Alley's Aftermath

Prologue:

Aris had found the shrieking Bela in the alley with a man having fallen to his death close by her. The eyes of the man held the terror he was gripped by when he met his untimely death, his throat with an open gash of being ripped open.. flowing free to the pavement was his life's blood. It was enough to make Aris sick as he saw Bela standing there, barely, pale and sobbing while crying out his name over and over, "Reckkkkk!" He grasped her arm and scooping the woman up, veils, gloves, and single slipper left behind on the ground, carried her to safety as she wept against his shoulder, nothing said.. she would not talk of what she had seen.

Once back at the house he bellowed rather nastily for a slave to come tend the Lady of the house. Hastily the slave made a bath for Bela and once Bela was soaking in the tub she ordered the slave to burn her clothing. Hitting the step as she did the outer garment had torn a large rent and it was not to be repaired.. she wanted it all.. burned.

As the slave did her bidding another brought her tea once back to her room. Bela curled beneath the blankets where she laid for the longest time, eyes closed and lost in her own world. Quivering lips.. warm breath, the scent of pipe tobacco. The nibble. Eyes opened and she felt queasy. She could guess, was she ill? Or was it worry over him? She tried to calm herself, her mind working over every detail of the evening.. holding to the enjoyable part.. clinging to it but behind closed eyes as the movie of her mind played over and over.. the wildness in his eyes, the change of pupils, the look in his face, the tension of his body like a striking animal... the conversation she had heard and and watching what he had done. Blood, the look in the dead mans eyes, stark terror. A cry was heard from her room, Aris sitting outside her door in a easy chair bolted into her room to find her fighting with her covers, frantically trying to get out of the nightmare she was having. When she awoke, she bound from the bed and into the bathing chamber, ill, sick to her stomach and once her gut wretched all it could, she laid to the cool floor, recovering as her tongue smoothed over that spot where she could still feel the nibbling. It was mind over matter.. seeing what she saw.. smacked away when she tried to aid him with fallen veils.. yes, she was worrying over nothing certainly. Making herself sick over it.

Getting her back to bed, sleep was lost from her.. the remainder of the night laying there staring at the ceiling wishing she knew where he was, was he in need of help. Wishing. The look in his eyes, sending her away from him by a smack to her reaching hands. She was wise enough to know he did this to save her life... how could she repay this, ever.

Finally, she slept.