Spirits of the Earth

The winds were picking up and the clouds above were darkening as they rushed across the sky. Thankfully it was near the end of the day, as she was tired from spending so much of her time in the family shop. Her mother took pity on her and they were able to head out as soon as they closed up for the day, telling her daughter that she could take care of cleaning up in the morning. Madeline expected that actually leaving the city would take up what remaining daylight there was, if not more time beyond that.

Her mother didn't want to deal with the foot traffic on the main streets, but Madeline led her along anyway, knowing it would be the fastest route home. They passed familiar faces that would still be peddling their wares until nightfall or the rains finally came. Voices of friends called out to one another as children darted between the people milling about. To the familiar greeting of a friend, Madeline raised her hand above the crowd and waved where she knew the girl was standing in the distance, a bright smile upon her face despite the gloomy weather.

"Maddie, if you want social hour please do it on your own time," the patient voice of her mother reminded her, causing the young woman's arm to snap back down at her side as she blushed and cast her an apologetic grin and a cheery, "Sorry, Mother."

As she turned to face forward again, though, there was a shift in the throng that caught her off guard and had them both rushing to try to move out of the way of whatever it was that had caused them to change course.

As a boy, he had loved market day. He found it funny though that now as an adult, he had come to loathe it. Shifting uncomfortably under the cold wind that bit relentlessly through his heavy armor to the bone it seemed, Lorcan allowed his eyes to survey the bustling marketplace for any signs of trouble.

What had been a playground in his youth had become a breeding ground for crime to his adult eyes. There were pickpockets no older than his little brother Luke that preyed on the wealthy and merchants that fought with each other as well as customers to win the highest bidder for their shoddy wares. There were the drunk and the uncouth there too, lending their foul voices to the indecipherable din of the market square.

Already he could tell that the butcher was getting agitated with the baker and that if the situation persisted much longer without an agreement then there would be trouble. The worst thing about it all though was that it was always the same argument week after week. The baker wanted the choicest meat for the lowest price while the butcher tried to sell him the oldest meat for the highest price. The baker would cite his family of seven while the butcher cited his labor and lack of help as excuses for their squabbles. The baker would rant, the butcher would spit. Together they would start a brawl that the young soldier wished would not even start to begin with.

For this reason he began to wade his way through the crowds while tensely observing the butcher's grip on his meat cleaver. One day, heads would roll but the Connlaothian soldier was determined that it would not be on his watch. Quick movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, causing his head to whip to the side in time catch a young woman waving to her friends.

Pale skin, sharply contrasted by silken waves of dark hair entranced him, giving him pause to observe her more. She was not exactly his type, he was willing to admit but she was indeed beautiful. She was far too short for his liking if he were to be critical, which he always seemed to be when it came to women and relationships. Too busy raising his younger brother and advancing through soldier's ranks, Lorcan constantly told himself and others that he did not have time for women. Even now that he was beginning to possibly have that kind of time, his excuses persisted until it was so much of a habit that he did not realize he was still doing it. No woman was ever good enough. No woman would ever make the right wife. No woman wo-

A harsh shout and a crash alerted him to trouble. Lorcan sprang into action as a chicken went flying overhead and a crowd began to form around the butcher's booth. 'Women are always a distraction,' he justified to himself once more as he surged through the tightening crowd to stop the wildly swinging blade of the butcher. As he went about a usual day's work for him, the woman's image faded away from his mind until when night came he no longer even remembered her.

The voices of the crowd rose and her mother gripped her arm tensely as she steered her daughter to cross the street to be away from the commotion. It was definitely something that visibly unnerved the older woman, but Madeline turned to watch what she could see over a few heads. A tall man in uniform waded through the people towards the center where shouting grew louder and louder, but she still got a brief glimpse of his face. He looked very focused and serious to her, but he still was quite handsome. He definitely was someone she was sure she hadn't seen before, as she would have remembered someone so tall. While she knew there were often visitors to the city, she thought he might have been a foreigner. But it was very strange for her to think about a stranger enlisting. Assuming he would be breaking up whatever fight had started out in the middle of the crowd, though, she admired him from afar until a tall cart broke her line of vision.

Their walk out of the city was uneventful and they made it home without any other issues to the great relief of her mother. Madeline made dinner that night and sorted through baskets of fabrics with her mother on the porch of their home. From there, being right off the road, she had a clear view of both the city wall and the fields beyond the group of small homes around her. There, she talked and caught up with the young daughter of their neighbor, a girl only nine years-old that she was quite fond of. The girl, Carina, was like a sister to her with their bond over dress-up. In exchange for allowing the young woman to try out new designs on her, Carina and her family received new clothing frequently from the Eskridges and any mending services they required. It was a neighborly kindness that the modest family of farmers would likely struggle without as they wore through things so quickly.

The light was fading fast as the thick, dark clouds shielded them from the sunset. It was by a sliver of early moonlight that Madeline would finally bid the girl goodnight.

A few weeks later, on a similarly dark afternoon where the clouds seemed ready to drop buckets of water at any moment, Madeline was walking with Carina on the outskirts of one of the family's plots of farmland. They were looking for a locket necklace that had gotten away from the girl during the day's work, and she was worried about losing such a sentimentally valuable possession. It was not until the girl had declared the light too far gone and asked to turn back that Maddie finally caught sight of the slim, silver chain and locket in the dirt. After she returned it to her, the pair finally set out for home guided mostly by the dim lights of the city beyond.

By then neither had noticed the dark, shadowy creature watching them from the grass atop a nearby hill and it was too late to escape the beast's attention. It followed them at a distance until they reached the winding dirt road that would lead them home before it ran for them. By the time Maddie noticed the sound of strange footfalls behind them it was already so close, enough to see the flash of bright red eyes and white, pointy teeth as she practically dragged the young girl by her sleeve to run.

Fear and adrenaline coursed through her as she ran. It was impossible to keep the scared girl from screaming, which only seemed to encourage the creature to move faster, to Madeline's horror. The thing snapped at their heels and snarled, letting its presence be known. The wind seemed to respond to it, howling and whipping angrily at what exposed skin there was. As the details of the outlying homes became clearer, though, the beast didn't seem to tire at all. It was almost as if there was a purpose to this pursuit besides predator and prey, which struck a deep chord of fear within her.

As she looked over her shoulder at the loping thing, though, she was caught off guard by another burst of strong wind and stumbled to her knees. Carina skidded to a halt and screeched wordlessly in terror as she watched the beast slow and purposefully knock her friend to the ground as it pressed a clawed paw to her back. "Go Carina! Go!" Madeline screamed at her, fighting to turn over as the thing snarled, hissed, and made frighteningly wild noises in her ears. "Find your mother! Get out of he- AHH!" she cried, pressing a hand to her now bleeding side as the other gripped what she could of the creature's neck, fighting to keep the wildly snapping teeth away from her.

The girl wanted to listen but she was frozen. She didn't even notice when people started coming out of their homes until whispers turned to gasps of horror at the sight before them. Panicking, the girl cried and turned to run to whoever was closest wanting to beg them to help her friend. As she opened her mouth, though, the air suddenly changed and stilled, the wild wind ceasing. A bone-chilling crackle of thunder followed a bright flash of light in the clouds above as Carina turned to point at her friend's struggle and she watched in awe at the sight before her.

Madeline had struggled to gain even an inkling of an edge over the beast, but it was far too strong. With more deep scratches covering her body earned through her seemingly worthless fight, she was weakening. Unable to shield herself any longer, she'd reached out to pick up the first rock she could get her bloody hands on, the thing slipping from her grasp and shaking fingers as she screamed and fought for her life. Hearing the thunder above but thinking nothing of it, Madeline quickly swung her weak and bloodied arm up and started bashing the rock into the creature's head. It yowled in pain each time but hardly relented its efforts. In fact, it seemed to encourage it.

Survival didn't seem likely to her now, her eyes widening in the face of the absolutely insane creature atop her as its black blood started to flow down onto her neck as proof of her efforts. She flailed wildly, trying to attack anything and anywhere she could on the creature. It was only when her hands were directly on opposites sides of the beast's neck that it happened. A white hot flash of light from either hand and then everything was gone. The creature and bloody rock alike vaporized before her eyes and the only proof left besides her own physical marks was a light cloud hovering above her and the crackling, arching bolt of lightning that steadily stretched from the sky to rest within the glowing ball of light that now hovered between her hands.

Now terrified that the creature had taken some strange light form, Madeline attempted to throw the ball away from her as she backpedaled and tried to distance herself from it. It swung away and the lightning disconnected for a moment, but it floated back to rest in front of her just as quickly. It advanced no further, though, and she bravely reached out towards it as she trembled terribly now from her encounter. The moment her fingers made contact with it another bolt of lightning returned and shot out towards the darkness over the fields where her hand had been pointing. Screaming, she quickly withdrew it and struggled to stand with her wounds. The glowing ball followed her as soon as the light across the land had dissipated but she was running from it now.

A tight-knit crowd of paralyzed people stood before her as she fled. It was her neighbors, friends, people she had grown up around and grown fond of over the years. But now they retreated from her en mas. All but Carina.

Madeline cried out in fear, pain, and frustration as she noticed the floating ball was now following her. It was when she finally reached Carina standing alone several hundred feet outside of the gathered people beyond that she fainted from her loss of blood and utter exhaustion. Immediately the light retreated into her, causing her skin to glow faintly before fading to its normal tone. Carina stood there blinking as she looked between her injured friend and the people that stood away from them like scared cattle staring out at the pair. Madeline would not wake for another four days after being under the watchful eye and care of her mother, but it hardly took the rest of the night for word to spread of the fight and subsequent use of such powerful magic.

By dawn there was a growing mob of individuals banging on the constable's door demanding mordecai and the punishment of a practiced witch. Some amongst the crowd had even seen the incident with their own eyes, yet many had not and only elaborated on the story in their own creative and gruesome ways.

Lorcan was dispatched initially with a small contingent of soldiers to retrieve the errant magic-doer and bring her to justice. What they had not been prepared for was the fiery, protective rage of the mage's mother. Unable to say no to the woman who cowed him with the same look his own mother used to give him, the mordecai had ordered sentries at the doors and patrol outside. The moment the witch woke, she would be marched to a prison cell where justice would find her.

He had not personally seen her although he had heard some of the bawdy comments about her person. Lorcan chose to remain outside though, concentrating on using his own gifts to dampen any magic within a certain radius of the house. Not only would the mage be unable to use her powers to resist arrest, but also anyone who wished assist her would be unable to magically do so.

With what time she had bought them, Madeline's mother made quick and teary-eyed work of patching and cleaning up her badly beaten daughter. Not having seen what happened for herself she was desperate to believe that such a thing never happened. The sort of evil her own neighbors had said of her only child that night they had brought her bloodied and limp body to her door terrified the older woman. It was not her Maddie, it was not her sweet little girl and she was not going to believe that such horrible, black magic had been the doing of the young woman.

It scared her to sit beside her bed and see the outlines of the many stitches she'd had to put into her beneath her shirt. She was healing, but it was a slow process and she almost wished she would not wake so that she would not need to endure the pain it would cause. The worn woman could not believe that her daughter would harbor such a secret from her, would not tell her of such a thing in all the years of her young life. Surely she was no witch, no demon summoner nor cursed. There was not a drop of mage blood in their family and she was absolutely certain of that. "You're not guilty, Maddie. You'll tell them what happened and they'll see that you're innocent," she told her sleeping form.

Every day she glared out of the windows at who she saw as wretched but seemingly understanding soldiers and solitary Mordecai that surrounded their home. On the morning of the fourth day, though, she would not look out at them because Madeline was now awake but seemingly mute and had not moved from her bed. She quietly urged her to go out to the men waiting to take her into custody and to tell her the truth about that fateful night, but the young woman just stared at her mother as the events replayed again and again in her head.

Slowly lifting her hand, she touched at her side and winced at the now stitched up cuts at her side. That alone, though, left her unwilling to assess the rest of her body for she feared she had been permanently marred horribly from the ordeal. She remembered it all so vividly but she could not tell her mother, she would not endanger her or let her bear any guilt for what had happened.

"What happened, Madeline? What did this to you?" the woman begged of her.
"I...don't know, Mother. I don't remember. I was...out with Carina and then... I don't remember anything more than that," she lied, trying to seem as innocent as she could for even she did not understand what had truly happened or what the creature that had attacked her even was or why it was after her. All she knew was that the light had come from her and had done something to the beast.

Very sad but accepting the lack of information, her mother helped her to her feet and forced her to eat what stale bread remained in their kitchen. Leaving her there, she went to the door and stepped outside to announce from her porch that, "My daughter will be coming out. I beg of you to be gentle with her. She is wounded...and I will not have her returned to me worse for wear." Then, she retreated and latched the door behind her so that she would get to spend one more moment with Madeline in peace.

"Just be honest with them," she urged her with a sad smile, having no idea how bad that would probably be for her. "They will do right by you, Madeline. You are just as much a citizen as they are." The young woman just nodded, smiling weakly as she finished the bread and water before her. It broke her heart to see her mother defend her.

"I'll be home soon, Mother, don't fret," Maddie urged her, reaching out to hug her gingerly. After giving her cheek a quick kiss she could not bear to look at the strong woman who had been defending her for the better half of a week now.

Though she was physically weak, Maddie slipped away from her and padded to the door unassisted. Slowly working to open the door, the young woman at last stepped out into the light with a ball of nerves and fear in her gut.

Lorcan's head shot up with the appearance of the mother. It did not please him to be ordered around by her, yet he wisely held his tongue on the matter and instead put effort into assembling and organizing his men. He wanted to be ready for when this witch came out. He would not put it past her to try and make one final attempt for freedom even in or perhaps because of her wounded state.

Her appearance in the doorway caused a ripple of tension through his men. The shoulders raised and weapons were clutched closer as they glared her down. Staring over her shoulder instead of looking at her face, Lorcan did not notice who she was. He had learned early in his career that it did him no favors to know the faces of the accused. It just made him remember them later when he laid his head upon his pillow.

"Cease all movements and place your hands in the air. You are under arrest for the use of illegal magic. If you resist arrest, your punishment will be worse. Please remain put while we secure and transport you to your cell." Lorcan motioned to one of his soldiers to tie her hands behind her back. The man moved forward warily, wishing it had been anyone else besides him who had drawn the unlucky straw in having physical contact with the disgusting mage.

The amount of soldiers she faced now scared her. She'd never seen so many of them gathered in one place before. Had she really done it? How had she done it? Staring at the glaring faces before her, though, she was sure she must have done something. It felt dirty, though, to even know it. So dirty and vile that it overpowered her pain and made her want to throw up the bread she'd just eaten to think about having used a magic she'd never known was even hers to command.

The orders being told to her and the reason for her arrest caused tears to well up in her eyes. It wasn't her fault and yet...she knew she would likely be found guilty and put to death without ever even knowing why something so wicked had chosen her as its vessel. Worse, she knew whatever it was had been in defense of herself, her friend, and neighbors.

Looking out and searching for a face to put to the voice as she raised her hands as she was told to, Madeline stared at him and the eyes that seemed to not want to meet her own. She recognized him, but she wasn't sure where she'd seen him before now. It wasn't really the time to ponder such a thing, though, as she turned her head to watch the man binding her wrists together with coarse rope. He made quick, rough work of it and the stuff was biting into her skin terribly enough that she winced when he led her by the rope to step off of the porch and realized that he wasn't going to loosen it at all.

Though she desperately wanted to, she knew now was not the time to beg forgiveness and pray that they understood what happened to her was a curse of some sort, or so she thought. Her entire family, to her knowledge, were simple, common working folk. Such a horror hadn't even happened to her in her darkest, most terrifying nightmares. Now, she supposed, she would have even worse nightmare fuel if she was going to be housed in a prison cell.

Madeline went willingly with the soldier who led her. Her spirit was all but broken with such dehumanizing bonds and she wouldn't dream of fighting the brave men who were only doing what they were told and probably thought they were only protecting their country with her arrest. Still, it broke her heart that she recognized more than one face in the party. As the man all but threw the rope away from himself and scurried to blend back in with the group, the young woman searched the faces before her and smiled sadly at the handful of old friends and sons of neighbors that she recognized well. All she could do now was listen to them and pray that they would really, truly listen to her and not just put her to death when the time came.

The mordecai entered his ring of soldiers and moved to stand at the mage's side. It was only when he placed a guiding hand about her forearm that he realized just how tiny she was. He glanced down in surprise before quickly setting his eyes forward once more. A silent nod to his companies had them marching forward, warily keeping their circle secure around mage and mordecai alike.

Lorcan tested with his own Connloathian-approved brand of magic to make sure there were no leakages in the dampening radius he was putting out. Keeping control of the soldiers, marching, minding the prisoner, and concentrating on his own job proved to be quite daunting at times and he wanted to at least start off properly to prevent the little witch from wiggling her way through his defenses.

The walk to and through town was a long one, made worse by the growing crowd intent on seeing the "demon-woman." They were in for quite the surprise though as all they found was a tiny, weak woman. Although that did nothing to deter them from hurling jeers and sneers the group's way.

Among the crowd, Lorcan caught sight of his own little brother and sent him a chastising glare to send the boy scurrying on his way back to the stables where he belonged. He made a note to warn the boy off from skulking around the jail or talking to any of the prisoners. Luke did not need to become wrapped up in the law simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Madeline flinched at the contact with the tall soldier. What surprised her, though, was the odd sensation she finally recognized as something other than the sun's warmth beating down upon her. She felt it surrounding her, pressing in just enough to be noticed but not overwhelming her. Where it came from she did not know, but it was quite distracting as she stumbled along, struggling to keep pace with the men with tied hands a weakened body.

She knew exactly where they were going, she'd passed by the jail many times in her life. In all her days she never thought she would find herself being taken to it, though. There were many nasty words being slung her way. Many of the people called her filthy, cursed, mage, or witch without even knowing what she had to say about it. A few braver ones called for the death of the "demon-summoner" so that she could not bring a further curse upon the city. She felt it was unfair that she was being called such hateful things. She was the one who had to deal with knowing what happened and feel the pain and utter hate of herself from the attack and for knowing that something like that had come from her.   

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked sadly, trying to keep calm as she tilted her head back to stare up at him.

He looked at her, somewhat startled that she spoke and for the first time since he had gotten the summons to retrieve her, really looked at her. She was indeed as small as he thought but it was as if every word the crowd spoke hammered her further and further into the ground until she would at some point disappear before his very eyes. This mage was a woman and a frightened, weary one at that.

Lorcan pitied her. While many even among his own ranks hated magic-users and would even rough up any that cross their paths especially those that had been caught using their magic, Lorcan always felt sad for them. He held nothing against those born with magic, yet he had no tolerance for anyone who broke the law, mage or not.

"You will be brought to justice and appear before the powers that be. I and mine have been ordered to escort you to a holding cell. I don't know what your fate will be," he admitted quietly. "But, as a first-time offender I'm sure it won't be too bad. Be honest and give no trouble and you won't be punished so severely," Lorcan continued to advise for her ears alone as they approached and entered the jail so that she could be processed.

The idea that her fate was hardly under her own control right now terrified her. No matter what he said to encourage her, someone else would still have a say over her fate, over her very life and how it might be changing. She knew of some mages that had been put to death almost immediately for their crimes. All she could do was hope that she would be given mercy, even if she had to live in exile for it.

Squinting at the change of light as they moved inside, Madeline's eyes flickered this way and that as she looked about at the strange place she'd been brought to. Then, her eyes settled on him again as she whispered, "I know it is not your burden or concern, sir, but... Well, whatever happens to me could you please tell my mother of it if I am not able to myself? She lives in that house with me. She is not involved in this at all... I would hate for her to worry or find out in a bad way. But, I'm sure that you're probably very busy, so..." She stopped there. There was no reason for him to help her and no reason for him to do anything beyond what his job required of him.

He glanced at his other soldiers and sent them off to register her while he took her down to her cell. "I don't think it'll be necessary. You'll be able to tell her yourself in a few days time. It's your first offense, there's been worse, believe me, I've seen it."

Knowing that he was rambling and not probably putting her to any ease, he decided to change tactics. While he removed her bonds within the single-person cell he had led her into he offered a weak smile. "It'll be alright. Just be honest and truthful."

The door closed after him with a heavy clang that made him wince. He really was not suited for this kind of encouragement. As a final attempt though, he promised softly that should anything happen, he would be the one to tell her personally. "I give you my word, for what it's worth to you."

Madeline listened to him quietly, trying to take in all that he said. It did help her to think she was not some terrible, abomination case. For a soldier to say he'd seen much worse she couldn't have been that bad off, right? But she did worry that he was just saying such a thing to be kind to her. She doubted he'd been unfortunate enough to be among those gathered on that night. Remembering it set a forlorn look to her face as she thought about all of those familiar faces that refused to help the seamstress in what had been her life's highest point of need thus far. Not that they would have been able to help much, of course, but the very idea of being so alone and so helpless against something that seemed intent upon killing her deeply saddened the newfound mage.

She stared at the dirty floor as he finally released her from the rope that had been viciously biting into her wrists on the walk there. As soon as she was free of it she started rubbing at the red marks they had left upon her and prayed that the pain there would not last. When the door rattled the bars around them she turned to face him at last. Finally able to get a good look at him, she realized she really did recognize him from somewhere but still was yet to place him with the minor incident she'd witnessed several weeks ago. Smiling at him wearily for his kind, calming words and the promise he made, she nodded and gratefully told him, "Thank you. A soldier's word means a lot to me. My father is part of the army. He's stationed elsewhere right now, though... But thank you, sir. Can I ask your name? I'm Madeline. But...I guess I'll probably be known by some other name soon enough."

Lorcan nodded his head awkwardly at the mention of her father while mentally making note to find out more about him in case there might be trouble. The last thing he needed was an irate father in search of saving his precious daughter. However, he did not ask for more information from the woman herself. It was not that he did not trust her word; she seemed honest enough even for a mage. It was the fact that he had no desire to get too familiar with her that stilled his tongue.

"My uh, name?" he asked startled, his eyes widening to the size of saucers in shock. "I um am uh, well I have a name. And it's uh," his voice cracked and it took all his effort not to bang his head against the iron bars of the cell in frustration and mortification. "You can address me as Mordecai Dempsey," he finally was able to grumble out through his rosy cheeks and grit teeth.

Was it really such a strange thing to be asked for his name? She hadn't expected a soldier to be so skittish about something so...normal. It was her turn to be startled, though, when he finally gave her something to call him. "A Mordecai?!" she squeaked, taking a nervous step back. She didn't want to let him onto her panic, but she brought a hand up to her face to try and hide her alarmed expression she just couldn't shake. A Mordecai? Really? Maddie looked him up and down with her uncovered eye, pausing only to take in his bashful look. Oh, Madeline. You must be in big trouble for a Mordecai to be sent for you, she thought, thinking her situation must be quite helpless no matter what words of encouragement he could offer to her.

She didn't want him to know how worried she was, though. She had to be strong. She couldn't be seen as some weak woman that couldn't even face a soldier, especially such a high-ranking one. No matter what, she still had pride in her country and her people, at least for now. "That's an awfully long name, Mordecai Dempsey. If you...wish to be addressed so formally I can understand that. But is there nothing else I could call you? No other name?"

"I have another name but it is not yours for the using. Should you have need to address me again if or when we cross paths I remain, Mordecai Dempsey. I do not expect though that we will be meeting again in the future. I do not take you for one to break the rules more than once."

Lorcan gave her a half-smile and tilt of his head as he backed away. "Just remember, behave. And good luck," he wished her way while walking away. The soldier left uncaring whether she was done talking to him to find the others in his group all reiterating tall-tales over what she was supposed to have done. What irritated him though was the site of his younger brother sweeping the floor on the outskirts of the group.

Slinking around he finally caught the boy by the ear and dragged him outside. "Now, aren't the stables outside? What have I told you about skulking about here Luke? You know better than that."

"But, I wanted to see the witch! Does she really turn people to stone if you catch her eye?"

"Do I look like I'm stone?"

"That's debatable," Luke muttered shaking his head.

Lorcan snorted and shook his head as well. "Get back to work and I'll see you in time for dinner. And if I catch you around here again, you won't be able to sit for a week."

She frowned, but she knew she wouldn't be guaranteed anything as a prisoner. It was finally sinking in, though, that she really was a prisoner now. "Thank you, sir," she told him, watching as he walked away and left her alone.

Sighing, Madeline paced within her small cell for a while and constantly watched the door for any signs of activity. A while turned into a few hours, and then she was certain that nothing would be done with her that day. She sunk to the floor slowly and carefully, doing her best not to pop any stitches. Holding out her hands and trying to replicate the positioning that caused the burst of magic, the young woman was slowly coming to grips with her mortality as well.

Even though the young Mordecai had been so encouraging, he seemed like the only person besides her mother who thought she would turn out alright. She couldn't just forget all the sneers and hateful words that had been thrown at her today. People thought she was evil and, even worse, a sinner. It felt horrible to know that they were right, to know that she'd done something terrible yet having no idea how it had happened. It felt dangerous, like she was harboring a wild animal inside of her now and she had no way of controlling it or dictating when it might burst free.

No matter how badly she needed it, sleep was not in the cards for her tonight. She was too restless about what this would do to her family, and she was staring off into nothingness. No matter what, she was certain that her family's name would be forever tarnished and the business...she was sure it would die. She'd put people in danger, and she just couldn't change that.

The Dempsey boys' day passed quickly. Luke was finished work first and rushed home to make dinner in time for his brother's return. It was their own little ritual. Lorcan was the first up and the last home. He left breakfast for his sleeping brother and in return Luke took care of dinner. They would eat and talk about their days before cleaning the dishes and crawling into their separate beds, tiredly.

Today however, Luke had a slight detour in mind before he retired to his bed for the night. He kept his silence, asking all the right questions and trying not to fidget with his growing excitement. Tonight he had a witch to see. Some of the stable-boys had made a bet about what she really looked like. Luke's job was determine the truth, that is, if he was not a coward.

He waited apprehensively for the tell-tale snores of a heavily-sleeping mordecai before throwing off his covers and slithering through the house to avoid the creaking boards on his way out the door. Free at last, the younger Dempsey brother rushed through the shadows, taking back alleyways and secret tunnels until he was before the prison.

With the easier part of his troubles over, he marched into the warden's quarters claiming to have orders to feed the new prisoner all the while holding his breath that no one else had thought to do so. In was in the clear though and soon giddily skipping his way down the torchlit halls with flickering shadows until he at last stood before the witch's cell.

"Hey, where are the horns?"

She spent the rest of the day in relative silence. Every moment left her more and more on edge than the last. The sounds echoing throughout the jail were scary; she seriously feared for her safety as someone who had used magic. She wasn't sure if the guards would treat her fairly at all and the glares she got as a few people walked by had her convinced that they might not even give her a chance to explain herself, let alone redeem herself. Eternity in prison. Or at least however long it took her battered, weary body to die of thirst.

As evening turned to night, Madeline found herself exhausted from the stress of the unknown, of having no control over what happened to her at that point in time. She dozed on and off, waking for the various voices, creaks, and groans that echoed through the halls. Not moving much, she stayed leaned against the wall as her makeshift bed as there wasn't even a cot or a mat on the floor for her. She thought it might have been a deliberate decision for an accused mage. It startled her when, suddenly, she came face-to-face with a young boy.

"Horns?" she asked tiredly, a bit confused. "Am...I supposed to have horns?" Worried that the magic had been meant to change something about her appearance, Madeline lightly touched her head with one hand until she was certain she had no bumps upon her scalp.

"Well, duh!" Luke replied, stepping closer while rolling his eyes. "What kind of demon-witch are you without horns? I mean seriously. This is unbelievable. Now I have to go home and tell all the boys the bet's off. I mean how lame is that?"

He huffed and shook his head. "Oh well, here. Brought you something to eat. Bet those blockhead soldiers didn't bother to bring you anything. Most don't see past their own noses. So tell me, is it true? Did you really summon a demon from the depths of hell to suck the souls of children out through their noses to feed to another more powerful demon that would swallow the world whole if not fed? Well did you?" Luke pressed close to the bars, gripping them loosely in his hands as he rested his face against them to peer in at the petite woman.

Demon-witch? She wasn't a demon-witch! It saddened her that even children were talking about her being some vile, evil person. Just how had news spread so fast anyway? "I'm...sorry to disappoint you?" she said, confused as to why she was even apologizing to this strange boy. She wanted to ask him how he'd even gotten into such a guarded part of the jail, but she was distracted by his offer of food.

Her almond eyes were drawn to the small cloth-wrapped parcel she saw, and she cautiously drew closer to the bars that separated them. Wincing at the description he gave of the demon, she graciously took the food and slowly unwrapped it to take bites between talking. "Thank you, young man," she offered him, smiling kindly for the imagination he displayed, if a bit macabre. "But I didn't. I don't want to hurt anybody at all. I...don't know where it came from. I wish I had answers, too," Madeline sighed, studying his cute, boyish face and light, feathery hair.

"Is that what they're saying about me?" she asked. "That I...serve demons?"

He huffed grumpily as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against the bars. "Lot of not fun you are. It's no wonder Lorcan is such a pain in the ass when he comes home from patrol. This is not the adventure I signed up for when I agreed to see you. You're normal. That's not fair. Mages are supposed to be scary. Only thing scary about you is, you probably have cooties," he muttered with a deep shudder.

"And for your information," he continued a bit louder while looking over his shoulder, "they're not saying you serve demons but that they serve you. Although I can't see why now that I've seen you. You're just a girl." Luke sighed sadly, shaking his head.

"Who's Lorcan?" she wondered, not knowing if that was someone she should have known or not, if he was perhaps one of the guards at the prison. That wonder was short-lived, though, cut so short by the boy's disappointment with her. It startled Madeline and, frankly, made her angry that he had.

Gently folding up what food remained, Maddie set it aside and turned her head away as she tried to hide the tears she was becoming overwhelmed by. How dare he call her normal after all that she'd been through! "But I'm not just a girl," she said shakily, her free hand forming a loose fist as she struggled with her own frustrations.

"If I'm not scary, then why am I here?" she asked sadly, sniffling as she tried to wipe away the moisture in her eyes. "If I'm just a normal girl, then why did they take me away from my home? From my mother? That is what isn't fair.

"I never asked for this," she said shakily, a bit far gone with her grief and fear now. "If demons serve me, I wish they'd get me out of here, take me home, give me medicine, give me water, something," she cried, finally uncaring about her appearance and turning her head to face him and stare into his eyes as she bemoaned, "They and everyone else would rather see me rot in jail and die of my wounds from that accursed creature. I wish I were normal, young man. I wish so badly that everyone else thought like you, thought I was normal. But they don't. They don't see how scared I am. They don't see my pain or how much I hate myself, how much I would just rather die than see my own friends and family turn on me and hate me."

"My brother, of course," he replied matter-of-factly with all the attitude of a boy his age. He simply shrugged as she listened to her question her imprisonment. To him it was nothing. He knew how the system worked and trusted it. Only people who did something wrong deserved to be imprisoned. If she was here then she broke the laws and therefore was meant to be here. It was none of his business really the why. Luke had only been interested in seeing for himself just how badly she deserved to be locked up.

The tears though were not something he had been expecting. Eyes wide in shock he stared at her unmoving as he struggled to think of something to do. "No, no, no," he begged, hands held up to her in pleading. "Please don't cry. Please, it's okay. There's no reason to cry. I didn't mean to. Come on, I'm not even supposed to be here, you're going to get me in trouble! Okay you're not a normal girl now just stop," Luke continued to whine, hopping from foot to foot in concern all the while casting nervous glances over the back of his shoulder.

"Your friends don't hate you. It's going to be okay. You're okay. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to cry over. You're fine. More than fine. You're perfect. Now can you please stop crying?"

Nothing he said really reassured her at all. One moment he was calling her normal, and now he said she wasn't. She just couldn't win, and it only thickened her tears, though her cries tapered off into softer hiccups and whimpers at the panicked look in his face. "Sorry," she mumbled, wiping at her face even as the tears kept coming. "It's been a strange day. Everyone's afraid of me.

"The thing is, I didn't hurt anyone. I was being atta-ATTACKED!" she explained, venting to a boy she was sure could do nothing to change her situation, though something he said did catch her attention. "It was self-defense. And now I'll probably die for it... But you think it's going to turn out okay? Really?"

Calming a bit, she leaned closer to the bars to look at him better in the dark. "Why? Did he tell you something? That Mordecai?" she asked.

Luke's eyes nearly fell out of his head at the way the woman crescendoed her emphasis of being attacked. "Listen lady, you're not going to die,I hope," he added in a whisper. "You're kind of cute in a country-girl kind of way. Given it's your first offense you should be let off pretty easily. Do some community service. Do one of those reform programs and you'll be back to being normal and boring in no time."

The boy sighed and looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye. "How stupid are you? Of course he didn't tell me anything. Do I look like I'm important enough to know that kind of information? For that matter, did he? He's just a Mordecai, nothing special about him, honestly!"

Though she was sure his words were meant to be reassuring, she was certain that nothing good would come of her arrest if she ever got out, if she wasn't sentenced to death immediately. "I hope you're right," she told him numbly, her words tired as she tried to make sense of what the boy was saying of his Mordecai brother.

"Nobody is just a Mordecai," she chastised him gently, shaking her head at his lack of respect for the men and women she held great respect for in her nationalism even though she'd been arrested by one. He, at least, had been the most polite and courteous person in the party that had collected her and she still held him far above the guards that chose to ignore her and leave her to go hungry in her injured state.

"If he's really your brother, you at least learned some manners from him," she sighed, knowing it counted for something that he'd brought her something to eat. "But I was just curious... Now don't get in trouble for being here just because of me. Go...before someone sees you," Madeline urged even though she was terrified of being alone for the rest of the night and who knows how long after.

"Well he is," Luke grumbled back with all the attitude of a boy his age. In his eyes his brother was his brother first and a Mordecai second. There was nothing special about Lorcan because that was what Luke had grown up believing. The man was just his brother and that was all that would ever matter.

He tsked though and shook his head. "That's the whole point Miss. I've already been seen. How do you think I got down here? The guards let me, of course. I have to be seen on the way back out or they get mighty hissy and you don't want to be around for that, believe me. Because you see, after they get hissy, they call my brother in, and he's no fun when he's been woken from his beauty sleep, let me tell you! No siree!

"Now hurry up and finish your food. I can't leave you in there with the dishes. You might hurt yourself," he commented dryly, rolling his eyes at the notion.

"Honestly? I thought you snuck in here out of the goodness of your heart," she sighed, not knowing why she'd thought this boy some lovely person. After all, he had said that he just wanted to see her horns.

"Alright, fine," she agreed, unhappy to have to scarf down her food to not lose it entirely. "I wouldn't hurt myself, though," she said defensively. "I'm in jail, not crazy. And no, I'm not in jail for being crazy, so don't listen to what anyone might say about that," she warned him. Finishing up the food, she reluctantly handed him the plate back through the bars. "Thank you, though...for being nice to me."

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes again. "I did come out of the goodness of my heart...mostly. I mean I'm not even supposed to be here. Do you understand what kind of tanning my hide would get if my brother found out? Woo-ie, it would be redder than a newly rising sun, I'll tell you that much."

He took the plate from her, staring at it's surface as he moved to scamper off and up the steps. The boy paused though with one foot on the bottom step before peeking over his shoulder at her and in a quiet whisper saying, "I don't think you're crazy lady, just a little backwards is all." Then like a shot from a gun he was off, praying every step of the way his brother would not find out he had even been missing to begin with.

The boy's sentiment was not lost on her and the young woman nodded her thanks. Slipping away from the bars she curled up with her knees to her chest and tried to rest. Hugging herself in the cold of her cell, Madeline tried to think happy thoughts, tried not to panic and let fear take over when the thought of execution crossed her mind. Her mother's grief, her father's disappointment and potential loss of a job all because of her was something she could not shake.

She cried, fearing her family's loss of livelihood and friends over her mishap. She bit her lip, breathing heavily and trying to force the tears back, trying to choke the cries that threatening to shatter her sanity. Madeline just recoiled further into the corner of her cell, her cage she saw it as, and waited. It was useless to fight the tears for they eventually flowed freely down her cheeks, and she eventually did tire herself out enough to sleep but only after the sun had begun to rise for the day. Who knew how long she would have before someone retrieved her, but she looked a mess with pale skin from dehydration and flushed cheeks from crying even though the kind boy had fed her.

He had managed to make it back home and into his bed, his pockets a bit heavier with his winnings for succeeding in proving he was brave enough to see the witch and come out alive. Morning came too early though and soon both Dempsey boys were dragging themselves back to work, Luke to the stables and Lorcan to the prison cells where he was meant to retrieve the witch and escort her to a hearing.

For several moments he lingered in the shadows, observing her quietly. He did not believe she was nearly as much trouble as the authorities had led him to believe but then he had encountered enough trouble from meek-mannered mages to know better than to trust them while they sat placidly behind iron bars.

"Come," he called finally making his move to approach her cell. "You have been summoned."

Her cell amplifying every little sound in the prison, Madeline slept restlessly that night. She kept startling awake and by morning her face was absolutely pale from lack of sleep and water, her injuries not helping her at all in that. She was stiff from them, and groaned in pain and discomfort as the sun peeked through a small opening at the top of her cell to shine right into her eye.

Startled soon after by a voice calling her, it took her a few moments to realize it was the Mordecai again. Turning her head some to face him, she nodded and kept her head down as she cautiously rose to her feet. Madeline didn't have the guts to ask for water for she knew she very well may not need it at all today and wouldn't want her death to be a waste to others. "Good morning, Mordecai Dempsey," she greeted him softly, her throat dry and tight as she swallowed uncomfortably. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess." The young woman approached the door to her cell and watched him expectantly, making no move to be violent or resistant as she held her hands out expecting another rope to be her leash today.

Lorcan carefully bound her hands, believing her to be truly contrite and not just putting on an act but ever cautious. "Speak the truth, do what is asked of you, and you need not fear. They will not be so hard on you for a first offense. It should be over soon," he tried to comfort her as he slowly led her out and towards where she would be judged.

Maddie was nervous still, despite his comforting words, but she gave an appreciative smile and nod of thanks before following him out. She kept her head down until she was brought before the acting judge. She knew she should not be so fearful, but she was. The man seemed calm, but she saw a stern, disappointed look in his eyes that was not truly there. When asked to state her name and an account of what had happened, she hesitated. How could she even begin to describe such a creature of nightmares?

"Madeline Eskridge," she breathed, her chest puffing slightly with pride over her name despite how she had certainly muddied it for her family. "I was heading home... I'm sorry, I don't remember how many days ago it was now, but I was heading home. With Carina. The neighbor's daughter. We were just on the main road, nothing special, but this... This creature attacked us, sir. It-It was like it was made out of darkness itself." Maddie shuddered slightly and twisted her arms uncomfortably in her bonds, wishing she could hug herself for the memories made her injuries ache. "It had me pinned to the ground," she continued, her voice much softer. "I thought I was going to die. It acted like it was trying to...eat me or something. But then it just happened."

She shrugged, uncertain how to describe it until she was asked to be more specific. "This light came out of my hands. The monster was gone. Died, I assume. I hope. And the lightning... I never saw lightning like it before but there was just the brightest light I'd ever seen! I suppose that could have just been the storm that day, but I don't really know what else happened after that. I woke up at home, with my mother. And he," she paused, gesturing with her shoulder to Lorcan. "Mordecai Dempsey was there to take me to the jail. And that's all." Madeline shrugged, hanging her head slightly with the realization that she was admitting to magic-use even if it had been accidental.

"Please, I'm very sorry. Nothing happened while I was in the jail," she told him honestly, as if that should make him trust her anymore. "And nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I swear it. Honestly, I'm quite scared of myself," she admitted, a nervous laugh escaping her before she settled into silence to await the decision of her fate.

The final word was rehabilitation, a term she'd heard before but didn't quite understand until the terms were explained to her. For the foreseeable future she was on a probation of sorts. She would be permitted to return home and travel between it and Uthlyn proper but nowhere else without written permission and a timeframe of her return. There would be regular checks at her home for evidence of magic use and she thought it went without saying but it was stated anyway that she was forbidden from using magic again. Truthfully, Maddie was a bit scared of agreeing to such a thing. After all, it had not been a conscious effort the first and only time her magic had manifested. How was she to control what she had no control over?

The young woman was eager and happy to sign the agreement presented to her, though, even though the letters on the paper were mostly a blur of gibberish with the odd word she could read.

The soldier remained behind her, an obstruction between the prisoner and her freedom should she try and escape, as she gave her statement. Lorcan kept his head held high even as his eyes remained trained upon the worn floorboards. Her pleads were nothing new to his ears though he tried not to listen all the same. He found it a rather private thing to confess such sins and while it was his duty to obtain the people who had broken the law it was not his to know the judgement of their souls.

Once the verdict had been made and the paperwork completed, he nodded to the judge and gently took her by the arm to lead her out. "Provided you keep to the terms of your agreement then you are free to go home Miss," he told her quietly as he ensured the last of her shackles were removed from her. "May today be a lesson to you," Lorcan added as many of the Mordecai were instructed to upon releasing the probationary convicted.

​The bonds removed were a quite literal weight lifted from her. She could move freely again and she wobbled slightly in her efforts to regain true balance without them. Rubbing at her wrists, she turned a thoughtful look to the Mordecai as he spoke to her. She'd thought he might have been disgusted by the order of her release, but he seemed entirely a wall void of emotion instead.

​"Thank you. I will go home now...even if there is not really a home for me to return to," she promised, a kind smile pulling at her lips even though she was concerned her mother might not welcome her back. "Thank you, sir," she bid him, bowing her head as she turned to retrace the only steps she knew to exit the building.

​While outside she kept her eyes down and happiness bottled. Being free from a jail was only the first step for her, and she could practically feel the stares burning into her as she made her way through town. Her arrest had certainly not been hidden from the public and so many of her neighbors and friends had seen all of what had transpired, but she walked along anyway. The ball of nerves in her stomach nearly bubbled over when she eventually found herself at the door to her home again, but her knock was immediately answered as her misty-eyed mother pulled her inside.

​"This better not be some cruel joke," she hissed at her daughter, holding her tight despite her injuries.

​"It isn't. They let me go, I'm not here to say goodbye," Madeline assured her, the pain in her sides dull for the relief she felt to be welcomed home.

Several weeks passed for the Mordecai without event and Lorcan relished the peaceful days where his only problems were related to his pint-sized brother and the youth's antics to be one of the "men." Therefore, it was with both disappointment and resignation that he accepted his orders to travel to a homestead away from the main city in order to confirm that a formerly arrested mage was adhering to her probation. It was standard protocol, though Lorcan was somewhat surprised to note that he recognized the name as belonging to the woman he had brought in personally.

As he traveled alone the journey was made in silence and though it was on foot, him being left alone to his thoughts had him arriving sooner than he realized was possible. Instead of approaching immediately however, he stayed back to observe for any stray instances of magic before his own gift nullified a mage at work.

Madeline would have enjoyed being able to say that her recovery was swift, but it was far from it. Her bruises were fading but the aching in her sides persisted long after the surface wounds had healed to scars. Her walk was stiff, but she didn't let that stop her from helping her mother as she normally did. Her work in the business was done at home, and she was very thankful for it giving her anything at all to do with her time.

She was blissfully unaware that she would have a visitor that day as she sat quietly with her sewing on her lap, her back turned to warm at their small hearth. The silence and the crackling of the fire that occasionally broke it was relatively calming for her. But that calm was disturbed by the subtle yet noticeably persistent shift of her senses. A Mordecai was near.

Maddie tried to keep calm, tried to will whoever it was to be a rare passerby to the small settlement of homes. When the feeling didn't go away, though, concern seized a knot in her belly as she set her work down with shaky hands for the lingering soldier.

Were they coming for her again? Would she get to say goodbye to her mother at least? The fading sun peeking through the curtain told her she wouldn't be due back for another hour or so, to her disappointment. With a shaky sigh the young woman squared her shoulders as she approached the door to her small home. Quietly, she opened the door just a crack to peer out at the road and, though she wasn't sure why it was still surprising to her, was startled to see the figure of someone out along the road.

Seeing evidence for her suspicion, she opened the door further to squint out into the fading light as she raised her chin proudly at him, not realizing exactly who the tall man was still being a ways away. "Whatever you've heard... Please let me speak in my own defense," she called out to him, her voice shaky despite how she wanted to be strong. "I don't know what kind of report sent you out here but I assure you I am...entirely following the laws. If... If I must go back to the jail please give my mother the courtesy of seeing me before I go?" she called out at him, her stubbornness wavering drastically the more she spoke.

Lorcan raised a brow in both surprise and confusion. The hurried, frantic way that the woman spoke was quite unexpected and set him on edge. He kept his face impassive as he allowed his gift to flare more to life in order to ensure her sense of panic did not spark any accidental incidences unwanted or otherwise.

"Madeline Eskridge why do you believe you have something to defend? What have you done to warrant such a reception? I assure you as long as you have remained an upstanding citizen of Connlaoth then there is no need for you to be taken from your home. You are not as of yet under arrest."

Though she was relieved to hear he wasn't there to arrest her, the sudden surge she felt from his power was startling, even as she tried to remain calm about it. She'd certainly felt the dull dampening before, so what was there to fear now?

"Well that is a relief, sir, but I promise I have done nothing. I just...would not put it past a cruel person to make false accusations about me given my recent history. Mother has welcomed me back but I know not everyone shares her opinion about me. I just had not realized I would see you...well, a Mordecai, again so soon," Maddie admitted, her posture relaxing as she backed away from her defensiveness.

Leaving the door open, she took just a few steps outside. "To what do I owe the pleasure, then? Uh....Dempsey, was it? Yes, Mordecai Dempsey who-has-no-given-name."

He stared at her passively as she explained, keeping his face neutral as he observed her excuses. She certainly seemed genuine in her protests yet the fact she had assumed the worst still set him more on edge than perhaps was necessary. Lorcan decided to himself that he would keep an extra close eye on her just in case even once she thought he had left.

"One of my duties is to ensure that all mages and other citizens on probation adhere to the law of our lands. You are free to carry out your work. Please excuse the disturbance of my presence as I observe. I won't be in your way I assure you," he formally informed her.

The excitement of a visitor quickly faded from her eyes once she understood he was there strictly on orders. She hadn't expected such a visit to come so soon after her release, but she understood that it was his duty.

Madeline nodded her head in understanding and felt a little silly for greeting him as little more than a guest. "I apologize for interrupting your work, then. It was just very difficult to not notice you were there. Well...not exactly you, more like your presence. It was...very obvious to me, was all. Please let me know if you need anything, though. I'll be inside." And with that she was backing away to return to her home again, feeling entirely silly and upset for confronting a man of authority. She resumed her work quietly, despite the constant, dull presence of the Mordecai.

It was several hours later with the moon shining proudly in the sky that her mother returned home. Maddie felt such guilt over it, knowing she had stayed late to finish the duties of two people at their storefront, but she greeted her as warmly as ever. The younger woman set aside her work and had their supper plated within minutes as she listened to her complaints about her day at their shop. They were nearly silent at the table, but she could not hide from the questioning eyes boring into her as she gave few words about her own day. "A Mordecai is here," she finally told her.

"In...the house?" came the wary, assuming question. "Well why aren't they having a meal with us?"

"No, he's... he's outside. If he hasn't left. I don't think he has. He said he was 'observing' to make sure I was following the law still," Maddie explained.

"Well...I just hope that doesn't become a regular job for them. The last thing you need is more attention about this, and I'm sure the neighbors will start to notice if they're hanging around often. Take care of yourself, Maddie. Behave as you should and I'm certain your life will continue on as normal as it ever has." The encouragement was heartfelt, but she knew it wasn't particularly likely for a recognized mage to have a normal, "human" life.

Once their dishes were put away she peered out into the darkness through a window by the door. It still felt like he was near but she certainly couldn't see him. She returned to their kitchen to make up a small tray of food while she stored the rest of what remained of their dinner. A slice of roast, a bowl of soup, a hunk of bread and a mug of water were set out neatly.

As she passed her mother on her way to the door she noticed she was holding a letter of some sort. Realizing she'd been caught she flashed an apologetic, weary smile her daughter's way. "From you father," she prompted, as if she should have known. "He's invited us out to visit him. Given the date, I doubt he's heard of your...incident yet." The young woman smiled sadly.

"You'll likely visit alone. I doubt I would receive permission to travel so far from home."

"Couldn't hurt to request it, could it?" Her mother shrugged, not wanting to get her hopes up too high over it. Noticing the tray she carried, though, she waved her along. "Go on, don't let that get cold. Kind of you to offer a stranger a meal," she observed.

Madeline didn't think it was overly kind. Rather, a gesture of comfort from one human soul to another. As she exited the house, though, she felt more lost than ever. Her quiet footsteps carried her out towards the road where she'd last seen him, but she couldn't be certain of where he was as his gift lent her no clues to his exact location. "Mordecai Dempsey?" she called gently, wary of drawing any neighbors from their homes. "May we speak for a moment? If you have the time."

Lorcan spent the day milling about on the border of not only Madeline's family property but also some of the neighboring properties, explaining to nosy neighbors it was a routine upkeep inspection for their safety. He continued in this matter for hours until dusk when he drew the hood of his cloak up against the evening chill and lit his pipe for a brief smoke.

It was not long after he had lit up though that he heard his name being called and sighed to himself before turning towards the voice further up the road from him. Quietly he made his way towards the woman he recognized as Madeline, the gravel crunching beneath his boots. "Yes?"

Relieved that he'd answered, Madeline turned her head towards the sound of his voice and squinted at what little she could see by moonlight. Once his form became more obvious, though, she moved closer to greet him with an apologetic smile and outstretched arms to offer him the tray. "I brought you a bit of supper in case you were hungry. I, um, also had a favor to ask of you. Unrelated, of course."

"Thank you," he replied, surprised by the unexpected kindness bestowed upon him. "You didn't have to though." Lorcan made no move to accept the food and instead straightened at the mention of a favor, adopting a neutral expression instead of the warmer one he had been previously displaying.

"I am not sure it is within my power to honor any such favors Miss however you are free to ask what you will of me and I will see what I can do to assist if it is possible. How may I be of service to you?"

The lack of reaction other than a "thank you" left her feeling a bit awkward standing there with the tray she'd brought out with him in mind. Still, she held it out expectantly with hopes that the single, positive comment might have been acceptance after all and he would take it rather than leave her with the shame of bringing the food back inside.

"I do realize, and I apologize if I'm putting you in an awkward spot because of this. But I needed to ask... I know it was stated I might receive..."leave" from my arrangement with special permission. My father has asked for my mother and I to go visit him in the south, and I was wondering if you might know how I might go about making such a request. Or is it more your place as the one currently overseeing me to do so? I'm sorry, I'm not very familiar with the laws of these things."

Lorcan nodded his head slightly at her request, his eyes drifting to the side in thought as he contemplated her request. Finally he nodded his head once more in a more decisive manner as his faced relaxed into a more gentle expression, although no smile tugged at his lips.

"I can submit the request on your behalf but I am afraid I can do no more than that. I do not have the power to personally grant your request. I can tell you however that should it be granted you will most likely be sent with an escort to ensure the truth and sincerity of your request given the terms of your parole.

"Do you know when you will be going and for how long?"

"I understand," she muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed to know that nobody trusted her in such a situation. Regardless of what reasons there might have been for safety of others or her own sincerity Maddie knew the heart of the issue was a lack of trust concerning an unstable mage.

"I would still like to try, though. I appreciate any help you can give, Mister Dempsey. I believe...if possible, the end of the week would be when my mother wants to leave. I have no objections to traveling separately from her should I be allowed to at all, though, if more time is needed for a decision.

"We usually stay for a week or two, but I would accept any amount of time that could be granted, if that is an issue at all. Family is everything to me," she spoke with a sad smile, toeing anxiously at the road as she lowered her arms even further, her muscles tired of holding up the tray in such an awkward manner. "All I really have anymore."

"I can make you no promises Miss Eskridge," he told her evenly, "however I will see what I can do." Looking down to the tray in her arms still, he attempted a small smile and reached towards it. "Would you join me for a while? I hate eating alone," Lorcan sheepishly added, looking bashful and unsure of himself.

"Thank you, I appreciate whatever you can do," she told him sincerely, happy to see a more human side to the usually stone-faced Mordecai. His invitation surprised her, and she glanced back at the dim light of home coming through a window as she released the food to him at last.

"Of course I will," she answered quickly, not wanting him to think her hesitance was because of him. "Would you rather come inside, though? Or do you prefer staying out here?" Maddie wasn't even sure if his work allowed him to enter her home on such an invitation, but she felt it was common courtesy to offer him a table instead of a tray if he preferred it.

He visibly relaxed more as the conversation turned away from his duties. "I think it is perhaps best to stay here if that is not a problem. I would not wish to concern your family or provide your neighbors with further fodder to insult you." Lorcan knew that while Madeline had been placed on probation for her crimes and sent home, that did not necessarily mean that people would as easily forgive and forget. No matter what the church taught, there would always be those with a reason to hate. Therefore, in his opinion it was best to not fan the flames and drag himself down with them. The last thing he needed was for word to reach the barracks that he was fraternizing with a known criminal absolved or otherwise. Village rumors could be so cruel after all and not even Mordecai were exempt from their hungry grasp.

She had to agree with his reasoning, even though it hurt a little to be reminded again
that nobody trusted her or wanted to be associated with her. "No problem at all," she agreed, an understanding smile there as she gestured at the tray. "Thank you for the consideration. I hope it's to your liking at least," she gestured at the tray with a friendly, hopeful smile.

"Is there anything you needed to speak with me about?" Maddie wondered, still thinking his extended visit a bit strange if she was in no further trouble.

"No ma'am," he replied as he moved to take a seat on the ground, the tray across his lap as he did. "Pardon me for sitting," Lorcan hurried to add, realizing his rudeness. "My responsibilities today were just to assess the area, ensure everything is as it should be. All routine, nothing to worry about really as long as you're doing as you should be. Is there anything else though you wished or need to bring to my attention? I can't promise much being only a Mordecai myself but well," he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders while wishing that he did not sound so much like a fool.

"Oh, that's alright," she waved off, not realizing he thought it was genuinely rude. She definitely saw herself on the low end of the social ladder now and not someone who was due much in the way of formalities or respect from strangers.

"Truthfully, I haven't noticed much in the way of strange things besides squirrelly neighbors," she admitted sadly. Uncertain if she was welcome to sit with him or if he even wanted company for his meal she hovered near him. She kept wringing her hands and trying desperately to not fidget with her clothes or stare too much at such an obviously handsome man, but she didn't want to part on bad terms with him either. "Is it any good?" she asked, knowing she was putting herself out there for an awkward complaint if he truly didn't like it.

"Oh yes!" Lorcan declared hastily, forgetting himself for the moment. "Forgive me, I should have said so sooner. Your kindness is much appreciated as well. I would understand all the same if you hated me. I wouldn't even fault you for it. I can't say too many people that I've brought in have been all too happy to see me afterwards. I suppose it's to be expected though when you are in my line of work. If people don't hate you then they fear you." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders while taking another bite of food. "My apologies again though, I doubt this is the kind of talk you wish to hear."

Maddie smiled privately for the praise of her cooking and the way he fumbled over himself and his words. She bowed her head graciously and finally kneeled to take a seat beside him instead of retreating back to her home as her mind had been screaming at her to do to avoid the situation altogether.

"That's a little understandable, considering your work, but I don't fear you or fault you and I definitely don't hate you for honoring your duties. I suppose my only fear is harm coming to me or my family for all of this," she admitted. "And I suppose a lot of people might share a similar fear. Perhaps that is what they see you as instead of a working man, which is very sad.

"Do you enjoy it at least? Being a Mordecai?" she wondered, unsure if he would even answer her truthfully. "It seems fairly prestigious, but truth be told I'm unsure of how people come to be Mordecai. I've only heard stories," she shrugged.

Lorcan turned his head slightly to watch her calculatingly as if unsure what he should and should not say to her. For several moments he was silent, chewing his food slowly to buy himself more time. He licked his lips and dusted crumbs off his fingertips before finally deciding on how to answer her best.

"It's quite literally what I was born to do. There are different ways to be noticed and selected, different tests and trials you can experience to become noticed. But, this has always felt right. It's where I belong in every sense of the word. I know there are some who wish to join for that very prestige but I must admit I'm not one of them. I'm just a man like anyone else, trying to do what's right and leave a good mark on the world."

Maddie listened to what he had to say and was pleasantly surprised by how humble he was about his work. "Well that's quite noble," she praised gently, wondering if he might satisfy her curiosity. "How long have you...known about it? Or rather I guess...how long have you worked as one? If you don't mind my asking."

"It's no trouble at all. I have served my country proudly for eleven years now, Ma'am," he informed her softly but with a smile that clearly showed how pleased he was with his hard-work. "Hopefully Angsar will see to it that I continue to serve for many more years to come as well." Lorcan motioned to the food, "did you make this, it's quite good."

"That many? Truly?" her eyes went wide as she studied him in awe. Either he was aging very, very well or he'd been in such an important role from a very young age. His praise, though, stopped her train of thought as she bowed her head respectfully for the compliment even though she smiled privately.

"Thank you, yes I did. I'm happy to hear you like it. Forgive me for saying, but...you seem quite young to have served for that long. Can I ask your age, Mordecai Dempsey?"

Lorcan smiled shyly, bowing his head to hide his embarrassment as he hurried to fill his mouth with more food. He was unused to such praise especially from a civilian magic-user. There were few in Connlaoth he had found that would be kind to a law enforcer after having been caught breaking the law. He took the time he was chewing to reflect back on just how long it had been since since he had taken up the mantle of a Mordecai. Eleven years was so long and yet so short. He could not believe it had really been that long.

He licked a crumb off his lip and shook his head gently. "I'll see my thirtieth winter this year if you'll believe that Ma'am. Time flies by faster than you can imagine. I'm getting older before I've even realized it's happening," he jested lightly.

His humbleness was a little surprising given his status in her eyes but his age was even more surprising. Madeline's eyes grew wide as she stared, blinking at him in silence as she gave him a quick once over again. A bit of color rose to her cheeks as she cleared her throat and looked to the shadowed ground in embarrassment herself. "I had guessed your age to be closer to twenty than to thirty. You've aged quite well, then, better than any soldier I've ever met," she praised gently, feeling a little foolish for even attempting lighthearted flirting with a man certainly old enough to have a few children at home with a wife, let alone how far out of social reach he was for her as a mage.

"Forgive me," she apologized with a knowing smile that she'd spoken out of turn. "I suppose that makes much more sense than a child soldier, huh?" Maddie laughed. She adjusted the direction her legs were folded and rubbed her hands together for a bit of warmth and as much distraction from her assumed fumblings. "Do you get to travel very much, then?" she wondered, trying to bring the conversation more on track with a relatively normal question.

"You're far too kind, Ma'am" Lorcan mumbled as his ears darkened. "I doubt I'm as lucky as you claim. That or you have been most unfortunate in the soldiers you have met. Then again perhaps you've seen more of our battle wode soldiers as I am not yet truly one of them. To answer your question though, no I'm afraid I have not yet had much opportunity to travel. Work in the city keeps me and my brethren plenty busy these days. When I was younger though I did get to travel a few times with my father although that is now many many years past."

Excited as she was to be able to learn a little bit more about him, Maddie couldn't help but feel it was pointless. He seemed wary of her at best and there was probably little use in befriending a Mordecai unless she planned on being in a habit of getting in trouble. "That's a bit of a shame," she sighed, though she still smiled in the dark. "Connlaoth is so beautiful. I traveled a good bit here and there with my parents, but I suppose it's good you've still seen parts outside of here," she said, gesturing out in the direction of the city since they were already on the outskirts.

"I'm glad you enjoy your work, though," she praised. "Unfortunate we couldn't have met under better circumstances, but it's lovely to see a kind and honorable person in such a position. I must confess, though, I don't entirely know what the law is on...talking like this," Maddie fumbled, unsure of how to phrase it properly either. "So thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mister Dempsey," she told him sincerely.

Lorcan looked up at her in surprise, not understanding her concerns. "As far as I know there are no laws preventing two individuals from speaking with each other and I certainly know there are no laws preventing me from speaking to anyone or at least no laws you need to worry about Ma'am," he rambled on shyly, fumbling himself awkwardly as he had probably said more to her than he had to most other people that were neither family nor of his order.

"Please forgive me though if I have kept you from anything. I realize I have been rather incourteous myself with my occupying your time. If you have chores to return to or your family will worry please do not let me bother you further. I can return the tray to you once I'm done to not inconvenience you and yours further. I am so sorry!"

"Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that," she tried to assure him, blushing brightly to know she'd made him feel as though she was busy and trying to rid herself of him. "I'm enjoying this quite a lot, actually. I haven't had much of anyone to talk to lately besides my mother, so it's a welcome change.

"I merely meant I wasn't sure of the...unwritten rules of society about such a thing," Maddie confessed. "Of course it is no written law, but perhaps I fear the unknown too much. Forgive me, I didn't mean to imply... I merely worry for the reputation of a very kind Mordecai," she admitted. "These roads are often traveled even at night, but if it's alright I'd like to stay a bit longer."

He looked at her in shock and surprise before his expression melted into a gentle smile. "Well thank you kindly Ma'am but I truly feel you needn't worry about my reputation. As you've said I am a Mordecai but I am also a person and definitely one who tries to be good of heart. I see no reason for two people to not converse plainly with each other if it causes no ill will or harm.

"That being said, if I am indeed not burning your time then I would very much appreciate the company. It is not often that I am able leave my traditional post or home for other things and even more rare to find such gentle company to spend that time with. Have you eaten though I fear I may have forgotten to ask and instead rudely allowed my stomach to think in place of my head?"

She was pleased that he seemed happy enough to be talking to her and not for any feeling of obligation. Still, it would likely serve her well to be cautious with a man of the law. "It's no bother at all, I'm happy to stay," Maddie assured him, her hands wringing a bit idly for his seemingly confident straightforwardness. "I ate before, don't worry. While you were patrolling. Just when I noticed you hadn't left yet I figured the offer might be appreciated," she explained gently, nodding at his tray with a brief smile that he was free to eat without worry.

"Are you away from home a lot, then?" she wondered, though she assumed it was so by his previous answer. "Must be hard to be away from family," she added with an understanding smile, knowing quite well how little time her own father had for her and her mother as she assumed the same went for him and his loved ones.

"Well I suppose I could say I am one of the more fortunate soldiers then. My family is my brothers at arms and while I do have a little brother he also works in the barrack stables so I often enough when I'm not home. I do try to be home every night but there are occasions I am kept from home like tonight though they are rather rare and far in between."

Lorcan rubbed his hands together feeling somewhat awkward for rambling on and on about himself to a stranger. She just was so easy to talk with and until he opened his mouth he had not even begun to realize how much he needed to. When his parents still lived there had always been laughter and conversation to go around on end. Now though it was just Luke and him and by the day's end Lorcan himself was usually too tired to do more than ensure his brother kept out of trouble before dragging himself off to bed.

She definitely noticed the lack of any mention of children or a wife, which was surprising to her. Briefly, she wondered if Mordecai were not permitted to marry, but she felt it would be overly intrusive to ask him such a thing directly. It didn't even occur to her that it might be odd that he seemed to live alone with one brother, as she assumed he was merely a year or so younger than he.

"That's good, must be nice to call close friends family," she mused, humming pleasantly. "I'm not sure what kind of schedule your brother keeps compared to you... But, well, we still have food from dinner. I'd be happy to send you home with some for him as well if you usually eat together," she offered, feeling a bit embarrassed and like she might be overstepping bounds by offering him such a thing. The last thing she wanted was him to think she thought they weren't capable of providing for themselves.

Lorcan's eyes widened in surprise and he stuttered out a nervous refusal. "Oh Ma'am but I couldn't! I would be ashamed if I took food from your family's table to feed the bottomless pit that is my little brother," he added hoping to keep the mood light. "Truly you are endlessly kind. You have already done so much for this simple soldier. I-I really would feel deeply guilty for accepting much more. As it stands I am already in your debt for such delicious and warm fare on a cool evening such as this."

Madeline found herself blushing for his adorable stammering, the slight look of panic quite fitting for him, she unfortunately had to admit. "Well...if you change your mind the offer still stands. You wouldn't be taking anything from us. We're fortunate and have plenty for ourselves. More than we'd ever need, truthfully.

"Besides, I enjoy cooking and fresh is always tastier than something reheated by the fire. Think about it," she asked of him, gesturing at his tray. "I would not offer if we would go hungry for it. It was merely an offer for what sounds to be a very...busy family," she explained, offering a shy smile for his quick rejection.

"Thank you, Ma'am, truly I cannot say enough how kind you are. Take it from me though I mean no insult but my brother could manage to the whole town let alone the city out of food if left to his own devices. That boy's stomach must fill him up entirely with the way he eats." He laughed and shook his head while thinking of Luke. "Perhaps another time though as I have already eaten one of your extra meals," he added, hoping that by doing so he would not insult her."

"Oh, he can't be that bad," she laughed along with him, finding his use of "boy" a bit odd, though she thought it might have easily been a brotherly pet name of sorts. "Of course, some other time," she agreed, though she wasn't entirely sure if he was only agreeing in the moment to not make their time awkward together. He seemed like an honest enough man, but she knew such an agreement was not a promise of any sort of return.

"If you ever find yourselves short on time or resources I'd be happy to bring you something instead. I have quite a lot of time on my hands these days, so it would be no trouble. At least promise me you'll consider it?" she teased as she glanced down at the remains of the dinner she'd offered him.

Lorcan chuckled half in jest and half knowing how serious he was. "Ma'am I hope for your sake you never find out how truly tenacious he is. He'd eat you out of house and home before you even realized he finished the first plate. In all seriousness though Ma'am I shall promise to remember your offer should we ever find ourselves without a pickle." He winked back at her playfully before resuming to finish the last bites of his meal.

Leaning back he then patted his full belly appreciatively. "Thank you again, it was just the thing a soldier needs on a night like tonight. Shall I help you take this back, Ma'am?" he asked motioning to the tray as he moved to get back to his feet.

Satisfied with his answer, Maddie relaxed quite easily in his presence once more. She was happy he seemed genuinely pleased with his meal and she noticed the way he pat at his belly with a small smile of pride. His prompting, though, had her quickly snapping to attention and scrambling to stand up as well and brush stray bits of grass from her clothes. "I can take it for you," she insisted, reaching out for the tray. "I would appreciate the company, though. It's quite dark and..." She trailed off as she turned her head to view the very short distance between them and the porch of her home she could easily see by moonlight. "Well, it's dark," she said again, not realizing she'd already used that for reasoning.

"It is indeed dark and definitely no place for a sweet, little lady such as yourself to be wandering alone in. I would be bereft in my duties as a gentlemen and a soldier if I left you to go alone. I must insist though that I carry this burden no matter how light, for you though Ma'am," he added as he kept the tray out of her reach. "My Ma would be rolling in her grave if I didn't. I simply can't have that, now can I?"

Maddie was a bit taken aback by his offer. While he seemed entirely genuine she couldn't help but feel a bit mocked by it. Every other normal night he did not grace her with his presence she could have need to go out in the dark without any sort of escort. "I'm not much of a lady, your good manners are a bit wasted here," she teased, though she allowed him to keep the tray so she didn't continue to embarrass herself over it. She noticed his mention of his dead mother, a fact that saddened her for such a kind person to lose a loved one no matter the circumstance. By his own joking, though, she assumed it was not a recent wound.

"It really isn't all that far. You might remember which one. This way," she prompted him, gesturing off towards her home in the distance as she set out towards it. She found herself watching the ground more than usual, though, being extremely cautious to not step in a hole or trip on something in front of him.

"Nonsense," he declared firmly, "a lady is a lady no matter how much she protests the contrary." He followed her easily without worry or care. Lorcan was oblivious to her wirries and concerns given how calm the night was. It was unusual for him to be able to have such a slow-paced and quiet evening given how loud and boisterous his brother could be or quick to revel the soldiers in the barracks often were. "Do you have any siblings, then?"

"What, me?" she asked, a bit surprised by the question. She would have thought the information common knowledge to him given his position and involvement in her recent trouble with the law. "Sadly, no. I'm sure my parents would have preferred a son, but they had no other children besides myself." Noticing his leisurely pace, Maddie fell into step with him instead, as much to prolong the time she could spend with him as it was to make conversation easier.

"I try to make up for that by being useful. I've dabbled in just about everything so my mother can lean on me when my father is away. I would not fault her if she's never noticed the small things, though," she told him, smiling fondly for how oblivious her mother could be on occasion. "I'm sure her only care is that I can restock our shop, not what goes on at home."

She stuffed her hands into her pockets as much for warmth as it was to stop herself from fidgeting so much with them. "And...is your brother your only sibling?" she wondered, figuring it a fair question given what he'd already asked. "Or do you have others and he's just who you live with?" she guessed.

Lorcan hummed softly to show he was listening but kept otherwise quiet as she shared some of her personal life with him. He did not wish to add his opinion to the matter for fear of causing insult or tension especially as he did not know Madeline or her mother well, if at all, very well.

"Aye Ma'am he most certainly is. He was a bit of surprise I think to my parents as they were getting older when he decided to come along. He's been a handful ever since," he chuckled in memory. "I was just starting out as a Mordecai when he was born if you'll believe it. I suppose that's why he'll always be the baby in my mind."

The image she'd constructed of his brother was so easily shattered. The young woman gave a nervous laugh as she tried to envision what he described. The timeline seemed so odd, but definitely possible. "When he was born, you say? Oh my that's... That's quite different than I'd imagined," she admitted. "I thought you might have been more similar in age, but... That would make him just a boy even today, am I right?" she asked, eyes alight with wonder for such an age gap between brothers.

Maddie paused at the steps, not wanting to leave so soon but also not wanting to seem too eager to get to her door as she certainly found his company more appealing. "My, you must be quite a sight together. If I had not known I probably would have guessed you to be father and son," she added, shaking her head slightly. Their voices attracted a pair of eyes peering through the window by candlelight: Madeline's mother was alerted to their presence but left them alone for the time being.

"You would be far from the first Ma'am and I highly doubt you'd be the last either. Such is the way of things though I suppose." Lorcan noticed the watching eyes but chose to politely keep quiet about them. Stares were something he was used to and given the hour he would have been more concerned if who he assumed was her mother did not take an interest as to what was going on. Instead he offered the tray out to her gently. "Is there anything else I can do for you Ma'am or should I be headed off on my way and out of your hair as it were?"

And so was the end of their evening signaled, pleasant as it had been. Maddie smiled in thanks and took the tray back without complaint. "Only the favor I asked of you. Whenever you receive a response I would like to know the outcome. Good or bad," she assured him, nervous to know her fate was at the hands of seemingly everyone but herself lately. "Until then I wish you well," she bid him, bowing her head to him with sincere respect before turning to go up to her door. Once she was through it she turned to wave in a more final goodbye before closing it.

Her mother watched her daughter with slight skepticism once she had returned from her visit with the Mordecai. It was clear they had talked and by the slight color to her cheeks she guessed she was a bit smitten with the soldier even if the young woman would not admit it. "Did he enjoy dinner?" she wondered, smiling slightly for the obviously empty tray.

"What? Oh, yes! It seemed like he did, yes," she answered, trying to keep the excitement from her voice for she knew he as likely within earshot if he had not bolted from their door. "He will be asking on my behalf if I could be given leave to travel," she explained again as she stepped the short distance to the kitchen that was open to the rest of their main living space. "I hope they will let me go visit father with you," Maddie sighed as she cleaned up all of the dishes from the evening meal.

"We can only hope," the older woman yawned, turning to look out the window once more into the darkness of night.

Lorcan bowed gratefully to her. "A good evening to you and yours then Ma'am. I will see to your request personally." He waited until she was through the door and had waved back to her before he took off to head back up the path to the main road. The Mordecai did hear some of the conversation between mother and daughter but did his best to ignore it despite the smile that curled his lips.

With his work done for the day, he marched himself home to his rebellious brother and their small home. A thousand questions, a few swats, and a brotherly hug later the pair went to bed exhausted. The dawn came far too soon for Lorcan though who rose with the sun to fulfill his promise to Madeline to submit her request for passage.

Over a week passed before he received an answer and by then he had nearly all but forgotten that he had made it to begin with. Madeline was cleared to travel with an escort for a fortnight including the time it would take her to get to her destination and back. Lorcan himself was the Mordecai assigned not only to inform her of the news but to also travel with her to ensure she upheld her probation.

The week was fairly uneventful for Madeline and her mother. The young woman eagerly awaited another visit and her mother could tell she seemed disappointed every day that passed that did not yield one. They went about their affairs as always, though, Maddie doing what she could from home to assist her mother. When the time came for her mother to leave so she could take full advantage of the time her husband would be more or less available Maddie saw her off with a promise to follow if she would be allowed to.

The house felt colder than usual with her gone, a fact that had her keeping the fire roaring more than usual and several more candles lit about the rooms, but otherwise she still anxiously awaited the Mordecai's return daily. With more time passing, though, she was beginning to lose hope that she would be allowed the small freedom.

By the time he was given his orders to escort the Mage it was already long past noon as the sun was beginning its descent through the sky. Lorcan had to hurry home to pack for his journey quickly so that he could make his way to her country home. He did not think she would take too kindly if he dwaddled when her time with her family was already limited. It was for this reason that he was knocking on her house door long after the sun and disappeared and the moon had risen in the night sky.

It seemed that day might have been yet another without any news. Madeline had been so certain that she was preparing her bed for sleep when she heard the knock at the door. It was startling, being so late, but she hoped it was who she thought it might be considering the hour.

She peeked through the window, catching the briefest glimpse of him that had her hurrying to get the door open. The cold night air rushed in to steal the warmth around the doorway to send a slight shiver down her back as she studied him, taking note of the bag in his possession. "Good evening," she greeted him, cautious with trying not to seem overly happy to see him in case he brought her bad news. "Would you like to come in? It's warmer in here," Maddie offered, stepping slightly to the side to stop blocking the doorway as she gestured to the fire within. "I can take your things if you'd like."

Lorcan fidgeted in the doorway for a moment before bowing his head in greeting. "My apologies for the late hour Ma'am. I thought it prudent to come as soon as possible. Thank you for the invitation, I'll just leave my things outside here if it's all the same. I would hate to clutter your family home with my intrusion."

Gently allowing his pack to fall just outside the doorway, he finally allowed himself to enter and her to close the door. "Thank you again, Ma'am it truly is warmer in here," he acknowledged while rubbing his hands together in hopes of warming them without offending her. "I have news concerning your request. A decision has been made regarding it-" Lorcan paused as if remembering something. "Forgive me I should have asked prior, is your mother with you or any other family? I'm sure you'd like to share the news with them all in one go if that were the case. I don't wish to be rude."

"Of course, welcome, Mister Dempsey," she greeted again, hurrying to shut the door against the cold before turning to face him again. His hesitation to speak, however, made her feel as though he thought some support for her necessary, as if she could not handle bad news on her own. The assumption alone was enough to give her a crestfallen look about her, her eyes no longer bright with hope as she accepted her fate.

"You have not been rude, I am the only one at home. My mother left a few days ago," Maddie explained gently, moving to sit by the hearth to keep warm and avoid looking at his face while receiving the answer to her request.

"There's no need to delay the news, I understand that these things are not always...possible," she added, gesturing beside herself to welcome him to the fire.

"Ah 'tis a shame then, Ma'am but all the better I have been sent to you then. Wouldn't do to have you all on your own. That's what I'm trying to tell you, you see. Your request has been cleared and my orders are to escort and accompany you for the fortnight you've been given. I do apologize again for the late hour but I didn't think you'd want me wasting any of your time what with you being given so little as it includes travel time there and back. It's all really a mess if you ask me. They certainly could have gone about it a bit better with the informing you but then I'm sure they get hundreds of requests that they have to deal with daily," he chattered on nervously. The adrenaline from rushing to get to her in a timely manner was still pumping through him and making him as jittery as a leaf in the wind.

The actual news was surprising enough that for a few moments Madeline could only stare at him waiting for him to say it had all been a cruel joke of some sort. "Truly? I'm quite surprised, I was certain they would have said no by now, but that's wonderful. Thank you so much for coming... is that why you brought a bag?" she asked, glancing to the front door. "I'd like to go very soon, but you didn't need to rush out here for my sake," she scolded gently, thinking it silly a Mordecai would care for wasting any of a mage's time despite how the gesture brought warmth to her smile.

"A fortnight isn't much time, but I swear I will make the best of it. Thank you. We can definitely leave at once," she agreed, standing up again quite quickly to begin packing her things. "Please make yourself at home, this shouldn't take too long. Is your...brother okay with you being away for so long, though?" she wondered aloud, frowning to herself at the idea of a young boy being alone for such a long period of time.

He nodded bashfully as his cheeks took on a rosy hue in the firelight. "With all due respect Ma'am if it was me in your position I would want to leave as soon as possible too. We don't get enough time with family before it's too late."

Lorcan continued to stand tensely in place, unsure of what to do despite her invitation to relax. The balance between soldier and guest was too fine a line for hom to abuse or be comfortable around. "is there something I can do to assist you Ma'am? I feel rather like a cad being useless while you bustle about, he admitted sheepishly.

Her mentioning his brother made him laugh though. "You neediest worry about Luke but thank you all the same. I've arranged for him to stay in the barracks while I'm gone. Last thing I need is for him to develop a sudden desire to attempt torch juggling and burn the place down whole im gone."

"Well that's a relief." She smiled genuinely, not wishing to inconvenience his small family for her sake, orders or otherwise. Maddie noticed the slight color to his cheeks but blamed it on the cold weather from the outdoors in her mind. It was, of course, perfectly reasonable for him to react that way right after coming into the warmth.

"You could help, actually, um... I'm getting my personal belongings together but it would be a great help if you could maybe put together provisions for our trip since we will probably spend most of it traveling anyhow. There's a fruit bag there you can use," she pointed at the empty brown sack hanging beside the hearth.

"Of course, of course!" he replied, hurrying to follow her instructions. Lorcan quickly scooped up the sack and after a quick assessing look about the kitchen, began to fill it carefully with provisions that would not only last long enough to not spoil over the journey but would also be hardy enough for their traveling. He did his best with the packing, placing heavier items on the bottom and softer items on the top all the while hoping he was doing it right. It was moments like this where he wished his mother was still alive to laugh at him and show him how to do it properly. That thought brought a small half-smile to his face. "Will food be all you need, Ma'am or is there something else you want me to be packing for you?"

Maddie peeked out to observe his progress, uncertain of what might have been in the bag but trusting he knew what was food and what wasn't. "The waterskins, if you haven't found them already," she told him, pointing to the small barrel in the corner and the two containers tucked between it and the wall. "And there should be some water in the barrel still, we'll get more along the way. Thank you so much for helping." She breathed a relieved sigh, happy to have a seemingly competent person to aid her for once. "If you'd like to rest I wouldn't mind leaving in the morning. I'm sure you've had a busy day, right?"

"Uhh," Lorcan around hurriedly before spotting the waterskins. "Aha! Got them, Ma'am no worries and think nothing of it. As I said the last time we met my Ma would be rolling in her grave if I didn't." He busied himself with filling them each one by one while attempting not to spill any of the water and make a mess.

"You needn't worry over me, Ma'am. It is my job to go with you whenever you're ready. Today, tomorrow, it makes no difference to me as long as you're back when you're needed back. I wouldn't want you getting in trouble and me having to do more than just escort you." He coughed awkwardly as he thought about having to detain her for being late while cursing himself for failing to keep the mood light.

"I don't want that either," she sighed, hating the reminder of her demoralizing arrest. "Perhaps tonight, then. And we'll rest when we need, I doubt I'll last very long anyway," Maddie admitted, knowing she was not accustomed to travel. "Too bad we don't have horses. Would make the journey so much shorter, but walking is good for the soul." With that she returned to her packing, hurrying to get her things together to not delay them any more than was necessary. Once she'd gotten her bag packed she moved to leave it by the door while pulling on her coat, cloak, and boots.

Once fully dressed she moved back to the hearth to put out the fire that had been keeping the house warm all night. "Is there anything else you need? Do you need to stop by your home before we head out?" she asked.

He nodded in agreement to her suggestions. "Very good then, Ma'am." While she bustled about getting herself put together, Lorcan headed back to the door which he left slightly open as he lifted not only his own onto his shoulders but also the two waterskins and the foodsack.

"You needn't worry yourself so for my sake, Ma'am. I collected all I'd be needing before I came. I truly did not wish to burden and delay you. I can understand how anxious you've probably been waiting on an answer in addition to the amount of time you've been given. Please consider me nothing more than an extension of yourself on this trip. I am but your shadow. I go where you go and stop when you stop," he told her with a friendly smile.

"Oh. Well, thank you," she told him sincerely, flashing a grateful smile in the dark as she took a quick turn about the main room to be sure she'd gotten everything important for her time away. Once satisfied she secured her bag upon her shoulder and joined him at the door.

Maddie frowned slightly for seeing how he'd taken the extra bags for himself and had left nothing for her to scoop up on her way out. "Thank you for all your help. Let me know when you need a rest from those and I'll take them. Let's get going." She took a deep breath before stepping out into the cold night air and heading eagerly for the road they would follow south.

"You have everything then?" Lorcan asked, glancing first at her and her things then to the door she had exited from. "It would be rather unfortunate if we had to double back for an errant cloak or scarf." He shrugged sheepishly in apology. "I have to ask, my brother is the unforgettable case of the one who always has to forget individually three things before making ten steps out the door, not of course that you are anything like my brother that is." The man flushed and fidgeted, adjusting the sacks on his shoulder as if they were falling when they were perfectly situated to begin with.

"Oh my, that must be frustrating," she laughed, smiling fondly at the image she had in her mind of some younger version of him being so terribly forgetful. "I swear I'm not that bad. If I've forgotten anything it was not important enough to get a thought from me before. I should be warm enough with what I have, thank you. And if I'm not...I'm sure my mother will lend me some things once we arrive," she reasoned to herself. "Though it should be a bit warmer in the south anyway."

Maddie noticed his fidgeting and mistook it for discomfort, thinking he might have been too prideful to say anything about it. "Let me take some of that, will you?" she offered again, pausing with an outstretched hand with the hope he might let her carry some if he was too burdened by it. "It won't do for you to struggle while I walk along with hardly anything, Mister Dempsey," she teased.

Lorcan shuffled his feet, moving out onto the path in front of the door and away from her outstretched hand. "I just wouldn't wish you to suffer during our journey. The road is not a very forgiving residence no matter how temporary it is. As for the packs, you needn't worry. I've carried much more before, this is hardly anything in comparison. You're carrying plenty Ma'am. Should you however feel the need to alleviate your load, you need only say and I will do my best to assist."

"You shouldn't spoil me, Mister Dempsey, but I wouldn't burden you with it," she told him truthfully, lowering her hand at his apparent uneasiness at the idea of her carrying a fair share. She continued forward towards the main road and silently vowed to herself to keep an eye out for him having any trouble with it. She would snatch it up eventually, she was sure he had to tire of it eventually.

"Will you be seeing any sights while we're down?" she wondered conversationally. "I'm sure you'll have a bit of free time. Unless you must remain at my side at all times." Maddie frowned slightly at the thought, not wishing to bore him with her family matters if he wanted to take advantage of the time away from home as well.

He was careful with his answer. Lorcan did not wish to upset the young woman yet, the truth of the matter this would be no holiday for him. He had been ordered to observe and watch her, to escort her to and from her home, before reporting back on any trouble that had occurred.

"Ah you needn't worry about me, Ma'am. This will be a nice break from the monotony of city life. I won't interfere with your family time. You needn't concern yourself with that. Just think of me as a shadow that comes and goes as the days go on. Now then, I assume you know the way otherwise we're in for a rather interesting journey because I sure don't," he laughed a bit nervously, hoping to keep the conversation light.

His answer did not cause her any alarm, the young woman naive in her expectations of what it had meant and reading far too much into it to give it a story all on her own. She would try not to pry in his private affairs if she could help it, making a mental note to not disturb him if he wandered away while they were visiting.

She liked his laugh, though, the sound quite rare to her ears thus far. Maddie blushed a bit and nodded in agreement, much as she wished she could find some excuse to get lost with him.  She gestured out towards the road confidently as she led him. "Yes, I think I do. Mostly, at least. It's been quite some time since we last visited him. He usually comes to us, see, if he's got leave. But it's important he stays near his soldiers now and it isn't much time anyway. We've nothing else to do besides the shop, but he doesn't know about- Ah, please don't mention it to him," she begged of him, unsure if she would survive the trip if he knew his daughter was a convicted mage from anyone but her mother.

"I'm not sure if she'll tell him... Or when, but we'll probably need to make a story for you so he doesn't suspect," she giggled. "Perhaps I find your lost soul along the way and help you back to civilization? No, you're much too fine for that, he'd probably know your uniform." She frowned, her brows creasing slightly as she gave it some thought.

Lorcan winced slightly as she spoke of her father and then of his own role in her current circumstances. "With all due respect Ma'am is it truly wise to lie to your father? Even bending the truth would simply draw more attention to myself than is necessary. You mentioned soldiers, is your father a part of the army as well? Is he a Mordecai?"

He looked pained as he questioned her, trying to remain neutral while feeling torn between wanting to help and wanting to remain honest and true. "I can promise you that I will not bring my presence up with your father if that is your desire but I am afraid that I cannot agree to lie to such extents Ma'am. He could vary well be one of my superiors. I will do my best to not disrupt your visit with your family but I am afraid I have duties I must attend to while I am with you. If it were me though I would just tell him the truth. If your father is anything like my own was he would appreciate that more than lies upon lies upon an unfortunate truth."

"It's a little more complicated than that, though, isn't it?" she lamented. "I just don't think he'd be happy to know how I've...changed since he last saw me. Not that I changed all that much as a person, just... I'm something unknown to him even though he knows me." Maddie felt a bit sad knowing she had the potential of unintentionally dragging his name through the mud because of her. It wasn't something she was entirely comfortable with, but she did see logic in his words.

"Maybe. I'll have to think on it. I don't want you in any trouble," she assured him with a sad smile as she tilted her head to look up at him. "You've been so kind to me, after all." She felt guilty, not even realizing that it was entirely possible her father was some superior of sorts to him. He had certainly served in the military longer than either of them had been alive, but it hadn't dawned on her for she knew nothing of the true hierarchy and where Mordecai stood within it.

"He is part of the army, but I won't ask much of you, I promise. It's more that I will need some reason to give for you being with me. Would it ever be possible for you to allow me to see him alone? Perhaps if he doesn't see us together at first he wouldn't suspect anything unusual," she thought out loud, thinking the idea outside of the realm of possibility anyway if Lorcan would abide by his orders and not bend to allow her such a thing. She moved to one side of the road as she heard the distant sound of hoofbeats that eventually reached them as a rider passed by without a look at the pair of humans. His mount came close enough that she felt the hot breath of the stallion and turned her head away from the dirt that was kicked up by the horse's hooves on the loose ground. "Rude," she muttered.

He sighed and lowered his eyes. The whole situation was a challenge and Lorcan found himself almost regretting getting involved and not staying his distance as was his duty. If he had kept his tongue then he would not feel so compelled to help and aid her. He hardly even knew the woman and yet he found himself wishing to put his own honor on the line just to help her with her father.

Lorcan shook his head slightly, mentally cursing himself for what he was about to do but knowing in his heart it was the right thing. "Perhaps Ma'am you might tell him part of the truth. I escorted you as it was unwise for you to go alone with your mother already having gone ahead."

The Mordecai was interrupted from saying more as a horse and rider came barreling down the road towards him. Acting on instinct alone, Lorcan immediately latched onto the young woman and pulled her close to his chest to protect her from harm. Even as the danger passed he remained with his arms around her back and her head tucked under his chin before realizing what he had done. "Forgive me," he whispered, feeling extremely flustered as he gently let her go.

Maddie had thought moving aside would be enough, but she was shocked that he felt the need to do more than that. The young woman stilled in his arms, breathing in short breaths as she tried not to be so aware of the sudden warmth of his body or the safety in a steady heartbeat. She worried for the burden it caused him to come to her "rescue" as well, assuming that he was silently struggling with the belongings he carried for both himself and for them to share.

"No need," she answered just as quietly, feeling so small beside him while still being fairly close. "Thank you," she offered nervously, not wanting to assume anything out loud about his intentions. She had already come to a personal opinion that had her heart pounding hard enough for her to clasp a hand to her chest to try and will it to slow down. He saved me. He must thnk of me a little, she thought.

Once her head had cleared enough to remember their conversation she turned slowly to right herself in the correct direction and reluctantly begin their journey once more. "That's a thoughtful excuse, but how did we meet?" she pointed out, wincing at the memory of knowing the Mordecai for the first time at the lowest point of her life thus far. "I'm sure my father might assume certain things about you...and about us if I told him that," she added, blushing slightly because she knew that women of her status did not receive personal escorts out of the goodness of a man's heart if he had no intentions after her.

"We met in town," he supplied with a shrug. "It is the truth after all." He looked to the side, feeling uneasy but as if he had to ask. "Ma'am forgive me for this if it's considered rude but I have to, is your father truly so awful that lying is preferable to the truth? Would he...would he hurt you Ma'am?" Lorcan stared at her fiercely in concern. If she answered in the affirmative or gave any indication through deception that it was the truth then he would not stand for it. Mage or not she was a person and and that came first above all else. He would defend her any other mage in such a situation to the death against their mother, father, or any other person in the country.

"In a way, I suppose," Maddie agreed, though the circumstances didn't seem so simple and innocent to her despite the location. She listened attentively, uncertain why he seemed so nervous to be bringing something up to her, but she couldn't help but flush with shame at the mere thought. Truthfully she did not know how her father would react, but she could hope it wouldn't be entirely negative.

"I don't think he would hurt me, but I don't really know for sure. I've rarely seen him angry in all my life but I'm not really all that familiar with his opinion of...well what I am now," she explained, her head hung slightly in shame of what she was, of the scar she'd brought to her family as she saw it.

"But really I'd prefer he didn't know at all. Unless my mother thinks it's safe to tell him," she added. "It would just complicate things when he doesn't really need to know about it. He's rarely ever home anymore so it doesn't really concern him, does it?" Her words were truly a question, the young mage entirely uncertain if family would ever wish to know such a thing about one of their own. And did it really matter when she saw the man but a handful of times per year?

Lorcan sighed and shook his head, conceding to her. "As you wish. It is not my business to tell what you to do or interfere. Forgive me for my nosiness. We should get moving again before it gets much darker. It would not be wise should there be any more late night riders in a hurry to return home." The Mordecai really did not agree with her. In his opinion if her father truly cared for her then he would not hate her or hurt her, be disappointed perhaps but a parent always would always love their child. He hated the idea of the deception especially when it came to another member of the military, a proverbial brother-in-arms as it were. "I'm sure it will all work out in the end," he attempted to console though with a half-smile.

She appreciated his concern, but she felt it wouldn't be helpful to follow his advice. She was anxious enough already wondering how she would explain to him that she had to be back sooner than he might have expected. Of course, she could use the shop as an excuse, but it was more lies still. Lies that, once piled too high, might be too much of a burden to carry.

"I'll give any others a piece of my mind. Don't you worry, Mister Dempsey," she told him confidently, falling into step with him once again. His encouragement was certainly welcome, though, the young woman lifting her eyes to him and smiling in thanks before nodding in acceptance. "I'm sure it will, but these things are just very...nerve wracking," she admitted. "And there's so much to be cautious of. I'm thinking of him as much as myself. I would assume soldiers hold a lot of the same opinions that the rest do. Still people, after all. I wouldn't blame them for thinking me less than dirt, but I don't want nasty things following my father once I'm gone."

"I cannot directly speak for the soldiers under your father's care of course but I believe you may be surprised by the character of people Ma'am. While it is true you made a mistake and committed a crime in the eyes of the law it is likewise true that you are working to make up for it and to continue to be an upstanding citizen. Being a mage is no more a crime than being a Mordecai is. I'm sure with extra prayer and diligence on your part it will all be forgotten in no time. I may be wrong," Lorcan began, glancing at her from the side, "but you certainly do not seem the type to be a repeat offender. Just don't forget you're a person too and covered in the exact same dirt everyone else is."

Her crime was still a bit of a sore spot. Truly she felt she'd done nothing wrong. It had been the magic that had taken control, the magic that had ruined her. It was not her own creation or thought that had caused it to happen, to her knowledge. At least she felt calmer in his presence, the gift of the Mordecai keeping her safe more than shackled.

"It it worse because it is filth," she cringed, shivering in disgust as she pulled her cloak more tightly around herself. "A Mordecai is light and salvation. You are just as much a voice of justice as a hand of protection," she explained calmly, blushing at bit for her open admiration. "Or has the world twisted the meaning?"

Lorcan made a sound of disgust that was easily reflected on his face. "You make us sound like gods. We're just the same as everyone else, nothing special. We're born same as mages with this inside of us. None of us choose it. A mage at least is given a challenge in life. I commend them for their inner strength to overcome. I'm sure that is why Angsar gifts them with it, He believes mages are capable and strong enough, stronger than the rest of us, to remain devout to Him. The rest of us," he shrugged distastefully, "we're just here for a free ride I suppose."

She'd never thought of it like that, but Maddie couldn't help but feel as though he was praising her specifically for what little "progress" she'd made. "I see a great deal more than that in you," she admitted shyly. "Your station does not require you to be kind or merciful, and yet you have been endlessly so to me. Your patience with me is appreciated."

Maddie smiled warmly, thankful for the cloak hood that shielded most of her face. It would not do for him to catch on just how fond she'd grown of him. She did not want their trip spoiled or delayed by any ill feelings he might have towards such a thing as a woman's crush.

He flushed under her praise, completely unable to look at her. Instead Lorcan kept his gaze forward, his eyes never leaving the road though the way was dark and they should not be traveling much longer. Feeling something must be said though, he did manage to mumble out a few words though he hoped they were not as gruff sounding to her as they were to his burning ears. "It is not required of my station but it is of my humanity. Any other decent person would do the same. Your praise is misplaced I'm afraid. I've only done what anyone else would, Ma'am."

She never saw the color her praises brought to the Mordecai's face, but her own smile disappeared at his rejection of her claim. "You know an awfully decent lot, then. You're quite lucky to have them." Her words were not spoken with any coldness or jealousy, but she was certainly feeling it. What she would have given to be able to return to a normal life, to not have her friends and neighbors and fellow countrymen wary of her like some caged animal. It made her wonder if she might ever recover and achieve a life in Connlaoth or if it was just the way of outed mages to live in such a way.

Maddie fell silent for the rest of their night's walk, unwilling to voice the way that sleep tugged at her eyes or admit that she needed rest. They had a lot of ground to cover and very little time to do it. Despite her fears she was quite eager to see her father again, to have some sense of normalcy in her life if she might keep her magic a secret.

Lorcan held his tongue, unwilling to argue with her. His opinions were his own and should be kept to himself, as he well knew. Instead he trudged along in silence. He was not a fan of walking on in the dark as they were but he had trained in far worse conditions so just continued his march with her at his side with an occasional glance to the side to see how she was enduring.

After a few hours of walking with no other sounds but those of the night between them, Logan found he could not take it anymore. They needed to stop. She needed sleep and it was obvious to him how she was pushing herself. He had hoped she would be the one to call an end to this but at the rate they were going, he could see that she would force them to go until dawn without someone else intervening.

"Ma'am may I suggest finding a place to rest for the night? I fear the progress we make from this point forward will be more destructive than constructive. You are tired and it is dark. In my experience that would make us more likely to go out of our way and have to spend the morning returning to the proper course. We can continue if you wish at first light or even in a few more hours but I think rest would do us both good."

The sudden sound of his voice should have startled her but she was somehow expecting it, merely turning her head to give her attention as he spoke at last. It was enough to get her to slow her walking pace at first, wondering if he was only saying it because he himself was tired. She would have felt quite guilty to know that.

"No, a rest would be nice," she agreed once he was finished, lifting her head to stare out into the darkness. She had no idea if the Mordecai might prefer to be out in the open or sheltered away somehow but she thought their odds of finding an actual home so far out from the city unlikely. Even the farmland had grown scarce several miles back. It was mostly unplowed, wild land around them.

"We can just find some softer ground off the road," she suggested, unwilling to actually voice the exhaustion she was already feeling after only a few hours' journey. It would hardly help to complain. "And just go on in the morning." Trouble was, she had no idea how far he preferred either and didn't feel comfortable telling a soldier of the land where to go or what to do. Instead of doing any of that she gradually inched her way off the path and further into the brush and brambles one step at a time determined all the while to make absolutely no progress in any definitive direction.

Lorcan nodded, allowing her to lead to where she wished to be. As long as it was not a truly awful sleeping place he would go where she went. "As you wish Ma'am. As far as our journey together is concerned as long as you remain the upstanding citizen we all know you are then I'm just along for the ride and am to follow your lead. You needn't worry for my comforts or desires. Morning is perfectly fine for picking up where we've left off. We can always make up for lost ground when we have the ability to see where we are actually going," he added encouragingly as he followed close behind her.

Even with his assurances Maddie hesitated, stepping one way and then the other indecisively. "I don't think we've wandered in the wrong direction at all," she commented, finally choosing a path and stepping cautiously through the darkness. "Do you think we have? You've mentioned that a few times now. Did you...not trust my sense of direction?"

"On the contrary, Ma'am it is more a figure of speech. It is just that in my experience it is more likely to stray from the correct path in the dark. I was also stating that we can quicken our pace during the day when we are more sure of where we are going to make up for the ground lost by resting. In the dark we are usually forced to go slower for the sake lack of proper lighting and whatnot, unless of course you had the foresight to pack a lantern however I'd likewise be concerned about attracting bandits by bringing such attention to ourselves," Lorcan rambled on as he picked his way through the brush behind her.

If she had not been so tired Maddie would have had it in her to laugh at his rambling worries. It was endearing at least and would be good for keeping her spirits up once their journey stretched beyond a mere day's walk.

"No lantern, so we're definitely safe," she promised, finally settling to sit down on the first stretch of open grass they came upon and throw her pack down beside herself. "Is this the sort of thing where you stay awake all night so I don't run away or am I trusted more than that?" she asked tiredly.

Lorcan chuckled at her question even as he plopped himself down to rest against a tree. "Now if I were to do that Ma'am why I'd be dead in no time flat. I highly doubt I could stay awake for a fortnight straight even if I did have fancy elixirs for energy. Nay you needn't worry, I trust you to sleep and stay put. If I was truly concerned I could always link the pair of us together, although truly I see no reason for that unless you would feel more comfortable that way. I must say though," he added rubbing his wrist as if in discomfort, "I am not a fan of cold metal encasing you while you sleep. Rather uncomfortable even if it does make for comical antics in the barracks.

"Nay any keeping up I do while we travel is just to protect us both in case of bandits or other unsavory figures and cretins. You needn't worry though Ma'am you'll be safe with me, of that I assure you. All the same though if you decide to get up in the middle of the night for um you know, personal reasons, if you could kindly wake me up it would be much appreciated just so I know you're safe and you don't get too much of a head's start on me if you did get an itch for a morning jog," he teased with a wink.

Maddie averted her eyes at his description, a bit tight-lipped as she remembered her very recent discomforts of restraints and caging in the jail. "I don't think there will be a need for it, I just wanted to be sure."

His teasing was refreshing, though, and she couldn't help a bit of a giggle at the idea of warning him if she did have a desire to make a run to escape him. "I'm not a fan of running, really. Especially when I have a lot to carry. Would be far too slow to escape," she teased. Settling her bag on the ground, though, she shoved it this way and that to try and form some sort of pillow so she wasn't left to sleep entirely on the ground.

Once she was satisfied she flopped over to curl up with it as best as she could to rest her tired eyes and the limbs that would certainly be sore come morning from such a short journey. "Wake me up if I sleep too long," she warned him, gesturing at herself with a heavy hand before letting it fall back to curl beside her head on her makeshift pillow as a sleepy yawn seized her for the sudden prospect of rest. "Goodnight Mister Dempsey."

It was several moments more before she would speak again, her eyes closed and brow creased with worry. "Don't let the magic happen," she pleaded in a whisper, knowing it was a silly thing to wish for so long as he stayed near enough to nullify what she feared.

"Goodnight, Ma'am," he replied cheerily, a smile ever on his lips as he allowed himself to get comfortable. His head fell back to look at the stars but his gaze quickly shifted to peek at her from the corner of his eye at her plea. All traces of jest left his voice as he just as quietly replied. "I won't." There was no hardness in that promise either. He meant it and not in the power-hungry or even cruel way he knew from experience that some other Mordecai took pleasure in squashing others. Lorcan was a genuine, good person or at least one who tried to be. Nevertheless it was her fearful plea that kept him up for a good portion of the night rather than any concern that she would flee. He pitied her, this little woman with such a heavy weight resting upon her shoulders. Lorcan knew it was not his place to, but he could not help but wonder what God had intended for her by placing such a trial in front of her. He hoped for her sake if nothing else that she passed the tests placed before her. She was far too sweet to end up behind bars again.

With his promise she actually slept quite soundly, her mind free of nightmares of that fateful night for the first time in weeks.

Even so, she lifted her head with a start as she'd briefly forgotten in her haze of sleep that she was not at home anymore. Sitting up to look at Lorcan she yawned and stretched a bit as she tried to make out if he was just dozing or still fully asleep.

Looking up to the sky she determined it couldn't be too late. Morning still, at least. There was no real rush even though they were a little short on time. There was enough that she could be a decent human to him and not wake him just to pull him onto the road for the rest of the day.

Maddie took it slow as she stood and brushed herself off, her legs already a little sore and stiff from their short journey the previous night. Carefully and quietly she went to the pack of food to dig out something to munch on until he might wake up. Taking a bit of dried meat and fruit she grabbed one of the water skins to bring with her as well before retaking her seat near her own belongings. At least she could admiring their surroundings, the deep country was quite beautiful and she thought she could certainly get used to the view if it was like that the whole way.

Lorcan stayed up for much of the night before finally falling into a rather uncomfortable sleep. He woke after her and with a start, flinching visibly as he came into consciousness despite his silence. The man assessed their surroundings, running completely on instinct before breathing a sigh of relief and nodded in greeting to his travel companion. Nothing seemed to be amiss for which he was ever-grateful for.

The Mordecai quietly told her to stay put and that he would return shortly. After moving off to quickly do his business he returned more alert and awake. "Did you sleep well, Ma'am?" Lorcan greeted more cheerily. "I apologize for not being ready when you were. Next time do not hesitate to wake me. I know how important traveling quickly is for you."

Maddie was content enough to stay where she'd been, continuing to just admire the land around them until he returned to her. "I did, actually, thank you. I usually have nightmares," she admitted, glancing up to him briefly. "But I didn't have any. It was...nice. And don't worry, you looked like you needed the sleep."

She stood slowly but finished her breakfast in a quick few bites and shouldered her bag just as fast. "If you don't mind I'd actually like to take things a bit slower today," she admitted, refusing to glance down to the source of her soreness. "You know, just enjoy the scenery a bit. I don't get to come out here much." Well, it was as good of an excuse as any, wasn't it?

He nodded understandingly without needing any further explanation. It was not his place to drive her forward and onward. As long as she was returned to her home by the designated time, Lorcan owed her nothing. However, he personally was invested in ensuring that he did not hold her back. If she held herself back then that was entirely up to her and he had nothing to say about it.

"The pace is entirely yours to set, Ma'am. Don't worry about me," he added, looking out at the trees around him before agreeing. "The scenery is indeed quite refreshing. It's very different than the city." He smiled over at her before adopting a more relaxed and serious look and dropping his gaze to the ground. "After you, Ma'am."

"Very different," she agreed, smiling gratefully for his willingness to cooperate with her. It was a relief that he seemed quite the same person even away from the protection of the city or the possibility of neighbors eavesdropping. He was still kind though overly polite and formal with her.

"And please call me Madeline or Maddie. Nobody calls me 'Ma'am.' I'm not an old maid. Yet." She giggled and righted the pack on her shoulder before stepping out to head back to the road. Her pace was indeed quite slow and leisurely, careful not to show how sore and lame she was feeling already. She didn't want to turn back and wouldn't.

"Far from an old maid," he agreed before realizing how that sounded. "Not that I meant any insult of course Ma'am, I mean Miss Madeline." Lorcan sighed and shook his head, covering his eyes as if to hide himself from his own bumbling stupidity. He was glad they were moving at least so that he had something to focus his thoughts on that was not the little woman at his side. "Do you travel often?" he asked later, grasping at straws and hoping all the same to spark some form of conversation in place of a long journey of silence.

Maddie was happy to settle into the peaceful silence between them, pleased enough that he seemed willing to forego such a formal way of addressing her. It was a small improvement at least.

When he spoke again she smiled slightly in thought and shook her head. "Only when necessary, really. This is the first time I've traveled without my mother. When we need to travel it's really just easier to close up the shop than have only one of us go," she explained. "We just make things to sell. Clothes mostly. And I mend a good deal. Well, less so now that I have to stay at home." Perhaps he already knew that, though. She'd forgotten what she might have told him in their brief meetings together.

"But this is still nice," she assured him with an easy smile. "I feel very...at peace with you."

Lorcan listened with interest, an easy small on his lips as he nodded his head along with what she was saying. "Ah then consider me honored, Miss Madeline to be gifted with escorting you on your first solo outing," he declared with a short teasing bow. "You know your skills could come quite in handy over in the barracks. Have you ever considered making your business known to the other soldiers? God knows we could use some help in the patching and repairing department if you understand my meaning. Large, clumsy hands were not meant to handle such delicate and vicious instruments as needle and thread."

She nodded eagerly, a fond smile on her lips as she knew she'd certainly mended a good deal for soldiers in her time. "I do a lot of work for them, yes." Only thing was, she realized, was that it was mostly their wives bringing in their trickier jobs to her. Unmarried ones would certainly have more uses for her and were probably also her least served clientele. "Ah, but- Perhaps I should actually go there sometime. I'm sure they don't quite know of local seamstresses like their wives would," she admitted.

"Speaking of mending, though... Is there anything of yours I can help with while we're away?" she offered.

"You would most certainly be welcome to come. I would even spread the word among my comrades if you'd like. I can't tell you the number of times we've bemoaned such a seemingly impossible task. And if it's a matter of coming and going for deliveries I'm sure something could be arranged to appease both sides."

Lorcan beamed warmly down at her, a hand coming out to pat her shoulder gently before he remembered how inappropriate she might find the gesture from a male stranger. He let his hand fall back to his side, his fingers curling into an embarrassed fist as he tried to keep his face light and unaffected by his own mistake.

"I don't believe I have anything at the moment Miss Madeline but I would be surprised if by journey's end that is still the case. Certainly when we return though if the offer is still open I know of a few items that would greatly appreciate your delicate service in lieu of my ham-handedness."

Maddie smiled warmly at the thought of returning to some normal, useful work. Seeing her clients in some way was what she'd been missing the most since her accident with magic. "I'd like that, I think. Thank you for the offer, I'll probably need to take you up on that."

She chuckled lightheartedly, in good spirits to have something so close to her brought up at all. The contact of his hand to her shoulder was unexpected, though. For a moment she faltered in her steps, a question in her eyes as she looked up at him. When he pulled it away rather quickly, though, she couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment even as she flashed him an understanding smile. Of course he wouldn't bring it up, he was far too polite, but Maddie couldn't help the pounding of her heart in her chest for the brief moment.

"It's the least I can do for all your help. You've been so kind to me, even when you didn't need to. I would gladly help you free of charge, as a thank you of sorts," she promised, eyes scanning his uniform for signs of imperfection. "I could make a trip to fetch things once we return home. I would certainly return yours to you first."

"Bah! No trouble at all, Miss Madeline." He waved his hands at her to beg off such kind offerings. "I'll pay just like every other customer. It would not do to cheat you over something so small as human kindness. Besides, I'm likely to become one of your best customers. You wouldn't want to lose the business just because I'm giving you too much work," Lorcan jested softly. "You wouldn't believe the number of patches that need fixing care of a certain unruly stable boy." The Mordecai chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Boys though, what can you do?"

Maddie chuckled fondly at the thought of a troublesome little boy. For all he'd told her his younger brother sounded like a handful, she didn't blame him at all if he felt overwhelmed.

"I'm sure I've seen worse! But...at least a discount, then," she insisted lightly. "I won't charge you full price with all that you've done for me. Wouldn't be right of me. Consider it...returning the favor, if you must."

Lorcan waved his hands in denial. "No, no, no. You can't do that, Miss Madeline. I haven't done anything worthy of such generosity and if you give me a discount then all the boys will want one and then it won't be a discount anymore. Besides I wouldn't want it to all reflect badly upon you. Someone might consider it you bribing me for something and that would only get you into more trouble. I would much rather see you happy and with good business than trouble you unnecessarily, Miss Madeline."

A thoughtful pout set upon her lips, her eyes studying him warily for his insistent, if polite, rejection. "It could be our secret," she pressed, blushing slightly at the idea of having any secret to keep with him.

"I'll feel like I've taken advantage of you if I don't," she explained, having no other idea of how to express her gratitude if he remained unwilling to accept. "I know you aren't obligated to be this nice to me." There was a hopeful lift to that that she didn't care to rein in. Surely he must have cared for her a little, in her mind.

"Aww Miss Madeline I would be taking advantage of you if I were to accept. I'm simply doing what any other human should do. I was raised to treat people with the same kindness I wished bestowed upon myself regardless of who they were. I'm glad you find me a decent enough sort though," he chuckled shyly, while scratching at the back of his neck.

"No perhaps let's just make this deal then. You get yourself settled back home again safely and I promise to come by personally with all my mending. I'm sure between my brother and I alone we could keep you very busy with business." He laughed again with a shake of his head. "We're not exactly the sort to be very kind to our clothing. Would that be your liking then Miss Madeline?"

The Mordecai was a good man. That was clear enough through his words and actions and it truly warmed her heart to know there even were people in the world that could be like him. She shook her head politely at the assumption he made about taking advantage of her. There was no way he would have been a burden to her after all his kindnesses, and her offer was truly genuine.

At last he saw reason, though, her features relaxing as she eagerly nodded in acceptance of his terms. "That's alright! It would be to my liking, thank you. But- If you don't mind could you perhaps drop the 'miss'?"

The mage giggled nervously, looking away briefly at the path ahead as her heart hammered in her chest. "It makes me feel...old," she admitted. Though not entirely a lie she mostly hated how it sounded nearly as formal as "ma'am" and it left her feeling just plain old.

"Oh I'm sorry, Miss-uh," Lorcan blushed and cleared his throat, feeling completely flustered. "My apologies Madeline. You'll have to forgive my set-in was. My mama raised me to be a polite boy and it's a hard habit to break even for a sweet young lady such as yourself."

He smiled warmly at her and offered a playful wink. "No one could mistake you as being old though. If you don't mind me being so bold as to say so, you really shouldn't worry yourself too much about that Mi-Madeline. I know plenty a man who would be hard pressed not to want to woo a pretty lady like you."

Maddie smiled encouragingly as she watched him struggle with her request, her cheeks warm as she bit back more giggles. Naively she hoped his words were far more flirtatious than he'd probably meant them to be.

"Really? I'm not so sure about that." She licked her lips nervously, watching him from the corner of her eye. "What about you?"

The Mordecai's smile froze in place as he began to realize the unintentional trap he had managed to dig for both of them. His gentleman-like kindness and chivalry had been misconstrued as something more than he as both willing and able to give. He swallowed thickly, wishing he knew a better way to let her down gently without hurting her feelings. Mage or not, she as a person to him and he did not wish to humiliate her for the sake of doing so as he knew so many other men would have in his same position.

"Madeline, please believe me when I say you are a lovely young lady and truly any a lucky man would be most honored to call you family. My own feelings however, may not factor into this discussion I'm afraid. As a Mordecai and your current keeper I am not permitted to be anything more than professional with you. It would be improper for me to say more and I do not wish to get either of us in any further trouble. Please understand this has nothing to do with you and if it is not too bold to say, I do feel quite honored myself to have met you."

The way he prefaced his explanation had her grimacing. She already knew before the words were out that he had not received it as well as she'd hoped. He was being careful and...kind, even though he was the one being intruded upon. Madeline felt a great pang of guilt for even putting him in the position he was in, but at the same time the way he did not outright deny her left her wondering -and hoping- that if circumstances were different things might have been able to blossom between them.

After all, he wasn't saying no he was saying he wasn't allowed to consider it an option, which was true. While she had only recently discovered herself to be a mage the young woman certainly knew and understood the laws of their country about mages. She considered herself quite lucky he wasn't immediately carting her off back to the jail for even suggesting such a thing, it surely spat upon the kindness shown to her and her family to allow her to travel such a distance.

"My apologies," she mumbled, hanging her head and trying not to look at him anymore. "I shouldn't have said that. Please just forget- I wasn't in my right mind." Maddie bit at her lip nervously, praying she hadn't insulted the Mordecai too terribly with her suggestion.

"I feel the same about you and- Well, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing my mother and I so much kindness. I know you are not obligated and I want you to know I appreciate what you've done and are doing, even if it is just your job. I fear what would have become of me if you were not here."

She shrugged shyly, straightening her pack on her shoulder. "I feel like I can trust you, I suppose. Maybe I shouldn't, but... Well it's for the better either way, it puts me at ease."

Her apology struck a chord in his heart the moment it began to fall from her lips. Despite how delicately he had tried to word his thoughts he still had managed to cause her pain. Lorcan regretted that. He was human after all and had been raised right. Mage or not, Mordecai or not he still wished that he did not cause harm to another, especially not someone who seemed as sweet and contrite as Madeline.

"There is no need to thank me," he returned gently with a soft smile as he tilted his head at her. It is my duty as a Mordecai to escort you. It is my duty as another living being to treat another with the same kindness and respect I would want myself to be treated with.

"That being said," he straightened and looked at the road ahead, "I don't feel there is any harm in trusting me and I am honored that you do. I shall strive to not let you down with such blessed trust. Thank you, Madeline. It is always a good feeling to know your travel companion is as comfortable with you as you are with them." Lorcan smiled then, confident and at peace. Perhaps his words could ease the blow his earlier ones had created. Hopefully she would see that he had meant no offense. A job was a job and he was just trying to do his.

The Mordecai admitting that he was comfortable around her left her with a small bit of peace to keep hold of. It seemed odd, given their circumstances, but it was truly a comfort to know he still did not seem to look upon her as a lesser being. He'd been so kind and respectful and did not seem afraid of her in the least. She would have to keep her fonder thoughts to herself, though, she could not help them but it had been foolish to admit to them at all.

"Do you travel often for your work?" Maddie pried gently, eager to latch onto any chance to change the topic of their conversation and get her mind off the way she still ached from the previous day with every step. "Where have you been posted the longest? Uthlyn?"