Something Lost, Something Found (Moonie!)

[Paradox]

((Sorry this took me so long. Some things came up rl. :/  ))

Two weary and rain-soaked travelers stepped inside ever-bustling The Jolly Hawk.A few men looked up from their cards and drinks to take slight interest in the newcomers whom were both swathed in cloaks of forest green which gave them a slight air of mystery. For you see, The Jolly Hawk was a perfectly respectable inn where hardly anything strange, exciting or troublesome ever happened. Most of its patrons were learned folk whom had come to study at the university.

The curious man whom lowered his hood bore markings on his flesh that suggested a fighter's background rather than a scholar, however, and the old innkeeper Dein Telbrin was sure that the man approaching the reception desk must have had many stories to tell. And what manner of stories , he wondered, might those be?

"Good evening, sir," the stranger greeted in as friendly a manner as one could with such a deep and slightly intimidating voice that he had, " my nephew and I are in need of a room for the night. Do you have any vacancies?"

The other green-cloaked stranger drew quietly nearer to the scarred man and Dein stared at the pair with his steely blue eyes of them for a long, hard moment. Having finally come to a decision, the man slowly nodded his head and stroked his grayed beard thoughtfully, " Aye, that we do. That is, if you've the coin to spare."

"How much?"

"Two gold for the regular, ten for the nobleman's quar-"

"Two gold!? " The second figure gasped, the voice sounding very much like a lad whom hadn't hit puberty yet. "That's crazy! Two gold for one night? Who can afford-?"

"Jon," the scarred man interrupted the outraged lad with a tone that was firm but not entirely unkind . He shook his head and turned his attention back to Dein, "Sorry. We don't have that kind of money."

Oh dear. Dein could sense what was coming now.

The scarred man continued speaking, "I only have thirteen silver. Is there any chance that we could work for our accommodations?"

Dein shook his head and replied adamantly, " I'm sorry, but I don't need any workhands. What I need is coin. This fine establishment isn't cheap to run, you know. Try The Lonely Cauldron across the street. Their rooms only cost two silver a night. "

"But they're full!" The lad blurted.

Dein shrugged his shoulders, " Then I guess you're out of luck. "

The cloaked lad started towards the desk,"Listen here, asshole. We didn't come all this way to-"

The scarred man placed a restraining hand on his 'nephew's' shoulder and shook his head, " Very well. Come, Jon, we're leaving."

"But Al-"

"I said, we're leaving." With that said, the scarred man pulled his hood up and moved for the door.

Leave the green-cloaked pair did and old Dein was almost sorry to have turned them away so quickly. These were hard times and many good folk had to suffer...

Stepping out into the rainy night with his young charge, Alastrom sighed, " That's the fourth place we've tried and the only one with vacancies."

"Two gold? That's ridiculous! I can't believe that guy even manages to stay in business!" Alanna huffed.

Alastrom shrugged, but said nothing.

"What are we going to do now? Sleep on the street?"

Again, Alastrom said nothing; he didn't know but it was certainly seeming to look that way.

[Zero]

Only a few months back in Connlaoth, but Sadie was learning quickly how to navigate the slippery slope that was life as a mage (in hiding) in this wretched country. It was no wonder her parents had fled to Serendipity so long ago. They had been lucky back then, things weren't so chaotic. Her parents and mentor had said she was crazy to come back, especially with the war on mages, but they didn't understand her motivations.

How could she sit idly in the relative safety of Serendipity while mages were persecuted, tortured, and killed in the country she had been born and raised in? Besides, the thought of staying in Serendipity, where she had met and loved Donovan was too much. No, she needed to do this. For herself and for him, he'd have wanted to help mages too, she just knew it.

That was why she found herself sitting quietly at a corner table in an inn. There weren't many rooms available, Uthlyn seemed to be packed to bursting with people, refugees or otherwise. Still, she'd managed to find one at a place called The Jolly Hawk, such an interesting name. For most of the evening Sadie had enjoyed relative peace, no one bothered her in her little shadowed corner, and that's how she liked it. Her hood was drawn up, obscuring her face, as the strangers in the green cloaks entered.

At first she barely did more than glance at them, much like the rest of the patrons, however when the man lowered his hood she found her eyes drawn back to his scarred face. There was something familiar, something she couldn't quite place, about him. Over the soft din of noise in the common room it was difficult to hear the exchange, but she was able to glean enough information to know that they'd been turned away for not having enough coin to buy a room.

Sea foam eyes followed them as they walked back out into the rainy evening. The "lad" had quite the temper, she mused, but what had the man been called? Al. For some reason that name stirred in her a memory from a long time ago. Pushing her chair back she stood and considered what to do. It only took her a few moments to decide that her curiosity would never be sated if she didn't figure out exactly what was so familiar about the scarred man.

Having already wasted enough time she made her way to the door, not sure if they would even still be within sight. As she opened the door and stepped out, though, she found they were still standing there, probably trying to decide what to do.

"Wait." Sadie really didn't have a solid plan. "Don't go. I'll pay for your room."

[Paradox]

Alanna was the first to respond, her eyes shooting back over her shoulder to capture a glipse of the generous stranger. Her eyes stared ,unblinkingly at Sadie and the stupified , "Who me?" expression was clear as the noonday sun on her delicate, freckled face.  Surely, the lady was not referring to them? But who else would she be talking to? Alanna looked around and saw no one. She then looked sideways at her guardian and muttered, "Er...I think she's talking to us, Al."

Beside her, Alastrom quietly turned and regarded Sadie with a cool expression. It wasn't that he wasn't trying to hide his surprise, it had simply always been in Alastrom's nature to be so reserved with his emotions. He elevated a bushy brow at the woman questiongly. He wasn't accustomed to being helped by anyone other than the Free Folk. Other people had sometimes met him and Alanna with smiles, lured them in only to stab them in the back for being mages and hand them to the church. Alastrom trusted no one anymore. "Thanks, but we don't need chari-"

"Really!? You will? That's great! " Alanna was already moving over to the strange woman.

Alastrom's mouth hung open and he started to protest, "A- Jon! What are you-? What have I told you about-? Get back here!"

Alanna spun around and pulled a face at the man, "Oh , come on Al! It'll be fine! Stop being such a worrier!"

Alastrom stood there, clenching his fists at his side, his jaw drawn tightly with mild frustration. Sighing , he shook his head and followed after the girl.

Alanna moved to stand before Sadie with a grin on her face that nearly took in her ears, "Gee lady, are you sure this okay ? I mean , the asshole wants like two gold for a room. You must be pretty loaded..."

"We have nothing to give you, miss."Alastrom looked directly at Sadie now, his tone and expression looking rather ...stony.

[Zero]

The child seemed eager enough to blindly accept her help, but the man was an entirely different story. As she looked into his face, Sadie again was struck with that sense of knowing, but the information seemed just outside her reach. How could she possibly know him? She hadn't lived in Connlaoth for over a decade. He was suspicious of her, she could tell, and she certainly couldn't blame him. Generous strangers often had hidden motives.

She looked down at the young "man", not knowing why she was lying about her gender, but not about to call her out on it. "I'm certain or I wouldn't have offered, Jon was it?" Reaching into her vest she pulled out two shining gold coins, of Serenian mint, and pressed them into Jon's hand. She could always make more gold if she really needed to.

Opening the door for them she met Alastrom's stony stare with a cool one of her own. His words only made the corners of her mouth twitch softly with a barely suppressed smirk. "Funny, I don't recall asking for anything."

[Paradox]

"Wow! " Alanna's gloved fingers closed around the coins tightly and she gaped down at them. "Two whole pieces! " She'd never even held a quarter of this much money in all her life. Hell, she'd never even seen a gold piece before! And she couldn't take her eyes off it. Gold sure was pretty, but she still liked silver...

Alastrom stared at Sadie, his gaze hard. "People generally expect things in return for their generosity, rather than asking , "Alastrom replied evenly, his tone soft and just a touch bitter.

"Al! Stop being such a jerk!" Alanna huffed and stepped close to him, elbowing him in the side none-too-gently. She then turned to Sadie and replied , "I'm sorry , miss. He doesn't mean it. He's just tired and cranky which isn't an excuse." She shot a glare back over her shoulder at Alastrom, " But we've been on the road for some time now and our luck has been kind of shitty. " She shook her head, "People usually don't help us out. They -"

"Jon..." Alastrom growled warning Alanna. It was a sound that told her to stop talking further. This stranger had no business knowing the nature of what they were. "We're vagrants."

Alanna soured and stepped inside the inn.

Seeing that she had returned, innkeeper Dein pointed at her, " I thought I told you -"

The coins flashed before the old man's eyes and that shut him up in a heartbeat as Alanna strode confidently up to the counter and slapped the coins down on the counter with a grin, "So how about that key, gramps?"

((Oh Alanna. lol. Anyway, Alanna, at this present time is meant to appear and sound androgynous. Apologies for not explaining this well enough earlier. I don't mind Sadie guessing her gender since it doesn't really affect much, but most people who come across them wouldn't know Alanna's a girl unless they saw her undressed or she/Al informed people of such. She's only about 14 here. xD  ))

[Zero]

Sadie couldn't help but smile slightly at the kid as they looked at the gold coins. At that age she'd have thought two gold coins as a literal fortune. How the years had changed her.  Not entirely for the better, the alchemist thought wearily as those blue-green eyes turned back to the scarred man. His distrust was easy to understand in a world such as the one they lived in. No one was kind to others for no reason anymore. What a sad thought.

There was that name again – Al - short for something, no doubt. Why did it send little shockwaves through her mind each time she heard it while looking into that tired face of his? Well, she'd find out, figuring things out was kind of her thing. It was almost amusing that the kid was chastising the man and apologizing to her. An odd pair, to be sure. Was he really the child's uncle?

"It's okay. I can't blame him for being suspicious. I would be too, but vagrants or not, you both look tired, cold, and wet. That's enough reason for me to want to help you." Okay, that wasn't the only reason, but would they disappear if she told them why she really was helping them?

Jon went inside and Sadie followed, watching the exchange with a smirk as she came up behind Jon. When they had just left with no money and returned with a lot, Sadie figured there would be suspicion cast on how they'd gotten the money. She didn't want any of that. Already they would draw more attention than she really liked.

"I trust that will cover more than just their room? If there are additional charges for hot baths and good food, put them on my bill, if you please."

[Paradox]

"No extra , ma'am, " Old Dein replied slowly as he handed the key to Alanna, " everything's included in the price. Enjoy your stay at the Jolly Hawk, good ...sirs. "

Holding the key aloft, Alanna sun about gleefully until she was dizzy and stumbled about , knocking lightly into Alastrom who put his hands gently on her shoulders to steady her. He looked down at her with a frown as she looked up at him , flashing him a cheeky grin.  "Calm down."

She stuck her tongue out at him and then looked over at Sadie, " Are you a university student or a noble? No offense , but your clothes are kinda weird."

Alastrom nudged the girl lightly in the side and scowled, "Who is being rude now?"

"What did I say?"

Alastrom shot his charge a warning glare and Alanna shrugged.

"I think we've had enough excitement for one day. Thank you, you have  our gratitude , Ma'am." Alastrom told Sadie, his tone sincere enough, but his expression remained ever stoic. He started to turn and walk away, but Alanna lingered near Sadie.

"I like her, Al. She's nice! And rich. Hey lady, what's your name? I'm Jon and this Grump is Alastrom.  "

Alastrom stopped walking, slapped a hand over his face and sighed heavily. Women. They always had to stop and chat.

[Zero]

Sadie wasn't generally an emotionally motivated person, but watching Jon spin around like that had her smiling and remembering being that age once upon a time. Things had been so simple back then, and much happier. Life could really steal things from a person as they grew up. She had to keep from laughing as Jon stuck his tongue out at the scarred, grumpy gentleman. 

"I'm neither, and I lived in Serendipity until recently." She supposed that the question really wasn't all the surprising, this inn did seem to have a bit of a scholarly crowded, and being willing to spare two gold coins for strangers did seem something a noble would be able to afford, not just some random woman. Though what was wrong with her clothes? Sadie looked down at herself, raising a brow slightly.

The woman just shrugged her shoulders as Jon was scolded for being rude. Sadie honestly didn't care, but it hardly mattered. She gave a slight inclination of her head in acknowledgement of his thanks, figuring they would go on up to their rooms. In the morning she figured that she'd catch them before they left and finally approach the subject of how she might know this self-proclaimed vagrant.

She had been about to turn away herself, ignoring the lingering child, but then when that name was mentioned, the full name, it struck her finally. Turning back quickly she pushed past jon to stand in front of the man and peered up at his face again, more closely this time. There were so many scars, and he had aged some, but...no, that wasn't possible. Her voice was a soft, hushed whisper, not wanting anyone else to hear. "Alastrom Gallagher? I thought I knew you...but you're dead."

She had to be wrong. She had to be.

[Paradox]

Alastrom's expression tightened with visible anger when the stranger pushed Alanna aside. He getting ready to tell the woman as much ,but his lips faltered at hearing his own name spoken by what he presumed to be a completed stranger. His full name. There was no possible way she could know unless ...

Unhappy to have been pushed aside so abruptly, Alanna crossed her arms and frowned, "Huh. She knows your name. You know her, Al?"

He took a step back, the agitated expression on his marred face melting away to bewilderment. He never spoke hastily, Alastrom. He was a methodical man and a quiet one at that. He'd always been that way though this rang far more true in his older years than it had in the past. He studied Sadie's face and thought there may have been a flicker of familiarity there somewhere, but when he let his thoughts fall back into the dark corridors of his mind and search for an answer, there was nothing but emptiness. People without faces, buildings without any clear definition, voices that he could hear yet not understand. He had memories , he knew that  but they remained shrouded in complete black , " Do I ?"

She claimed to know him and yet claimed that he was dead? What an odd thing to say, but now that he considered it...this had not been the first time someone had made such a claim. Alastrom dismissed the other as crazy, but perhaps he had been the one whom was mistaken.

[Zero]

Sadie hadn't even thought about the fact that she was pushing Jon to get to Alastrom, it had just sort of happened. There were few things that truly took her by surprise, seeing a boy she had grown up with return from the dead, which was certainly high on the list of true shockers. Now obviously he hadn't actually returned from death, that wasn't possible. The church must have lied about his death, or she was wrong, but the more she looked at him, the more she was sure she wasn't mistaken.

His bewilderment wasn't that surprising, really. It had been so long, she had hardly recognized him herself. She'd been just a girl, even younger than Jon, when they had last seen each other. "Alastrom, it's me - Sadie Mayner. You know, little red-head in pigtails always following you around, being annoying. Your mother made you be nice to me...sometimes."

Alastrom had ditched her as often as he could. At the time she didn't realize that she was a pest to the older kids that Alastrom had hung out with, but looking back she knew she had been an annoying brat. Surely he couldn't have forgotten all of that, though. Sadie had been practically glued to him for a few years, back when life was simple in Gethin. Then he'd been taken, and the church had later pronounced him dead...

"I can't believe you're alive...they told everyone you were dead."

[Paradox]

Mayner...Sadie? She speaks as if I should know her, but I can't recall a thing. This woman surely wasn't making this up. She had to be with the Free Folk but he knew most of them. He'd committed every one of those faces to memory and while he could hardly recall a thing before escaping from hell with Alanna, he remembered each day after with impressive clarity. No, this woman was from another time. A time that was lost on him.

Who was Sadie Mayner? She claimed to have been a childhood tag-along. Al inclined his head slightly, his expression never once losing it's showcase of utter bewilderment.  He was embarrassed to admit to anyone that he couldn't remember anything. Even Alanna had no idea that her guardian knew nothing about himself other than whom he had been after meeting her.

"Jon, we need a moment alone. Go get the room situated.

"But-"

"Go."

Alanna sighed , but didn't argue with the man and left the adults to find their room.

With Alanna out of earshot Alastrom now spoke more honestly with the stranger, "Sadie , I..." He lowered his gaze , appearing ashamed, " I'm sorry, but I don't remember much of my of my youth." What kind of person was this Sadie Mayner? Was she afraid of mages ? She seemed like a decent person , but what he was and what he was capable of...people couldn't know or it would endanger Alanna.

But something she said made him very curious, " What do you mean they told you I was dead? Who told you? " Although he had an idea he very well knew and then he thought better of it, "Actually, don't answer that. Not here. "  If she were to speak of the church as he suspected that she might, it wouldn't be good for her if anyone else here heard her.

[Zero]

Sadie truly had expected the look of confusion to fade when she told him her maiden name and about how she had followed him about when they were children. How could someone forget someone that had practically revered him for years? Though looking back even she wasn't sure why she had looked up to him so. Maybe she had always known there was something special about him. After all, the discovery of his mage abilities was what had spurred her obsessions.

The alchemist should probably thank him for that, if not for him, she wouldn't have escaped Connlaoth when she did.  The church would have taken her too, and who knows what would have happened? She wouldn't have gotten her education or met Donovan, at the very least, at the worst Sadie figured she'd have died – just as the church had claimed Alastrom had.

Sea foam eyes watched wordlessly as Jon was dismissed, not knowing why that was necessary, though she had noticed that the bewilderment hadn't disappeared at all. In fact, the woman couldn't detect even the hint of recognition in his expression or eyes. His words confirmed as much, and she shook her head, almost regretfully. What had been done to him to make him forget an entire portion of his life? On second thought, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what all had happened to him.

Alastrom didn't have to tell her that it wasn't a good place to talk. Eavesdroppers would not be getting their hands on any tasty tidbits here in the common room of some inn she'd picked at random. "My room then." She said matter-of-factly before moving to the stairs and trying to act as casual as possible so as not to arouse suspicion.

The alchemist didn't wait to see if he would follow, if his curiosity was piqued, then he would come, if not, well, he was just a distant memory, at least she knew his identity now and that he was alive. Pulling her key from her pocket she pushed the oak door open to reveal a minimalist, but clean room, the only personal items were a bulging satchel and her staff was propped in the corner. She pulled her cloak from her shoulders and tossed it casually on the back of the only chair before sitting on the edge of the bed.

[Paradox]

Being the only potential link to the past which had eluded him for so long, it only seemed logical to Alastrom to follow after the woman. He wasn't expecting to learn much because every lead he'd followed had raised false hopes and brought him to dead ends. Stepping quietly inside her room, he lowered the cowl of his hood and shut the door soundlessly behind him.

"The Church told people that I was dead, did they?" Alastrom inquired softly, his expression seemed troubled, but he wasn't surprised. Not after everything he had seen. "If God had been on their side, I suppose that claim wouldn't have been false. " He drew in a long, deep breath, " I don't remember anything before seven or eight years ago.  " He shook his head, " I'm not sure you'd want to know what happened or if you would believe. Most don't listen. I guess it's a terrifying thought to think that God's trusted hands would create such nightmares in the dark. "


((Slightly shorter post, but it happens with dialogue. And also when sharkie is sleepy. xD Lemme know in pm or Skype if you need me to write more! ))

[Zero]

The door clicked shut behind Alastrom and they were alone. Sadie was slumped slightly; elbow resting on her knee and chin resting in her hand as she studied him curiously. The years had certainly changed him, the little girl she remembered being would have been aghast to see those scars. That was just how life was, though, and the woman she'd become had some scars of her own – though hers were more to her heart than her body.

What he had to say was grim, but honestly, what could one expect? Sadie didn't know the details, but even after moving to Serendipity she had heard rumors of what happened to mages the church took. She gestured to the chair. "Make yourself at home. I'd over you a drink, but I'm afraid I'm all out of brandy. To be honest, I question the existence of a divine being, but who could actually say goes on in the great expanse that is the cosmos? We'll never understand everything."

Sighing, Sadie closed her eyes. "I can't believe you don't remember anything. They must have done some really awful things to make your mind close off so much of your memory. I haven't thought of Gethin or anyone from there in years, but when I think about it, I remember almost everything. I was eleven when the church took you. I think you were seventeen. I only know that the church pronounced you dead because a neighbor wrote to my parents saying so. My father moved us to Serendipity not long after you were taken. He was afraid they would take me too."

[Paradox]

"No problem," Alastrom replied and took a seat when he was invited to do so. He shrugged his shoulders at her unconventional comment on religion. She had mentioned moving to Serendipity and so he could only venture to guess that she had been influenced by them. Whether it was a good or bad thing, he could not rightfully say. 

Alastrom shrugged, "Neither could I at first, but when I think about what I have seen done to others like myself, I suppose I should be impressed that anyone could walk away from such an experience with their sanity intact." He didn't mean to flatter himself and was thinking more of Alanna than anyone. To think that an eight year old girl whom had been tortured so much could have grown up to be so strong ...he was quite proud to have been the one honored with being in charge of her but he hardly claimed credit for building up the tenacity in her spirit. Alanna had simply been born with it. If only her parents could have seen her now...

He studied her thoughtfully, pondering what made her claim the church would take her away. "Are you...like me?" He meant to inquire if she was a mage but he was nervous about talking about it so openly even behind closed doors. After all, this was still a public place and even the quietest of whispers could have been heard through the walls. One could never be too sure of it.

[Zero]

Sadie's "unconventional" view on religion and deities stemmed far more from a bitterness towards something that would dare call itself divine and then cause so much pain and suffering - and if not cause it, then allow it - in the world. Especially when it came to Donovan. There was no explanation for why he had gotten sick so suddenly or why he had suffered for two years before finally passing into peace.

Rather than think about it, she focused on other things, throwing herself into this business of helping mages escape Connlaoth was her way of dealing with the helplessness she'd felt simply watching her husband die and not being able to do anything about it. "You would think that such torment would drive a person insane. How fortunate for you that it only destroyed your recollection of times past."

A delicate eyebrow was raised at his inquiry. Was she like him? Ah, he was asking if she was a mage. That was a fair enough question, after all, she knew that he was, though that was just left understood but unsaid. "That is actually a matter of opinion and up for debate. However, for the sake of simplicity, let's just say that yes, I am, and Jon is like us too?"

It was an educated guess, and one that Sadie could not be sure of and unsure if he would answer. She sensed a protectiveness of the child, though she had no idea who this Jon really was. They certainly weren't Alastrom's nephew, as claimed.

[Paradox]

"Fortunate?Yeah," he nodded slightly at her, seeming to neither agree nor disagree with her comment about his memory loss. Was it really a blessing to forget everything though? He told himself every day it never really bothered him, but he knew deep down that he was deluding himself. "Though it's awkward now to meet someone who might  possibly know more about me than I do."  Of course he meant about who he was. Clearly, he wasn't exactly the same person as he had been .

He wasn't about to admit that he wished he could recall the little things. His first pet, if he ever had one. The first girl he'd kissed , if that ever happened. Where he'd grown up. Siblings. Parents. Friends. What foods he'd liked. Aspirations. What the weather had been like in Gethin. What kind of person he had been. Something. Anything at all. Memories to hold onto that made him laugh, cry, or angry...but there was nothing.

And even as he made new memories....those slipped away in time as well. Even memories he shared with Alanna and that , more than anything, frightened him. How was he to tell her something like that?

He lowered his gaze for a brief moment and exhaled softly.  He quirked a brow and a rare smirk twisted his typically cold and rough visage, " Fair enough." Alastrom knew better than to press for details, but he was curious to know what sort of "mage" Sadie was because the church had an amusing and narrow way of classifying what was and was not magic. So , he supposed this woman was labeled such but wasn't really. She must have been capable of something people couldn't logically grasp and therefore they must have lumped it in with magic. OR she wasn't a mage but she experimented with magic which wasn't an impossible thing. There were such things as enchanters who were usually mages but some great minds whom were non-mages had developed a method for experimenting with the forces that did not come naturally to them and that was both an impressive and slightly intimidating thing. Ah, but his mind was wandering now . Alastrom shook his head and blinked slowly, forcing himself to bring his focus back on the conversation and the peculiar woman before him.

But when Sadie asked if Alanna was a mage, Alastrom hesitated because it was in his nature to be extremely guarded of the girl. Ultimately ,he decided to trust this woman because she had given him no reason to believe that she was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Yet. He nodded very slightly, " Were it not so, I could have left her with the people we were staying with before now. No, we came from the same hell. The child has suffered far worse than I have. Taken from family, broken by the church...that is how I found him when I found my way out. Protecting that child became my purpose after that because it's all that I have.  "

[Zero]

It wasn't so much fortunate that Alastrom had lost part of his life as far as he could remember, but just that he hadn't completely lost his sanity along with it. Just losing part of your memory was surely better than that.  "I don't know anything hardly at all about you. All I know is from another time that you can't even remember. You most likely aren't the same man you were then; of course, back then you were really just a boy."

Sadie had known Alastrom as a child, not as a man. That realization only made her more curious as to the real nature of the man in front of her. As a young girl she'd practically idolized Alastrom the boy, but who was Alastrom the man? How much had he changed after all this time? In what ways was he the same? There probably wouldn't be time for her to find out all that she would like, there were so many questions she could ask him, but he probably had just as many for her.

It still felt surreal, knowing that he was alive after thinking him dead for so long. If the church hadn't taken him how differently would things have been? She tried to imagine it, but shook her head as the very idea faltered in her mind. There was no use thinking about maybes, what ifs, and could have beens. Sadie wasn't going to waste time on things that were not and never would be real. Dealing with the present was far too important.

Alastrom told her about Jon, and she caught a discrepancy in his pronouns.  She'd certainly suspected that Jon was a young girl, but this slip of the tongue confirmed it - though she wondered if he'd even realized his mistake, or if she should bother pointing it out. She could feel sorry for the kid, they'd been through a lot for their short life, but she felt for Alastrom too. He had lost so much. "Jon is lucky to have you looking out for him, and you're lucky to have found someone to look out for you too, in the child's own way."

Sadie scooted back on the bed, leaning against the wall and crossing her legs as she made herself comfortable. She didn't know how long he was going to stick around, but for as long as she had him, might as well make the most of it. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me. I can try to answer them, if you like."

[Paradox]

Silence pervaded the air for a good long minute or two and Alastrom studied Sadie's face for what seemed like an eternity, his expression thoughtful. He was trying to conjure up familiar memories, but nothing came to him no matter how many times he passed through all the hollow corridors of his mind.

"Do you think I deserved to be taken away? Did I hurt anyone?" Aside from the question concerning whether or not he had any family, this had been one of the things weighing heavily on his mind. And there was also the dread that if his only crime had been being born a mage, then how had his parents responded? Were they good, faithful Asgarians? Did they simply just...let their son go? He had considered a thousand times that if he ever had the chance to ask his question that maybe he was better off just not knowing but the question continually ate at him.

He looked to her hopefully for the answer, but there was a subtle fear flickering in his green eyes.

[Zero]

The offer of information hung between them silently for what was beginning to be an uncomfortable amount of time, but Sadie simply stared back at him, studying him as he studied her. While the alchemist was, as always, filled to the brim with questions and bursting curiosity, she bit her tongue and put her own wants on hold. From what she had learned so far, Alastrom was the one that really deserved to have his questions answered, hers could wait.

Although when he finally asked, foamy eyes closed, Sadie let her head fall back against the wall, knowing that this was probably going to be one of the hardest questions to answer from an emotional standpoint. It was tempting to paint a pretty picture, but the cold, stark truth was what she had to give. He needed to know. "I grew up with you, more than you probably liked at times, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that no one deserved what you went through, least of all you. You weren't always nice to me, but you were a good person.

"You were always such a quiet, devout guy. When they first took you away, they just made you study as a brother in the church. I don't really know everything that happened, but I heard the church in Gethin was destroyed and that you were dead. The one that wrote to my parents assumed that you had something to do with it, but I don't believe so." She ended on that note. If he asked she'd tell him, but the idea of informing him that it was his own family that turned him in, that made her stomach turn just slightly.