Keeper of Life - NaPoWrMo Entry

As Solar walked into the library the dust seemed to flow around her, welcoming her to this sanctuary of knowledge. She shifted through the books and tombs all archived with meticulous zeal. There was fiction, myth, history, the wealth of their collective knowledge. How long had it been since she had stood here. It was bigger then she thought, which didn't make sense since last time she had been just a filly.

Stainglass windows let in a patchwork of colors, they illuminated the books creating a palette of detail. Yet she couldn't find what she was looking for. There were maps of the city, of the outer yard, of the inside of the castle and the inside of the wall but nothing else. There was of course endless tombs on the war, but she knew that history already. They'd all been issued similar books in school and the only difference she found was the outer cover. As she flicked through the pages she thought she might stumble across a doodle. 'Useless,' she thought.

“What are you looking for young guardian?” Grandmaster Song asked entering her view. Her voice was stoic yet now held soft tones that carried her namesake.

'Guardian?' Solar thought, the word made her heart flutter and she had to still herself. “I haven't passed the tests yet, I'm not a guardian.”

Song just shrugged and said, “You will. So, what are you looking for?”

Solar shook off the shock and the heightened anticipation toward a goal that now seemed inevitable. It was as if her goal might actually find finality. Before she found it hard to consider herself a guardian, but now one of the grandmasters considered her one. She had to shake the thought from her mind and still her heart so she could refocus. It took her a second to remember what she was doing. “Maps,” she said looking at the tumble of books and scrolls before her. Sol dove for a tomb that she accidentally knocked off and gave a sheepish grin as it contacted the floor with a crack.

“I can see that,” Song said allowing Sol to regain her composure. “So what specifically are you looking for inside those maps?” she asked.

“I want to see what's outside the wall, you know, beyond the city,” she said.

“Sand,” Song said and turned to walk away. Sol felt despaired at being abandoned so quickly. “Follow me young guardian, I shall tidy that up later.”

She followed the grandmaster through enough turns to make her head spin until they finally stopped at a small set of doors that were lost against the tall bookshelves.

“You're going to be privy to this knowledge soon however discretion would be appreciated,” she said pushing the doors open.

“Of course Grandmaster,” Sol said, suddenly taken off guard by her seemingly switching emotions. 'Guess she's just hard when she tests,' Sol thought, thankful.

Song opened a small golden lined door that reminded her of Eternity and she wondered as to the awe that must be inside. Yet when Song opened the door and light spilled in only dusty scrolls lined the walls. An old table was set in the middle made out of a wood Sol didn't recognize. She ran her hoof over the top, it was hard and even yet gave a soft oily smell that relaxed her.

As a scroll was placed on the table Sol was broken out of her fix and she gazed upon what Song had placed down. It was a simple map that showed location, if little else. Song pointed to a patch of what would be marked as mountains and said, “This is where the changelings reside.”

It was odd to Sol hearing their actual name, they'd always been 'them,' 'it,' or 'the demons'. Somehow the professionalism that she associated with knowledge was renewed, if for a little bit. Song pointed out The Griffon Highlands, and where dragons used to lie, in the northern rim. Sol found it odd, she always thought of dragons as fire beasts like they were painted in the lore and fables.

Though what stuck Sol as off is while the Dragon Peaks, and the Griffon Highlands were labeled there was no 'Changeling Caves', or whatever; only the city remained, set in the center of the map. Other then that it was bleak, and vapid. It left Sol with more questions then answers.

“What about this one?” Sol asked taking another from a different shelf, this one from behind glass that should have been locked. Even Song tilted her head as the scroll was unrolled. It was laden with arrows, crossed diamonds, and shields.

“A campaign map,” Song said with an air of curiosity. Sol pointed to the vast amount of lines with little numbers set in them. “They show elevation and depression, the number shows you how much, or how little,” she said. The symbol of the clans were shown around the map, and Sol looked for where the changelings should have been, yet there was nothing. She found the claw that represented the griffon army, the tuft of fire that could only be the dragons, yet in the center, the city, was The Queen's crest and the same pattern of crossing snakes.

“Who's this?” Sol asked. Song seemed to jolt alert as if realization snapped into her. She opened her mouth to speak when bells chimed in the distance.

“That's enough for today,” she said suddenly relieved and rolled up the scroll. “Come, I have duties to attend to now,” saying as she pushed the door. “Come on,” she said turning back to Sol. As they exited the room the small glass cabinet shifted open.

Song walked her to the front entrance. “Now I apologize but I am needed. The festival is approaching, go out and enjoy yourself. Soon you'll have duties too young guardian, enjoy your freedom and downtime while you have it.”

“Grandmaster, one more question,” Sol said looking at the walls.

“Very well,” she replied.

“How old is this building?”

“This library used to be a place of worship, and dates back to four hundred years.”

“Thank you Grandmaster,” Sol said and bowed her head. She watched the old mare walk away and stared at the stained-glass windows depicting a tree.

“The old windows are gone,” Sol said to herself.