Despite a long day of training and a challenging evening dinner, when I went back to my room I wasn't tired. The small clock on my dresser showed it was just past midnight so I got changed out of my training clothes and into some simple cotton pyjamas. 

I saw down on my bed, the sheets smelt fresh so they must have been cleaned by the housekeeper today.

I pulled the cloak that Camille had given me on the night of the feast closer and ran my fingers over the little embroidered moon. I thought back to that day in the town, the day that had started it all. The day that pushed me from using my healing magic in secret, on farm animals, to using it on an actual person. That day was the reason I was in the guild now. 

Could it have been Camille beside me that day? 

I thought back to earlier when I had healed Camille's hand, her draco scales seemed to start further up her wrist, leaving her hands clear like a runes. The hooded figure in the market also had clear hands. 

I stared out of the little window on the wall next to my bed, the window offered views of the small back garden of the house, leading on to the forest. The moon was full and high in the sky and the trees beneath it seemed to glimmer in it's light.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Camille stood in the back garden. She was wearing another black cloak with the hood down and her hair tied up in a pony tail. She was looking into the forest but it was too dark to see what she was looking at. 

This could be a good opportunity to ask her if she was at the market that day, if she was also there when I failed to save a mans life.

Pulling her cloak around my shoulders I sneaked out of my room, quietly closing the door behind me. I tip-toed down the stairs, through the dining room and out of the back door in the kitchen. 

As I stepped out into the back garden, I realised Camille was no longer there and I had forgotten to put shoes on. I was about to turn around and head back to bed when I heard the gentle sound of Camille's boots on the rocky path that lead around the side of the house and towards the rest of the guild estate. 

Deciding to follow her, I accepted the muddy fate of my feet and walked through the grass towards her. She had longer legs than me and was much faster, I struggled to keep up with her as she left the guild estate through a small path next the infirmary building and strode onto the empty and ill-lit street. 

Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I silently followed a couple of feet behind her, thankful that I wasn't wearing any loud shoes. If Camille found me following her in the middle of the night, it would probably be the end of my time in the guild, or I would just die of embarrassment.

Camille seemed to take streets she knew would be empty at this time of night, purposely avoiding streets with taverns on them. I didn't know the town's layout very well but I knew we were still somewhere on the edge of town, because between the buildings I could see the familiar forest trees. 

Camille came to a stop at a large gated building, the sign above the gate said 'Solaris' and I immediately placed it as the other magical guild that had come to pay their respects at Balin's honouring. I watched as Camille opened a small gate to the side of the larger one, you wouldn't even notice it without seeing someone use it. I lingered for a couple of minutes, internally debating whether I should continue this stalking or just head back, but I was too far gone. I opened the gate silently and following Camille in.

The layout of the Solaris estate seemed to be much more confusing than Moon Glade's. The houses were smaller and close to each other, leaving little windy paths between them. Camille navigated them with ease, avoiding paths near houses with lights turned on, she seemingly didn't want anybody to know that she was here. 

Finally, we reached the final house on the estate, similarly to Moon Glade's veteran house it backed onto a forest. I briefly wandered if it was the same forest, and if so, why didn't Camille just walk through the forest instead of the streets?

Camille walked around the side of the house towards the back garden and I stayed behind. I waited for a few minutes before walking down the path quietly and peering around the corner. In the opening of the back garden, two elves stood tall, wearing only black clothing and facing towards each other in deep conversation. Camille was watching in the open, but they hadn't noticed her yet.

Suddenly I realised the severity of the situation I was in, if she turned around she would see me straight away and know I had been following her. I breathed deeply, trying to slow my heart beat down. 

"The next meeting is in two weeks time." Said one of the elves to the other. 

"I wonder who else the master has recruited for our cause." Said the other, looking out towards the forest. The other nodded. 

"I take it you don't mean your guild master?" Questioned Camille, stepping closer to them.

The two elves quickly turned around and spotted her in the darkness. Shock, clear on their faces.

"W-what are you doing here?" Stuttered one of the elves. 

"A little birdy told me that you two have some information for me." Stated Camille, her stance powerful, with one hand on her hip.

"We know nothing, we're new veterans, we'll wake the guild leader for you." Said one of the elves, slowly walking towards the backdoor to the house.

Camille raised her hand and the elf stopped walking.

"You'll go nowhere." She smiled.

"Let go of me." Shouted the elf and Camille raised her hand again. The elf tried to shout again but it sounded like his lips wouldn't move.

"Your friend is paralysed." She stated to the other elf, who seemed to be frozen in fear.

"Tell me where the next meeting is or I will kill him on the spot." She threatened. 

"I don't know." Lied the elf in a shaken voice.

Camille looked towards the paralysed elf again and he let out an agonising moan, like he was trying to scream but couldn't. Beads of sweat were falling down the paralysed elves face and I could see him trembling in the moonlight. 

The other elf stared at his friend in shock, Camille chuckled cruelly. 

"W-wayworth." Shouted the other elf. "Now leave him alone!" He demanded.

"Excellent." Sneered Camille.

Camille raised her hand towards the elf that had just spoken and it appeared he was now paralysed too. 

A thick black smoke rose from the ground beneath Camille's feet in thick pillars. The smoke crawled across the floor like waves towards the two paralysed elves and they shook their heads slightly, both shaking in fear as tears rolled down their faces and they made tortured groaning sounds. Camille made a gesture with her hand and both of the elves opened their mouths. The smoke rose slowly up the elves legs simultaneously, wrapping around their waste and torso until it covered their faces and the elves, without a choice, breathed the smoke in. 

Both elves dropped to the ground with a loud thud, dead. 

The smoke withdrew from were the elves were stood and sunk back into the ground around Camille's feet. 

I was shaking profusely, not knowing what to do. I had just witnessed a murder, by my own guild leader. 

The sound of a twig snapping beneath feet came from the forest, not far from where Camille was stood. She turned quickly to face where the sound had come from. 

I caught a glimpse of her eyes as she turned towards the trees and instead of the usual ice blue colour, her eyes were fully black like the smoke that had just sunk into the ground. 

Richard stepped out of the tree line. I was relived to see him, to know that somebody else had witnessed this murder and it wasn't just my questions that would come to Camille.

"I knew you were up to something." He laughed, his face smiling and clearly not as shaken by what he must have just seen.

"You always do." Responded Camille in a light voice, smiling, as if she hadn't just taken two people's lives. 

"You know I trust your decisions whole-heartedly and I would follow and support you to the end of the world." Said Richard, approaching Camille and bowing slightly out of respect. 

I was shook. Was he ok with the murder she had just committed?

"Something's happening Richard." She responded in a hushed voice. 

"I know. You can tell me what you know in my study tomorrow. Let's get out of here." Said Richard, gesturing towards the forest. Camille nodded and they both disappeared into the treeline. 

Not fancying my chance in the dark forest and not wanting to stay with the two dead elves, I turned and ran quietly back the way I had came.

I was shaking with exhaustion by the time I collapsed onto my bed in the veteran's house. The small clock told me it was three o'clock in the morning and tucked myself into the sheets. Although my body my begging for sleep, my mind was racing with questions.