A Late Arrival (Spicy!)

[zozee9]

After choosing satisfactory boots and a thick dress, Illi paid the shopkeeper and changed her shoes immediately. She would have changed her dress too, if there was somewhere private to do so, but instead had to wait until she returned home. Carrying her flats and her new dress with her, Illi returned home. She was ready to return to warmth and eat something.

Walter opened the door for her and took her stuff, immediately turning around to bring it all to her room. Illi's aunt stood there waiting. "Oh Illi!" she exclaimed, giving the girl an unexpected hug. "Oh, I was worried you had gotten lost or buried in the snow! The gentleman came for you, I thought he would have returned you home by now! He seemed quite worried, indeed, and quite upset that I had let you go out. The snow is so thick and the wind so heavy, I was starting to fear you had simply blown away!"

Illi stared at her aunt dubiously. "Gentleman?"

"Oh yes, Lord Callister. Such a gentleman he is! If I was just oh, thirty some years younger, I would have liked him very much! To brave the snow just to secure the safety of one of his lesser guests, that is the definition of a true leader." Mrs. Westinson's eyes got big. "Wait, you mean you did not meet with him?! I assumed he had sent you back to me! Oh my, he must still be looking for you." Her aunt took a breath and Illi was just about to speak, but then the breath ended. "Oh, sit by the fire dear. Walter got it all warmed up for us."

"But Davi... I mean, Lord Callister? You said he is out in that snow, looking for me? I'm afraid he won't be able to find me, Aunty."

Her aunt shook her head and guided her towards the sofa by the fire. "Nonsense, dear. He seemed a very sensible gentleman, I am sure he will return soon if he does not find you. In any case, I will not have you going out into this weather any more today!" Illi sighed and sat down. "If he does not return, I promise I shall send out Walter, alright?"

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Walter was an old man. Sending him out in the cold made him inwardly sigh. He hated this weather. It made his bones ache. But he stood as courteous as ever, hands clasped behind his back as he waited near the door.

Elsewhere, Davishire was making laps around the town. The tailor had since closed,a nd any path taken by Miss Illi were long buried in the snow. Not a soul was out, save for a few hurrying home, and none that he stopped had seen her. He paused at the town square, his breath coming out in hot white puffs as he looked around. But then he saw a figure by the bridge. It looked like a woman, and he kicke dhis heels into his steed's side and galloped that away.

[zozee9]

Illi looked up at her aunt with big eyes. She barely opened her mouth before Mrs. Westinson spoke. "Walter, please go look for the young gentleman. If you can't find him relatively quickly, just return back here. I wouldn't want you getting sick."

"Yes ma'am," Walter replied as he drudged out into the snow. Couldn't they hire him a young, fit assistant by now?

Meanwhile, Illi sat, drinking warm milk and finishing her sandwich. A few moments later, she stood up and said, "I'm going to get a book. I shall be right back." And she went upstairs, came back down, and started reading. Anything to make the time pass quicker. She did not want to see Davishire, not truly, but she would rather him be in the house than out in the cold.

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Almost an hour had passed and only Walter had returned, shaking off the snow as Mrs. Westerson rose to greet him.

"Where is Lord Callister?"

Walter turned to her, frowning. "I do not know, milady. But the snow falls thick. He is a young, strong man. I'm sure he's sought shelter by now."

[zozee9]

Illi watched Walter return in horror. Davishire wasn't with him. It was possible, of course, that he had sought shelter. But the fear that he hadn't overruled her logic. As her aunt was talking to Walter, Illi returned upstairs and changed into her new, thick dress. Then, in a moment of courageous foolishness, she ran down the stairs and through the door and back into the streets.

Walter promptly excused himself, telling Mrs. Westinson that he was a servant, not a slave, and was not going to chase the young girl. "Plus," he added, "we both know that I could not catch Miss Illi." Mrs. Westinson sighed in frustration, but she too was unwilling to chase Illi.

Illi had not realized just how thick it was snowing—she was barely able to see a few feet in front of her! But she kept walking, anyway, determined to find Davishire.

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There were so many balls and politics and god damned weather to contend with, he hadn't considered his status giving him a mark on his head to those rebelling. But he found himself, horseless, and fist fighting a couple of men who demanded not only money, but threatened his life, too.

Had he been a lesser man, the punches and magic used to burn him in whip like attacks, he'd not have lasted as long as he did. But if one thing is genes allowed for it was stubbornness and pride.

"You're all mongrels! Cads who pretend to be heroes!" he barked at them, and the second the fight took them to the iced over river, Davishire eventually found himself overwhelmed, and his face on the ice. He wasn't sure how it happened- someone hit him from behind, striking him and making him bleed. For some reason, they were kicking him and cursing him as if he were the Grand Duke himself, and were his head not ringing, and the world swirling around him- he would have continued to fight back.

He heard a hiss, was that the ice? He couldn't tell, he could barely move, but a sudden blast of a rifle, and the shout of the city guards was all he heard, before he heard his attackers swearing over head.
"My powers..."

"It's a mordecai."

"Let's get the hell out of here!"

"Ditch the damn Duke, first."

As if he was a duke! It was that fiery thought that would be his last thought until he felt himself being dragged across the ice. He bared his teeth, trying to move when suddenly the sting of ice cold water hit him as the men tossed in in through where the ice had broke.

"Grab that stone. Throw it on his belly! Make the god damn Duke-kisser drown!"

And as he turned, finding just the barest amount of strength to turn and try to fight back, the massive rock was dropped onto him, winding him and sinking him deeper below the waters, below the ice.

And he felt so pathetic and weak in the moment, seeing Miss Treyburn's face flash before his eyes before his entire being tensed and he screamed-
Before cold water rushed suffocating into his mouth.

The men must have taken off, but whoever it was iwth the rifle was quick to dash over the river. The men with him were called over, pick axes produced as he pointed to where Davishire had floated beyond the broken ice to a much thicker sheet.

"Break the ice open men! We can't have the poor man drown!"

And soon Davishire was pulled from the waters, unmoving, and soon his blueing flesh was prickling over with frost.

"Sweet Ansgar's name.." one of the men breathed. "It's Lord Callister."

[zozee9]

Illi ran through the town, though she felt it was all hopeless. He could be in an alley, and she wouldn't even be able to see him! Where could he be? All the stores had closed by now, no one wanted to stay in the cold or be snowed in. Nor were there any customers shopping anyway. Just as she was about to give up and start crying out of frustration, she heard the crunch of footsteps running through the snow.

"Did you hear?!" yelled a young, husky voice.

"Here what?" responded another.

"They said that Lord Callister fell in the river! They fetched him out though, he's blue as can be, but he is living!"

Illi's heart froze. "Wait!" she shouted as she ran toward the voices. "Wait! Where is he? Please, tell me!" The men—no, soldiers—had stopped at hearing her voice.

"This is no place for a lady to be, ma'am. I would recommend you to return to your house immediately. You can place your trust in us, we are going to him right now to take care of him."

"Please," begged Illi. "Just let me follow. I am... acquainted with the gentleman." She wasn't going to say that he was there for her. That would just cause a scandal to spread across the town. The soldiers looked at each other, then nodded. Illi thanked them and followed them to the river.

Soldiers there pointed them to a nearby house, saying that the old lady there agreed to keep him inside by the fire to warm him up. At that point, Illi didn't even wait for the soldiers before running into the house. She saw him, laying right next to the fire, looking absolutely frigid and... bloody?

"Davishire!" Illi cried in fright.

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If he was conscious, he didn't show it, remaining unmoving on the sofa. He had been stripped of his clothing and layered in many blankets while a fire crackled hungrily in the hearth.

[zozee9]

Illi turned to the soldier sitting next to Davishire. "He's alive, right, Sir? He's alive?!" She didn't even dare think about if the answer was no. Luckily for her, the soldier nodded. "Thank the heavens," she repeated, over and over again as she went over to Davishire. The other soldiers walked into the house, but Illi didn't acknowledge him.

She bent down and placed her hand on his cheek. It was freezing cold. Looking back at the soldier, she asked, "What happened to him? Who did this? He couldn't have just fallen into the river, he isn't stupid. And especially not with those injuries! Tell me, who did this? Have you caught them?!" Illi, one who never felt much hatred at all, was furious. How could someone do this to Davishire?!

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The leader of the men removed his hat.
"A band of rebels, milady. They attacked him. The old woman of this house seen it with her own eyes, that she did. Had she not he might not hve been recovered, and left to an icy grave. Although, he is well now, milady, these types of injuries can heal well but in his condition.... We can't say if he'll live long enough to the morrow."

[zozee9]

"To the morrow?!" Illi repeated. "No, no that cannot be. He is a strong man, I am sure of it. Strong body, strong heart, strong will." She almost started crying. Instead, suddenly, she stood up. "Tell me, please, is there anything I can do? I will pick up medicines, tend to the fire, anything. Let me help!"

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"Heat..." the old woman interjected, walking into the room, carrying a steaming pot of tea. "Heat is all that can cure the cold." She gestured to Davishire's strewn form. "The wet clothes would have killed him. I aim to tend to the fire and check his temperature from time to time. Lost a dog that way to the river. It's hellishly cold, especially this winter, this day."

[zozee9]

The old woman's logic made sense enough, Illi decided. She curtsied and said, "Thank you for saving him. I am sure his family and many others will greatly appreciate it, including me." She paused. "Would you like me to tend to the fire for you? Check his temperature? I don't know how to know what temperature is wrong, but I am sure I could learn quickly."

[visualspice]

The old woman nodded.
"You are welcome to stay here as he recovers, child." Turning to the soldiers, she raised her eyes as them as it looked like they were about ready to leave.

"We will scout the area before night fall, in case the rebels return. You would do well to keep your doors and windows locked this evening."

The woman nodded and the men saw themselves out before the woman turned to Illi.
"There's a pile of firewood in the back room below the loft. The soldiers helped pile it inside so it could stay dry in this dreadful weather."

[zozee9]

Illi thanked the old lady again and waved goodbye to the soldiers. After a brief moment, her eyes widened and she said, "One second, ma'am. I will be right back." Illi ran outside and yelled out to the soldiers. "Excuse me, would one of you please tell my aunt that I will not be returning tonight? Mrs. Westinson!" A soldier nodded and Illi sighed a breath of relief.

Heading back inside, she took a look at the fire. It seemed strong enough, for now. "Excuse me ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but what is your name? I am Illi Treyburn, my aunt is Mrs. Westinson. And, if there is nothing else you need from me, would I possibly be able to borrow a book? I think reading will help me settle my nerves considerably."

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"Most books I 'ave are for cooking. But I have a few novellas I read in my youth. Dusty they are, in the sitting room to our left. You are welcome to it, and to the brandy by the stairs. I bet you could use a little to warm you up, too."
And kindly, she smiled as she gave her name. "I'm Mrs. Bensbourne. A pleasure to meet you."

[zozee9]

Illi went where Mrs. Bensbourne said to and grabbed a novella called "Dragon's Cry." She skipped the brandy. Returning to Davishire's side, Illi sat down on the ground next to him. She opened the book and started reading it—aloud. Maybe, she hoped, he could hear her.

The book was an adventure, a romance, and a surprisingly educational book on dragons. Every once in a while, Illi would get up to add wood to the fire. Mrs. Bensbourne would occasionally bring a snack or some tea and food to Illi, allowing her to stay by Davishire's side. But mostly, Illi just read.

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It soon grew dark and the old woman brought in a candle. She set it on the table beside her, and adjusted it's perch.

"I'm going to head to bed, deary. Will you be alright?"

[zozee9]

Illi glanced up from her book. "Yes, thank you very much. This... this is very kind of you. Taking care of him, letting me stay, everything." The old woman smiled at Illi, and then head to her room.

Illi took her hand, again putting it on Davishire's cheek. It was warmer than before, but she had no idea how warm it was supposed to be. Setting the book down next to her, Illi got up and replenished the fire. Then she sat down again. Illi kept reading until, despite her best efforts to stay awake, her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep, book still in her hand.

[visualspice]

The snows continued to come down, inch after inch with each passing hour. By morning, the door was locked closed behind near five feet of snow. And Davishire had yet to stir, but he was at least looking much less blue than he had before.

The woman had awoken many hours before Illi,a nd was heating up a large pot of water, preparing a bath before moving over to where Illi lay. She smiled at the child, then looked over at Davishire, touching her own hand to his forehead and frowned. He was still so very cold.