Spirits of the Earth

Escaping from Reajh when all of the chaos was going down had nearly cost her her life. Her brother was there, and she always had that fear, always watching over her back that he would come for her, take her away and try to conquer her yet again with the unspeakable acts from before. It was from him that she ran. From him, and from the chaos consuming all of Connlaoth. She had to get out. This country was no longer safe for her. How could she call a place home that suddenly turned every mage and magic user into an enemy? How could she call it home when her brother had gone mad?

No, she had to fight, and run and move on. She had to start a life anywhere. So wearily, Kella found herself stumbling into Matron's Hallow. The chaos hadn't quite reached this city, but the rumors had already begun to spread. But she was too tired and thankful the people here didn't look at her as if she were some sinister monster as they had back in Reajh, so she kept her cloak over her head securely, and tightened her coat to keep it snug against her body. She just needed to find more supplies, but she was almost out of money, and she had no idea where to go from here. She was so hungry, she found herself shaking as she moved down the street, looking for something, anything that can help her on her way. Maybe food first, then she could focus on the rest later, as she took in the savory aromas steaming out from a nearby tavern.

Standing outside the front, she stared in through the window, but was taken back when she noticed her reflection. She was soiled and dirty, her hair beginning to come in longer again. She'd have to cut it soon. And a bath would be needed, but it wasn't required to survive. But by the God's, the day was chilling. SHe breathed into her hand.It was still autumn, but today, it felt chilly, as if winter were already well on it's way.  At least she still appeared more like a man, the clothing she had taken from her brother would work wella nd was so soiled, it was undetectable that it was his.. or, at least she hoped her brother would not detect it. But she was always on edge, so when someone approached her, she gave a yelp, then looked away.

"Eh? You ok there, sir?" the old man asked, his lower lip jutting out in flickering pout.

Kella cowered away, but simply nodded her head. She was afraid to speak, afraid to give away that she wasn't a man. It was best to pretend to be someone else.. something else.

"Were you interested in coming in? The foods hot and fresh- made daily, and only a few coppers for a bowl!" he said.
She smiled at his words, slowly nodded at them before stepping on inside. But the crowd inside was rather rowdy, so she was thankful there was a quiet seat in the back, a small table with only one other patron sitting at it, and when they hadn't noticed her when she took the seat, she figured it was ok to remain here. It was quieter on this side of the tavern, and she rubbed her hands together and turned towards the fire, keeping her hood over her head still and her eyes to the ground. She'd have to be quick. Get in, get the food, and get out. Maybe get some extra for the road, but that was all she could afford.

Who knew if her brother was aware she was heading south. She had to get over the boarder, and she had to do it fast.

It was the cold days that were the rowdiest. With the weather too chill to burn off steam outdoors, the men drew inward and took to drinking too much to keep their insides warm.

Twenty years ago, Alexander would have been among the lustful youth making fools of themselves and harassing the barmaids. Nowadays, he was content to take a quiet seat out of drink-spilling range and nearest to the fire--and content to keep a watchful eye in case those men did more than stare at said barmaids. Each of those girls was young enough to be his daughter, and he could remember the both of them as children.

So far, things were staying fairly clean and mostly tame. Alexander took a sip of his ale, finishing off the tankard, and was about to order another when a boy slipped in and joined him.

Alexander gave a light chuckle, glancing over at him as he warmed himself. "Too wild a bunch for you too, lad?" he commented

Kella lifted her head, affording a small smile with her soft lips, the only thing, besides the tip of her nose that showed out from her hood, before lowering her gaze, her face once again shrouded in shadows.

"Yes," she said, realizing her voice came out too feminine as she cleared her throat and tried to get it to sound more grated, deep and rough. Though she was too afraid to speak much more than that as she moved uneasily within her chair before settling to a stiff seated position. It was then one of the bar maids came their way. Kella turned as she began to speak, listening to what she asked, and would shake her head 'no' to drinking ale, yes, to water, and a nod for ordering stew.

The young bar maid eyed her for a minute before smirking.
"A quiet one aren't ya?" then she turned to Alexander and her smile widened. "Perhaps you can get the young sir talking before the night is over? It's a cold one out there, might as well keep the pleasantries and warmth indoors, eh?" Then she bowed off. "I'll be back with your order." ANd she studied Alexander a moment and inquired, "Oh, is there anything else I can get for you while i'm over here, Mister Beringer?"

Alexander laughed and gave the girl a wink. "You know me, Angie. I'm a talker. I'll get him chatting if I don't chat his ear off first. Anyway, I could use some more ale, if you'd be so kind," he said, sliding the tankard over for her to take.

As she bustled away, he turned his attention back to the new boy.

"Haven't seen you around before," he commented, fingers playing absently with his beard. "Then again, there isn't much of you to see, bundled up like that! You with the troops that came through here?"

Kella was quiet as she listened to their exchange. Had she not been on the run, afraid of being exposed, she would have been happy to be in such company. But times have changed and not only would her own life be in jeopardy, but his. And possibly everyone in this establishment. At that fact, she looked around fearfully before lowering her gaze once again and shuffled within her chair. She was too paranoid. Of course there was no sign of her brother, Blaith. But one could never be too sure...
They came from a rich family, so they could have eyes and ears just about anywhere.


She had almost missed Alexander's words, so when he spoke, her head jerked over in his direction, appearing startled (because she was). He'd be able to see her lips, but nothing more, a frown upon their paleness as she simply turned away with a shake of her head and answered in a low, cautious, rough voice, "No."

Even though he was covered, his body language was obvious: the slight shuffling in his seat, the way he didn't quite seem able to sit still and kept looking about, the way he jerked when Alexander spoke and turned away when he answered. Not to mention the curt, quiet response. Alexander hadn't survived long years as a soldier by being unobservant, and the behavior was odd enough that his jovial demeanor slipped and turned instead to concern.

The boy wasn't just a shy thing avoiding the noise; no, this was the behavior of a hunted thing. The kid looked like he was trying to be invisible, holed up back there and all covered up in a room that was too warm for that, and his jumpiness spoke of someone who was on high alert. Alexander just wondered who the foxes were.

Leaning in closer, Alexander lowered his voice to a whisper. "You in trouble, lad?"

Kella was taken back when the man leaned in closer, causing her to lean away in surprise, and maybe, only briefly, giving him a slight look of her face. But she simply shook her head, 'No', despite feeling she was caught red handed. She feared he might misinterpret what she was afraid of. And although she ran, she was no real criminal. Besides, this wasn't a problem she was about to just dish out to some stranger. It was bad enough her mere touch could kill someone, let alone her brother, suffering from the same cruel twist of magic, was after her like a lioness stalking it's meal.

Alexander caught only a glimpse of the boy's face, enough to see that he was very young and fair-skinned with a hint of blond hair, but not enough of a look to see if there was anything familiar there. Still, with how determined the boy seemed to stay hidden, his silent protest was clearly a lie.

Alexander glanced out at the busy crowd, which was quite jolly and distracted, and then back at the stranger.

"Look, lad, if you're in trouble, it's alright. I'm not gonna throw you to the wolves. But if you need help, I may be able to do something to keep them at bay. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Though..." He gave a little chuckle. "I remember being your age, and how some things can sure seem like the end of the world at the time. But the world's still here and so much older than the troubles of so many youngsters. Say, what's your name?"

And then, thinking better of it, he added, "If you give me a fake name, it's not like I'll know the difference."

Kella stared down at her lap, hoping she appeared as small as she felt. But really, she hadn't the power to simply make herself disappear, and she had to eventually interact with people if she was going to get out of the country.

"I don't have a name, but please believe me when I say my trouble is real, and that I wish to abstain from speaking of it." And she hoped her voice sounding convincing enough to be a males, though it was hard for her to play it up, especially when she kept her voice low so it would only carry to him. She also hope the man would drop the subject. She wanted to remain inconspicuous after all.

Hmm...there was something odd about his voice. It had been easy to miss when the lad was giving one-word answers, but now that he was speaking in full sentences, Alexander couldn't help but notice it seemed a little forced. Like the parody of a man's voice, the sort of voice people used when, well...

When they were pretending to be a man.

It was the exaggerated roughness that did it--and was certainly not the sort of voice he would have expected to go with such a youthful face.

Now, he didn't want to be too presumptuous, considering he'd met plenty of people with mismatched voices, but slowly the puzzle pieces were sliding into place. He decided to take a chance; the worst that could happen was he was wrong and the lad was offended, and that was nothing a lot of apologizing and a drink on him couldn't soothe!

Resting his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand, he gave a little shrug and kept his voice low. "You know, the trick to playing a man isn't always a deeper voice," he said with a smile. "Young men have higher voices."

Kella was take back by the directness of the man's words, but she could sense it was in good humor, and upon that realization, she released her held breath. He might have even been able to detect the smile upon her lips as she lowered her head.

"I shall keep that in mind for next time," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper before she peered curiously over at him. He was a lot older than she, though not really, if you calculated the real age she was more than what she looked like, for time had only been generous to her due to the loss of life- a life she had inadvertently stolen from a poor child working in the stables. His memories still haunted her from time to time, but it was something she has since dealt with since the incident.

And this gentleman looked kindly enough, with a ready smile on his face, and slightly rough features, something that reminded her of some of the soldiers from back at home. But it was his eyes that put her at ease, those clear, blue eyes set against a friendly and handsome face and in spite of herself, she found he smile growing, even if it came uneasily upon her lips.

"If you must know my reason for being here, I'm simply passing through, hoping to get to the boarder before the month's end." And well before winter... the weather had already changed increasingly fast, with cold nights, and crisp air during the day. The leaves had already changed, and in some areas, all were already dropped from the trees and littered the grounds in layers of blood red colors, ochres, and crisp browns. And as she continued to study him, she realized her manners and looked away, her own blue eyes going to her lap.

Ah, so he was right! Alexander's eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched her, noting the way her body seemed to relax. It had been a risk, he'd admit; his words could have just as easily spooked her and made her bolt from the tavern. But he'd been hoping frankness and a relaxed, casual approach would help soften any fright that gave her.

Turns out, he'd been right.

His smile grew, and as she studied him, he studied her right back, hardly minding. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe he'd mistaken her for a boy--but he'd seen plenty of boys that could qualify, so perhaps not. Now the question was, what made her take to dressing up and trying to pass as a man? There were a few possibilities he could think of, and what with her mention of trouble and skittish behavior, none of them were good.

"You won't make it to the border," he said with a frown, playing with the beads in his beard out of habit. His brow creased. "It's a long ways from here, and the weather's about to get bad. Not to mention there've been soldiers going through here."

He paused and looked at her, hoping she would grasp his meaning, which was twofold. Not only did it mean there could be trouble afoot, but he'd been a soldier once, and though they protected the nation, they were still men, and not all of them good men. "It's not safe for a woman on her own."

For a long while Kella stared at him, but quickly tore her blue eyes away, glancing down at her lap where she nervously played at the hem of her long jerkin.
"I'm aware. There's been much chaos," she said softly. "I have just been from the capital." Surely she wouldn't have to entertain more news than that. All of Connlaoth was in an uproar, and Reajh was the city that faired the worse of them all.

Alexander paused when the barmaid came by, with water and stew for the lady and ale for him. When she asked if they needed anything else, Alexander declined with a polite smile, and once she was gone, he turned back to the woman.

"I'd consider hunkering down for a while, miss," he said, taking a sip of ale, and then added with a frown, "Do you even have a place to stay? Where have you been sleeping?"

Kella shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't sure how to answer his question, so she frowned and said nothing, and looked down at the food.
"Do not trouble yourself. I have been making do," she said, hoping the gentleman would leave it at that, though she hesitated as she looked at the food. She as famished, but being put on the spot light like she was, under this man's (evenly seemingly innocent) scrutiny, had her stomach tying itself in knots.

Alexander held up his hands. "Ah, sorry, miss. I'm just concerned," he said, and sat back in his chair.

"I don't mean to stick my nose into your business, I'm just, well, a man." He chuckled. "Got that 'fix it' instinct. Used to drive my wife batty when she just wanted to vent and here I am, giving her advice when she just wanted me to listen."

Kella glanced up at him curiously at the mention of his wife, her eyes, more full of emotion, as they stared at him, studying him from beneath the veil of shadow cast down from her cloak.
"It doens't seem like such a bad flaw," she smiled a little bit, then looked down at the bowl of soup. "There could be worse things a man possesses." And though she hated to admit it, it was nice and comforting to have a conversation like this, it helped ease some of the tension from the severity of her situation. Which helped loosen the knot in her belly. SHe lifted the soup to her lips, blew on it softly, before takign her first bite.

"Oh, sure," Alexander agreed with a chuckle. "There's plenty worse! But there being worse didn't make it any less annoying."

And with a wink, he added, "And I never said that was my only flaw. I also snore loud enough to shake the walls."

Kella smiled, keeping her head down as she looked at her soup.
"To be fair, most men snore," she retorted in good humor, her breath still soft and low, but gentle. ANd she peered up at him but once before eating some more soup. But as she swallowed it down, she became silent as she stared at her reflection in the soup bowl, thinking back to the men in her life.... Mainly her brother, who was now her enemy.

Alexander laughed. "Well, if we wanna be real fair, so do most women," he said, then winked. "We just tell them they don't out of politeness, let them keep up the dainty image and all."

But she had fallen silent, and Alexander took another gulp of ale during the lull before asking, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," she replied, shuffling beneath the weight of his gaze. But she didn't look up, and moved to start to eat her soup slowly, once again.

OOC: SHort post |8*
from the short post-a-bus 8D

ooc: BEEP BEEP! 8D

---

Alexander looked at her, seeming to consider her, then shrugged and downed the rest of his ale. He was concerned about her--couldn't help it, damn his bleeding heart and "fix it" mentality--but it was hard to diagnose a solution when you didn't know the problem. And he wasn't about to force someone to open up, nor force someone to accept help they didn't want--or possibly didn't even need. His concern didn't trump her right to feel comfortable, and she was just a woman while he was a rather large, strange man.

She had every right to feel wary of him. There was no way she could know his intentions, and he had no way of knowing her history.

He decided to change the subject.

"So, how long are you staying in town?" he asked, just making conversation.

OOC: X3

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When the conversation had grown quiet, she felt a bit guilty for it. She was normally never like this. Infact, she liked to entertain and make others smile. But times were different, times were tough, and before she had a chance to reply to him, a familiar man swathed in dark attire stepped into the room, and her spoon fell into her bowl. She was surprised she hadn't pissed herself. It was one of her brother's trusted scouts.
And he was here. And she knew he was hunting after her.

The clatter of the spoon dropping into a bowl got Alexander's attention and he glanced over at the girl, and then looked sidelong at the door where a new man had entered.

Dressed all in dark clothing, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together.

Why did assassin sorts always stand out so much? No matter, that wasn't the important issue here. The important issue was he was fairly sure he knew who was making this girl frightened as a hare.

The man had walked passed them and headed to the bar, where he was speaking to the barkeep, back turned to them. Alexander nudged the girl's foot under the table to get her attention. "That your trouble?" he whispered, and set his empty mug aside, casually so as not to draw attention.

He gave a meaningful glance. "My home's not far from here."

At his question, Kella nodded meekly. She could't let herself be seen. But at his comment, her eyes met to his, both worry and fear for herself, and for him, filling her eyes.
"It would be too dangerous for you," she warned him in nothing more than a whisper. "I.. I have to go." ANd she slowly moved to rise, an action that caught the very attention of the man she was trying to deter. And she froze instantly beneath the man's gaze. Oh no! Did he recognize her!?

Alexander jumped to his feet and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders as though to support her.

"Careful there, Jon," he warned, and with a hearty laugh, he smacked her on the back, right between the shoulders. "I warned you not to drink so much. Here, let's get you out before you make a mess all over these nice peoples' tables. Get you home, get some bread in you, hopefully soak it all up before the headache kicks in..."

He flipped a coin onto the table, a tip for the barmaid, and pulled the girl along as he headed outside. "Kid like you hasn't got the beer belly for this kind of drinking yet," he said, shaking his head. "But I'll give you props for the effort."

Kella was stunned, left frozen by the man's actions. She grit her teeth at their close proximity, flinching not because of the fear of the hunter any longer, for the pair of them were already being lead outside, but for Alexander's life. One touch to her skin.. and his life could be sucked right out of him. She waited a few paces though, trying to catch her breath before turning to him and looked at him squarely in the eye.

"Thank you for the distraction, but you must be careful," and she hesitated, not sure how to explain what she meant, but blinked back a few tears and looked away. "I.. I should be on my way. It is too dangerous here," she whispered, moving to pull away from him, when her boots slipped in the mud, now slick with fallen leaves, as she let out a gasp and clutched onto him out of reflex. But then her eyes widened as she jerked away, releasing her grip quickly, her heart racing a mile a minute. Thank the gods for her leather gloves, and that they were thick and reached up well over the elbow on her arm.

"I'm.. I'm sorry I-" but she knew not what to say. He was only trying to help, but in helping her, he put himself in danger..a nd in more ways than one.

As the girl slipped and grabbed for him, Alexander reached out to support her around the waist, only letting go once she'd gotten her footing again. "Careful there," he warned, a hint of amusement in his eyes. She had warned him to be careful, and yet the poor thing was the one most in need of caution and help.

Not understanding what she was truly afraid of, he continued on. "Don't worry about me, because I'm not worried about someone like that. Now listen." He turned to look at her, frowning. "You are in no state to be out here right now, especially not with the likes of him looking for you. I don't know what kind of trouble you're in or what got him dogging you, but I do know that right now you have everything to lose if you set off on your own right now."

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the scout as he exited, and with a hand on the girl's gloved forearm, he put his back to the man and pulled her along. He kept his voice low. "You've got a stalker tailing you, the air smells of rain, night's coming, and you're scared as a mouse. I won't make you do anything. But I can't in good conscience let you go without advising you at least consider it. Just for a night. Give you time to regroup, warm your bones, maybe shake this fellow."

He glanced at her. "I don't know you or what happened, girl. But you seem decent. I don't want you getting hurt."

Kella visibly pouted. She was at a loss of what to do, but with the scout friend of her brother's right behind them, she felt she had little options. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she nodded her head.
"M-maybe," she said softly. "But only for the night." ANd she waited for him to lead the way, while leaning into him, trying to keep herself as inconspicuous as possible and although the other man's eyes lingered upon the pair, he paid them no heed in that moment.

"Only for the night," Alexander agreed, relaxing as she consented. Thank Ansgar. If she refused and left on her own, he didn't know what he'd do. It just didn't sit right with him, and he hated the idea of someone getting hurt or worse when he could have prevented it--even if it was their choice. And this poor thing was pulling on his heartstrings something fierce. There was clear strength in her beneath the fear, and he'd liked her smile, for the brief moment he'd seen it.

He didn't know why she was running, but he'd seen the faces of many an unsavory person, and reckoned himself a good judge of character. She just didn't seem bad.

Walking with her, still pretending to guide a drunken friend home, it wasn't too long before they reached his humble home, and in good time, too, for it had just begun to drizzle. He lead the way up to his door and ushered her inside, then grabbed a flint and lit some candles to light up the room.

His home wasn't a big one, only consisted of a few small but cozy rooms--the main room, with its hearth, a room for storage, and his bedroom. There were a few small windows, but they were currently shuttered against the weather. Alexander headed further inside to light the hearth for warmth. "Make yourself at home."

OOC: Only for the night! OH HO HO >:D
Sorry, couldn't resist XD
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Kella remained quiet, her blue eyes taking in the room as she lifted a gloved hand to remove the hood from upon her head. Now without tunneled visions from the hood, she was able to get a better look at things and she smiled. The place seemed nice and cozy, definitely a place well for a widow like himself. She noticed he kept it rather tidy, and there was a pleasant smile upon the place, though at his words of 'make yourself at home' she paused to look around, shifting uneasily and not sure quite what to do with herself. But she was thankful to be out of the weather, and... away from her brother's friend.

It was a horrible feeling, to be hunted like a dog, and after a time, she wiped her boots off upon the small throw rug beside the door before taking a seat beside a small table and chair set.
"So is it just you who lives here?"s he inquired, peering around at the room again.

ooc: >8D VURRY RISQUE~!

---

"Just me," Alexander said as he kicked his boots off by the door. With a chuckle, he gave her a wry look. "Is it that obvious?"

Though the place was indeed kept very clean, for Nura had trained him well, and he had needed it after an early life spent soldiering. Now it was simply habit.

As she took a seat, Alexander stepped closer to her and held out a hand. "Can I take your cloak for you? It'll get warmer in here, I promise! No sense staying in that wet thing. And is there anything I can get you? You hardly touched your food, so you've gotta be hungry. And," he added with a knowing smile, "you're going to need your strength for whatever journey you're bound and determined to make."

Kella was staring at him, doe eyed for a time. A small smile graced her lips at his reply, and she cast her blue eyes bashfully towards the table.
"Perhaps a little," she admitted, but when he approached and offered a hand back, she flinched back, gripping tightly to her cloak. "N-no.. I'll, I'll be fine with it on. I'd rather.. rather not." And she frowned, staring at the hand and looked away to stare at the ground now through long lashes.

But then she fidgeted, grew awkward and tucked back her hair from her face.
"I... well, if it's not too much trouble," she began, quietly. "I could use something to eat."

"My apologies," Alexander said, letting his hand drop and feeling a little sheepish as he started to see things from her perspective.

Oh, goodness...er, hopefully she didn't think he was trying to get fresh with her? He realized then that this...was perhaps a very uncomfortable situation for her for reasons beyond being hunted. Here she was, a young solitary woman, alone with him, an older and rather burly retired soldier, in his home. He knew his own intentions here, but she of course had no way of knowing they were entirely pure. Erk. Well, best be extra careful so as not to spook the poor thing more.

So he didn't let the awkwardness hang there long. Instead, he smiled, stepped back, and turned to go fetch her some food. "It's no trouble at all, miss. If it was, I wouldn't offer," he told her with a wink.

And so he fetched her what he had--a bowl of pottage from the hearth, made earlier that day and still hot. He had banked the fire before he'd left for the tavern, not wanting to risk any accidents, and he hadn't been gone long.

He fetched her a heel of bread and an apple and set it on the table for her, before fetching her a cup of ale to go with it. It was watered down ale, not like what was served at the tavern, but after drinking bad water in the military and nearly dying from the fever, he didn't trust water.

"There we go. Sorry I don't have more--I really need to go to market."

Kella watched him, then cast her eyes towards the table when he conceded to let her keep her cloak, in whch she loosened her grip upon. It was only then, with knuckles still white, she released a breath she didn't know she had been holding and then raised her blue eyes to watch him work. When the drink and porridge came, she stared at them through her lashes and whispered, "Thank you." Then at his last comment, she smiled up at him. "Do not worry about it, I am grateful for your help. Finding a place to stay on my travels south is more than I could ask for. The fact you're being so kind and offering me food is enough. I shall be fine with this until tomorrow." ANd she smiled a little towards him, then slowly began to eat, taking careful spoonfuls into her mouth, and eating with all the proper airs of a lady, even if she was a little hunched.

OOC: ...lol. Just realized I wrote "hell of bread" instead of "heel". xD THAT MUST BE SOME BREAD.

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Alexander got himself a cup of ale and joined her at the table, sitting across from her. "Well, in the meantime, if there's anything else you need--provisions, for example--I can see what I can do about that. We have a good market here, and I need to visit it tomorrow anyway, so maybe you could come with me."

He took a sip of ale. "I just noticed you aren't carrying anything on you, so it might be wise to pack a few things. The way you're going, there might not be any towns for a ways, so you'll want to be prepared. Unless," he said, smile turning teasing, "you plan on hunting for your meals and sleeping in hollow trees?"

Kella stared up at him, her eyes large and questioning before glancing down to her lap.
"I hadn't the time to properly prepare," she said, shifting uncomfortable. "I had to leave Reajh as soon as I could." She looked down through her lashes. "It just wasn't safe there, nor here... or anywhere here, I'm afraid." She sighed. "I could not ask you to trouble yourself. I haven't the coin on me to really pay you for supplies." She told him in earnest, looking up worriedly from where she sat.

Though at his mention of hunting, she smiled, but only a little before averting his gaze, looking dwn at her lap where her gloved hands fidgeted

"No.. I'm afraid I am not so good at hunting. So far, I've managed to eat off of whatever scraps I could procure along the way.. and.." she held a breath, knowing she only had a few gold left on her person.
"With the little bit of money I do have..." she didn't want to admitt at first she had any coin but... well, he didn't seem the type to wish to steal a poor girl's coin.
"Though my money has almost but run out."

"Can a lady really a trouble a man if he invited her? And if he planned on going to that place regardless of whether she went or not?" Alexander asked with an amused smile. He set his ale down and shook his head.

"It's no trouble, miss, really. If it was too troublesome, I wouldn't ask at all. Besides, you'd be doing me a favor more than anything--I'm terrible at shopping, always forgetting things, always getting distracted by the pretty ladies, always running my mouth gossiping instead of focusing on the task." He winked. "If you can keep me in line and make sure I get the things I need, you can consider whatever help I've given you paid back in full."

Resting back in his chair, he added, "That's the only payment I ask."

Kella blushed at his comment and went awkward and silent.
"Yes.." she said, her smile still small, her cheeks still pink. "I suppose I could help with that."

Alexander's smile brightened. Was that a blush he saw there? Her hood obscured her face still, but he thought he saw a hint of pink, and he couldn't help but think that what he'd seen of her was very pretty--pretty enough that it felt silly now that he'd assumed she was a boy.

"Thank you, dear!" he said, and finished off his ale. That should do it for the night. Any more and he might start to feel it. "Of course, if you'd rather not, I understand. And no hard feelings if you decide to slip off in the night--you're not a prisoner!" he said with a chuckle. "It's just, well, times being what they are, I think we could all be a little kinder to one another."

He rose to his feet and pushed in his chair. "I'll get your bed ready. You can take my bed and!" He held up a finger as though expecting protest. "Before you say anything, it's not an issue. Isn't proper for a lady to sleep on the floor."

Kella had opened her mouth to protest, though she quickly closed it with a smile. As she peered up at him, her cool blue eyes would be evident now.
"Thank you," she replied softly, looking down at the table, then back up to him she looked again and inquired, "Might I be able to help? It's the least I could do, as a guest."

Alexander considered her question for a moment. There wasn't much to get ready; he just needed to change the linen out for clean ones. But he decided not to say that. She already seemed to believe he was doing too much for her, that she owed him a great deal, so if she was offering to help here, he would let her. As someone who hated accepting help himself, he understood the need to not feel indebted, to feel like you were doing something to contribute.

So he smiled brightly and nodded. "Sure. The bed's gotta be made and, well, I'm not the best at making it look pretty. Besides, it's a chore that passes quicker with two, eh? It's right over here."

He lead the way into the room, which was cozy and minimalistic as the rest of the home. He kept his old weapons there, sword sheathed and placed atop a chest at the foot of the bed, as well as a smaller dagger, because when you lived alone, you could never be too sure, and times were getting rougher. The bed was mussed and the pillows on it were tossed, one on the floor. It was the one area he and his wife could never agree on, and the one area he didn't keep painstakingly tidy, because in Alexander's mind, why bother making the bed when you were just gonna mess it up again at the end of the day?

He moved to one side of the bed and started to strip off the blankets. "There's fresh linens in that chest there," he said, pointing to the end of his bed. "Ah, don't mind the sword."

Alexander's home was very quaint, and it made her feel at peace. So when he inquired if she would be willing to help him make the bed, she smiled and nodded towards him. As she followed him into the room, she did, however, feel a bit uneasy at the sight of the weapons, but at his mentioning not to mind them, she simply nodded, but her eyes still lingered on them before she found herself able to break away. SHe looked down to the chest,a nd bent over to open it, unclasping the metal lock As the lid was opened, she was welcomed by the scent of cedar, somethign she had recalled fondly from home when she and her brother Blaith used to play 'hide away'a nd the cedar chest in her parents room had been the perfect place to hide....

Blinking back the memory, she tucked her smile away and lifted up a pair of fresh sheets. "Will these do?"

"I sure hope so!" Alexander said with a chuckle. "Those are the only spare linens I own!"

Bed stripped, he tossed the blankets and sheets into a pile on the floor, to be collected and taken out to wash later. The bed wasn't anything special, though he was blessed to own a featherbed. Not a new one; once upon a time, his family had been more well to do until his grandfather squandered it all away on whores and gambling. The featherbed was a legacy of those more comfortable times, passed down to him. Even flattened a bit from age, it was still rather comfortable and warm.

He held out his hands to take an end of the sheet and tuck it in on his end. "Say, you never did tell me what I could call you," he said as he worked, finishing up on his side and picking up the pillows, fluffing them, and laying headsheets over them. "I mean, unless you're fine with me just calling you 'Miss' and 'You'," he added with a smile.

Kella gave a small smile at his comment,a nd worked with him to fit the sheet. But then at his question as they were finishing up, she peered over at him at a side glance before lowering her gaze sheepishly to the floor.
"Kella,"s he said softly. "My name is Kella."


OOC: Aaaaaaaaand, now I can't recall if he ever gave his name XD

OOC: LOL! Turns out he never did. xDD

---

"Kella, huh?" Alexander said with a pensive smile. "That's a really pretty name."

He gathered up the blankets and spread them out onto the bed, but left a couple for himself, since he'd be spending the night out by the hearth. Pausing, he tilted his head in thought. Had he introduced himself? He remembered asking her name before, back when she'd been unwilling to give it, but couldn't remember if he had or not. A lot had happened back at the tavern, after all!

He decided to err on the side of politeness. "I'm Alexander, by the way, in case I didn't tell you before. I honestly can't recall! But anyway, Kella." He pat the bed and tossed the leftover blankets over his shoulder. "There you are. Should be nice and cozy, but if you need anything else, don't be afraid to give me a holler."

Kella nodded, and hesitated, realizing it had been quite a long time since she was able to, and.. though she felt mildly uncomfortable asking, she knew not might be her only chance for one.
"A bath," she said suddenly. "If you please, I... I'd hate to trouble you but.. is there anyway I might be able to freshen up or bathe?"and she looked curiously around his place, not sure WHERE he'd be able to offer her such a thing, considering how small and quaint his home was before her blue eyes looked back towards his, a blush gracing her cheeks.

"Oh." Unbidden, Alexander felt his face heat, which was silly as hell, since he'd always joked he was far too old for blushing. With it came a pang of guilt, because his mind sure as fire shouldn't be going there! But what could he say? He was a man, and she was a pretty lady.

"Oh. Of course. Ah, that's no trouble at all! I'll have to heat some water, first, unless you don't mind taking a cold one. But I wouldn't suggest that!"

Stooping down beside the bed, he reached under it and dragged out a wooden tub, large enough for a person to sit in but not particularly deep, so as to be easily stored. "It'll just be a moment while I fetch some water from the well, but it's better than the steam. I wouldn't recommend that."

Kella shuffled uneasily where she stood. But at the mention of the preparations, she moved nearer to him. "Here,"s he said, gently touching his arm with her gloved hand. "Let me help.." and her blue eyes met to his. "Please."

Alexander paused when she touched his arm, and looked up at her, his own blue eyes meeting hers. God, he didn't think he'd noticed her eye color before; the shadow from her hood had kept them obscured, and now he couldn't help but notice how nicely the color contrasted with her skin and hair, or how warm her hand felt through the glove.

He cleared his throat, jerking his eyes away. "Of course, Miss Kella. If you could, you could stoke the hearth, get a good fire going. I've just got the pottage hanging over it now, but we can set that aside for now."

Goddamn, Alex. Get a pretty woman in your house and you lose it.

OOC: nyahahaha
--------

Kella smiled and nodded, silently going to work at tending the fire. SHe had done this well enough before, and soon it was crackling healthily with life. She paused a moment to just stare at it, reflecting back to what had happened, to all of the events that lead her to this moment, to this day.

Blaith... Gods... what had happened to her brother? Since that party in Uthlyn he had changed. Was it because he had murdered?  Did the act of killing a man on her behalf change him so greatly that he snapped? What drove him to try and force himself upon her those many months ago, the night before she ran away? It was almost as if that dirty, scoundrel of a man, Klaus,  the one who had been stalking her for several years since she had come to age, and was the one man Blaith had murdered in secret at that party....  It was almost if that man, Klaus, had taken over her brother's mind... especially in the way Blaith looked at her with a a dark, hungry lust.

A few hot tears began to slide down her cheek, catching the color of the fire and appearing like liquid gold as they ran down her cheeks. Realizing she began to cry, she lifted up a gloved arm and wiped them away. Gods.. she missed her brother, her old life, her family...

What had happened? What had gone wrong?

OOC: OMG THIS IS SO LATE.

---

It didn't take long for Alexander to fetch the water, but it took several minutes longer as he spent some of it standing near the well and collecting his thoughts. A fresh breath of air would get his head back on straight! He was just helping her for the night, after all, and then she'd be on her way. After all, she'd hardly wanted the help he was offering now, and he wasn't about to force more onto her.

He hardly even knew her! And by hardly he meant "not at all". Maybe she was being chased for a very good reason! For God's sake, for all he knew, she could be an actual murderer and a very skilled actress, and here he'd offered her his roof and hearth!

...Highly doubtful, but not out of the realm of possibility.

Bucket filled, he hefted it and trudged back into his home, nudging the door open with his foot and dumping the water into a fresh pot for boiling.

"There we go. Ah, looks like you got the fie going nicely--"

He stopped short when he looked from the pot to her face and caught sight of the redness around her eyes and the tear tracks on her cheeks. He set the bucket down heavily.

"Kella? What happened?"

OOC: It's ok! It happens <3
Yay for Rhi-tastic posts XD
--------------

When he nearly dropped the bucket of water, she gasped and reared back from him fearfully, turning away as she tried to hide her face by casting herself more into shadows as her blonde hair fell loosely over her face. But the fire was too bright, and a golden hue still showed the tail of those tears.

With her hands curled against her sides as she hugged onto herself, she tried to play it off as if he hadn't caught her crying.
"Oh.. you.. you startled me," she replied lamely. She was never any good at lying...

Alexander winced at her reaction and felt guilty for startling her--and concerned for her, given the extremity of her response. She looked genuinely afraid, the reaction of someone who thought a loud noise meant they were going to be hurt. It reminded him, painfully, of a woman who's husband hit her.

"Sorry," he said, and motioned to the bucket. "It was just--ah. I didn't mean to startle you." And now the awkward part. It really wasn't his business, and he didn't want to be pushy or overstep any boundaries, for he had already talked her into staying longer than she had planned.

"But I don't think it was my startling you that made you cry, was it?"

Kella's eyes shot up to his face. If he noticed the tears before, they were more evident now as the crackling glow of the fire reflected off their glittering surface. And her lips dropped open, she didn't know what to say, before she turned from him to hide her face as she brushed at the tears collecting over her eyes- which was a painful chore, considering her annoying, too-big-for-her-sized, leather gloves.

"N-no," she replied softly, through a sniffle. "I'm just tired."
She knew the response was evasive, but she didn't even want to begin to explain. It was easier with him not knowing- she was just passing through anyway.

Alexander let out a slow breath. That made a little sense. She had had a stressful day, from what he could gather, and from what he'd seen--yeah, anyone in her position would be emotionally and physically exhausted by now. To be hunted as she was...that would take a toll on anyone.

She had to be terrified. Pretending to be unafraid only went so far before the emotions broke.

He decided not to press. She would talk if she wanted to, but he wasn't about to make her feel pressured to open up to a complete stranger.

"Well, then, why don't we get that water heated so you can soak a bit, relax, and get some shut-eye? That helps, sometimes," he said with a reassuring smile as he picked the bucket back up. "It'll help you sleep, at least."

Kella gave a small, sheepish nod and avoided his gaze. She felt foolish, but really...
It was hard to trust anyone- even if she wanted nothing more than a friend. SHe was alone. She had to remind herself this. It was safer that way. Not only for herself, but for anyone she ran across.

No one could know her story.
No one could know her name.

Watching as he returned to prepare the water, she delicately tucked back some of her tattered blonde hair.
"Might I be able to help?" She could at least offer to do something.

Alexander got the bucket hanging over the hearth, the healthy fire quickly heating the crude metal. At her offer to help, he chuckled lightly.

"Well, not much to be done now until it heats. But as they say, a watched pot doesn't boil, so how about this..."

He headed around the hearth and picked up a small basket, and filled it with something from inside a large bag. Returning to Kella, he held it out to her, showing it was full of millet.

"I was going to wait to feed the chickens until you were bathing, but they're probably cranky by now. It's an hour past their feeding time. Want to help? Water should be done by the time we get back." And then, with a smile, he added, "Had some chicks just hatch yesterday."

Kella stood there, staring at the chicken feed, but had no idea what to make of it. Was he offering it to her so she could eat it? But then, she quickly felt foolish the moment she realized his intentions and a soft smile graced her features as she nodded.

"That sounds lovely. I'd love to help." And she never had the chance to feed chickens before. It seemed like fun, or at least something to keep her mind off of what truly plagued her mind.

With a smile, Alexander handed her the basket and motioned for her to follow him as he lead the way outside and toward the back of his home. There he kept a small chicken coup--not a lot of birds, just enough to give him some eggs in the morning and a single cranky rooster. He'd grown up keeping chickens, but he no longer ate the ones he kept. His wife had always been softhearted and couldn't stand it, and he couldn't stand upsetting her, so for her he'd agreed that they were strictly for eggs. To this day, he'd kept that promise--even if he often wanted to strangle the rooster.

"Now, they're gentle, they won't hurt you or anything," he told Kella as they approached the coup. "But if you see a rooster, let me know, and don't bother him. He's a mean old ass--" He paused, realizing what he was saying, and cleared his throat. "Pardon. Ah, he's mean."

Hearing his voice, the hens came out running and some fluffy chicks followed, peeping excitedly. They swarmed Kella because she had the basket, loudly demanding their dinner.

The moment she was swarmed by the chicks and the fat old hen, she gasped and nearly dropped the basket. Thankfully, her legs were hidden behind enough clothing the animals could not touch her- and after relaxing some, she found herself smiling.

"So do I just.. sprinkle some of this down there for them?" she inquire, turning towards Alexander, a sparkle glowing across her clear blue eyes. The little fuzzy chicks kept peeping by her feet in a small sea of of yellow fluff and cuteness

"I've never fed chickens before," she said, with ablush.

"Never?" Alexander repeated, holding back laughter. That much was fairly obvious! He didn't mean to laugh, but the poor girl looked so out of place, which made him wonder: who was she?

Any village girl would know how to tend chickens and other common, domestic animals. That was a basic skill. That she acted surprised at the mere sight of them...

"Oh, it's easy! No real talent required," he said with an amused grin. Stepping closer to her, he reached into the basket, took a handful of feed, and tossed it out for the hens. "Just like that. I'd suggest sprinkling it out and away from you if you don't want them scrambling over your feet for their dinner. Just make sure to spread it out so they can all get to it, don't want them to have to shove each other around to get at it."

Seeing the chicks had been pushed out by the hens, he took another handful to show her, sprinkling down a little line of feed in the opposite direction of the hens. Then he bent down and scooped up some of the chicks to put them over by it. Picking up the last straggler, he paused and looked at her. "They're pretty cute when they're little, huh?"

Kella's eyes danced at the sight of the little chick in his hand. It looked so soft and she wondered how it felt, but she dare not touch it- even if it's fluffy feathers might protect it from her touch- she feared something so simple could kill something so small.

"They're adorable," she said, eyes dancing before she looked up at him. "Though I suppose most babes are." Casting her eyes back towards the chick, she kept her hands to herself, even as she inwardly wanted to pet and hold the little thing.

Alexander's grin grew as Kella watched the little chick. Even though she hadn't tried to touch it, he had an inkling that she wanted to--because who wouldn't? There was nothing more precious than baby animals, except human babies, and no one could resist a fluffy little chick. But if she hadn't even fed chickens, perhaps she hadn't been around many animals to begin with--that, and the poor girl just seemed shy in general.

He had a feeling she wouldn't ask to pet the chick even if she wanted to.

Holding the chirping fluffy creature out to her, he smiled. "Wanna hold it while I feed them?" he asked. "They don't bite."

Kella shied away, keeping a hand pressed to her breast as she gaped at the little, adorable cheeping bird.
"I... I couldn't," she said with a shake of her head. "I'd be too afraid to hurt it."
It seemed so delicate. And there was also the issue of her powers....

Alexander shook his head. "Aw, you won't hurt it. Just don't squeeze the little thing and you'll be okay. Just hold your hands out together and make a little cup. See, like this," he said, cradling the little chick between his large hands so it couldn't jump out.

Kella mimicked him, feeling sheepish for doing it with gloves, but was glad he did not question her. And eagerly she held out her hand and tensed when the little chick was given to her, but as she felt it bob around in her palms, her smile broadened and her eyes danced.

"Oh! It's so adorable!" she exclaimed, breathlessly. "Look how it moves! Oh!"

Alexander grinned at her delight. Yup. He still had it! The best way to a woman's heart was through pretty things and cute things, and since he didn't have the money for pretty things, he usually went with cute. Er. Not that that was relevant here or anything; she was a pretty woman, but he was just helping her! And he had to be old enough to be her father! And she would be gone soon...

But he still couldn't help but smile as he watched her, thinking this was perhaps the least guarded he'd seen her since he'd met her.

And that she had one hell of a beautiful smile.

...Ugh.

He laid out a little more feed while Kella tended the chick and then turned back to her. "See? Not so bad, eh?"

And it was at that moment that the cute little chick pooed right onto Kella's pretty gloves.

Kella gasped when the poo went all over her gloves. Her cheeks went pink.
"Oh!" And so as not to mush the feces all over the soft chickling, she - quick as she could, put the chick dwn then looked at her glove.
"I .. I guess I should wash these."
Which, as ironic as it sounded, could put her poor chaperon in very real danger.

Alexander watched it happen in horror.

"Oh...I..." He grimaced, embarrassed. "I'm very sorry for that! Ah. I suppose I should have warned you, and...well, I suppose it's good you're staying the night."

Putting the chick over with its siblings, he turned to Kella. "Here, why don't you take those off and we'll get them washed. There's a stream not far--I'll go fetch the soap!"

Kella blushed at his words and shook her head.
"You do not need to apologize." She offered him a smile, even though it was a nervous one. "But yes... washing them would do well. I need them for travel." ANd protection.

"They're nice gloves, too," Alexander said with a frown, and sighed. Hopefully they would be able to save them. "Wait right here, I'll be right back!"

And with that said, he headed indoors, and returned shortly after with a small brown bar, that had been used down nearly to the nub. It wasn't fancy soap like he figured nobles had, but it did well enough, a blend he'd gotten from the market that was apparently made from goat's milk. He held it out for Kella to see.

"This should do, and we should be able to save the things before the shit--er, before the mess dries."

Kella gave a nod. "Yes, that ought to do just fine." And she stood humbly before him, even if not a bit shy, as she waited for him to guide her to the stream. Well, she had chicken shit on one glove, and a bar of soap remains in the other- she supposed life could be a whole lot worse.

Alexander gave her a wry smile. "I would offer you my arm, but..." His eyes flicked to her gloves and he grinned and gave a helpless shrug. "Maybe on the walk back."

Leading the way, it didn't take long for them to reach the stream that cut through the area behind his home, a shallow thing that worked decently enough for washing and had a quick enough current that it didn't get smelly. He walked along it for a moment, searching for an ideal spot, and then pointed out a small pool that was decently deep.

"This oughta work," he said, and looked up at her. "If you wanna hand me your gloves, I can handle it for you."

Kella blushed at his suggestion and dropped her blue eyes down to the waters.
"N-no. It's alright." She forced a smile. "I can handle it myself. No need to fuss over it, really." ANd daintily, she slipped her glove off of her hand and moved to kneel down beside the stream. She used what Alexander had to offer in the forms of soap, and worked at the glove rather slowly, ensuring most of the chicken poo was gone before rinsing the glove off and shaking out the excess water and turning to him with a small smile.

"I suppose that's that. See? The glove is all clean and good as new." And she presented the soggy glove to him with a dimpled smile.

As she cleaned the glove, Alexander still felt a little bad for her having to do it. Though, he also realized that was kind of silly. When the men were away, who tended the livestock but the women? Most were used to cleaning up messes like that, and yet he supposed he felt bad because Kella seemed so unused to it. And as she scrubbed the glove, his eyes wandered to her bare hand--and he noticed it was soft and lacked visible calluses.

And why wouldn't they look soft when she wore gloves?

The dots slowly began to connect together, the pieces falling into place. Soft hands, didn't know what to make of common livestock...

This Kella, more than likely, came from a privileged background. A runaway, maybe? And if a privileged person was running from their privileged life...indeed, what would cause them to leave all that behind?

Nothing good.

Kella snapped him from his thoughts when she finished and held up the glove, and his eyes blinked back into focus. Whoops. "Hm? Oh, yes! Much better!" he said, and tried not to chuckle at the way she presented it, as though awaiting his approval. "Now it's just all wet, but if you hang it near the hearth, it shouldn't take long. I suppose if you've anything else that needs washing before your journey, now's the time!"

"Oh, but I couldn't inconvenience you any more!" Kella pressed, already feeling terrible for having dragged him out here for just a soiled glove.

"If it was an inconvenience, I wouldn't have brought it up," Alexander said with a smile. "You don't have to keep fretting about being burdensome, Kella. I wouldn't suggest something I didn't want to do. Honestly, I wish I could help you more."

He paused, glancing past her at the landscape spread out beyond. "It's dangerous out there for a woman on her own. Especially during times like these."

At such a question, Kella lowered her head- ashamedly.
She knew this reality quite well. But she had little choice.
"No.. just the gloves should suffice," she told him quietly, eyes remaining dropped and soggy glove in hand.

Alexander frowned and bent down a little, just enough to try to see her face.

"Kella, I don't want to pry too much, but...to be honest, I'm worried about you. I know I hardly know you, but..." He shrugged awkwardly. "May I just ask, do you have a plan? A plan for if things go wrong? A way to protect yourself?"

Kella's eyes went to his, then after he posed his question, they dropped to the ground.
"Plan?" It seemed like such a foreign concept- something she abandoned along with her other life so long ago. "I... well I... I just know I have to get out of here. And just get some place far... as far as south as possible." She shifted uncomfortably. "I... I wanted to visit Serendipity." A lie, but what more could she say? That her brother was crazy? That she was the twin sister of the duke of Turgall? All of it seemed crazy..
As crazy as her life had become.

"Serendipity?" Alexander repeated, head cocking in puzzlement. "Why would you want to...?"

And then he trailed off, his eyes going wide with sudden realization.

Kella was running from someone.

She was in danger for some reason.

And she wanted to go to Serendipity.

"Oh. God...Kella...you're a mage, aren't you?"

Kella winced at such an idea, a hand clutching to her chest as she moved away from him. One step.. then two, her eyes wavering and threatening with tears.

Fuck. He probably could have approached this issue more sensitively, and now he'd gone and scared her! And there were few things worse than a crying woman--actually, the only thing that topped that was being the reason for her tears.

Wincing, and wanting to slap himself, Alexander took a slow step toward her. "Oh, no, no, I'm sorry, Kella, I just--I won't tell anyone, or hurt you, or anything like that! I've known several mages, even!" God. That sounded weak, and he had a feeling he wasn't making this better.

"I just mean if you're in trouble, especially in trouble over something like that, I--your secret is safe, is what I'm trying to say."

Words were words, and Kella realized she was no longer safe or welcome here. She gave him just a brief look of apology before whirling away from him and dashing away. Yes it was foolish and she had no idea where she was going- but now it was not safe for either of them- and especially since she chose to won, she already admitted to her guilt.

She was a mage. So what if he knew others? Who could she trust? And if he knew what sort of mage she was....

No one could know. And she refused to look back and kept on running, not realizing she had dropped her glove behind her in the snow.

There she went, running through the snow, and Alexander just wanted to throttle himself. How could he be so stupid?! Whatever hard-earned trust he'd won with Kella, he had certainly done a great job of shattering it just now, with three simple, damning words: you're a mage.

And Kella, by running, had only confirmed it.

"Kella!" He started after her, but then paused, catching sight of something in the snow: her glove. He stopped only long enough to scoop up the wet article, which was already growing ice crystals, and then he took off after Kella, boots crunching through the snow. God. A storm was supposed to roll in in a day or so, and while the nights hadn't been too cold, it would grow unbearable fast. And to think of Kella, a rogue mage, hunted by soldiers and freezing to death in the snow all because he couldn't keep his damned mouth shut...

"Kella, wait!"

The snow made running harder, but he was taller and his legs were longer--and even after so many years out of the service, Alexander had kept active. It wasn't long before he was gaining on her, and it wasn't long before he overtook her.

And, without thinking, he grabbed onto her and scooped her up out of the snow and into his arms like a bride.

Kella knew he was gaining on her but she refused to look back. Fear pulled her forward and her heart was pounding in her ears. But the moment she felt him tackle, then scoop her up into his arms she let out a cry, a shriek as her arms went instinctively around him-
and her bare hand touched the skin of his neck, and he'd be able to feel the seering, pulling sting of her power trying to drain him raw of life.

Kella touched his neck--

And Alexander instantly felt it. A searing, stinging pull, like something was trying to suck out his very essence, suck out everything that made him him, and Alexander gave a choked gasp and went rigid as his strength drained out of him, sending them both toppling into the snow.

Kella knew that cry, and heard that cry too many times before. And just as she tried to yank her hand away, down into the snow they went. And though it hurt, and she lay there in a crumpled mess half beneath him, she realized, as she felt the bitter cold ground at her touch, that at least she was no longer touching his flesh. Though before he had a chance to regain himself after such a shock, she pulled her legs out from under him, but found herself too weak with guilt to rise off her knees as she peered at him and sobbed, "Gods... I'm so sorry."

"W...what?"

A little dazed, Alexander blinked up at Kella. He felt cold, and wet, snow melting a little from his body heat, and Kella was on her knees beside him...

Sobbing?

Alarmed, Alexander pushed himself to a sitting position. "Kella? Kella, what's wrong? What just happened?" And then, a pause, and he cast his eyes around in confusion. "...When did we come out here?"

For though Kella hadn't touched him long, thank God, she had touched him long enough to take his memory of the last few minutes.

She hadn't picked up to his confusion, she was in too much despair. And she found herself still sobbing, still exclaiming, "It's my fault! I shouldn't.. I shouldn't have touched you. I.. I shouldn't even be here! I need to go... please." And those tear filled blue eyes pleaded with him.

Alexander was growing even more confused now, and alarmed, because he felt he was missing something, and missing something important! Why was Kella crying? And worse, why did she look so terrified?

Reaching out, he took her gently by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Kella, honey, slow down. It's okay. Just try to calm down talk to me, please. What's your fault? What happened? Why are you crying? It's okay, Kella, I'm okay, just tell me what's wrong."

Had he...blacked out, maybe? Slipped and fallen in the snow? He couldn't remember the last few minutes--he could remember washing her glove, and talking to her about her plans, and then...well, here he was now.

"Please don't touch me!" She cried as she flinched back at his touch, fearing she might harm him again. And she struggled under his strong grip, more tears forming in her eyes.
"Please! Let me go!"

With a grimace, Alexander released her, not wanting to further distress her. "I'm sorry, Kella, but...please. I need to know what's going on. What happened?"

Kella backed away, her heart hammering as she shook her head.
"It's... it's best you do not know." And she trembled, taking another step back. "Please... do not follow me. I must leave."

"Kella, with all due respect, if you go running out there like this you're gonna freeze to death," Alexander said, though he did not advance as she retreated. She was already spooked and he didn't want to scare her more by getting all up in her space.

He took a deep breath. "Just...try to calm down, alright? Let's get you inside, get some hot tea in you, and figure this thing out, alright? Whatever happened, it's okay. It's gonna get dark soon, and I won't be able to sleep knowing I let you run out into the snow, alone, with nothing, to fend for yourself against whatever men and monsters are lurking there."

Though she knew he was right, she could not oblige, as more tears clung to her eyes. She gave a shake of her head, taking another step back.

"I've survived this far on my own..."
Snow, men and monsters aside. She'd rather parish that way then to have her harm this man any further, or to have him figure out what had occurred-
and she'd be brought to tbe public, her secret revealed, her family shamed.

And she?
She could possibly be dead. Though she supposed that was better than facing... whatever had become of her brother, Blaith.

Alexander took a deep breath. He wanted to reach out and shake her, or just toss her over his shoulder and carry her inside and into the warmth, but he stayed where he was and reached into that deep well of patience. Just keep trying to reason with her. If he had to, he would haul her inside for her own good, but he didn't want to have to do that.

"Wait until the morning, at least?"

Kella grit her teeth, those same tears still clinging as a few began to roll down her cheeks.
Though she didn't bolt, all she could whisper to him from where she remained frozen before him was, "I can't..."
Why couldn't he see? And it was then she began to shake as the tears came flooding down her cheeks.

Alexander closed his eyes and took a deep breath, weighing his options. Let her go, and have to  live with himself after that, knowing he'd let some poor girl who was being hunted by God knows what run off into the cold wilderness to die or be raped, or...

Grab her and carry her inside, whether she liked it or not.

He didn't like either option. He didn't like the idea of forcing her to do anything, of robbing her of her autonomy and likely scaring her to death. But if it would save her fool neck, then by God, he was willing to make an exception, even if she hated him for it. Ugh. What had happened, though? What had happened that he couldn't remember? Things had been going well! At least, he thought it had! And then, suddenly, all this fear and crying.

He let his breath out slowly. Man up, soldier.

"You can," he said at last, and then he crossed the distance between them and scooped her up, depositing her over his shoulder before he turned back toward his home.

Before she had a chance to even react, she was in his arms and tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Yelping, she squirmed over his shoulder.
"No, please! Put me down! I might hurt you!" She cried out, on the verge of tears.

...She might hurt him?

That's what she was yelping about when he was the one hauling her around?

Baffled, Alexander continued onward to his home. "I think the cold may have gone to your head," he said, heading up the porch. "Just...please calm down. We'll get you warmed up, then I think it might be a good idea for you to get some sleep."

Kella was in tears by the time they reached the porch, but fear of touching him made her freeze up. What if she were to touch him again? He could lose.more.than just those few.seconds of memory.

Kicking the door open, Alexander swept Kella into his home, and pushed the door closed with his foot. Once that was done, he swung her down and set her on her feet carefully, then looked her over with concern in his eyes.

"I don't mean to scare you, but I just don't think you realize what you'd be running off into," he said.

Once she was on her feet and had a chance to look him in the eyes, she began to shake as tears bubbled within her eyes.
"That was so foolish!" She sobbed, tears quickly blurring her vision. "You don't understand... No one will. I have to get out of this kingdom before... Before more people get hurt!"

Alexander was beyond confused by now. With a deep breath, reaching for the deepest stores of his patience, he said, "Kella, I can't help you if you don't tell me what you mean. How are you a threat to anyone?"

Kella remained cowered, staring back at him as tears clung to her eyes.
"Touch..." she began, her lips trembling as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "My touch it.... if you touch my skin I.." And she turned away, cringing and unable to look at him. "My touch... it is lethal."

Alexander didn't say anything for a moment. He just looked at her, slowly processing her words. If she hadn't been in hysterics earlier, and wasn't still crying and looking terrified now, he might not have believed her. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

And yet, was that so far-fetched, with magecraft in the world?

"Oh," he said, expression sobering as everything suddenly fell into place. How panicked she was when he picked her up, her uneasiness around her gloves...

But even as he processed that, he didn't recoil from her. He just looked at her, a sad, sympathetic look softening his rough features, and let his breath out slowly. "Then I'll be sure to put on gloves," he said at last.

Tears bubbled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks in streams.
"N-no, you.. yo don't understand!" she said, but soon found herself sobbing weakly and pulling away. He was being too nice- and she had already hurt him. Oh, how this broke her heart!

"No, I probably don't..." Alexander admitted with a frown. "But I understand what you've told me. Your touch is deadly. If you touch me, you could kill me. I'm not going to lie and say that isn't spooky, knowing that now after I was manhandling you, but...nothing about this explains why I should let you run into the night and the cold and get yourself killed from exposure or worse."

He rubbed his chin, playing with the beads braided into his beard. He kept his voice calm and level. A younger him would have panicked, most likely, and made rash decisions, but he had calmed over the years and gained a great deal of patience, all earned on the field. It was perhaps his experience over the years that kept him from being as spooked as he probably should have been.

But he'd seen some twisted things. And the worst of them had not been supernatural or magical in origin. A girl that was clearly terrified, upset, and guild-infested hardly compared. This was a woman who didn't want to hurt others, who was hell-bent on risking her own neck just to stay away from the possibility. How could he be frightened of her?

"All this tells me is that we'll just have to be careful not to bump each other. Surely that isn't that hard, now that we're on the same page? What are the limits of your curse? I'm assuming as long as there's a barrier between contact, it won't hurt, right? Considering I carried you over my shoulder with no ill effects."

Kella went quiet- digesting all of this as her eyes remained wet with tears. But it took her some time to gather her thoughts as she wiped away some tears from her cheeks.

"It's... skin to skin, only," she admitted softly, still not looking up at him.

Alexander flashed her a reassuring smile. "There now. See? It'll be alright. As long as we don't hold hands, or you don't slap my face when I'm insufferable, we'll be fine!"

Still too full of worry to smile at his jest, she simply brushed away her tears.
"Thank you," she told him softly, her eyes still down cast, ashamed. "But I... we...." She sighed, words failing her. "I'd still like to leave as soon as possible."
And she hoped he did not take offense. Truly, it was not his fault or his hospitality, but her eyes, now lifted, implored him.


She could never forgive herself if she hurt someone, or killed someone, again.

Alexander gave a slow nod, though he didn't like it. He didn't like the idea of her out there all alone.

"Just...stay until it's safe to travel. Please," he said. "You're not a burden and you're not encroaching, Kella. And I'm not afraid of you. I just don't want you to be hurt."

Kella dropped her gaze at his reaction. She only shook her head.
"If I were to stay here until it is safer, I might never leave," she told him softly. "And I need to be anywhere but here. No where here is safe for me."

That was true. Connlaoth was...not a good place for mages. But Alexander still couldn't help his guilt, and worry.

He let out a low sigh. "Where do you plan on going?"

Kella's eyes flashed up to his before quickly averting to her lap.
She wasn't sure if she should tell him, but she was a terrible liar, and she did not wish to deceive him if she did not truly have to. So meekly she replied, almost too soft to hear...
"Serendipity." But she was obviously still so very far away...

"That's a long journey..." Alexander said, scratching at his beard. "But a smart move, I reckon. If any place would know what to do about your problem, I suppose it would be them...still, you gotta go through mountains teeming with brigands and soldiers alike..."

Cocking his head as he looked Kella over, he said, "What's your plan for getting there? I don't see you carrying much, unless you have things hidden in your clothes."

Kella frowned. SHe wanted to trust this kind stranger, but her fear was set deep. At his query, she dropped her gaze and nervously wrung her hands.

"I travel with what I have... to escape this land.. it was out of desperation. Survival came second to my escape," came her reply, softly.

Alexander nodded at that, unsurprised but still grim.

"Well, you aren't going to escape very well if you don't survive," he said with a wry, thin smile. "So at the very least, let me show you around market so you can get some things you'll need. And at the very least, you'll need something to defend yourself with. A lady like you shouldn't be out there without knowing how to protect yourself."

Caught off guard at such a proposition, her eyes grew large and owlish as she blinked.
"Protect myself?"
No true physical harm could come to her.. did he forget about her magics? However, it wasn't like she was immune to death. Either way, she frowned and stared at him questionably.

"Well, yeah, you--" He caught her look, blinked at her confusion--and then it clicked. Ah. Right. Did she think herself invulnerable, just because she could kill with a touch?

He shook his head. "Yeah. Protect yourself," he repeated, tapping the floor with his boot. "People can hurt you--kill you--without ever laying a hand on you. That's what swords are for." An amused smile tugged at his lips, but he fought it back.

"Not to mention arrows and bullets. Does anyone else know about your...ability? Anyone that does would certainly not be trying to get handsy with you."

Her gaze dropped as her shoulders drooped. There was really only two people alive in the world that knew this secret.
"My.. my cousin, she knows about it," she went on, her throat dry and she, finding it hard to get the words out. "And... And my brother."

"How likely are they to tell other people?" Alexander asked.

She shook her head and her eyes shot up to his.
"Oh! They would not tell a soul!" And the sincerity was there. She truly believed that, even if her brother had become deranged. Because well...
He held the same secret, too.
"I'd trust either with my life!"
Except...
Blaith......

What could she even consider him to be now? He was her only family- and now she was alone.

Alexander narrowed his eyes, almost imperceptibly. There was sincerity in her words, but something about her demeanor at the end that had him wondering. He ignored it for the moment, though; he didn't want to project his own doubts onto her.

"I hope you're right," he said, and looked curiously at her. "Why aren't they helping you?"

Kella's eyes went large in shock at such a question before they dropped. Her hands were wringing as she stuttered, "I ... I didn't want to inconvenience them. My family... if they were to help..."

But how could she explain it? And the more she thought about the, the worst her lying words came out that she could have cried.

"Inconvenience them?" Alexander repeated, a little horrified by that statement. "Kella, I think your family'd want to help their kid. That they'd be horrified to know she's in a life or death situation."

Kella winced and dropped her gaze.
"It.. it's not like that."

"What is it like, then?" And then, a pause as Alexander thought he might be catching on. "...The people after you?"

Kella kept quiet, her gaze to her feet.
"I... I'd rather not talk about it, please," she went on, nervously fussing at her gloves.

Alexander drew in a slow breath, but let the subject drop. "Either way, as I was saying, you should be able to defend yourself against whoever would hurt you. Whoever's after you. Fleeing like a rabbit only does you so much good until the wolves get you backed into a corner. If you're really intent on doing this..."

He frowned down at her. "At least let me show you a few things to help your chances."

Curiously, she peered at him.
"Like what?" she asked, softly.

"Like how to handle a sword," Alexander answered with a small smile.

Kella's eyes went large as she gasped, "A sword? Oh! But I wouldn't know the first thing about how to use one!"

"Well, that's why I said I'd teach ya," Alexander said, biting back his laugh at the expression on her face.

"Don't worry, anyone can use one. Don't you believe that nonsense that only men can learn how to fight. Mordecai and Lilies prove otherwise, and besides..." He frowned. "I think any woman ought to know how to defend herself, considering the world we live in."

"It.. Its a nice thought but..." she but her lip. "I don't think we"d have the time. I... I shouldn't stay longer than the day. I fear I've already stayed too long."

"Well, we certainly won't have time if we spend it debating this," Alexander said with a gentle smile to show he was teasing--though there was concern in his eyes beneath the humor.

Kella stared at him for a moment before she realized he was teasing her and her cheeks heated and she dropped her gaze.
"No.. I.. suppose you're right." And she moved uncomfortably. Even though she was still far away from home... She couldn't help but feel as if she were being hunted, even as she slept. It wasn't until she found herself suddenly yawning that she realized how little sleep she had been getting. She kept her eyes to the floor.

"Would you mind if I slept now? I... I'm not sure when I'll have the chance to do so and I fear I won't be much company other wise." SHe didn't like being moody around others, especially strangers- Kind strangers the most.

"Ah, of course. My apologies, I didn't mean to keep you up," Alexander said, taking a step back. He could imagine she must be exhausted from the excitement of the day--and that little incident moments ago couldn't have helped.

"My bed's yours. I'll be right out here. If you need anything in the night, don't be afraid to wake me, alright?"

She bowed her head.
"I am most grateful for all you've done for me. May Ansgar bless you, your family,a nd your future."

The night would come, and though she found herself in a strange bed, in a stranger's house, she was able to fall asleep quickly, albeit fitfully. She was tossing and turning for hours, murmuring things and shaking from time to time. Eventually, one nightmare compelled her to scream out, "Blaith, no! Please! Please stop!"

And her eyes opened as she sat up with a gasp, heart racing and hands clutching her blanket so tightly into her balled fists her knuckles turned white. Fear kept her still, blue eyes darting all around and it took some time before she realized just where she was.

She wasn't home. This wasn't Turgall, this wasn't the Keep, this wasn't her bed.

Alexander had settled down by the fire with a pillow and a spare blanket, and had just managed to drift off to sleep when a scream had him shooting to his feet. Once a soldier, always a soldier, and he was already wide awake and alert as he bolted to the bedroom, prepared for the worst. Had the people hunting the girl found her?

They would take her over his dead body.

"Kella!" he gasped as he threw the door open and burst inside. But immediately he saw that, thank God, the worst had not happened. She was there, still in bed, and no strangers had come to kill her or take her away. But the terror in her eyes showed that it had no doubt been a nightmare.

Thank God.

He let out a breath, the tension seeping out of him slowly even though he still felt amped up, his pulse pounding in his ears. He let out another breath. "Are you okay?"

She was trembling in the cold and quiet dark. His words carried, but she was still coming out from her nightmare. She couldn't respond, at least not at first, until she realized her eyes were wet with tears which she promptly wiped as she turned away.

"I must've had a bad dream," she told him softly, then lifted her eyes to him. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't apologize," Alexander said, the tension and residual terror in his expression softening as the faint light caught and shimmered on her face, just before she turned it away. Tears, he realized a second later, and he could hear it in her voice, too.

He rolled his shoulders, letting them relax, and took another step closer. "I get them, too. Bad dreams like that." But she had been calling out a man's name, pleading, and his stomach twisted as the implications sank in. Fuck...

But he didn't mention that he had heard. He didn't want to tear the wound open further, didn't want to make her feel more vulnerable than she already was. "Would you...like me to stay with you? Until you fall asleep?"

Her blue eyes were cast towards the ground, arms wrapped around herself as she tried to calm down. But the tears still rolled down her cheeks, forcing her to eventually turn away as she tried to discretly wipe at them.

A moment later she exhaled and nodded.

"That's very kind of you.. but I couldn't ask you to inconvenience yourself anymore than you have... I already feel terribly for Awakening you."

"You're hardly an inconvenience," Alexander said, frowning as he watched her with concern. She was trying to hide it (and doing a rather poor job of it) but whatever she had dreamed, it had really upset her. "And you shouldn't feel bad, either. It's really okay."

He shifted his weight awkwardly, hesitating, scratching at his beard. He was not going to force his company upon her, and if she really wanted to be alone he would respect her privacy, but he would also feel terrible just leaving her in this state with fresh tears still falling. He cleared his throat, looking for the right words.

"Do you wanna...talk about it?" he offered at last.

Kella visibly flinched at the words, turning away with an uncharacteristic, "No!"
She felt her panicked heart racing as her knuckles whitened, she not even realizing how tense she was. 

She shook her head, trying to swallow her panic before nervously peering towards the window, as if something.. or someone might jump clean through it.

Alexander winced, because God help him he was doing a bang up job making the situation worse, wasn't he?

"Ah, alright, alright, that's okay. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, lass."

He drew in a deep breath. The girl was skittish as a wild horse. "Do you want to be left alone?" he asked at last, still wishing there was more he could do.

At that, she tensed. The fear was ridiculous, this she knew, but nightmare or not..

"No,I'd rather not be alone."

She moved uncomfortably.

"Perhaps we could talk a while. If you don't mind. You.. could tell me a story, or just talk about your day."

Anything would be a welcome distraction, and she felt so exhausted the idea she would miss out on more sleep..


She blinked back some tears, eyes still averted Ad she kept them glued to her lap.

Poor girl. Too private to confide her fears, too fearful to be alone. Alexander glanced to the window he'd noticed her peering at, then back to Kella, and gave a slow nod.

"That I can do," he said with a smile, though there was clear concern in his eyes. He motioned to the bed. "Why don'tcha get comfortable again? With any luck, my tale will bore ya back to sleep."

Now he just had to think of a story that was appropriate. He had a collection from his time in active duty, but not many he could tell to a lady. Hmm. As he thought, he took a seat on the chest at the foot of the bed, hand on his chin. "Ah. Ya ever seen a kelpie?"

"Kelpie?" She repeated, brushing back some tears. "You mean magical, shape shifters?"

"Aye," Alexander said, offering a small smile. "Magical shape-shifters. They live in lakes and bogs and swamps and take the shape of a horse—or a beautiful woman. Any fool who tries to touch her, though, will be dragged to the depths and—"

Hm. He paused. Maybe this particular story wasn't the best choice to tell a spooked lady before bedtime, even if it was a rather exciting one. He scratched his beard, awkward, for most of his exciting stories were also a tad bit morbid, too.

"Ah. That one might be a bit too grim, on second thought."

Kella placed a gentle covered hand on his sleeve and have him a small smile. 

"It's okay. You can tell me the tale. I promise it won't frighten me."

Truthfully, it was endearing he stopped to consider her, but after all his excitement.. she couldn't let him let that glow go. Besides, she doubted a tale could spook her worse. She'd lived a varietal nightmare for the past few years... she could take a couple of stories from a man seeking to comfort her.

"I've read some stories about bog men and werewolves... a little lake monster would be a nice addition," She added with a small bit of playfulness to her voice.

Alexander paused for a moment and glanced from the pale hand on his sleeve to her eyes--and suddenly his concern felt a little silly. While he might have no idea what she'd been through, it was clear she had been through something traumatic, survived it, and was no doubt tougher for it. She certainly didn't seem the sort of lady he needed to walk on eggshells around, but all the same, he didn't want to accidentally dredge up anything painful or uncomfortable for her.

He also didn't want to patronize her.

It was her playful 'little lake monster' remark that reassured him.

"Well, I wouldn't call her 'little'," he said with a wry smile. "But I think I was about, oh...eighteen, nineteen? It was winter and there wasn't much to do but the usual drills, scouting...dull work, really, except for a few bandit raids. Then one day while idling around a half-frozen pond we'd been around a dozen times, some naked lass comes staggering out of the bulrushes calling for help. Inky black hair, pale skin. Gorgeous beyond belief, 'cept she looked near froze to death with icicles and weeds in her hair and mud on her hands."

He shuddered. "Ya know, my first thought seeing something like that is to help them, of course! Who wouldn't, the poor thing. Who knows what she'd been through! I had my coat half off to cover her before I noticed something very wrong. Her eyes--pure white! Like the eyes of a corpse. But before I could say anything, my friend Finn was already offering his hand, and she took it--and didn't let go."

Alexander looked to Kella, gauging her reaction before deciding too continue. "She looked frail, but she had the strength of ten men as she hauled him into the water like he was naught but a child. She dragged him right under before we could even move. At least, she sure got close--one of the other men with us--Kieran--managed to grab him by the ankle, but he was getting pulled in, too, and he wasn't strong enough to save Finn, and Finn was drowning fast. He got out his knife and somehow got a hit on the monster...but that just mad her madder. That's when she turned."

He turned to Kella, using his hands in an effort to convey the creature's size as his words came quicker with excitement. "When I tell ya she was massive, I mean--God! This beast reared up out of the water, a horse big as a war stallion but thin and gangly as reeds, with bloody teeth sharp as razors. She bellowed in anger, and Finn by the grace of God somehow scrambled to shore missing a chunk of shoulder rather than neck. I was probably a giant idiot, but I pulled out my sword and jumped in the water with Kieran because that monster was going for him next. She struck out like a snake--but I did, too."

With a sharp motion, he jabbed the air. "Just like that! Stabbed her right through the neck. The sound she made--never heard anything like it on earth. She splashed back beneath the water, taking my sword with her, and he water churned red. Dunno if she lived or died; we didn't stick around to find out. Finn was bleeding out so there wasn't time for that. We got the hell out of there after that and nearly froze getting Finn to safety, and he nearly died. But somehow, we all got out of it alive."

He scratched his beard. "Ain't been near a body of water I can't see the bottom of ever since."

Kella's eyes were large as he went on with his tale. She found herself sitting up taller, then leaning in, closer and closer as he spoke.

"So you only lost your sword," She said, sighing with relief. "I bet Finn was grateful. That sounds terrible- to think he was trying to help the poor lady and she turned out to be a monster."

That gave her pause.. would he consider her a monster once he knew her story..who she really was? She moved about uncomfortably, eyes suddenly downcast. 

Was she taking advantage of him like that lake monster? Oh.. that was silly of her to consider. She knew she wasn't a monster.. but even still....

"Thank you for the story," She told him, finally lifting her gaze to him. "And.. I'm glad you and your friends were okay."

"That's just how those monsters are. Kelpies. Evil things, they are. Never let your guard down by a lake or bog," Alexander said with a nod, and offered her a smile at her thanks. he propped his elbow on his knee and rested his chin in his hand as he peered at her.

"Anyhow, it's my pleasure. But I'm sure I ain't the only one with interesting stories to tell. What about you? Got any good ones?"

Kella studied him as she blushed, then cast her eyes down to her lap.

"I don't think I'd be a very good story teller. Not after one like that.." she went on, sheepishly tucking her short blonde hair behind her ear. She thought it over...
about the stories she'd heard or sung in her youth.. then peered over, a distant look to her eyes as she remembered her life before.. well all this. Things were golden, perfect- she lived without complications outside of..
She shifted suddenly, adjusting the gloves on her arms and looked away.

The complications of her touch. It... she....

It made sense why they had started a war.

But then she forced a smile, shaking her head.

"I definitely don't think I could think of one.. or tell it as good as you."
She finally looked up at him, and.. blushed. She dropped her gaze again.

"But I'd be much obliged if you were to tell me another. I'm sure you've lived such a fascinating life."

"Ahh, there's no need to be so modest. I'm sure you've got some good ones of your own--funny childhood memories, maybe some adventures. A mysterious lady wanderin' out on her own is bound to have seen or heard a thing or two."

Alexander offered her a gentle smile. He didn't want to pressure her, and definitely did not plan to push if she balked. The lady was skittish as a doe, and he was certain she had her reasons.

"How about this: I'll tell ya another one in exchange for a story from you. Doesn't have to be nothin' fancy. It can be anything! An interesting animal ya saw, a funny tale ya overheard, a place you've always wanted to go. How's that sound?"

She eyed him, a playful twinkle to her eyed despite her shy demeanor. She shook her head, laughing softly.

"If it pleases you," She finally conceded, shaking her head lightly but still smiling all the same. She supposed she owed him atleast that. "But you can't complain when my story isn't as interesting as yours."

"Don't sell yourself short, lass," Alexander said, then cleared his throat and took a moment to think. Maybe something a little lighter after the monster story?

"Let's see...ah! So, y'know, I grew up in this town. And not too far away there's this hill--ya might've seen it. Couple old grave markers up there that no one can remember who they belong to, they're so old. Well, when I was ten my older brother Owen decides to tell me and my little sister, Moira, that he's been up to the hill and that he brought back a bone on a dare. I told him he'd better put it back before we got haunted, but he refused, said it was fine and he don't believe in no ghosts. Showed us the bone and everything, this tiny little thing. Scared the life outta us, but we didn't dare tell our ma because her switch scared us more.

"Moira and I didn't like it a bit, ghosts or no. Taking bones from a grave's gotta be bad luck at the very least and it could've been a dead witch for all we knew! We didn't want that in our house! So, Moira and I, we haunted him. Started moving around his things so they were never where he put 'em. Started leavin' ominous stones in his room that we'd painted nonsense symbols on that looked spooky. Found a bird skull and left it on his pillow. Moira even went above and beyond and snuck out one night so she could scratch on the wall where he slept and make scary groaning noises.

"This went on for, oh, a good week before he broke down from lack of sleep and told us everything was fake, he'd lied and it was just a chicken bone! He'd never even been up there to the graves! Well Moira and I, we told him that the ghosts had heard his lies and were teachin' him a lesson and he'd better go up there and apologize."

Alexander snickered, shaking his head. "Kinda mean, lookin' back. He was scared shitless--ah, apologies, he was scared to death of goin' up there, but he went there all alone and apologized to the graves. Moira and I? We never came clean." He grinned mischievously. "But I like to think he learned a lesson of some sort."

The more time she spent around Alexander, the more she began to feel comfortable. It has been so long since she'd been able to just accept what she was and truly relax. Yet he..?

She studied him as he wove his tale. He had not cast judgement or even cast her out when she'd accidentally harmed him with her touch. She blushed at that. She could see a man like this married with children- all of them sitting comfortably around the fire. He would tell them stories. He'd have a daughter, trying to come up with brave stories of her own, wanting to be like her soldier father.


Then she realized she'd been dreamily staring and quickly averted her gaze. But soon her cheeks were heating to pink.

"I guess I owe you a story now," She went on, sheepishly.

"It won't be grand as yours nor near as long... but it begins with a young woman in the forest. A snowstorm got her lost on her way. But then as the snows parted sge found herself in a clearing where she'd come across a series of birds. She wasn't sure it would be safe to touch them, but when a handsome soldier came out of the woods- she wanted to run away- believing he'd be angry with her. Instead; the man invites her to hold one of the baby birds in her hands. And though she wore gloves, she could all but feel their soft feathers and their curious nature through the gloves. And as she admired the bird in her hands do you know what happened...?" She asked; catching his gaze and holding it befire revealing it in the most serious of tones. She even leaned forward, daring to get closer to him- as if to whisper the secret.

"It pooped" she paused, holding his eyes for a dramatic moment. "Right there-" and she pointed to her hand.

Her face was so serious, so dramatic that after a few beats from the reveal- all seriousness cracked as she actually snorted when she attempted to hold back a laugh. Her eyes went wide, mortified as she cupped a hand over her mouth.

And snorted again. Her whole body shook as she tried to hold back the laughter that threatened to explode, her eyes even watering..only to cause another most unladylike snort- which caused her to suddenly shy away from him as her laughter exploded.

And all she could do was laugh and laugh.