“Fall,” William replied as he tucked her arm into the crook of his own. “It refers to the fall of the leaves, and so many English speakers, predominantly those in America, use it to describe autumn. And autumn, my dear, that that time of the year when the air turns crisp and all of nature prepares to for winter slumber. It’s the end of summer, and time for people to harvest the last crops. Hay and corn, which serve as feed for cattle and other livestock. Apples and pears, which are good to eat. Nuts, which tide us over and taste heavenly when roasted on the fire. And, of course, roots and bulbs, such as onions and potatoes. These are a staple in many diets.
“Winter is nice too. All the land is cold, and instead of rain, the water freezes and falls as snow. The surface world is most beautiful in autumn and winter, in my opinion. But, you’ll learn about the seasons soon enough.”
They’d only walked a short distance when Will pointed to a trap door sitting in the middle of the forest; it certainly hadn’t been there when Yuna and her companions had come down the trail earlier.
“All the mysteries of the garden, and the murmurs of countless ages upon the lips of mystics,” Will said as they stepped onto the wood barrier. Yuna might have wondered what he meant but that thought was probably wicked away a second later when they tumbled right through the material and fell for what felt like a whole minute.
They emerged from a fireplace in what seemed to be a tiny
communal area, the walls cast in umber tones and the area lit by bare candles and various sconces. They crossed the small room and came upon a heavy door which almost appeared to be made of petrified wood.
It swung upon large hinges and Yuna found herself looking into a large
bedroom and adjoining
bath with a small wading pool, shower, sink and toilet.
“I’m sure you don’t mind the orange, or that it’s subterranean,” Will smiled. “It’s plenty as far as accommodations go, downright luxurious considering we’re tight on room. Enjoy your stay. I’ll come collect you at breakfast. Your training will begin then.”
With that, he gave her a gentle shove into the room and then closed the door behind her. There wasn’t any knob on the inside. Her ears were treated to the sound of a heavy lock tumbling shut.
The room contained fruits and nuts, and a bottle of wine. The small closets weren't locked and Yuna could pull out extra blankets, if she so wished. There were also some uniforms there, typical of what Minerva's lads wore. The backs of the shirts had slits for her wings.
There weren’t any windows, however. There were also no other means out.