Snippet #2220505

The morning had come slowly, and of the bodies that rested in Radimus' household, Adrien was the first one to stir and rise. The healthiest of the bunch, whether it be to his amount of sleep, or his curious lack of the Velvet Fever that had been thoroughly subsiding the last days. He awoke in the living room, having eventually drifted to slumber in the only remaining place of rest in the house; an upright recliner. He awoke with a startle, though the dreams that posessed him the night before were hazy, at best, to the boy.

Quickly, he drew himself up and made for the room which Ajani slept in. Light pierced the curtains, and they certainly were a harsh mistress to his eyes. But, it was validation enough that morning had come, and no doubt would the tribal woman be cross with him if he hadn't asked her to wake as well, with how studious she'd been in treating the colonists.

So he'd cautiously approached the girl and rustled her by the arm. "Aja - Ajani, wake up. S'morning." He said.

It took more than usual to get the girl to rouse. Her exhaustion had been so thorough that she hadn't moved from the original position she had lay down in. But, steadily, her eyes opened, a distinct, clear blue in the light of the morning. She sighed, shifting to roll to her back as she lifted her hands to run them over her face. Her fingertips stopped just underneath her eyes, and she turned to gaze at Adrien.

"So soon." she said, shaking her head before struggling to sit upright. "Mn. Everyone's alright? People should be waking now. Walking..."

From the moment she slept to the moment she woke, she had thought of nothing but the people she could be helping.

"People are waking, alright. Stirring right up out of their beds and taking to the streets, with what you guys have been doing for us." Adrien stopped for a moment, then smiled. "I heard a rumor about Illiam - er... Governor Ormond, the other day. He was talking about having an official celebration once everyone is well and healthy. Food in the plaza. And honoring the Vanduo at it, too. It'd be like a holiday. Don't know what they'd name it."

"But, people are getting better, Aja. It's been more good than it's been bad, with you being here, you know. I wouldn't blame you if you told me to get out, and went right back to sleeping. No one else would, either."

Her attention had been won the moment he mentioned Illiam's name.

"Governor Ormond is like your chieftain, yes?" she asked, her eyes boring into his.

"Yeah. He's pretty high up there. I guess we get used to calling him Illiam, 'cause every time someone meets him, he insists it. People say he doesn't really have the backbone to be a good leader - not since the treaty - but he takes care of Blakestown like we're Anabelle and Josie Ormond." He said, nodding.

She was up rather abruptly, one hand lifting to smooth through her hair. "I need to see him. As soon as possible. Now, even!"

She didn't say why, simply that she needed to go. She turned abruptly to Adrien. "Can we? Do we have time?"

"Everyone has time since Velvet hit. He's probably up in his house. Got two little girls to take care of, and one of them had the fever." Adrien said, his dullness probably due to the morning.

"I can take you there, I guess. I usually try look nice before I hit the streets, but I guess no one is looking that great. Why's it so important?"

She was pacing restlessly, from one side of the room to the other. "I need to apologize to him. As soon as I can."

She came up to stand in front of him. "I can go myself. It isn't a bother, really. I just..." She looked almost nervous.

"I just need to."

"Alright, alright." Adrien said, standing up with the woman. His fingers raised to his eyes, which vehemently rubbed at the morning crust that had accumulated there. "He's not going to disappear, you know. It's only morning."

He moved to the door, to open it for Ajani. Meanwhile, Radimus stirred in the living room, and groaned incoherencies. "We're off." Adrien said to the man, who soon rolled over to face the back of the couch and rest again.

When he'd gotten to the door, he'd pulled Radimus' coat off it's hanger, and tossed it to the girl. He took his own and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then, he held the door open.

"After you."

There was someone she was trying to avoid, but it was hard to go explaining that to Adrien, especially now. She'd awoken with a certain clarity of mind, and she didn't want to let go of that any time soon. "Quickly," she said, slinging the coat around her shoulders and jogging off into the snow.

All around, people were finally starting to come out of their homes. They smiled and laughed, waving to one another and marveling over how quickly the illness had subsided with the help of the tribals. There was an air of peace, one that was nearly palpable. The air felt lighter, here. But Ajani couldn't stop now to enjoy it with them. Not yet.

She didn't stop until they came to the foot of Illiam's home, and it was with a certain eagerness that she came to the front door and knocked.

Shouts of laughter and reassurances had come from beyond the door of the regal-esque home. The pitter-patter of tiny feet and the stomps of larger ones had grown closer to the door, until the mahogany slab was opened, if only to reveal a raven-haired young lady, whose eyes swept over Ajani with a certain recognition.

"Oh!" She started. "I remember you! None of us are sick anymore, though." She said, almost haughtily. Her voice had the certain charismatic strength of a child proud of their accomplishments.

"That's not the same girl as earlier," came another woman's voice. A slender hand had taken the door and opened it further, to reveal a woman of darker skin, and even darker hair. She smiled at Ajani, and then to the boy who'd taken place behind her. Her other hand held the underside of her stomach. She gave a warm smile to them both. "Illiam, dear? You have visitors."

"I do, I always do." Came the voice of Illiam, who, in his hand, held another young girl. Younger than the one who'd opened the door. "Ana, oh, move, will you?" He asked, and the very same girl squeezed between the two and disappeared into a room beyond. When Illiam's eyes had come up to meet Ajani's, however, a certain paleness had stricken his face. He handed off the child to his wife, and then closed the door to which only he and they could converse.

But he didn't speak a word. Instead, his lower lip quivered into his top, and he fought with what to say.

Her eyes swept over the family, wonder in her gaze as she took in the sight of the beautiful children. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she still managed to smile, looking between all of them with a certain eagerness to her expression.

Then, when Illiam appeared, she felt like she would stop breathing.

"Illiam." she began, an incredible wash of emotions sweeping over her. "I wondered if I could speak with you privately?" She didn't look back to Adrien. She couldn't afford to, then.

"I suppose," Illiam started, his voice grave. "I should not subject my family to this."

He hesitated to step into the bitter cold. He looked behind him, to where the two couldn't see, and grasped the hand of his wife, before closing the door momentarily.

Adrien looked to Ajani, his brow furrowed. "You don't have to apologize, you know. Not to him. He wasn't the one who's had'is father shot." The boy said, ignorant as to why Ajani had seemed so distraught. Before he could continue, the door had been opened again, and Illiam stepped out to greet the both of them in Winter clothes. His eyes fell on Adrien, who had gone to take a step back.

"Should I leave y'two be?" Adrien asked. "Y'wouldn't mind at all if I'd gone in and played with Josie again, would you, Illiam?"

Ajani hesitated, looking towards Adrien before she gave a quiet nod. "We won't be too long," she murmured, shrugging out of Radimus' coat and handing it back to Adrien. She looked to Illiam, her expression meek, before quietly making her way down the stairs.

Adrien nodded, and ducked inside Illiam's house. He'd gone to Josie, who was held by Illiam's wife. The small child grasped his finger, and he laughed, before the door had been shut, and Ajani and the Governor had been left together.

"I'm sorry to pull you away from your family." she said to him when they had come a distance away from the house. There were people around, and some of them glanced their way as they passed. "I just..." Her brow furrowed as she heaved a very great sigh.

"Many things happened that day." she murmured, not looking at him. "There were things said and done that were unforgiveable. On both sides." She momentarily looked to his face.

"But, as the leader of my people, and their representative...I wanted to come to you especially, because, plainly...I wish to apologize."

Illiam regarded the girl's words with a certain timid quietness, and his eyes had kept to the ground, until Ajani had uttered the last syllable of her apology. Then, he'd looked up to her, his eyes flashing with mild surprise. "Oh..." He murmured, and suddenly took Ajani by the shoulders.

His next words came like a flurry of pent-up practiced speeches and apologetic pleas. "I'd wished to apologize too, you know. But, you were gone. And through all of it, I'd wanted to let you know - that I didn't condone your father being killed. I had no play in it. On behalf of me -" He stammered. "I mean - our... Blakestown. I'm apologizing as well. Never did I hold any ill will toward your people, and it hadn't only been the death of your father, that day. I can't imagine what it was like. I thought he and peace had died, but..."

Suddenly, he came to a realization. That, perhaps, he had been getting a bit too excited. The man's cheeks still bore a deathly paleness. He withdrew, releasing Ajani. "You've been good at restoring that. I... haven't been, so much."

There were tears in her eyes, even as she listened to his heart-felt apology. There was some anger, certainly, but she had to school herself to direct it elsewhere. This man had not been responsible. She remembered the look on his face when the bullet had pierced her father's heart.

"I should never have threatened you the way I did." she breathed. "It was dishonoring to my father's memory, and a disgrace to what my people had set out to accomplish. I can only hope that what has happened in these last few days can at least repair some of the damage our ignorance has caused."

She said 'our' with some emphasis.

"I wish to maintain this peace, as best we can. It's so very important, Illiam. We're going to need each other." She glanced away, trying to keep her thoughts in order. "I fear a destruction is coming. If we do not stand together, then we're all going to suffer for it."

Back at Illiam's home, the front door nearly bent with the slamming of a fist against its surface.

"Illiam!" A certain red-headed man said, loudly. "I insist you open up!"

Finally, a smile had crossed the man's face, though it was meek. "I don't know what sort of destruction you're talking about, but even without, I can't help but agree. There is no way for us to reside here for so long without coming to terms on something, is there?"

With the faint call of his name, Illiam glanced to where his home rested. A chill had gone up his spine, though he watched from a distance what was to transpire. The mahogany door had opened up, with the small face of Anabelle Ormond peeking beyond. In her hand was Adrien's, who had to bend over to accomodate the child's grasp.

"My daddy isn't home right now, he's -"

The girl was cut off by Adrien, whose eyes had met their copper-curled visitor's. "Out. He's out. Anabelle, I think Josie's crying." He said, rather plainly, and shooed the girl off. He stepped outside, nearly pushing the larger fellow away from the door. Though his voice seemed firm, when it softened and faded, it quivered with slight fear. "He's not here. Neither's she." He added, though 'she' had been rather ambiguous.

His eyes nearly flitted in their direction, before landing up on the visitor's again.

The man grit his teeth in frustration, glancing to the side, before pausing to look...really look.

"Not a problem." he all but growled, turning abruptly and jogging down the stairs, across the lawn, and down the road towards Illiam and Ajani.

Aja was holding her breath, and her shoulders went stiff when she saw that the one man she feared most in this town came, practically running for them.

Her face had gone unusually pale, but she maintained her composure even as the Assassin approached. He glowered at her, a wicked look that was filled with obvious animosity. "I would have thought you'd be a bit more cautious, Illiam." he insisted.

"Lest you catch that awful fever."

Illiam had glanced to the man, almost passively, but it was certainly a ruse. Inside, the man had shaken him to the very core as well. "Cain," He started. "I was just going to direct this young lady to the nurse's hovel. She seemed lost, and, well, I consider myself a good Samaritan."

Adrien followed close behind Cain, and joined the group as Illiam finished speaking. "I... need a pail for Radimus, so I don't think it'd be wrong I come with you all."

"If you've a matter for me, well, can you bring it up later? I'm a busy man." Illiam continued.

"She knows damned well where the hovel is." Cain suddenly snarled, taking a threatening step closer to Ajani. She stood frozen, simply boring her eyes into those of the man who had, on more than one occasion, tried to take her life.

"She's been sneaking into the village," Cain accused, pointing a hand visciously at her. She flinched. "Scouting us out, and here you go, letting the whole lot of them into the town without so much as a hesitation. It's foolish. You are foolish."

He looked disgusted, stepping back and nearly shoving Adrien to get him out of his way. "Well, I won't be fooled. There are those of us who will be happy to see these people gone."

He shook his head, looking between the group of them before turning and stalking back towards the village. Aja didn't say a word for a long while.

Then, "Should we get the pail, Adrien?" she asked, her voice soft.

Adrien balled a fist.

"Radimus doesn't need a pail. I swear, if he knows that man -"

"Isn't something you should be involved, or concerned with, Adrien. Politics between the tribes and colonies is a dangerous thing, and you're lucky to have had Radimus' status protecting you." Illiam said, his voice full of scorn. Though, it seemed stricken, and almost fearful at points. "Consider yourself lucky."

For a while, the silence between the three of them grew, before the Governor had spoken again.

"You children should be off."

"Thank you for speaking with me." Ajani said quickly, before turning to walk off down the road. Ironically enough, it was away from the town hall... in the opposite direction that Assassin had gone in. She didn't pause to see if Adrien was following, but surely enough, the boy had worriedly stalked after her.