Scenes from the Alterlands: #3

The afternoon sun was slowly sinking towards the horizon, and as it dipped lower and lower in the sky, its rays passed through the windows of the apothecary's shop, warming the musty air of the back room. This, combined with the heat from the fireplace and the rhythmic sound of the mortar and pestle being used out front, created quite a lulling effect, and it was evident that the woman asleep with her face resting on the parchment-strewn table had given in to the lure of sleep. She was simply and comfortably clothed, and had the look of someone who was used to a full day's work, but sleep somehow gave her a sense of almost childlike innocence, as the worry-lines on her face relaxed and a half-smile drifted across her lips.

Heavy footsteps creaked on the floorboards of the hall outside, and Alanthros stuck his head around the door frame. “Aleatia, were you planning...” His voice trailed off as he realized that she was sound asleep. He paused in the doorway for a moment, then quietly crossed the room to the table and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Scenes from the Alterlands: #1

The rain came down in sheets, blowing nearly sideways as the wind drove it across the courtyard and against the shuttered windows of Chateau D'Arbor. Inside, Aleatia leaned heavily against the wall of the corridor; it had been yet another long day tending to the wounded who had been brought back from fending off the latest Darcian raid. There seemed to be no end to the number of injured – when one was healed enough to return to the fight, another invariably took his place, and the count of the dead rose with each passing week. It was hard to maintain hope in the midst of constant suffering and death, and yet somehow she was able to make it through one day, and then the next, doing what she could where she could.

Slowly, Aleatia pushed herself upright and made her way to the great hall, intending to warm herself at the fire. It was late, but there were still several men and women gathered around the hearth, talking quietly together. There were times when she would have taken part in their conversation, grateful for a chance to put aside her worries, but tonight her energy was spent and she had no desire to join them. Instead, she paused only long enough to warm her chilled hands, and then slipped quietly out of the hall, heading toward the castle doors. Here she could hear the wind as it howled across the courtyard, sending the rain pelting against the doors. Finding a fairly dry corner of the entrance hall, Aleatia sat down with her back to the wall, closed her eyes, and allowed herself to relax.