Chapter 617: Atop The Tower
As midday approached, Ashlynn slipped quietly from Nyrielle’s bed, dressing by the light of the crystal lantern before leaving her lover to sleep away the remaining hours of the day.
"Sleep well, my love," she whispered from the door of the room before slipping out into the dark corridors beyond and returning to her own bedroom to freshen up and retrieve a small wooden box that clinked faintly when she picked it up.
Ascending the well worn spiral stairs at the end of the hallway, Ashlynn entered the large, round room that occupied the entire top floor of the tower. Previously, there had been little here other than storage for the residents of the tower, but Ashlynn had ordered several changes to be made as part of converting the tower to her coven’s use.
Now, a large circular table dominated the center of the room, set low to the ground and surrounded by piles of pillows and soft blankets. The walls of the room were lined with simple bookshelves, many of them filled with texts taken from Nyrielle’s collection but the amount of empty space on the shelves made it clear that Ashlynn expected to expand her coven’s library over time.
The side of the tower that overlooked the fortress now hosted a small wood stove that kept the room pleasantly warm despite the autumn chill in the air and a tea kettle had already been set atop the stove, adding the faint aroma of jasmine and rosehips to the scent of woodsmoke in the room.
In time, Ashlynn intended to add overstuffed chairs along with a real hearth and several other simple comforts to the communal space she modeled after Amahle’s home in the Briar. There would be dozens of differences, she was certain, she wanted her coven to make the space their own after all. But even though the work had only just begun, it already felt like she had come home when she entered the room atop the tower and found her coven waiting there for her.
Heila looked the most comfortable, dressed in a simple tunic dress with a wide leather belt at her waist holding her Severing Knife and a coiled whip that never seemed to be far from her side these days. As soon as Ashlynn entered, the Willow Witch rose from the table to pour a fresh cup of tea, setting it on the table and gesturing for Ashlynn to join them.
"Do you need me to fetch you something to eat, Mother Ashlynn?" Heila asked when she got a close look at Ashlynn’s pale complexion. She’d expected that Ashlynn would need a restorative meal after tending to Lady Nyrielle the night before and she’d even prepared a snack for when Ashlynn returned to her chambers before dawn, but even when the sun broke above the horizon, Ashlynn still hadn’t returned.
"We’ll get something soon enough," Ashlynn said as she set the wooden box down on the table with a heavy -CHINK- sound. "The tea will be more than enough for now, thank you."
"Are, are you sure that you’re fine?" Hauke said, shifting uncomfortably on a soft cushion as he tried to emulate the others present. At Ashlynn’s request, he’d dressed simply, draping himself in robes that were pale, icy blue and lacked any of the intricate patterns and embroidery that most of his wardrobe featured.