Her hands were nearly frozen by the time they reached Dublith. After a long day of riding, her back was throbbing from constant posture and she was about to fall over from exhaustion. A chilly rain had soaked her to the bone once more—it had only been about five nights prior that she'd had the same issue. Still she was happy when the Elrics announced their arrival, even though her mind and heart were heavy with the grief she'd seen in the early morning. She noticed that the knights had been conversing under their breaths the entire ride while she had lingered farther behind and, the farther they'd gotten, the more upset Alphonse looked.
The town of Dublith was small enough to not have a Lord but big enough for a merchant to see fit for commerce. Alyvia had been here once, with her mother and youngest brother. They had dined on fine foods and rich wines. It had been a spur of the moment trip because of her father's sudden desire to take the two older sons on a hunting trip, and she had been incredibly involved with the lifestyle around her. Unlike the town outside of her father's land, Dublith was lively and clean and happy-go-lucky. If she thought hard enough she could still imagine the smell of her mother's raspberry perfume and her brother's calm smile before he grew corrupted by Mason's schemes.
Even in the early autumn rain she noticed that the town seemed unaffected. Lots of young women with little children clinging to their skirts stepped through the muddy paths to purchase the dough and fruits and cloth, as if the rain didn't mean anything to them. Men conversed politely outside of the tavern unlike the last time she'd spotted a bar. Little girls played with dolls on the front porches of their homes while little boys threw leather balls at each other and laughed in joyous time.
Edward kicked his horse harder towards a small butcher shop still in the middle of the town. Outside, an extremely burly man two sizes taller than her swept off the front porch, his skin kissed roughly by the sun. Alyvia noticed Ed pulling to a stop, confusion spreading through her more than she could have wondered. "Sig!" He cried out, unsaddling his horse and pulling his dark scarlet hood down. Alyvia watched as his golden hair grew dark with rain before following him as he and Alphonse both raced to greet the man. The rain continuously seeped through her clothes as she waited for their greetings to pass, her head a dull thump in the cold weather. "It's been too long."
The man she understood to be Sig glanced over their heads in her direction, pinning her with an obsidian gaze. Alyvia froze, unable to move out of surprise and utter fear; he could probably snap her neck within seconds of clasping his massive hands around her throat, could probably—"You let the girl freeze in this rain." He said in a deep, gruff masculine voice. The fear faded to shock and she felt her brow rising. He pushed past the knights to come to stand in from of her, his body acting like a shelter from the rain and cold. "Izumi will be glad to have another lady in the house."
Without her consent, he shot his arms out and swooped her from her legs. Alyvia yelped before he settled her into the curve of his chest, as if she were a child with broken limbs. A glance at the knights and she saw they were just as surprised as she, with two pairs of golden eyes wider than the full moon. Sig lurched forward, protecting her from the pouring rain. "Get those horses inside." He ordered, stepping onto the porch and setting her down daintily. He was rather composed for such a big man as he opened the front door to the butcher shop and allowed her entrance.
Alyvia almost immediately felt at home. Past the front of the butcher shop was a dining room, with a large fireplace and table. The smell of cooking meat and breads rushed her back to her time racing through the kitchens of the castle, snatching berries and pieces of cheese to snack on before dinner. Tart perfume filled the room as the door shut behind her, the chill of the outside world fading into oblivion as the warmth from the fireplace spread throughout the room. Her eyes found glazed ham on the table and she wondered if she could sneak off a shred of the meat without being caught. She was less stealthy than she was mischievous.
A door down the hallway creaked open and she jumped out of her thoughts. A young woman, older than her but young enough to be her mother, emerged from the darkness with her hair pulled back in multiple braids. She had fair skin that did nothing but match the white dress she wore, but her hair was as black as Sig's eyes, and just as beautiful. She was a sight to behold; soft curves with big brown eyes and a mother's smile. Alyvia gasped softly at the reminder of her own mother as the woman's gaze rose to meet hers, confusion filling her gaze. "Hi," Alyvia breathed, gulping in worry.
"Are you a customer?" The woman, whom she assumed was Izumi from the obvious lack of others around, questioned, putting a hand on her hip. All thoughts of the loving, motherly figure she'd pictured for her faded as fast as they had appeared. She slowly shook her head, tucking her hands in the curve of her stomach. This wasn't going any way she had thought it would have been. "Then who brought you?"
"The man named Sig." Izumi's brows narrowed accusingly. What was wrong with her? Had she done something? Had the Elrics misjudged their welcome into this woman's home? "I'm sorry, I'm really not sure what is going on."
Before Izumi could ask, the door opened, letting in another winter chill. Her gaze met that of the burly man named Sig's before spotting the Elrics enter in beside him, soaking wet and stinking of wet horse. Her brown doe eyes widened and she leapt into Edward and Alphonse's embrace, surprised yelps coming from the boys. Alyvia took a hesitant step away from the crowd of hugs, to stand near Sig. Was this their family? They looked nothing like each other at all. Sig was tall, dark, and handsome, while the woman was smaller, paler, and prettier. And the Elrics were as blonde as she had ever seen. There was no way she could be their mother.
After the smiles and hugs were shared, she noticed that Izumi was staring longingly between them and Sig. "It's so good to see you boys again," She breathed exasperatedly, cupping Alphonse's cheek with her petite hand. The younger brother seemed content with it, his eyes shut and his smile genuine. Edward seemed a bit gruffer about it, however; he had a smile and it wasn't pressed, but it was weaker than his brothers. It seemed affection wasn't his strong suit in any matter. "Care to introduce me to your friend?"
Alyvia had assumed she'd been forgotten amongst the three of them, and it appeared the brothers had as well. The surprise registering in Alphonse's eyes and the searching in Ed's was obvious before the older brother cleared his throat. "This is Lady Alyvia, of house Catalina." He said bluntly, his golden eyes flickering in thought. Alyvia almost immediately understood; House Catalina was nothing but a mere shamble of what it once was and she was the only remaining heiress to the name.
Someone put a hand on her shoulder as her heart squeezed in memory of her brother's shredded body. Heiress to a name that he should have kept, that he should have made great. The hand on her body brought her rushing back to the present, glancing at Izumi in surprise. She smiled sadly before wrapping her into a bear hug, squeezing her until Alyvia was sure she heard her bones screaming from distress. Behind her, Edward laughed, something she'd never heard before. Everything around her screamed at her to accept this new family while she could, even though she had yet to mourn for her brothers and father and home. Yet she wouldn't do it.
She couldn't.