It wasnt difficult for Jude to fall back into his usual routine.
Heading back to Reajh was the greatest difficulty he could have managed since that woman had taken his only means of transportation. He looked the beggar, haggard and old, and disheveled, once he made his way back to the city, having hitched a ride, and walked most of the way. The roads were not easy to travel by, with soldiers using them or stopping people that were trying to use them, usually to siphon what goods that could be spared for their soldiers, before letting the travelers go on.
But Jude Armand was a survivor and once he was back in the city, he stayed within darkness until he saw the familiar building of his town house. He paid Elsa good money to keep the place clean, though she only had to come in, in the mornings, and furthermore he paid her not to ask questions if he was away for any extended period of time. If anyone came asking questions, she was to say only that Jude Armand was on vacation in Uthlyn and there was no telling when he would be back, save that it was soon. People were always ripe with curiosity.
She let him in, in the early hours of dawn, and did not ask where he had been or why he looked like he had the devil beat out of him. Jude cleaned up, shaved and tossed his clothes into the fireplace. The coming weeks felt odd, but familiar and soon Jude was dining and drinking and entertaining just as he had been before Jinai had come into his life.
Though he had realized it before, it seemed to sink into home so much more now after the fires at Breakpoint. Jinai could take care of herself, shed always taken care of herself long before she had met Jude Armand. He could only do so much, and in fact that wasnt much at all. He hadnt thought about her, or at least tried not too. People wondered where he had went, and what became of Lord Christy. Through the grapevine, Jude learned he was back with his wife, though hadnt said a word of what happened at the church, too ashamed to mention his affair and the humiliation of letting go of valuable state secrets.
The mages of Breakpoint had been safely escorted out by Ashers men, and some of them fell in with the ranks of the guerrilla forces. They were safe from being sold. And among them was captured a certain big-nosed sow. But that was another matter altogether.
It had been a long time since then, about a month had passed and Jude was back to collected secrets just as he had always done. He had had a long day, and ready to turn in for the night. The townhouse was quiet, and it was easier to remember that he lived all alone in that big house. It wasnt mansion sized, Jude never thought he needed something that large, but even the three storied townhouse seemed bigger than he remembered it as he climbed up the stairs and retired to his bedroom.
He left his clothes draped across the wardrobe and his sheets loosely covering his body. The room was thick with heat, with humidity and the double glass doors to his balcony were left slightly ajar, to let the evening breeze pass through. He stared at the ceiling, trying to empty his mind before falling asleep.