gold chain. It was my favorite because it had been a gift from my mother on my twelfth birthday.
I snuck out of my room and to the kitchens. The cook, who had a soft spot for me because I wasn't picky like the Adderhead and his wife, gave me three rolls, and a hunk of cheese. I told her it was just in case I got hungry in the middle of the night.
I went back up to my room and wrapped the rolls and the cheese in a cloth and stuck it in my makeshift pack. Then I tied up the pack and hid it under my bed.
When I was finished packing, I removed the blanket from the picture, and was not at all surprised to see two eyes peering through it.
I smiled at the eyes, recognizing the owner. "Hello, Firefox," I said, and poked his eyes out.
I heard him cry out, and he disappeared.
"That's what you get for spying on me!" I declared, locked my door, and covered the picture up again, using him being there as an excuse. "Now you can't spy on me!" I stated, making sure that he heard me, so that he would think him spying on me was the reason I was covering up the picture.
Only once did someone knock on my door, and when the Piper answered my query as to who it was, I told him to leave me alone because I furious that he and Firefox were peeping on me.
After that, I was left alone.
As the shadows outside lengthened, I thought about how I would escape the Castle of Night. I figured that there was no way I was going to escape by wandering the endless halls. My only option was to climb out my window, which was a very bad idea, considering how far I would fall if I slipped.
So I would have to secure myself to something somehow. I decided that I would use the curtains of both my windows, and I would braid them together to make a rope. But I would have to wait until night had completely fallen, so as to be certain that Mortola or someone else wouldn't come and catch me in the act.
Soon, I would be free of the Adderhead, and I would be on my way to rescuing my mother from Mortola and her whip. I could hardly wait.
AN: There's chapter 2! Review, please! But no flames, please:)