Be Careful Where You Wander

[Talia Bracken]

Her business here was never good. For someone, anyhow. She had nothing to fear in these alleys. The thieves and scum were nothing against her. Most died before they could realize. She was not one to be trifled with. She carried herself that way. Walking confident. Knowing. Talia knew her ways about these streets. All the twists and turns. Shortcuts and dead ends. Where others lurked and others avoided.

She knew these streets well. Yet there were always surprises. What kind they were, Talia could never tell. But she'd come to expect them at least. Small or large. The city was always moving. Changing. Even the slums. Especially the slums. Which was why she wasn't too shocked to find a girl. A girl who really didn't look like she belonged. On silent feet, Talia approached her from behind. "Excuse me?" She said softly, hoping not to startle the girl. "Are you lost?"

[Alexandra Sawyer]

At first Alex hadn't minded being a courier for the Enclave as it gave her the chance to get outside in the sun, which she enjoyed, and offer opportunity to get to know her knew surroundings. Or so she thought. She had a handful of routes through the city memorized and little else. Unfortunately, none of those routes happened to venture into the Commons.

"Where is Jack when I need him?" Alex let out a low huff and nearly stamped her foot in frustration. The pout that touched her features was nothing short of childlike. Weeks in the city and she still found herself lost on far too many occasions. Her vagabond friend was usually the one to stumble across her and seemed all too willing to help her find her way through the bustling urban sprawl. On this day, however, she wasn't so lucky.

The young mage let out a shrill yelp of surprise at the voice. It didn't look as though Alex had jumped out of surprise, but rather the simple fact someone she didn't know was talking to her. Eyes widened as she turned and peered up at the source. Something stuck in Alex's mind and she simply stood there for a few seconds, blinking at the blonde haired woman standing in front of her.

"Oh!" Alex stammered, shaking her head as she snapped back to reality. She silently scolded herself for being so rude at the soft-spoken woman who was so obviously only looking to help. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, her mind catching up to what was going on around her. "Uh, yes." A frown touched her features as she glanced around with a helpless expression in her eyes. "I am very lost." Which anyone with one eye and half a brain could have deduced given the girl's robes that marked her as part of the Enclave and her utterly clueless ways;.

[Talia Bracken]

She yipped and turned. Then stared for a bit. Talia locked eyes with her. The girl appeared very surprised. Without dropping her gaze, she took in the girl. Small, with the robe of a Mage. That caught her eye well enough. And the fact she was staring. While she did, Takia kept a soft, kind smile on her face. Eventually the girl spoke. Stammered. Apologized. Talia's smile only widened and she giggled, covering her mouth lightly with her hand. It was adorable, in a way. "Well aren't you cute? Please, no need to apologize."

She was very lost. That much was painfully obvious. Talia hadn't a clue how she had ended up in the commons in the first place. It was not a nice place. A clear area to avoid. Yet here she was. She had to be new to the city. Or very, very foolish. Either way, she'd gotten Talia's interest. "Don't worry. With all the alleys, it's easy to get lost around here." The smile had softened a bit. "I can help you get out, but can I ask how you got here in the first place? I don't run into many people like you down here."

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Then came the questions. Alex was relieved that the woman hadn't chastised her for being rude or vapid, but seemed to find amusement in the way the young mage had reacted. Alex was still painfully out of touch when it came to navigated far more than just the streets of the city. Goldcrest's inhabitants remained a perilous mystery to the girl who'd spent the majority of her life wandering through the Therinian wilderness with only her parents to guide her.

"Oh, uh..." There was more stammering, then a frown, a glance downward, a pause as Alex deliberated something in her mind followed by a shrug and then large, expressive brown eyes lifted once more to the older woman. In all the process had taken just a few, short seconds but a myriad of emotions had flashed across Alex's face. The poor girl was obviously a complete stranger to anything other than showing every through she had in plain detail.

Suffice to say, Alex wasn't the best whenever the other mages at the Enclave invited her to play cards.

Finally, after going through an entire emotional journey in mere moments, Alex smiled again. She instinctively reached for the satchel that was slung over her shoulder and drew it inward, clutching it to herself with both hands. "I would be grateful for your help." Alex said with a relieved nod of her head. "There's a clinic near here." At least Alex hoped it was nearby. For all she knew it was all the way across the Commons and she'd wandered far off course. "I'm bringing them some supplies." And no, Alex didn't see anything wrong with freely admitting that to a complete stranger met on the streets of Goldcrest's slums.

[Talia Bracken]

More stammering. Another frown. Talia watched with growing amusement. the girl wore her heart on her sleeves. It was so easy to see. The numerous emotions that flit across her face drew Talia's attention. She observed her expression. Scrutinized. Eventually she settled on a smile. One Talia easily returned. A satchel was presented. She would very much like Talia's help. She was bringing he clinic nearby some supplies.

The free admission was surprising. Yet pleasing. Though that didn't show on her face. Only sympathy did as Talia winced. "The clinic? I'm afraid you've wandered quite a bit away from there, friend." She said sadly. Though she straightened only a few moments later with a brighter smile. "But don't worry. I can show you where it is. Just stay close. Most of the people here aren't...well, they aren't the kindest sometimes. I know a lot of them would try taking advantage of someone as innocent looking as you." There were plenty in these alleys who would do even worse than that. Talia had no doubt about it.

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex's eyes gleamed brightly with the promise of assistance on her unexpectedly eventful excursion only to dim just ever so slightly at the woman's last comment. A frown didn't quite make it onto her face, though the corners of that smile she wore so effortlessly did twitch. Yes, of course. Someone out there would surely be looking for easy targets just like she was making herself out to be. Alex clutched the satchel closer to her and nodded as if being reminded of something profound and easy to forget. One of these days, her mentors at the Enclave had said repeatedly, Alex was going to find herself in trouble if she walked around trusting everyone.

With this in mind, Alex would freely, and without hesitation, follow the still unnamed woman wherever she cared to lead. "I'm Alexandra." She said, sort of blurting the words out like she was attempting to make up for lost time without being rude. Usually such greetings were the first things exchanged and the ever so polite Alex was behind. "I'm guessing you've been here a while?" She half asked, half stated, turning her gaze curiously up to her impromptu guide. "I mean... not here." She scrunched her nose up a bit and glanced over the squalor around them. It wasn't so much a judgmental look that flashed across her face but more so one of pity and a misunderstanding of how the nobles of the city could allow their people to live this way. "But in Goldcrest?"

[Talia Bracken]

There was a smile and a spark in those eyes. Yet it dimmed at Talia's final words. No frown, but she had gotten good at reading faces. The shift in expression was loud to Talia. Even if it was subtle to others. Still, she flashed a sympathetic smile. Then turned and started towards the clinic. Footsteps behind her meant the girl was following. She hadn't doubted that. Why wouldn't the girl accept her help? It was better than being lost alone at least.

She blurted out an introduction. Alexandra. A unique name. Talia glanced down and smile. "That's a very pretty name. I'm Talia." In comparison hers was simple. Which was good for her profession. Then came the question. Had she been here long? Not the alley, but Goldcrest. Talia spotted the glance around Alex gave the alley. It wasn't a look of disgust, but of pity. That was faintly surprising.

"I have. I came up to live in the city some years ago when I knew the life of a trapper wasn't for me." The answer came with a wistful smile. "While my father wasn't too thrilled to see me go, he understood. I feel more at home here. Well, not here." She emphasized with another giggle and shake of her head. "But the city itself." Then her eyes went back to Alex with a smile. "What about you? I'm guessing you're pretty new to Goldcrest, huh?"

[Alexandra Sawyer]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Talia. Thank you for taking the time to show me around." There was no helping the sheepish humility that crept into Alex's smile. She offered a faint shrug at the compliment about her name. There was no mistaking the older woman's understated elegance and anything, even a comment about Alex's name, was unexpected and welcome. In that moment Alex's age (or lack thereof) became painfully obvious. Alex was still prone to carrying a childlike way of looking at the people and places around her. Talia was taller, undeniably beautiful and moved with a sense of easy confidence that made Alex nearly green with envy.

"A few weeks." Alex answered. She'd taken in all the information Talia offered, though she knew not what to make of it. She took everything at face value with little questioning. "I came from Abrea." At the mention of her homeland a frown did invade her features, replacing the smile. Her eyes hinted at a harsh story to be told, the wounds of which were evidently still fresh. "My sister is with the Enclave too." A certain sadness had touched her words as the realization that her sister was the only family she had left. She couldn't find the strength to actually say the words but the curse of her expressive eyes betrayed the rare moment when she wished to keep her emotions private.

[Talia Bracken]

There was a thank you followed by a sheepish smile. The compliment earned a shrug Talia didn't miss. Altogether, it was painting a pretty picture of the girl walking beside her. Her emotions were so easy to read. Talia might as well be reading a book. It was easy. And refreshing. Most times she had to at least put some effort into it. Yet with Alex, it was like reading a child. She had been in Goldcrest for a few weeks. That made perfect sense.

She was from Abrea. Yet there was a shift in her expression. A bad one. A frown replaced her smile. A haunted look came to Alex's eye. There was a history there. One with wounds. Wounds Talia knew not to pry into. Alex had a sister too. A statement that held even more sadness. Even more hurt. A change of subject was sorely needed. Talia flashed Alex a small, sympathetic smile laced with concern. Then looked ahead. "I see. How has Goldcrest treated you so far? It's a pretty busy place, but hopefully it's taken the time to be nice!"

[Alexandra Sawyer]

That was Alex; easier to read than any text she'd ever seen. Rarely did a thought cross her mind or emotion touch her heart that didn't show plainly on her face. While this made her a terrible liar and made such concepts as negotiations or subterfuge utterly foreign to her, the empathetic way in which she went through life had served her well when connecting with others. At least so far she hadn't found anyone to take advantage of her naive ignorance.

"It's been up and down." Alex admitted with a blend of a smile and frown on her face that mirrored the vagueness of her response. "Almost everyone has been... agreeable." Alex nodded then, the smile overtaking her features once more. It seemed no matter what was going on in Alex's mind, the bright smile was never far away. "It's been wonderful being with my sister and life in the Enclave isn't so bad. We're given chores to do between our studies and that keeps us busy."

[Talia Bracken]

It had been up and down. The expression on her face matched the statement. Half frown and half smile. Neutral. Almost everyone had been agreeable so far. Talia could understand why. Appearing agreeable was a good way to decieve someone, and she seemed too naive to realize it. Talia had no doubt she'd learn her lesson soon enough. But she wasn't going to be teaching it to her.

The smile returned. She loved being with her sister and the Enclave wasn't so bad. They got chores between their studies to keep them busy. It made sense, and it was information Talia could keep at the back of her head. Not vitally important, but it could prove handy. She never knew. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling." She shrugged with the statement. "Growing up an only child could be a little lonely."

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex nodded hastily. She'd gotten the best (or worst?) of both worlds. She'd never met her sister prior to being pushed onto a ship making its way to Goldcrest. The only contact she'd ever had with her elder sibling had been a handful of letters that managed to make it across the war torn world. It had come to some surprise to find her sister had kept the letters Alex had scribbled when she was just a child.

"It's... an adjustment." Alex admitted with a faint, almost sheepish shrug of her shoulders. Everything over the last few weeks had been an adjustment. To the struggles of navigating the Goldcrest urban sprawl, to getting to know the sister she'd never met , even the simple concept of being able to sleep without fear of being attacked in the night was strange and alien to her. "But it's better than the alternative." A thoughtful nod came then, even though she was in no mind to discuss just exactly what the 'alternative' she spoke of was.

[Talia Bracken]

She nodded. A little hastily, Talia noted. It was an adjustment. A sheepish shrug came with the statement. It was faint, but she caught it. It added to her sentence. Talia could already tell there was more behind it. She didn't doubt her words. There was something more to them. A history behind them. One she was unwilling to ask about. Too personal. Too soon.

It was better than the alternative. Which spoke volumes, in such few words. Yet again, it wasn't something Talia was willing to pressure for. she didn't have to know everything. And there were somethings she didn't want to know. "Well, I'm glad you found your sister." It came with a sweet and kind smile. Then her eyes darted once she heard something. Abruptly she pulled Alex to the side and out of the alley they'd been walking in. She held a finger to her lips to signal silence. Then listened.

[Alexandra Sawyer]

It took only a few moments for the sober, almost stoic demeanor that had overcome Alex while she'd vaguely recounted the circumstances that had led to her arrival in Goldcrest to fade. In the blink of an eye the bright and cheery girl who walked with a bouncy step was back and moving along the city street. Alex was nothing if no resilient and rarely did anything get to her for long. Her gaze lifted and she began to scan the streets, taking in the city as if she had just landed. There was a sense of wonderment that shimmered in her brilliant, brown eyes. Every stop brought with it a childlike glee that could only come from someone with the attention span of a manic puppy.

"I am too!" Alex exclaimed with a pleasant hum to her voice. "She really is wonderful. Kind and more beautiful than I had imagined." A soft giggle escaped then. Alex truly did seem much younger than her 16 years would imply in spite of her troubles. "I don't know what I'd do with-" A short yelp cut off Alex's words as she was yanked off the street. Her eyes widened and she almost went to speak again but Talia's raised finger caused Alex's jaw to snap shut. She stood, blinking in shock and stared at the older woman. It was obvious gathering herself and thinking quickly didn't happen to be Alex's strong suit. At least she knew well enough to shut up when told.

[Talia Bracken]

The happiness fast returned to her features. Alex appeared to be someone able to bounce back fast. This was her default. It was different. Intriguing. Refreshing? Talia couldn't say, so she listened instead. Her sister was kind and wonderful and beautiful. Yet none of that mattered once Talia had caught the noise. Once she'd pulled Alex off to the side. Shock was evident in her face. Yet she had the good sense to stay silent.

Talia listened. The sound grew louder. Closer. Footsteps and banter. Her eyes left Alex's and flicked to the side. From the steps, she counted three men. From the voices, they were drunk. With the location, they had to be armed. From the conversation, they'd seen the girls. No doubt they'd be sought. She clenched her jaw. Moved her gaze back to Alex's. Then got an idea. "Alex," her voice a soft whisper, "What kind of magic do you have?"