Aftermath

[Altias_Bromn]

~Wind whipped the loose ginger tresses into his face, as lean arms clung to the waist of the general. The horse bore down on the mannor, as he was almost thrown from the saddle, the general abandoning the horse in favor of a wagon to try and rescue the others.~

~Time had stopped, an eternity of waiting, as he watched the road leading to the mannor. Then they came. All safe, each and every one. The ripple was felt, perhaps only by the councilor. ~

~Alexander had been swallowed by the mob, the general and the councilor rode hard to pry him free from those crazed with the madness of a mob mentality. And then she was gone, the horse bolting back toward the mannor, the general left to disappear in the mob.~

~They had come, as Altias had waited behind the line of soldiers. None could pry him away, as he waited for Maggie to return, not even Alexander. Suddenly the words were hot upon his ears, his heart skipped a beat, as too quickly Alexander dove into the fray. Only then did Altias see it...something matching the dead girls account of the Baie.~

~Bodies were thrown through the air, ham sized sections of flesh missing, from where it had lifted them, and thrown them at Alexander to stop his approach. The flesh seeming to join with that of the rapidly growing beast. Maggie rejoined the fray. ~

It was then that the dream shifted. Memory gave way to horror.

~Ari came for him. Dragging him away from the massacre that was happening before his very eyes. Somehow he wrenched free, desperate to see that which she did not wish him to. Immediately he was sorry he had.~

~White tresses lay matted with sanguine liquid, regal neck twisted at a horrible and unnatural angle. Emerald eyes looked at him, but did not, the life faded from them. No final breath, no words of comfort. Gone. Dead and gone.~

~"Alexander!" The scream torn from him, as the great beast turned once more, crossing impossible amounts of ground to reach the councilor. Maggie jumped forward, sword drawn, ever the good soldier, as the Baie threw her into the air, her body making contact with the sheilds of the soldiers with a sickening crack. ~

The images began to fade, leaving behind the soft sound of laughter as Altias Bromn began to rise toward wakening. The laughter was not comforting, it was the sickening sound of glass being trodden beneath a heavy boot heel.

Warmth. Smooth flesh against his own. Warm, moist breath upon his cheek.

"Alexander?" The word was whispered softly as lilac eyes opened.

The councilor found his own form naked as the day he was born. Sure enough, a body lay beside him, but it was most decidedly not that of Alexander Kanashia. No, it was in fact the woman who had rescued him from the maze when it was all over. Maggie Mandalor.

A quick mental checklist told him that she had in fact been a perfect gentlewoman. She had warned him that she slept in the nude. Perhaps he had assumed he would have been allowed his own clothes, despite the fact they were soaking wet.

Carefully, he slipped from beneath the protective arm of Maggie. He had to return home, there was much to do in the wake of all that had happened yesterday. It was still dark outside, so he doubted even the odd occupants of Maggie's home would be up and about.

His clothes were washed and folded neatly on a bedside table, beside the bags he had rescued from the Meeting House the day before. A moments thought and he was wrestling the bags open to find the paperwork they had been looking over before the riot broke out. The correct sheets were slipped free, as he removed his wax and seal. a quill and ink well were readily available on teh table.

Not bothering to dress yet, he signed the papers, using the small candle to melt the sealing wax. His personal seal was pressed into the light pruple wax, a stem of lavendar resting above a symbol for water.

"You owe no tax, Maggie, not after giving all of us safehaven yesterday." His voice soft enough not to roust the general. She had been through enough.

He dressed quickly, slipping out of the room with his bag, leaving Maggie's saddle bag, and the picnic basket, behind. It was a new days for Altias Bromn, and there was much to be done.