For Whom the Bell Tolls

The bells where still ringing in her ears as she felt Isenam push against her, almost knocking her off her feet as she put her hands tighter over her ears. And maybe it was the authority in the tone that had the younger animal backing off, or the sudden howl from the side of the road, but Isenam went off after that howl, with a vengeance, disappearing into the tree line, as Malik did his job of making the woman easier to secure. The cat, however, stayed, curling itself around the woman's bare ankles from where her dress had been torn during her flight.

As for the woman herself, she finally was able to look up, to him, and not through him. The outstretched hand, and the soft words, even when she could physically feel the anger telegraphing off him, even at the distance, there was an authority in his bearing that she hadn't felt since the night they had found the murdered servant at the Archon's palace. It was familiar at least, familiar enough that it was recognizable.

And there was finally silence in her head, in her ears, the bells no longer were ringing.

You found me, she struggled out, somewhat in awe, mostly in reverence that he would come for her.

No, there was the quiet chirping of crickets, cicadas in the back ground, a source of water near by, the world was loud and boisterous, but it was.. quiet. For the first time since the bells had started to ring, she was left with the silence of just her own heart, and the creatures of the forest. When Mal pulled his mask down, to see the rest of his face, she relaxed, slightly, hands moving to brush over her wrecked robes. She must look an absolute mess, and no one would blame her for it, she tried to reassure herself, silently, as she choked down a quick breath, holding back the involuntary sob that was rising in her throat.

It's gone. They're gone. All of them.. Malachai, it's all gone. It wasn't hysterics that took her, it was the cold detachment of a scientist, finally taking over as she swallowed a few times, trying to keep that sob under wraps a while longer, her hands going to smooth her robes down gently, trying to get herself to look presentable, even if she knew, somewhere in the back of her head, knew that it wasn't something she needed to be worrying about at the time. The entire city, I, the driver got me as far as he could, gave me his horse, and then went back.. Rene.. Luce.. It was as far in as the University, and it moved quick so quick, I should have gone back in, I should have turned around to help too, but truth told she had been terrified in that moment. Botanist she was, the blight was ... death. And as that momentary terror seized her again, the sob finally broke free from her, anguished -- hastily composed mask crumbling as fast as it had been created. There was no hiding the terror those minutes had struck in her now, but the bells stayed silent. At least they were silent now.

Isenam forgotten for the moment, she forgot about the book, about the cat, about her bolting horse and sought out the comfort of him, closing the space left between them, face pressed into the familiar scent of him, the strong chest that was housed in clothes beneath her cheek. With the absence of the bells, she needed the sound of his heart beat, the steadiness there beneath her ear to help tell her that the world wasn't ending, not now, not for a while, but that this moment would wash over and pass eventually.

I knew you'd find me. Even when she had been questioning if he would have a place for her, she had the surety that he would come for her. She hadn't even needed to send a note, hadn't needed to make it all the way to Minrathous, he had come to find her. Later, when she had sleep, and a good meal, and was clean, she would examine that, but for now, there was nothing else in that moment than the grounding he offered -- through touch, through smell, through sound -- the world had gone a little side ways on her, there for a little while, but he was pulling her back, quickly, to her senses. She couldn't help the tremble that went through her, as she tried to compartmentalize as fast as possible, but it hurt. The sting of loss, the terror and the guilt, of nearly having died, and being a survivor eating at her. At least the guilt was familiar, survivors guilt was something she had experienced before, knew, intimately, knew how to compartmentalize it quickly, for her own sake.

The rest?

You're here. I'm safe now. It was more for herself, than for him, that she reminded herself of these things. She could stop running now. Malachai had found her.

@Malachai Valentius