The halls of Candlemere academy were once again quiet after the hustle and bustle of its many students relocating to their next class had finally died down. There were a few stragglers of course, younger elves who had not quiet yet learned the importance of punctuality. These few were of course swept up by the staff ( or the appointed prefects) of the student body and ushered to the headmistresses' office for what would be a tongue lashing to remember.  That was how things usually happened, of course. Today, the headmistress herself was patrolling the halls of the ancient buildings that served as the academy's vast campus. It was because of this very reason that the halls of the central tower were suspiciously empty of any students ( or even staff), there was nary even a patrolling prefect to be seen. This suited the woman just fine, of course. It gave the senior sorceress time to herself, a rarity when you were in charge of one of the largest magical academies in the elven kingdoms.<br/><br/>As she walked, the not so subtle click-clack-click of Merelyth's heels rang throughout the seemingly abandoned halls as she finished the last stretch of her patrol. As she passed a mirror at the end of the hall her pace slowed and eventually stopped and after a moment of careful consideration the elven woman clucked her tongue and doubled back around to the ornately fashioned  mirror. Perhaps it was vanity that tugged at her, or an urge to see just how it was she looked today, but like a sailor to a siren she  made her way back to the reflective surface and there was no denying the subtle smile that crept across her ruby red painted lips as she caught a full view of herself in the polished and enchanted metal.<br/><br/><br/>There the headmistress stood looking back at herself. She was a tall woman, even for an elf, standing at a breezy six feet that typically put her at least a head, if not shoulders as well, over her kin. Her nearly perfect posture only added to this intimidating size, making her seem all that much larger than she actually was. For all of her height however, Merelyth was actually quite  slim. Her black and purple robes  hung loosely around her willowy frame,  sweeping side to side as she twirled subtly about, swishing upward occasionally to reveal a glance at a well rounded calf or a glimpse of her short heels. Of course, it wasn't just her height and willowy build that made the woman stand out among her kin, however. She was a beautiful woman even by the most stringent elvin standards. Her features were strong with the noble blood of her kin, with  high cheeks and a angled jaw that gave way into a slightly pointed, prod chin. On her equally noble nose sat a pair of half-moon glasses ( a fashion statement borrowed fron the human kingdoms more than a necessity-- her vision was perfect) that made her icy grey-blue gaze seem all the more potent when focus over the rims of them. Her hair was a natural shade of honey blonde, done up in tight, smart bun that she casually checked the tautness of before the pale skinned woman gave herself a smug, satisfied look in the mirror before turning away on her heels and abandoning the rest of her patrol.<br/><br/>Her lazy, meandering path took her through some of the less.. utilized hallways of her academy. Back here the normally clean and polished marble was heavy with dust, something the skirts of her robes could not help but pick up as she walked. Still, as unsavory as they were, the passages led her toward her office far more quickly than any route where she was likely to encounter a chatty teacher or nosy prefect-- something that she did not have the fortitude for, right now. A bout of ennui had recently stricken the poor headmistress. Boredom was rife in her life, the days were becoming routine and to compound her troubles, her husband had stopped writing some weeks ago.<br/><br/>Mercifully as she closed upon the solid oak door of her office, a loud clattering sound could be heard from within. A smirk quickly found its way onto her painted lips and the bored woman wondered just what it was she would find inside. Her day was perhaps finally starting to look up...<br/><br/>Quietly she reached for the latch and pulled the lever down, the well-oiled hinges not making a sound as she pushed the door inward and donned her most stern countenance.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>