Be Careful Where You Wander

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex swallowed hard and nodded at nothing in particular. Her mind raced, struggling to catch up with what was going on around her and even then it took a few moments for a hint of understanding to finally wash over her. She blinked repeatedly, her brow furrowed, then she lifted her eyes back to Talia. It was beginning to dawn on the young mage that the day had taken a harrowing turn for the worse.

Talia was doing the thinking, which Alex seemed to respond well to. Another nod came, though this one carried far more confidence and certainty than before. Alex went to peer around Talia's shoulder but there was nothing to see. The calm, hushed voice Talia spoke with drew Alex's attention back. "F-forces." She whispered. It was obvious she didn't know, exactly, what was going on but it seemed she had a certain amount of trust for Talia already and if she was worried so, too, was Alex. "What do you want me to do?"

[Talia Bracken]

She could practically smell her fear. The bundle of nerves. The gulp. It was plain to see Alex was nervous. Talia didn't blame her. It was an expression she saw often. Yet now wasn't the time for that. Panic would do neither of them any good. Thankfully she wasn't. And that wasn't all the good news. Forces. Alex could wield forces. Suddenly the encounter was looking much less threatening. She might not have to do as much as she thought.

What did she want her to do? The level of trust Alex was showing in her was stunning. Stupid even. Yet useful. Talia gave her a small smile. Then glanced back at the approaching noise. "I'm going to confront them. Distract them somewhat. I want you to use your powers to knock them around if they get rowdy. Which I unfortunately think will be the case." She cupped her cheek, the smile still there. Slightly bigger and stronger even. "I'm counting on you, ok?"

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex found Talia's calm, controlled exterior infectious. Another nod came at Talia's order and Alex took a slow, deep breath. As loathe as she was to resort to violence, Alex had fought before. She was no stranger to using her magical abilities to harm others, though she had often done so under much more dire circumstances. The assertion that she of all people was being counted on by someone so sure of themselves as Talia was met with a flash of uncertainty that was almost instantly pushed aside as Alex steeled herself for the task ahead.

Despite being built up and feeling like she could carry the weight of the world, Alex remained behind Talia. If she could help it Alex wasn't going to draw any attention to herself. She was marked as a mage by her robes and even though she found far more acceptance in Goldcrest than she'd ever experienced before, there remained a deep rooted fear and loathing for magic users. "O-okay. I w-won't let you down." Alex stumbled a little over her words as she finally leaned out to crane her neck so she could sneak a peek at the advancing drunkards. "Do you know them?" She asked, ready to fight if necessary but so obviously dreading it.

[Talia Bracken]

The command was met with a nod. A good sign. Telling. Clearly she was no stranger to violence. Although she did not give that impression. It was deceptive. Talia could appreciate that. Yet there was a flash of uncertainty too. It was gone fast, but it was there. Talia had spotted it. Her nerves had not simply vanished. Alex had just steeled herself. Yet stayed behind Talia. Which was alright.

She wouldn't let her down. The words were sincere but faltering. Stumbling. Nerves present. She really didn't want to fight. It was a fact as clear as a cloudless sky. Talia smiled, the expression full of sympathy. She squeeze Alex's shoulder reassuringly. "Just stay calm and stay behind me." Being out of view would best serve Alex's purpose. Then the drunks wouldn't expect it. Did Talia know them? "No,but I'm about to.

With that she stepped out into plain sight. The trio was close. Faces flushed with swords at their hips. All of Talia's predictions had proved correct. It would've been so easy just to kill them all. Just a few quick moves and three bodies would hit the floor. Her eyes dilated at the thought, but she restrained herself. She had an audience. So she put on a disarming smile to counter the jeers and leers they were throwing her way. Her body was tense underneath, and ready to strike. She just hoped Alex could do this. "Well hello there. What brings you boys out here?" A simple question. Testing. Judging by the wicked looks she got, they failed.

"Lookin' fer a spot 'a fun, miss. Care to 'elp us find it? Maybe your lil' friend can 'elp too." Failed indeed.

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. Talia wasn't looking for a fight, or so it seemed. The young mage was okay with defending herself but she didn't care much for the idea of seeking out any sort of conflict. He did as she was told, standing behind and off to the side of Talia as the older woman confronted the drunken louts. Alex's head tilted curiously at the brief exchange before her jaw dropped at the lascivious answer Talia's question received. As naive as Alex could be she knew what was meant by a 'spot of fun'. Eyes widened but this time there was something more than fear to be found in her gaze.

Without warning Alex shot her hand out in front of her. A shockwave exploded outward with enough force to knock the three men off their feet as if they'd been hit by a charging buffalo. Alex immediately tensed up, issuing a short 'eep!' of surprise. She'd acted on impulse, unintentionally lashing out. Her eyes shot up to Talia, wide with concern that she'd be scolded like a puppy who had soiled the carpet. "I-I didn't mean to!" She exclaimed, grasping at Talia's sleeve and tugging on it as if that would help emphasis her assertion. "I'm sorry! I just did it, there was nothing I could do. I was all wound up and it all just came out I'm so sorry I messed everything up!" She babbled, her words spilling out in a torrent. She fell silent, still looking up to Talia as a question formed in her mind.

"Am I in trouble?"

[Talia Bracken]

Talia was prepared to fight. The moment she stepped into view she had been. Yet it didn't appear as if she'd have to. Abruptly the men were launched backwards. Hit with an unseen force that sent them flying. Talia immediately knew what happened. But she was still startled. She hadn't expected her to get involved so fast and so easily. It was effective either way. Two of the men slammed to the ground rather painfully before lying still. Unconscious. Or dead. The third man was dazed, but soon took off running.

She didn't mean to. The panicked voice drew blue eyes down. As did the timid tug on her sleeve. She was apologizing? she just did it and was all wound up and she did it without thinking. Talia had to work to keep up with all the words spilling from her mouth. She looked so much like a child confessing to their mother. Finally she fell silent. Was she in trouble? Talia had to stare. Blink a few times. Something bubbled up inside her. Before she could stop herself, she was laughing. Full and hearty, unlike any laughter she'd had in a long, long time. It was well and truly genuine.

Talia bent and pulled Alex into a surprise hug. A bright smile went ear to ear on her face. "Not at all! You just saved us a lot of trouble. Those men were obviously of bad intentions." There was a bit of pride in her voice. "I've heard of force mages but never seen one in action. That was incredible Alex!" In a smooth motion she planted a tiny kiss on Alex's forehead before standing. "Thank you, Alex. I knew I could count on you." Then blue eyes darted back to the unconscious men. They were out, but who knew for how long. "Still, we should move on before they wake up."

[Alexandra Sawyer]

All Alex could do was stare back and those vivid blue eyes that were studying her. She had messed up, made a mistake. She knew magic use was looked upon as an abomination by most, her robes alone made her something to be feared and mistrusted. Using magical means to harm another carried consequences that were often carried out with brutal swiftness. She was prepared for Talia to respond in kind. Maybe the older woman would flee or regard Alex with the same disdain as most citizens. What Alex was not expected was laughter.

Alex blinked a few times as she watched Talia. It took a moment for it register that the blonde woman was actually laughing and not panicking or growing agitated with Alex's mere presence. There was no resisting the sudden hug, Alex remained still as she was pulled into an unexpected embrace and... thanked for her swift action. The surprise and curiosity read plainly on her face even well after she'd been released. Soon, though, the usual smile she carried began to creep back into her features. This time it was accompanied by a sense of beaming pride as a result of Talia's praise. Alex could scarcely believe it, she had been counted on and done well.

The celebration was short lived as Talia was (not surprisingly) the first to come to her senses. With a hurried nod and not a single second of hesitation Alex quickly moved to follow Talia out of the alley. She wasn't too fond of places like that anyway. "So you're..." Alex started once they'd put a bit of distance between themselves and the brief conflict. "You're not afraid of... magic?"

[Talia Bracken]

Confusion. That was what Talia read in her expression. She wasn't expecting the praise. From how timidly she'd apologized and drew attention to herself, she'd been expecting scorn. Disdain. Hatred? It was possible. Magic was not always regarded in the best favor. Especially when used to hurt someone else. Still, it had been in self defense and had saved them from quite the hassle. So Talia saw no reason to condemn the girl. Especially when she had no fear of magic at all.

The smile returned to her face. Yet it was different. Filled with pride from Talia's praise. It was cute. But they didn't have long to celebrate. With a nod, Alex followed Talia. She made sure not to go in the direction the last man had ran. But they had to step around the unconscious ones. Silence reigned for a while. Then the small voice piped up again once they'd gotten away. She wasn't afraid of magic? Blue eyes turned back towards Alex. A smile grew once again.

"Nope!" It was said with a shake of her head. Then a shrug. "I never thought magic was bad or scary. It's just an extra ability that some people have, and some people don't. Magic by itself always seemed...well, magical to me." She couldn't help but laugh a little. "It's the person using it that determine if it's scary or not. The intention's in the wielder, not the tool. You used your magic to help us. So no, I wasn't afraid." Again blue eyes studied Alex. This time with a hint of curiosity. And concern. "Did you really think I was going to be afraid of you after you used your magic?"

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex had to jog a bit to catch up with Talia. Her stride was naturally quicker than most both because of her acclimation to being considerably shorter than anyone she was usually walking with and her natural impatience whenever heading anywhere. She nodded a bit at Talia's answer. It made sense to Alex, sure, but being so accepting of magic and its wielders was hardly the norm. She'd been not only ostracized and exiled because of her adeptness with magic, but hunted for years and her family murdered. To hear someone so speak so dismissively of it was surprising and pleasing at the same time.

"I wish more people thought like you." Alex said with a slow nod. Even though the men she'd attacked so swiftly were still alive and, from the looks of things, not seriously injured, Alex always felt a little guilty after such a conflict. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and glanced to the ground in front of her for a moment before speaking again. "A lot of times people say they're not scared of us but the moment we display our abilities they get upset."

[Talia Bracken]

She wished more people thought like she did. The statement made blue eyes turn down to consider Alex. There was guilt in her expression. A certain amount of nerves. She pulled her hood tighter and stared at the ground. Many people claimed they weren't afraid, but grew upset the moment magic was present. Talia's look turned sympathetic. Understanding. Not just of Alex, but both sides.

"I wish more people could understand that one bunch of bad apples doesn't make the whole orchard rotten." She smiled a little. "But at the same time, I understand why people would react the way you say. It's one thing to say you aren't scared when the thing in question isn't there. It's another to do it when it's present." A long sigh left her lips and she went silent for a time. "Sadly a lot of people got burned, both figuratively and literally. Those kinds of wounds take time to heal."

[Alexandra Sawyer]

Alex's eyes lifted from the ground and focused upon the blonde woman walking beside her. She studied Talia for a long moment before nodding slowly. Even though she was one of the wielders of mystical energies she understood the dangers involved. It hadn't been mages that hunted her down and ripped her family away but if she hadn't been stricken with the curse they would still be living a painfully boring existence in Abrea. Instead of being an orphan trying to make her way through a strange and alien city, Alec would more than likely be learning tailoring from her mother or maybe even crafting jewelry like her father had done before the hunters came.

"I wish they could see we weren't the ones that caused those wounds." Alex countered thoughtfully. Talia had inadvertently drawn Alex into a calm, contemplative mood. It was rare such a thing happened and it often didn't last long. "I've never purposely hurt anyone in my life. I've never ever seen anyone from the Coterie, let alone followed their teaching." Her head shook as she issues a low, frustrated sigh. "Why do I have to pay the price for their crimes?"

[Talia Bracken]

Alex's eyes lifted from the ground. She studied Talia. Then slowly nodded. Talia could see the gears in her head turn. What exactly she was thinking, Talia had no idea. Yet she didn't ask. Let the silence fall until Alex broke it. She wished people could see they weren't the ones who caused those wounds. It wasn't the mages of the Enclave, but the Coterie. Alex hadn't even seen any Coterie mages, much less hurt someone like they had. She sighed in frustration. Why did she have to pay for their crimes?

Talia sighed sadly and thought for a minute. Blue eyes turned towards Alex sympathetically. "I wish you wouldn't have to. I wish none of the honest mages had to pay for the crimes those people did." She looked back ahead. "But unfortunately...Life isn't so fair, and fear isn't always rational. Sometimes you can explain it away and people will listen, and other times people won't." Talia looked back over with a small smile. There wasn't much humor in it. "A logical person can't always persuade an illogical person."

[Alexandra Sawyer]

A heavy sigh from the girl was accompanied by a resigned and uncharacteristically subdued smile. Alex peered up at Talia and gave a short shrug of her shoulders. Talia spoke the truth. No one understood the weight of the blonde's words as much as Alex herself yet there remained little that could be done about it. As innocent and naive as Alex often seemed, she was well aware of how unfair life could truly be.

"It's not so bad here." Alex said after a brief pause. Her features brightened considerably, as if she was incapable of keeping a sunny disposition at bay for very long. "The Enclave is starting to feel like home, of course my sister being there helps with that."

[Talia Bracken]

She gave a short shrug. Talia could see she understood what was said. Some sort of clarity in her eyes. One Tailia didn't question. There was a pause. A few moments of silence as they drew closer to their destination. It wasn't so had here. Blue eyes turned back towards Alex. She looked brighter already. It seemed to be her default. An infectious one at that. Talia felt herself growing lighter from it. The Enclave was starting to feel like home, her sister helping with that feeling.

"I'm glad." It came with a smile. Much stronger and warmer than the one before. "Hopefully this place will be a good home for you soon." Then blue eyes looked up as the clinic came into view. "Well, here we are!" She halted just outside, then turned to face Alex with a smile. "It was lovely meeting you, Alex." The words were genuine. The statement complete with a brief but friendly embrace. Then Talia observed her with slight concern. "You don't have to walk home alone, do you?"