Chapter Two
Another ten minutes passed before Bochra made it home, the rain thundering down in torrents that limited his visibility to the point of blindness, the young Romulan admittedly frightened for the well-being of his beloved who was currently lost somewhere in the severe weather. Upset by the situation that had forced Ael to flee Bochra slammed the front door behind him upon entry, his steps squelching across the hardwood, the droplets of water showing where he'd once been, as he stalked down the hallway and towards the bedroom where Tomalak undoubtedly still was.
When Bochra entered the bedroom he found Tomalak standing near the window and staring out in silence, the same position that he had originally been in when Ael had fled. "I hope you are pleased with yourself," Bochra growled, fists clenched at his sides.
"Do not place the blame for Ael's leaving solely on my shoulders," Tomalak responded, much more calmly than he had been earlier, but still with a trace of defensiveness around the edges of his speech.
Why should I not? Bochra thought, clenching his jaw tightly to prevent the words from escaping. "I am not going to argue blame at this time, Tomalak, not when Ael is lost somewhere in this storm."
"Ael will return," he said. "You know as well as I that this is purely a case of dramatics."
Bochra's fists began to clench and unclench at his sides and he stepped forwards. "I should knock you unconscious," Bochra growled, his voice lowering an octave deeper than his usual. "Yes, Ael has had her moments, but never like this. How is she supposed to feel when someone she loves treats her so callously? You glared at her all during mealtime; you spoke in one of the coldest voices I have ever heard when you addressed her; you forbade her from touching you, from using the special name that she chose especially for you when she realized how much she had come to care. She tried to make amends and take every ounce of blame for the entire day, and you all but spit on her for it. How in the great recesses of Hell should she have reacted, Tomalak?"
After a full minute of silence, Bochra folded his arms in annoyance. "Are you aware that, before she fled I had almost convinced her to come with me to speak with you, to try and settle this? The second she heard you in the throes of a tantrum, throwing this or banging that, I saw her shrink away, fear in her eyes. Do you want Ael to fear you, Tomalak?" More silence, the air tenser than before. "You still cannot bear to lose this argument," he seethed. "Elements damn it all, Tomalak, admit you were wrong in how you handled the situation; help me find Ael before something happens to her out in this weather. Or do you not care if something happens to her?"
Without thinking Tomalak whirled around, striking out at Bochra who managed to block the incoming blow aimed squarely at his jaw. Apparently, Bochra had succeeded in, as Ael might say 'touching a nerve.'
"Of course I care if something happens to her, you idiot," Tomalak snapped, Bochra folding his arms tightly across his chest and flashing an expression of disbelief.
"Then start behaving like you do," Bochra retorted angrily. "Actions tend to speak more loudly than words. Being angry with your beloved will happen, it is inevitable, but you must be willing to lay down your stubborn pride and work through the problem, especially if you helped contribute to it."
"It is not what I am used to," he said. "Is that what you wish for me to say?"
"It's a start. I can understand, from a commander's point-of-view that losing a battle is never an option, but that sort of thinking has no place within a relationship or a marriage. Sometimes, Tomalak, sometimes you must give in and admit that you were wrong. You and Ael both had a miserable day, you were both at fault, but she is someone who you are supposed to cherish above all else, and now she is lost in this storm and I do not yet know if I can look to you for assistance in searching for her. If someone finds her before we do -" His voice softened dramatically. "Do you have any idea what could happen? Do you know what will befall her should someone take notice of an exceptionally small human female, wandering the streets alone?"
A sickly feeling washed over Tomalak when he thought about what could very well happen to a non-native of this world who was caught wandering the unforgiving streets alone. It could be an ugly thing indeed. If a group of homeless ruffians was to stumble upon her, she might very well be raped, tortured to death for no other reason than the "fun" of it. And if she somehow made it to one of the main cities, though how she would he wasn't certain, then she could fall prey to an assailant sneaking up from behind her with a knife, slitting her throat before she even had the idea of someone being behind her, and that was also assuming that the authorities didn't take her into custody for simply being human.
"I know what could happen, Bochra," said Tomalak rather snappishly. "I do not need reminding."
"Then help me search," said Bochra, notes of pleading beginning to creep into his speech. "What is preventing you from saying yes?" he continued. Something in Tomalak's demeanor was beginning to waver; his eyes showed a hint of uncertainty; his posture indicative of a touch of anxiousness; his jaw-line tense as he fought to keep his current thoughts buried so deep that not even Bochra would have a hope in hell of finding them. "Tomalak, what is it? Tell me."
"I hesitate in my response because I-" He stopped, unwilling to use terms like "frightened," at least not yet, deciding on "I am apprehensive" instead, before continuing on. "Bochra, I am uncertain that I could control my emotional state if we happened upon a lifeless body." With those words spoken Tomalak turned away, refusing to speak further, his gaze falling upon a framed picture of Ael that rested on the nearby nightstand. Oh, how happy she looked, how utterly vibrant and full of life. If she was injured or killed because of how he had chosen to behave so coldly towards her…
This time when Bochra reached out, Tomalak allowed the contact, but just barely. Through the simple act of touching Tomalak's shoulder, Bochra was able to feel, subtly, the emotions that his once-commander was attempting, vehemently to keep hidden away. Anger swirled through Tomalak's consciousness alongside regret, anxiety, fear; Bochra couldn't remember a single point in time when Tomalak had ever, publically shown the majority of the emotions he could, now, read and sense within him.
It was a little unnerving to Bochra, though it was likely more so for Tomalak who tended to never drop his guard for any reason. Perhaps the action of allowing Bochra's hand upon his shoulder was the only way, at least for the moment that Tomalak felt comfortable in revealing everything regarding his emotional state. It was easier to allow someone with the gift of touch telepathy to feel it than for Tomalak to speak it and for Bochra, for the moment, it was enough.
Finally, Bochra withdrew his hand and said,"I understand your fear, Tomalak; this scenario of having another whom I cherish beyond all reason is very new to me, too."
"When was the last time you fought with her; when was the last time you made her flee?" After a moment, Tomalak sighed, admitting partial defeat. "This scenario of having another to love, while new to us both, is much easier for you to navigate through."
"It's because our personalities are different," said Bochra. "Please, do not take what I am about to say in a callous manner, because it isn't meant as such: You are allowing your militaristic traits, the mind of a warbird commander, to lead your steps, which then dictate your reactions."
"Such ways are all I know," said Tomalak, moving to the bed to sit. In his youth, Tomalak had trained religiously hard for the military career he, one day, aspired to have, but that training was as much mental, as physical.
"That may be true, but change is possible."
"How?" The question was desperately blunt, Bochra returning with an answer that, while Tomalak knew was coming, he wished he didn't have to hear.
"In this instance, Tomalak, it starts with you swallowing your own, foolish pride long enough to admit you were wrong in how you chose to handle the situation once Ael attempted to make amends for her own foolishness. You chose to gaze upon her as just another enemy, one that you had to triumph over in a battle that never needed fighting in the first place."
"I "won" and yet I lost," said Tomalak. A sigh. "I was petty, foolishly so."
"Admitting it is a start," said Bochra, nodding. "For now, we should both continue the search." A roar of thunder shook the home; Tomalak suddenly spurred to action, heading towards the front door at a quick clip, Bochra just behind.
"Let us find, and then bring her home."
…
Ael was further away from home than either Tomalak or Bochra could ever have predicted. After running until exhaustion had her tripping over her feet, succeeding in forcing her body to meet the hard ground, painfully, Ael had been content to huddle where she landed. Minutes that felt like hours slowly passed, the rain beating down on the tearful young woman who resigned her fate to remain curled up on the ground where she had fallen, cold, alone and with only her broken heart for company. The taste of blood was soon on her tongue, a trembling touch finding her lower lip bleeding.
The only thing that served to save her from, she was sure, drowning in a quickly forming puddle around her body, was the sound of a ground car in the distance. Shakily rising to her feet and staring down the deserted, rocky road Ael could see the faintest illumination of light swathing its way through the gloomy weather. At last the car was upon her, Ael's arms wrapped tightly around her body, hair hanging limply around her face and partially obscuring her vision, but even so, she knew this wasn't the ground car from her home by the sea.
When the back door swung open Ael hesitated, but forced her sore feet to carry her forwards so she could seek refuge in a warm, dry place even if only for a few moments. A partition blocked Ael's view of the car's driver for the first few minutes of her journey to, well, she wasn't entirely sure where she was headed. When the partition fell away and the driver glanced back, Ael was momentarily startled by a pair of eyes that were as green as hers. She was so used to seeing brown eyes in this world, the occasional steely-grey; once she had even seen a Romulan with eyes the color of ale, but green?
Quickly, Ael raised her hand to hide the blood stain she knew had to be on her lips and ducked her head down further.
The woman in the driver's seat noticed Ael's eye color, as Ael had noticed hers, offering a friendly smile in an attempt to lessen the anxiety of the young woman huddled in the back.
"Vividly colored eyes are seldom seen these days," she began, "to say nothing of hair the color of flame." Ael remained silent, continuing to drip on the interior that she hoped wasn't outrageously expensive. "My name is Sa'kara," she said.
"Ael," came a quiet response.
"Lovely. That isn't a name you hear often; it's about as rare as a green eyed Romulan."
It was then that Ael became acutely aware of the fact that her hair, hanging around her face as well as plastered to it, was obscuring the fact that she lacked points on her ears and a certain V-shaped ridge on her forehead. True, some Romulans still lacked that, now, widely-expected ridge, but everyone had pointed ears. If she kept her head low, perhaps this woman wouldn't find out that she was a human.
"Where are we going?" Ael dared to ask.
"I'm headed into the city," said Sa'kara. "Do you have somewhere specific I can take you?" Ael was so quiet that Sa'kara felt compelled to extend an invitation. "If you have nowhere to stay…"
The invitation was left unfinished, Ael quietly insisting that the city was fine. "I have somewhere I can go, once I'm there," she lied.
"Are you certain? This storm is only going to worsen I'm afraid; It isn't the best evening to spend outside."
I wouldn't have much luck spending even a normal evening outside alone, not in the city, she mused quietly. If she dared go out and into the city alone, the instant someone spied her rounded ears, she would be done for. "I'll be okay."
"Forgive me if this is too forward, but you don't seem to be doing well, now."
"I don't want to talk about it," Ael said sullenly. "If I find a call unit, I'll call my father to come for me." Will I?
"I can certainly drop you in front of one," Sa'kara said. "Where is he located? Perhaps I can take you there."
"He's too far from here," Ael sniffled, suddenly deciding that she would rather not give details. And then she decided to completely clam up, focused on staring at the puddle her dripping body had created on the upholstery, for the rest of the drive.
Sa'kara continued to chat, attempting to further ease Ael's anxiety, having little effect. There was simply no interest in Ael "opening up" and confiding in someone she barely knew, and so quietly she remained, staring listlessly through the darkly tinted windows at the dreary weather.
The drive into the heart of the city took nearly an hour and a half to complete. Sa'kara was true to her word, pulling up beside a call unit, staring in her mirror, her window to the backseat, watching the seemingly invisible battle that was waging between Ael and her closely-guarded thoughts.
"Listen, I know whatever is wrong is most assuredly not my business, however, are you certain there is nowhere I can take you? Surely an inn is a more desirable location than standing in the middle of the city, in the rain?" Silence. "Do you have any intention of using the call unit, Ael?" Sa'kara's voice was softer, gentler, almost soothing to the point Ael nearly burst into inconsolable tears.
Lifting her shoulders Ael opened the door, hesitating for a second before stepping out into the rain. "Thank you," she said, stepping close to the call unit yet unable to do more. Instead of attempting (again) to convince Ael to be taken to a dryer, safer place, Sa'kara simply told Ael to take care of herself before driving away.
It took less than a few seconds for Ael to realize she was, now, painfully exposed to not only the harsh elements continuing to pour down but also to other Romulans, many of whom would gladly stick a knife in her back for the "crime" of being human.
Making sure her wet hair stayed covering her ears, not a particularly difficult feat since the soaked copper tendrils were plastered to her face and neck, Ael, after one final, quick glance at the call unit, turned and headed deeper into the city. Head low, the gaze of one eye on the ground, the other peeking out at the corner, Ael trudged along with a heavy heart, wondering what to do and where to go.
You should never have left home, a voice inside her head, spoke. Even at the best of times, you and Tomalak can seriously butt heads. He would have come around by morning; don't you know him better than that?
"I thought I did," mumbled Ael to her shoes as she walked, both eyes now on the ground at her feet since it was obvious that none of the few Romulans who were out in the city in the rain cared about her existence. To them, the people rushing to get away from the weather or merely striding quickly across the road to get to a place of business, Ael was just another citizen, slogging through the wet, going about her own business.
It wasn't long before the wet, combined with the sudden bite of the air saw Ael shivering, the young woman wrapping her arms around bared arms as she walked – now jogged – towards a series of shops along a side street. At the last second, instead of slipping inside one of the shops, reveling in warmth and dryness, Ael slipped down an alleyway and around the back.
Moving quickly down the line of shops Ael spotted an awning in the distance, the drab green of the overhang wasn't a particularly calming, inviting color but it was something to take refuge under for a while at least. Dampened, barely lifted spirits sank even lower when Ael saw the awning was slightly ripped, tattered in spots, a little hole allowing the rain to drip right through in the center.
Suddenly too weary to continue trudging through the chilly downpour, Ael sat beneath the awning and against the wall, as far in the corner as she could get, knees were drawn to her chest, arms around them, which is how she stayed until the grey, overcast day gave way to the blackness of an overcast, stormy evening.
Staring just to her left at a pock-marked wall, shivering against the cold, eyes brimming with tears, alone with all the "what if's" of the day still fresh in her thoughts was more than Ael could bear, finally succumbing to burying her head in folded arms and weeping like a lost and frightened child.
"Why did I have to leave like that?" Ael whispered into her arms. "We could have worked things out; somehow, I know we could have…"
Around and around Ael's thoughts went, the thought of being back home, curled up between Tomalak and Bochra as they watched the storm over the sea through the large bay windows in the sitting room, a fire in the fireplace if the air was just a bit too nippy for comfort; it only made her feel lower than she'd nearly ever been. Silently, she wondered if she would ever be able to go home again.
Ael was about to decide to cry herself off to sleep when a voice said, from just behind,
"Ael?"
The deep, familiar voice looming just behind her gave Ael pause from her quiet weeping though she refused to turn in acknowledgment. All she wanted was to be left alone with her misery, well, a part of her did; the other part wanted to be rescued and carted away back to her home by the Apnex Sea, to once again try and make amends with Tomalak.
The silent battle was won by the side that did not wish to be bothered, only left alone, Ael vocalizing her wish through her tears. "Please, I just want to be left alone with my misery."
Galen stepped back in surprise upon hearing how broken his adopted sister's voice sounded, her words rang sorely unfamiliar to his ears, the fiery spark and vibrant personality that always seemed to follow her was now gone, extinguished like a candle's flame by an unsuspecting gust of breath. It was very unsettling.
"That is the last thing I am going to do," he promised, striding forwards to Ael's side, allowing himself to drop down to one knee, reaching out to lay a hand protectively on her shoulder. "What has happened? Did something happen at your home?"
Ael could barely respond coherently to his questions, resigning herself to sobbing pitifully where she sat huddled on the cold, wet ground. "I don't know what to do," she finally said.
"You are coming home with me," he said seriously, slowly helping Ael get to her feet though she had difficulty standing, and it was then that he also took notice of the cut on her lip and scrape on her cheek. "Ael, you must tell me what happened. Who hurt you?"
"I-I slipped and fell," she answered. "And my feet are hurting because I was running without shoes on, and the paths were rocky. I'm s-sorry, Galen."
"You have nothing to apologize for," he assured her. "Come. I will take you home with me."
"Is…Father home?" she asked quietly, suddenly remembering her earlier thoughts in regards to finding a way to go to him.
"He is," Galen confirmed. "Perhaps you will be able to tell him what has happened, hmm? Now let us get you home." Ael did not respond, leaning her weight against her brother as she took her first step forwards, wincing in pain when her sore foot touched the ground. On her second step she stumbled, Galen's strong hold on her the sole reason why she didn't fall to the ground. Without a word he reached down and scooped her up, Ael offering no protest in regards to being carried and content to do little more than place her head wearily on his shoulder and sigh. She barely even glanced over when she was placed in the flitter, her restraints buckled, Galen settling himself in the pilot's seat and then sending a transmission to home, alerting them that he had found Ael deep in the city, alone and frightened.
The entire journey, from the city to the general's estate was a quiet one, Ael slumping wearily in the second seat of the flitter, her head resting uncomfortably on the window as she stared out in silence, an expression of great despondency in her eyes. Her thoughts were so confused, so full, but her heart had never felt so empty.
Only when her father's home came into view did Ael finally speak, and it was only a few words and to no one in particular. "I don't know what to do," she mumbled into the window, her brother's hand settling comfortingly on her shoulder in response. Galen didn't like what he saw when he stared at his adopted sister, a young woman so small and afraid that he could almost convince himself he was staring at a young child, one who had just lost her family and was now feeling incredibly confusing loneliness and loss.
It was somewhat disturbing to see her so broken. Galen landed the flitter as quickly as he dared in the pouring rain, helping Ael from the craft since she seemed to be unable to work her safety restraints and, as he had in the city, lifted her into his arms to carry inside the instant he saw her stumble forwards.
When Galen entered the home Movar hurried forwards, N'alae, his wife, beside him. D'elon was standing several paces behind, quietly watching the scene unfold.
"We're home, sister," Galen said quietly, Ael unable to offer a response. Her wet, tangled hair was plastered to her face, and her eyes were rimmed with red; dried blood ran from lip to chin, staining it muddy.
"Oh, Ael," N'alae said, Ael's lower lip trembling when she heard her adoptive mother's voice. "Where did you say she was, Galen?"
"I discovered her in a back alleyway," he said. "She was sitting on the ground and weeping, seeking refuge from the storm beneath the tattered awning of an old shop. As for what happened to see her in such a location alone, as well as in such deplorable condition- I honestly do not know. She barely spoke of anything to me."
"Now what has happened here?" The sound of Movar's voice pulled Ael's attention away from staring at the rank markings on Galen's uniform's collar, her pained gaze soon meeting her father's concerned one though it was also full of comfort. Her father's fingertips gently brushed the scrape on her cheek, and he frowned when he saw the blood on her lip.
"She told me she tripped and fell," Galen said, his tone indicative that he didn't buy her tale. "I am not as certain of it. She was rather deep into the city, Father; I am concerned that someone may have harmed her. The soles of her feet are also damaged, but I believe her when she says she was running without shoes on."
Ael had always preferred going barefoot around the home, even outside. If something had happened to cause her to flee for her life or her sanity; she would not have stopped to put shoes on her feet before making a dash for freedom.
"I fell, Daddy," Ael said, her voice so quiet that he almost missed the words. "I swear that's what happened, please, believe me." Suddenly she was distraught, her eyes flicking from Galen to her father, to her mother and even to D'elon who she had only just noticed in the background.
Movar found his daughter's behavior beyond concerning, her small frame wracked with trembles, breathing shallow as she fought to take a breath. It was time for a private talk, somewhere much quieter.
"Ael, hush," he said, drawing her close to his side, protectively when she slipped from her brother's arms. "I believe you, my winged one," he promised, stroking his hand over her tangled hair. "If you say you tripped and fell, then that is what happened."
Ael quickly glanced up, tears spilling out of her eyes, negative thoughts bombarding her further.
I feel like such a horrible burden. He is a noble Romulan general; he is courageous, strong, powerful; he is everything I'm not. Do I even deserve the care of anyone here? What is wrong with me? Why is my mind such a mess?
But even through her jumbled, chaotic thoughts, Ael couldn't bear to leave her father's side, clinging tightly to his tunic like her life depended on it. The only reason she left his side at all was due to her fierce shivering from her soaked clothes and chilled body.
Gentle coaxing soon saw Ael away from her father's side, though she didn't want to be, into a spare room with an adjoining bath, where her mother spent time caring for her, tending to the injuries on Ael's feet, the scrape on her cheek, her cut lip, before finally drawing a warm bath for her daughter to relax in. Ael was cold and weary when she stepped into the tub after her mother had tended her, sinking down into the comforting warmness until only her head was above the water.
For a moment Ael nearly burst into tears; the water so warm that it reminded her of Tomalak's natural body heat, which, like the warmness that presently surrounded her was easily a comfort when she was in a bad way. They would snuggle up on the couch in the little sitting room, staring out through the large, bay windows that overlooked the Apnex Sea; they would never have to say a single word to one another, simply being in the company of the other, was enough.
With a heavy, trembling sigh Ael wondered if she would ever feel Tomalak's kisses again, or even feel his arms around her, strong and reassuring. Would she ever hear his voice again, his laugh; what would she do if he turned away from her, walking away from her and Bochra without bothering to look back over his shoulder?
It would be devastation beyond belief. Ael soaked in the warm water for the better part of an hour, stepping out only when her once, warm and comforting refuge began to cool. Wrapped in a cozy towel Ael stood near the window, looking out into the night, listening to the heavy rains falling down. The wail of a storm bird in the distance prompted further feelings of sadness, the bird's call reflecting Ael's on misery by the sheer desperation of its cry.
Maybe it's lonely too, she thought sadly, turning away from the window to dress in the fresh clothing that had been laid out for her, also a slow and hesitant affair. A dress in blue and black, a hint of purple rested on the bed, Ael sighing sadly when she lifted it up. On any other day, this particular dress might have been seized from the closet without a second thought; on any other day. On this night the colors served to reflect on the broken, battered and bruised state of her heart.
Once dressed Ael resigned herself to sitting on the bed, fiddling with a loose thread on the quilt, every now and then startling when a rumble of thunder was loud enough to shake the home. Ael stayed where she was until her mother reappeared, another twenty minutes later.
"How are you feeling, a'rhea?" Sitting beside her daughter N'alae stroked a motherly hand over Ael's hair, wrapping her arms around the saddened girl when the tears began.
"I don't know what to do," Ael choked out. "Why was I so stupid? I've ruined everything."
"Hush now," N'alae said soothingly. "Tell me what's happened."
It took three minutes for Ael's tears to calm enough, to where she could speak in a coherent sentence and even then, the words were difficult to form.
"Tomalak and I had a fight," she began, sniffling. "A-and I did something so stupid."
"What began the disagreement?" her mother asked.
"We woke up," Ael answered brokenly, instantly sparking insight. "We just seemed to be on each other's nerves from the start of the day, and I don't know why."
"Sometimes, my dear Ael, such instances are inevitable. Did the two of you sit down with one another and communicate how you were feeling?"
"No," Ael admitted, quickly adding on, "but I tried to make amends. Tomalak just wouldn't have it." The tears were beginning again, closing off her throat, making it difficult to breathe. "I tried, Mother," she insisted, "I really did. Toma was just so angry with me." Ael went on to admit her earlier failing of sneaking into Tomalak's work room, fiddling with his projects, while accidentally causing harm to another, something she regretted with severe intensity.
N'alae knew of Tomalak the way most military personnel, in one way or another, seemed to: He was prone to holding a grudge for excessively long periods of time, for being especially unforgiving and callous to someone who had wronged him. Yes, he tended to take care of his own, but he wasn't known for leniency or softness. Unfortunately, it seemed, at least to N'alae that Tomalak had extended his militaristic behaviors into his intimate relationship, something that was quite often destructive even without meaning to be.
"I think we should place a call to your home," said N'alae. "I'm certain that no matter the disagreements that Tomalak is worried about where you've gone, to say nothing of Bochra."
"I-I can't call," said Ael. "What if Toma picks up the call? What if just the sight of me makes him even more disgusted with me than he already is?"
"There is much to work through it would seem," her mother responded. "I will place the call, Ael."
"Okay," Ael agreed quietly. "Would it be okay if I talked to Daddy? I feel too shaky to stand."
After another gentle squeeze, N'alae rose to her feet and left the room, instantly greeted by a few pairs of anxious eyes when she stepped into the sitting room to fetch Ael's father.
"How is she?" Galen asked. "Were you able to find out what happened?"
"Ael is quite shaken in spirit, saddled with a heart she feels is broken," N'alae began.
"What did Tomalak do?" Galen demanded. He knew all about the commander's militaristic traits, too.
"From what I understand," N'alae said ignoring her son's sudden ferocity, "both Ael and Tomalak awoke in especially foul moods this morning. Earlier in the afternoon, there was accidental breakage of a possession, which sparked further fury. Ael shared that she attempted to make amends, however, Tomalak refused to have any of it. The situation continued to degrade, Ael fleeing when Tomalak and Bochra settled into an angry, verbal debate. She feels unloved and sorely unwelcome at her home, and is convinced that Tomalak is going to turn his back on her and Bochra, permanently."
With each word out of his mother's mouth, Galen became increasingly more agitated. "When is that man going to differentiate between commanding a warship and being a part of an intimate relationship? I want an honest answer: Was he the one who hurt her? If he dared to harm her, I don't care what Tomalak is to this Empire or what rank he holds; if he hurt my sister I will end him."
"Your desire to protect Ael and her honor are well-intentioned, Galen," N'alae said, "however, tread carefully when forming assumptions. I am convinced that Ael's injury was indeed the result of falling. Tomalak may have much to learn, concerning being involved in an intimate relationship, one day, marriage union, but it's fairly widely known that he will not harm a woman."
"While he could indeed stand a drastic adjustment to his attitude whilst home," Movar agreed, "what your mother has stated, is fact: There have been many instances where the commander has outright refused to deal with prisoners of the female persuasion especially if they are the extremely stubborn, resistant type. He would not have harmed Ael this way."
Galen nodded once, accepting (barely) what was said.
"I was going to place a call to her home," N'alae said, raising a hand to signal silence when she could see Galen about to speak further, likely to insist that he be the one to do it, to be the one to "speak some sense" into Tomalak, or perhaps even slip in a mild threat. "I'm certain both Tomalak and Bochra are concerned for her safety."
"And if they wish to come here?" Galen was unable to check his defensiveness.
"Then they will be allowed to do so. If Tomalak is still agitated, however, it may be best he waits until first sun, but Bochra is most welcome." And then she turned towards her husband. "Ael asked for you to come to her."
"Understood," he said, vacating the sitting room to tend to his daughter's seemingly shattered spirit.
"I will return soon," N'alae said, excusing herself away and to the call unit. The call was put through, seconds elapsing before connection, Bochra's worried face appearing.
"Ael?" he asked breathlessly, wiping his hand over his face to prevent further rain water from needlessly dripping into his eyes. "Please tell me you have her."
There was no mistaking the urgency of the young man's tone: He had most certainly been worried, excruciatingly so by the looks of it. "Yes, she is here. Galen was the one who found her."
"Where? Is she injured?"
"Galen stumbled upon her in a back alleyway, deep into the city. Unfortunately, there was a minor injury, however nothing to be concerned with," she said, attempting to reassure and ease his worry. "Running over rocky ground took a toll on the soles of her feet, and she told me at one point she fell, which scraped her cheek and split her lower lip."
It sounds like something to be concerned with! Bochra almost shouted, his severe worry scaling down by a fraction when N'alae assured him that all injuries had been tended to, Ael had soaked in a warm bath, and was now in fresh clothing and talking with her father.
"May we come to her?" Bochra asked. While under the assumption it was all right to hop back into the flitter and make a beeline for the general's estate, Bochra still felt it best, to ask.
"You may, yes," she answered. "As for Tomalak, I would like to speak with him, but before I do I would like your personal opinion: Has his earlier, volatile attitude, settled?"
"It has," Bochra said. "Tomalak and I had an extended discussion much earlier, one that escalated into shouting, though it served as an outlet for him to get his concerns out into the open, where they should have been, much earlier. We only returned from another search for Ael, minutes ago, and I was about to place a call to you, for help with searching, only moments before yours came through."
While it was good to hear that Tomalak's attitude had settled, N'alae wished to see for herself just how calm the commander had become. If she sensed even a touch of hostility, he was going to come nowhere near her daughter.
"I wish to see for myself, and to speak with him, please," she said, Bochra nodding before hurrying away and, momentarily, out of sight.
In the bedroom Bochra found Tomalak pulling on a dry tunic. "She's at her father's estate," Bochra blurted.
Tomalak's eyes widened. "I heard the com," he said. "Was it her father?"
"Mother. One of her sons, Galen, stumbled upon Ael while in the city."
"In the city?" Tomalak repeated, dumbfounded. "How in Fire's name did she manage to get that far away from home?"
"I don't know," Bochra said. "However there was a minor injury."
Heart jumping from his side and into his throat, Tomalak dreaded the next words out of Bochra's mouth, slightly relieved when the other man told him that the injuries had been easily tended, Ael also, now, clean and dry.
"That isn't everything," Bochra continued. "N'alae wishes to speak with you. She -" A pause. "There is a possibility she may not allow you to come with me, to be with Ael."
"She has no right to dictate such a thing," he hissed, anger rising.
"She is merely concerned for her daughter," Bochra said quietly. "She asked me if your earlier mood had settled, I told her, yes, but she wishes to see for herself. I swear to you, Tomalak; I could feel her desire to keep Ael safe. When you speak with her I urge you to remain calm. If she detects any upset in you…"
"Noted," he said stiffly, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, before stepping out of the room and heading towards the waiting call. The short walk to the call unit was spent with Tomalak in preparation to have flawless conduct, also thankful that it hadn't been General Movar who had called. That would have been the world's worst verbal lashing, Tomalak was sure.
Arriving at his destination Tomalak sat, staring straight ahead and at Ael's mother, attempting to keep his features more relaxed than he felt like. And then he thought of Ael, safe, dry and warm and no longer lost in the storm, true relief flooding over him in a rush.
"I'm going to be succinct with you, Tomalak," N'alae said, a hint of sternness present in her otherwise softly spoken words. "Do you love Ael?"
"I do," he answered.
"Then, tell me: Why does she feel as if you do not? Why is her spirit shattered, her fire dim; why does she feel like you are gone, never to return?"
Tomalak found it difficult to disclose the true reason, attempting to swallow his Romulan pride so his admittance could make its way out into the open. N'alae wanted a certain, precise answer and she wanted Tomalak to love Ael enough, to be able to give it.
I've been a complete idiot, he thought. That's why. Only when N'alae quirked a brow to indicate she would appreciate an answer, Tomalak finally spoke the truth, and while it hurt to be so open, he knew it needed to be done. "Because I've been a damned fool," he said, his upset turned inward. "I held onto my anger out of pettiness, out of a need to "win"; only there could be no victors. I bore a grudge against her, which I know, now, was a mistake, and I regret it. Fiercely." A sigh. "I know I have been making a great many mistakes, Madam, but the idea of having a cherished beloved… It is all still so new to me."
"Though she may not be here to hear you, you do her honor with your admittance, Tomalak," she said. "I am certain she will want to hear those words, as well as others."
"I will tell her all of it," he promised.
"See that you do," she said, adding, when Tomalak's countenance was suddenly one of great worry, "this situation is amendable."
"I caused my beloved to think I despised her; I made her think I was going to turn and walk away. How could I have…?"
"Relationships take hard work," she said seriously. "Disagreements are inevitable; what is important is how you handle them. It is harder for some than for others, to learn the best way to defuse anger and tension, but it is not impossible."
"Then I will do it," he vowed, setting his jaw in determination. "I will do it for Ael, for Bochra; I will do it for our family."
"For now, however, I think she would greatly appreciate the two of you making your way here. You may use one of the guest rooms for the night, so you aren't forced to return home in the storm, which I fear is only going to worsen."
The call was quickly completed and Tomalak bolted from his chair, calling out for Bochra while throwing open the front door in haste. It was time to bring the family back together.