Gilan came in to the room where Alice and Will were staying currently. Alice slaved over the table, parchment sheets spread randomly. Her head was burried in her hands. She would occasionally run her fingers through her 60cm long chocolate brown hair and muttered to herself.
"Cela n'a aucun sens"She muttered from time to time. From the last word, Gilan could make out it had something to do with sense.
"Everything alright here?"He asked. Alice didn't say a word. Gilan cleared his throat attentively.
"Yeah?"Alice asked, not turning to face him. She pulled the cloak further around her, Gilan's suspicion level rising.
"What are you doing?"He asked, walking up beside her.
"Stuff"Alice replied. Classical Alice. She always said that when she had no other ansewer for doing something random. He had a feeling it was assassin business yet again. Assassin general was a big responsibility. Then he looked again, and changed his assumption. Royal letters. Gallic royal letters. Mixed with the odd assassin letter or Hibernian royalty letter. Most likely Ferris. He eventually figured out that she'd said that, whatever she was reading, had made no sense. What didn't make sense was beyond him. He looked, reading the English ones. They all were, he realised. Even the Gallic ones. Samuel wasn't typically Gallican. He was partly Araluen too. Samuel was her brother, currently taking the throne whilst Alice was busy with her life. Alice had a troubled past, he knew. Not exactly the best life for her. It messed with her mind a lot. The wolf encounter when she was 15 had given her a curse. The Curse Of The Battle Angel. It aloud Alice acces to controlling of all sorts of elements. Along with better withstanding of physical and mental injury. Her main weakness's, since she had been through them so many times, was hallucinogen and control spells. Toshak had a loyalty potion in her, which he could use against her any time he liked. But he had to be able to reach her. With a little help from Keren to make it. He looked now. All sorts of democratic letters. The one she was looking at was far off democratic. It seemed to be almost a report. Gilan looked for a signature, a symbol, a logo, anything that would give him a rough idea. He knew it was bad that he was snooping in Alice's stuff, but he was curious. Then, the signature of a man Asrik Castrati caught his attention. A commander. It was a report. A status report. Alice collected it all up eventually, and put it away, shaking her head.
"...no self control whatsoever. Seriously, why..." was all Gilan managed to hear. It was like he'd been forgotten. He cleared his throat again.
"Do you have a blocked throat or something Gilan?" Alice asked, finally turning to face him. Now that she brought it up, he did feel his throat was slightly blocked.
"A little"He replied. Alice raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms and glaring at Gilan the way Halt use to when he was an apprentice. It gave Gilan that feeling he had the first time he'd seen it now that his former apprentice was doing it instead of Halt. A feeling the subject needed to be changed. That he probably shouldn't say whatever he was about to. And, of course, to stop talking so much. He wasn't talking, but that was the feeling that he was given. Alice looked at him, waiting obviously for him to say something. Her posture said it all.
"I uh, just wanted to swing by. I didn't know you'd be busy"Gilan said. Alice's raised eyebrow stayed where it was as she spoke.
"That's not busy" She said. "You should have a go at trying to lead a force, heal a man, be a Ranger, be a Queen, control a curse, be a magic user, try to keep magic under control, be Morgarath's daughter and care for a flippin' wolf all at once" Alice said. Storm had been pretty much forgotten. The wolf rested in front of the fire, breathing gently and keeping warm. He was found by Alice when she was 16 heading to Arrida, injured almost the exact same way Shadow had. His right arm had been broken, just to add to the unfortunate injury on the neck. Gilan thought about what Alice said. She had a lot on her plate. Some of that would stay there for the rest of her life. The curse, being Queen, being a general, caring for Storm, trying to be a magic user, keep that magic under control, and possibly being a Ranger. Caring for Will wouldn't last her whole life, of course. Maybe. He could be careless sometimes. Alice flinched slightly, putting a hand to her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Gilan asked.
"Yeah" Alice replied.
Alice sang at the inn that night, filling the tap room with the sound of clapping hands and tapping feet in time to country music. She was a really good singer. Had the potential to become a song writer herself. She probably would someday. If only Will could be there. Horace was back with Will. He was worried for his friend. Alice had done a good job caring for him. Time she took a break. The inn got pretty full that night, Alice drawing crowds from people outside that passed by and heard the music. When the night was over, Alice still had plenty of energy. She went back to the room. Horace was occupying Storm. Alice smiled. Horace could be such a softie sometimes. He only realised her when a cold breeze breifly passed him, cast by Alice's cloak. He looked up just in time to see the end of Alice's cloak going through the door to the short hall. Storm looked up.
What are you doing? Horace looked down at the wolf.
"Nunya"He replied. Storm tilted his head.
What does that mean? Horace shook his head.
"None of your business"Horace replied, feeling weird talking to a wolf. Alice did, and to her horse like the others. He listened as Will and Alice talked. It was all medical talk, so he tuned out slightly. He still listened, just in case any of it came in helpful.
"I would"Alice said. "But powers just wont cut it. No pun intended." Will laughed. There was, as a matter of fact, a joke in what Alice just said when he thought about it. Alice smiled.
"Not long left now, 'bout 2 days at the least if you do the right thing" Alice said. Will looked up at Alice. She was looking a lot better herself. She had been quite down yesterday when she'd been fighting. Now, a warm smile was visible on her face, her eyes filled with joy. He'd heard the faint commotion from the tap room.
"There a possibility that you could sing some country for me?"Will Asked. There was no way he was missing out on that.
"Thought you'd never ask"Alice said. She took out her Cittern, putting the strap over her shoulder. She was quite good. As she finished the last line, her soothing voice had sent Will to sleep. Alice smiled. She got up.
"Goodnight to you too"She said gently, before striding out of the room.
"How is he?"Horace asked as Alice sat next to him, scratching Storm's chest.
"Straight to sleep"She replied. "He's healing, that's for sure. He's not as pale. But he's still getting there. His voice is back, and by what I saw his instincts are coming back. He realised when I was down yesterday." Horace frowned.
"What'd ya mean 'down'?"He asked. Alice froze at this.
"I...uh...I...nothing"Alice replied eventually. Horace shook his head slowly. He'd ask Will tomorrow. Alice always tried to lie her way out of things. Or hide them. She was a little pale herself. She hadn't been very well lately either. She yawned.
"Imma go get some sleep"She said, before getting up and walking off.
Will was the first up that morning. Alice woke up minutes later. She made him some coffee, and sat beside him once more. She didn't look well. At all. Her whole physical look was just pale and stressed.
"You don't look to good" Will said.
"Is it really that obvious?"Alice said, before taking a swig of whiskey. Alice only drank as heavily as she had been when she was stressed.
"I know you well enough Alice" Will said.
"When you drink that much something's wrong." Alice sighed.
"Ferris is on to me"She said, before taking another short swig of whiskey.
"How exactly?"Will asked.
"Oh, ya know, the usual bull shit"Alice replied, taking a long drink to avoid having to ansewr Will's question.
"What bull shit?"Will asked. Alice finished the drink, before putting it away.
"I'll fill that back up later" She muttered. There was still a quarter left, but she was a picky person when it came to her drink. Like all Rangers, she did with coffee too. She ran her fingers through her hair.
"What bull shit Alice?" Will asked.
"He's just...he's..."Alice began, drifting off. She eventually sighed and drew breath to reply.
"He's blackmailing me" She replied eventually. Will looked at her, eyebrows creased into a deep frown.
"That's pretty much what he's doing" Alice said. "Unless sending me threats isn't blackmailing." Will shook,his head.
"It is blackmailing, Alice"Will said sadly but firmly. "You need to sort it out." It was Alice's turn to shake her head.
"Wish I could"She said. "But I can't."
"Why?"Will asked.
"Technically, even though in the Gallican Queen and any ruler knows that bigger land, more authority, I'm just a rookie, so I really can't do anything to prevent him since he, at the moment, is a bigger ruler than me"Alice explained. "So even if I did, I could get charged for doing so. It's just the law these days. Ask Duncan, he'll agree." Alice took a swig of whiskey. Halt arrived at that moment.
"Anybody home?!"He called. Alice got up.
"Better go see him"She said. Before striding out of the room. Will was asleep after a while, listening to the two voices.
"You don't look good, is everything alright?" Halt asked.
"Your brother really needs to lay off me"Alice replied, handing Halt the five blackmail letters from Ferris, before going to make some coffee. Halt scanned quickly through them. He snarled.
"Ferris, eh?"He said.
"Yeah" Alice said. "All of 'em." Halt looked at them again. He certainly did need to lay off her. 'Bout time he payed his brother another visit. He put the letters on the table.
"How long has he been doing this?"Halt asked, taking the coffee Alice handed him gratefully. Alice seemed to think back, tilting her head back and looking to the heavens.
"Oh, a couple weeks, why?" Alice asked. "There's still more." Halt's eyes widened in suprise.
"A couple weeks?" He said.
"Yeah" Alice said in reply, before taking a grateful sip of coffee.
"I guess it's time you met your other step brother" Halt said.
"We can't head off today or tomorrow" Alice said.
"Why?"Halt asked.
"Will" Alice replied.
"Oh" Halt said.
"Tomorrow afternoon is a possibility, but that's it"Alice said. Halt took a drink from the coffee Alice had made. It was brilliant.
"Good coffee Alice"He said.
"Thanks" She said in reply. A long silence fell over the two. Broken by a cry of pain from Will. The two hurriedly put their coffee's on the table and dashed to the room Will was staying in. He was sitting up, holding his leg.
"Will is everything alright?"Alice asked, standing beside the bed and looking for the reason of the pain.
"Just moved my leg the wrong way" Will replied. Alice shook her head.
"I've done that" Alice said. "Luckily that won't effect your leg." The two men both sighed relief. Alice shook her head. Strange how Will and Halt were always different when one of the other was injured or missing.
