The fifteen minute novel writing experiment is a attempt to write a complete (and very rough) draft of a novel by writing for fifteen minutes each day. I have taken a timed writing from one of the daily prompts done in 2021, cleaned it up a little and used it as my jumping off point into a story. Each day I will take the last line of the story written the day before and use it as my sentence starter and write for fifteen minutes, growing the story as the year progresses.
Day 118: Having the same idea the man began to slowly backtrack.
Having the same idea the man began to slowly backtrack. In her hidden space, Anya hardly dared to breath as she watched him focus on the steps. They were stone and didn’t show the dust as readily. Anya hadn’t noticed the same layers of dust on the stone steps as she had on everything else. Like this hidden space, the stairs seemed relatively dust free.
She watched the man study them and reach the same conclusion as she did. The stone steps showed no recognizable markings from her passage. The man walked past the hidden doorway without a pause, noticing nothing different about the stretch of wall.
Anya felt her heart racing. ‘Safe,’ she tried to tell it, but Anya sensed danger as long as Lord Mathis was on the premises.
Anya thought of the Matron’s look of disappointment when she wasn’t found in the musician’s gallery and realized she might not be safe even then.
The hunter returned to his master and when Lord Mathis studied him he again shook his head no. Mathis seemed disappointed but not overly surprised. The trio left the Musician’s gallery, the door locking behind them as before. Anya watched and listened as they went through the other spaces lining the dining hall. There was a similar search of them but no further information revealed.
Anya watched as Lord Mathis and his man were shown to the main exit and sent on their way.
“You found nothing?” Lord Mathis demanded of his man. Anya found that she could still see, hear and follow them even though they left the building. In fact, when she expanded her vision, the sphere enabled her to see all of the town within the gap.
“No my Lord,” the man answered. “I thought there was a slight whiff, but it could have been old. Wherever it went faded into nothing.”
“So she could have stopped here on her way to the palace laundries,” Lord Mathis said to himself. He nodded. “It is the most logical place for her to go. The family claimed that she was preparing to work in the Tyrin laundry before she left.” Mathis snorted. “They still expect her to start sending her pay home from work in the manor. It should be interesting when they find out she never made it.”
“Will they look for her?” his man asked.
“Doubtful,” Mathis replied. “Although at the palace someone else may find her. I’m hardly the only one looking for the children of the moon.” Mathis looked back at the House of the star. “And the matron did seem a bit upset regarding the girl. No doubt she tried to get the girl to stay and she refused. The Matron does so hate to be thwarted. The trick is to catch her at the palace before someone else makes off with her. Her power is key, and unless we can find another, she is the only option.”
Anya let them go as they walked away, relieved that they were leaving but worried now that there were others searching. Anya thought about letting go of the orb, but found herself seeking out the Matron instead. With Mathis gone, Marta had hurried to her side.
“I thought you said that Anya was in the musician’s gallery?” the Matron said.
“She is,” Marta said. “I thought hearing that Lord Mathis is still searching would make her more likely to stay.”
“She wasn’t there,” the Matron replied.
“You checked?” Marta said. “With Lord Mathis?” She looked shocked by the Matron’s actions.
Ten til Midnight 