THE NEXT MORNING, LONG AFTER THE LIFE LESSONS WHICH DRAGGED INTO THE NIGHT, THE TWO AWOKE GROGGY IN THE SMALL APARTMENT. ADRIA WHO WOKE FIRST GRABBED SOME LEFTOVER BREAD AND CHEESE AND SPLIT IT AMONGST THE TWIN CHIPPED PLATES.
"UP AND AT ‘EM." ADRIA SAYS NUDGING THE BUNDLE OF CLOTHES AL HAD CURLED UP IN ON THE FLOOR. "I’M NOT LEAVING YOU TO YOUR OWN DEVICES AT MY PLACE AGAIN."
AL RECEIVING THE KICK A FEW TIMES EVENTUALLY LEANS UP FROM THE PILE AND GLANCES AROUND ASSESSING HIS CURRENT STATUS. HE TURNS TO ADRIA AND GAPES WHEN HE SPOTS THE PLATE OF BREAD.
NOTICING, ADRIA HANDS AL THE PLATE AND SITS DOWN ACROSS FROM HIM ON THE FLOOR. THE TWO DIG IN AND AGAIN SPLIT THE CANTEEN’S LEFTOVERS FROM YESTERDAY.
"WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU THOUGH?" ADRIA ASKS INTERRUPTING THE SILENCE OF THE MEAL.
AL GLANCES AT HER WITH A MOUTH BRIMMING WITH BREAD. HE SWALLOWS CAREFULLY BEFORE LOOKING AT HER CURIOUSLY.
"I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT RESPONSE." ADRIA SAYS WITH A SIGH. "BUT CAN I REALLY TRUST YOU TO MAKE IT BACK HERE SAFE?"
AL SEEMS TO LOSE INTEREST AND INSTEAD TURNS AND LOOKS AROUND THE ROOM. HIS GAZE STAYS PARTICULARLY ON THE SMALL SHELF OF BOOKS ON THE WALL OPPOSITE THE WINDOW.
"WHAT?" ADRIA ASKS LOOKING WHERE HE WAS STARING. "OH? THE BOOKS?"
SHE STEPS OVER AND LIFTS ONE FROM THE SHELF AND HANDS IT TO AL. "AHA! IF YOU PROMISE NOT TO SNIFF MY CLOTHES AGAIN YOU CAN READ THOSE UNTIL I GET HOME. YOU CAN READ RIGHT?"
AL SHRUGS AND OPENS THE BOOK TO A RANDOM PAGE GLANCING OVER THE WORDS AND SMILING SUBTLY.
"OH? THAT'S A NEW EXPRESSION." SHE SAYS WITH A SMIRK OF HER OWN. "SO IS IT A PROMISE?"
"…" AL SAYS NOTHING INSTEAD FLIPPING A FEW PAGES AND AGAIN SMILING AT THE RANDOMNESS OF THE LETTERS ARRANGEMENT.
HE KNEW LITTLE ABOUT THEIR CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE WORDS IN HIS HEAD HE SIMPLY ENJOYED EACH PAGE’S UNIQUENESS.
ADRIA WATCHED CAREFULLY AS HE AGAIN FLIPS A FEW PAGES. SHE EMITS A DEEP SIGH BEFORE MOVING A LARGE PILE OF PARTICULARLY LACY CLOTH INTO A SMALL MISSHAPEN CLOSET. SHE QUICKLY THINKS BETTER AND GRABS A BOOK FROM THE SHELF AND ADDS IT TO THE CLOSET. "NO TOUCHING THIS CLOSET. EVERYTHING ELSE IS FINE I GUESS."
AL GLANCES AT THE DOOR SHE CLOSES AND THEN LOOKS TO HER WITH A BIT OF CONFUSION.
"I’M TRUSTING YOU HERE SO AT LEAST SAY YOU UNDERSTAND, OR NOD, OR SOMETHING."
AL SHUFFLES A PAGE ANGERING ADRIA AND FORCING HER TO PLAY THE ONLY CARD SHE HAD.
"STOP READING FOR A SECOND AL. SAY YOU UNDERSTAND. PROMISE YOU WON’T MESS WITH THE CLOSET."
"RESET." AL SAYS SETTING THE BOOK ASIDE AND TURNING TO ADRIA WHO HELD UP A FINGER STERNLY. "UNDERSTOOD."
HE TURNS BACK TO THE BOOK AND FROWNS BEFORE FLIPPING A PAGE AND AGAIN EMITTING A SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED LOOK.
"WEIRDO. ALRIGHT, I’M OFF. BE GOOD, DON’T CHEW UP ANY SHOES." ADRIA GLANCES AROUND THE ROOM FOR DANGERS ONCE MORE BEFORE NODDING TO HERSELF AND OPENING UP THE DOOR AND LOCKING IT BEHIND HER.
NOW, WHO TO WATCH, WHO TO WATCH…
FLIP A COIN?
NO, THAT'S WRONG, THIS IS AL’S STORY. I SHOULD FOLLOW HIM. ALTHOUGH WATCHING THE FIRESTORM THE COMMANDER UNLEASHES WOULD BE FUN.
ON THE INSIDE OF THE APARTMENT AL EVENTUALLY NOTICES ADRIA’S DISAPPEARANCE. HE HAD MEMORIZED TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITIES THE WORDS IN THE BOOK. YES, THIS REVISION UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE WORDS. MUCH TO HIS DISMAY HIS PREVIOUS RESET TOOK ALL THE MYSTERY OUT OF THE TOMES. BUT NOW THEY CONTAINED NEW FASCINATION BEYOND THEIR RANDOMNESS.
HE READ PAGE AFTER PAGE, MEMORIZING SENTENCES, CONVERSATION STRUCTURE, AND EVEN JUST SIMPLE COMMON SENSE. THE INFORMATION WILL BE STORED FOR NOW AND PEND A FUTURE RESET FOR FULL INSTALLATION.
HE STOOD UP AFTER ASSURING HIMSELF HE READ ALL THE INFORMATION CONTAINED. HE EXCHANGED THE BOOK JUST AS HE HAD SEEN ADRIA DO. HE CARED LITTLE FOR THE WORDS ON THE SPINE INSTEAD HE FLIPPED TO THE CENTER ONCE MORE AND BEGAN MEMORIZING WORDS OF THE RANDOM BOOK.
THE PROCESS REPEATED ONE BY ONE AS THE DUSTY BOOKS SHIFTED BETWEEN AL’S HAND AND THE SHELF. HE READ ROMANCES, MILITARY MANUALS, EVEN A FEW CHILDREN'S BOOKS THAT SEEMED A LITTLE WORSE FOR WEAR.
AL TOOK SPECIAL CARE WHEN THUMBING THROUGH THE LATTER. PERHAPS HE SENSED AN IMPORTANCE IN THEM, OR PERHAPS IT'S HOW HE WOULD HAVE HANDLED THEM ANYWAYS.
IN ANY CASE HE SOON RAN OUT OF WORDS. HE ALSO GREW AN APPETITE, ALTHOUGH HE COULDN’T EXACTLY PLACE THE MEANING OF THIS FEELING. HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT ADRIA, WHEN SHE WOULD RETURN, IF SHE WOULD HAVE FOOD, OR MORE BOOKS, VARIOUS THINGS REALLY.
HE LOOKED AT THE WINDOW AND UNDERSTOOD LITTLE OF WHAT THE COLORING IN THE SKY MEANT BUT STILL HE GREW IMPATIENT. HE INSPECTED THE ROOM IN SEARCH OF ANYTHING OF INTEREST. HE EVENTUALLY FOUND A THIN CLOTH AND BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE IT THOROUGHLY.
ADRIA AGAIN TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN WITH BREAD, APPLES, AND MEAT STUFFED IN A SMALL BASKET UNDER HER ARM.
"CUT IT OUT!" ADRIA SAYS STEPPING OVER QUICKLY AND YANKING THE UNDERSHIRT FROM HIS TIGHT GRASP. "JEEZ OF COURSE YOU FIND THE ONE PAIR I MISS."
SHE EYES HIM WITH A SCOWL BEFORE LOOKING TO THE DOOR AND SIGHING WHEN SHE SPOTS THE HAIR SHE LEFT, STILL CAUGHT INBETWEEN THE DOOR FRAME.
"WELL AT LEAST YOU DIDN’T BUST INTO MY PRIVATE STUFF PURPOSEFULLY." SHE HANDS AL AN APPLE AND TAKES A BITE FROM HER OWN. "HOW’D YOUR READING GO? LEARN ANYTHING?"
"YES." AL ANSWERS WITH A NOD. "MORE."
"MORE? DID YOU READ ALL THOSE ALREADY?" SHE PEEKS AT THE SHELF AND GRIPS ONE OF THE THICKER ONE’S HOLDING IT OUT TO AL. "YOU READ THIS ONE?"
"YES."
"REALLY?" ADRIA ASKS LEANING BACK WITH A SMIRK. "I LIKE BOOKS AND EVEN I COULDN’T GET THROUGH THAT ONE. COLOR ME IMPRESSED."
"BOOKS?"
"AH, RIGHT. YOU SAID MORE, HUH?" ADRIA PLACES A HAND TO HER CHIN AFTER TAKING ANOTHER BITE FROM THE GREENISH RED APPLE. "THE TOWN LIBRARY HAS SOME, I’LL SHOW IT TO YOU TOMORROW, I HAVE THE MORNING OFF."
AL NODS TO THE WORDS WITH A HINT OF THE USUAL UNDERSTANDING.
"THAT REMINDS ME. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KANGER." ADRIA EXCHANGES THE APPLE WITH A SMALLER POUCH-LIKE CANTEEN. SHE HANDS AL THE POUCH AFTER A LARGE GULP.
HIS REACTION TO THE TASTE COULD BE CALLED COMICAL FROM SOME POINT OF VIEW. IT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY NEITHER ME OR ADRIA LAUGHED.
"FUNNY REACTIONS TO ALCOHOL ASIDE, KANGER ISN’T BEING CHARGED FOR YOUR ASSAULT. I COULDN’T EVEN GET AN INTERVIEW FOR YOU, INSTEAD I GOT AN EARFUL. I SUPPOSE IT'S MY OWN FAULT FOR TRYING TO TAKE OUT ONE OF THE GUILDS BEST." ADRIA TAKES BACK THE WINE SKIN FROM AL’S GRIP AND SWIGS AGAIN SIGHING LOUDLY AFTERWARDS. "WORTH EVERY PENNY."
THE TWO SAT QUIETLY FOR AWHILE EXCHANGING BREAD AND THE MEAT UNTIL ONLY BREAKFAST SCRAP REMAINED. THE SUN HAD COMPLETELY SET SO ADRIA LIT A FEW OF THE CANDLES LITTERING THE ROOM.
"YOU’RE GOOD COMPANY AL. EVEN IF YOU DON’T TALK MUCH." ADRIA COLLAPSES ONTO A PILE OF CLOTHES AND BEGINS MUMBLING HALF TO HERSELF HALF TO THE ROOM. "I WONDER WHO YOU WERE BEFORE YOU LOST YOUR MEMORIES."
SHE GIGGLES SOFTLY TO HERSELF BEFORE CONTINUING WITHOUT WAITING FOR A RESPONSE.
"WERE YOU A SOLDIER? A FARMER? A LIBRARIAN? A SLAVE? I IMAGINE YOU WERE SOME FOREIGN PRINCE. I BET YOU WERE A DOMINEERING SCOUNDREL WHO CHASED WOMEN AND STOLE THEIR PANTIES."
AGAIN ADRIA BURST INTO LAUGHTER.
"YEP, YEP. THAT'S YOUR BACKSTORY FOR SURE. IT PERFECTLY EXPLAINS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION WITH THEM. MHM, AND YOU WERE CHASED OUT OF YOUR KINGDOM BECAUSE…" ADRIA PAUSES AND GLANCES AT AL’S FACE. HE LOOKS ATTENTIVE TO HER WORDS BUT OTHERWISE STILL BLANK. "IT WAS BECAUSE YOU KNEW TO MUCH! AND BEFORE YOU COULD MAKE IT TO THE BORDER A MAGE, THE ROYAL MAGICIAN PERHAPS, CAUGHT YOU AND CAST A…"
SHE LEAPS UP AND LOOKS AT HIM INTENTLY.
"THAT’S IT! IT MUST BE MAGIC THAT ERASED YOUR MEMORY! IF I COULD…" SHE BEGINS TO PACE THE ROOM RUBBING HER CHIN CAREFULLY. "IF I COULD TALK TO DIANNA SHE WOULD KNOW SOMETHING. BUT WOULD SHE EVEN… SHE WOULD RIGHT? I MEAN I WITHDREW FROM MY POSITION BUT… IT SHOULD BE FINE WE'RE FRIENDS AFTER ALL."
SHE TURNS TO AL WHO HAD CONTINUED WATCHING HER PACING.
"I’M ONLY SENDING A LETTER SO DON’T GET YOUR HOPES UP BUT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO RESTORE YOUR MEMORIES. ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT."
AL LOOKS AT HER BLANKLY.
"WELL SINCE YOU DON’T SEEM TO DISAGREE I WILL SEND THE LETTER. AH, I HAVEN’T SPOKEN TO DIANNA IN YEARS, I HOPE SHE’S DOING WELL."