Alessandra

Alessandra woke up. This in and of itself was not unusual, she did it every day in fact. What was unusual was that she was in a bed, that was in a room and was warm and dry. Whoever had brought her here had to be rich! She did not think that it was the well-dressed man that she had been running from for so long. He had kept screaming about how he would torture her to death for making him run through The Wet. When he finally caught her she had known that she was a dead girl. Everything was a bit fuzzy after he grabbed her by her neck, but she thought that the rag seller’s bounty hunter had shown up before everything went dark.

“Why would a bounty hunter spend money on his mark?” She thought. “Why would the rag seller spend this type of money on someone he was just going to beat to death or send to the Life Mages? Something weird is going on.”

She thought she heard voices, but they sounded distant. Her head also hurt a lot. She thought about sitting up but that didn’t seem like a good idea. So instead she passed out again.

An unknown amount of time later she awoke again to more low voices in the room, and someone grabbing her arm. It wasn’t a hard or cruel grip, but she still did not like it. The whores always told her to try to get away from people who grab her, so in a half-panic she started to try and pull away. The grip tightened and she felt a weird pressure and heat buildup in her chest. The person grabbing her arm let go with a start and gasped. When he let go, she calmed a bit, having gotten away, and the pressure in her chest went away.

“She’s waking up!” Grabby yelped.

“Did you get the bracer on?” Voice 2 said. This voice was concerned and afraid but not panicked.

“No! She’s too filthy, I was cleaning her arm, but she woke up.” Grabby replied.

“Not ideal, I can’t do anything if she loses control.” Voice 2 replied.

She heard steps heading her way and then a chair scraping along the floor.

“Good morning, little one,” a Voice 2 said. She decided she liked this voice; it was deep, warm, and didn’t sound afraid like the other had been. She decided to name him Warm Voice. Her head still hurt too much to open her eyes again. “We need to put a bracer on your arm; this won’t hurt you at all, but will help keep you safe. For the bracer to work, your arm needs to be clean. Will you let me clean it? I promise I won’t hurt you.” Warm Voice said. He sounded so nice, so concerned, and Alessandra did not trust him. In her life, everyone who started off sounding nice was mean.

“Why do you want to help me? What’s in it for you? Are you going to sell me?” She croaked out. That was too much, and her stomach turned again, and she started to gag and retch. A little bile came up and dribbled down her chin.

Warm Voice growled, “Healer! Why didn’t you heal her? Get over here now and fix her!”

Warm Voice could be scary. She knew it! He was a Big Boss if he had a Healer with him.

“Sir, it is still covered in disease; if I touch it, I will get…. EVERYTHING!” a voice that had to be the Healer wailed, “I won’t go near it until the Death Mage arrives. My duty does not require me to put my own health at risk for some street mouse.”

She heard the chair fly back and break against the wall and stomping, a strange yelp, more stomping, and a weird scraping half stomp. Then she felt a hand on her dress.

“There, now you have touched the scary, scary disease. Fix her head or lose yours.” Warm Voice said in a NOT AT ALL warm voice. “A Death Mage is already on the way, you sniveling coward. There is no reason for you not to do your job, nay your duty. I will be speaking to the Arch-healer about your attitude. Do not give me more reason to be displeased with you. Or do? My cousin has bored Life Mages. I don’t really care either way.”

“Yes sir,” a very squeaky Healer replied.

“God’s, I hate dealing with the Capital Guild,” Warm Voice said in a quiet voice Alessandra was sure she wasn’t supposed to hear. Or maybe not; he wasn’t too quiet. He was a Big Boss, after all.

“I apologize for that last remark, Healer; it was unjust of me to threaten you so for such an inconsequential insult. Heal her head, and you may leave. We shall discuss your attitude to your duty later with the Arch-Healer,” stated Warm Voice much more calmly than he had been.

A few seconds later, Alessandra felt a shaking hand on her forehead, then a warm, comforting feeling spread over her head and down her body. Suddenly her head stopped hurting. Surprisingly she started feeling all her bruises starting to stop hurting. The warm feeling started to grow hotter, and she felt all her old aches and pains get better. She opened her eyes to see a young man who did not look happy. She hoped it wasn’t with her. He pulled his hand back, sniffed haughtily, and turned away from her.

“Sir,” Healer called out, “Despite what you may think, I do know my duty as a healer; she is healed of all I can heal. I shall now step outside and await the Death Mage and hope he can destroy all these diseases that your actions have undoubtedly exposed me to. After that, I shall return to the guild to discuss the actions that took place here today with the Arch-Healer as well. She shall decide who was in the wrong and in the right here.”

Wow, thought Alessandra, he can talk. All he needed to say was some words the whores wouldn’t like her to say and stomp out. That would have been much more intimidating in her considered opinion than all that fancy talk.

“Sorry, you had to hear that, girl. I lost my temper, and that is not something I like to do in front of children,” Warm Voice said, getting her attention. She turned her head to see his face for the first time. To her complete surprise, it was not her first time seeing him. It was the Bounty Hunter sent by the rag seller! His face was cleaner, but she would recognize that beard, which was quite beautiful, and his strange gray eyes.

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!” she screamed and scrambled as far away from him on the bed as she could, pulling the covers over her head as she did. “Please don’t take me to the rag seller; he’ll kill me!” she wailed.

“WHAT? Why would I do that, child? And what rag seller?” said the mean, mean Bounty Hunter who was trying to trick her with kindness.

She pulled down the covers and glared at the Bounty Hunter, “Because you’re a bounty-hunting bastard, that’s why!” She gasped and covered her mouth, blushing. “OH NO! Look what you made me do. I used a bad word! Mary will smack me if you tell her.” She then threw a pillow at the mean, nasty bounty hunter. In his shock, the bounty hunter did not dodge it. Grasper fell to the ground laughing.

Stolen story; please report.

“A bounty….hahahahahahahahah….hunter!” Grasper gasped from the floor. “Rag….hahaha….seller hiring….hahahaha….Magisters…..hahahah….street-mouse…..rags…..hahahaha.”

The Bounty Hunter looked from the pillow to Alessandra, to the man rolling on the floor, back to Alessandra, and then to back the pillow, and sighed.

Looking at the man on the floor again and scowling, the bounty hunter? said, “Get off the floor; you’re a Magister. Have some decorum. And you, girl, what makes you think I’m a bounty hunter, of all things? I’m a Magister of the Mages Guild. I was chasing you because your magic awoke, and you need training. Why would a rag merchant even bother with a bounty hunter to go after a street mouse, even if he could afford one?”

“Because I stole from him! I’m a thief! Please don’t send me to the Life Mages. I don’t want to be flayed!” wailed Alessandra, as she broke down crying, the events of the past few days finally catching up to her. The last thing she heard before crying herself to sleep again was Grasper saying, “I think we need to get your wife.”

Alessandra awoke sometime later when her bladder and stomach both agreed it was time to get up. She started to sit up and was about to look around when she felt something on her arm. In a panic, she sat bolt upright and pulled her arm to her chest to see what it was. The thing on her arm must be the bracer that the Bounty Hunter or Magister, or whatever Beard Man was, had been talking about. It was beautifully made of a shiny metal that she thought might be silver. It had a lot of markings that looked almost like letters but not quite like what she sometimes saw on merchants’ stores. She didn’t know how he got it on because it was right on her skin and had no clasps at all. Amazing!

“HHHMMMHH,” came the sound of a clearing throat from across the room.

Startled and still scared out of her mind, Alessandra ducked back under the covers. Peaking back from behind the covers, fearing that Beard Man would still be there. Instead, she saw a beautiful woman. She had piercing blue eyes set in the prettiest face Alessandra had ever seen. Her nose was perfect, and her lips were full and painted blue to match her eyes. Though her hair had a little gray in it, most of it was still a brilliant red. She was perched on a simple chair as if it were her throne, holding a book on her lap. Even though her dress was simple, Alessandra could tell that it was very expensive, because a woman that pretty who could afford a BOOK would never wear cheap clothes. Instinctually the girl knew not to be rude to this woman who was obviously a rich and powerful Madam. Being rude to a bounty hunter or thug was one thing; they were uncouth brutes, according to the whores, who were not worth respect. But a Madam was worth respect. She might be mean, but at least she made sure to kick out the meanies, and she bought the food. At least that’s what the whores said; Alessandra was never allowed inside to meet one. She had seen them; of course, they always wore a lot of makeup and pretty dresses. Alessandra wanted a pretty dress.

“I know I’m pretty, but it is rude to stare so long,” the Madam said.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. Your so pretty, though I couldn’t help it. Please forgive me,” replied Alessandra.

“Not to worry, little one. Can I get you some food or water? You must be starving after running from my husband for so long,” the Madam asked kindly.

“Toilet!” cried the girl as she hopped out of bed and begin to look around franticly. The woman giggled and pointed at a door. While taking care of necessities in the most lavish toilet she had ever seen, Alessandra heard another door open, and the woman murmur quietly to someone, and then the door closed. When she came out of the toilet, the Madam was sitting at the only table in the room, pouring some water into some cups.

“Please sit and join me for a drink, would you, little one? From what my husband and Hector have told me, I need to clear up many misunderstandings with you. To start with, my husband is not a bounty hunter working for a rag merchant. Close your mouth, dear, the flies infesting this dump will fly in there,” the maybe Madam said. Alessandra automatically closed her mouth.

“If he isn’t a bounty hunter, was he telling the truth about being a Magister? What is a Magister?” she asked. “And does this mean you’re not going to send me to the Life Mages because I’m a thief?”

“WHAT! Why would we send you to the Life Mage torturers for stealing some rags? The king would probably send us instead for even suggesting that. If the rag merchant even bothered to put a bounty on you, we would just throw money at him until he went away. To answer your other question, a Magister is similar to a guard, but they only police people with magic,” answered the maybe Madam.

Alessandra was beginning to suspect she was in both more and less trouble than she had assumed. If Beard Man, err Magister, was a magic guard, then what magic law had she broken to get his attention? She took a drink of water and gasped in shock. It not only was clean but also cold!

“Is something wrong?” asked the most likely not Madam.

“No, Ma’am,” replied Alessandra. “I was surprised by the cold, clean water is all. I hardly get clean water, and it's only cold in winter.”

The woman looked dubiously between the water and Alessandra.

“That was not a complete lie, but I can tell from your face that more is going thru your mind than just surprise at the water,” the woman said with warmth and silently stared at Alessandra. “Come on, tell me what’s got you worried.”

Alessandra squirmed in her seat under the patient gaze of the woman and finally gave in.

“What crime did I commit that the magic guards are after me? Even though I’m a street kid, I try to be good and not steal too much. The whores tell me it’s best not to steal too much ‘cause the Guards will come then. I didn’t mean to break any magic laws! Please don’t sell me to the mines! I’m too little to work in a mine!” she blurted out, again jumping to conclusions.

The woman stared at her for a few seconds before answering, but as she started to open her mouth to speak, there was a knock at the door. The woman got up and opened the door letting Grasper in with a cart that smelled wonderful. The woman looked at the food on the cart and sighed.

“I guess this is the best they have to offer. Thank you, Hector; please leave before you agitate her again.”

“Yes, My Lady. The Duke asked me to tell you that the Healer ran back to the Guild, so we are under a time limit.” Grasper said and bowed deeply to the woman. Alessandra was now almost certain the pretty lady was not a Madam. But if she wasn’t a Madam, what was she? After the woman put the food on the table and was sitting down, but before she could say anything, Alessandra decided to speak up, “Excuse me, Ma’am, I don’t want to make any more mistakes, so can I ask a question?”

“Of course, dear,” she said.

“What are you? I thought you were a Madam because you’re so pretty and wear nice clothes and makeup, but that man bowed to you. If your husband’s some type of Guard, I don’t think he would marry a Madam, would he?” blurted out the girl.

The woman stared at her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Then stared some more. She held up her finger in a wait-a-moment gesture and stood up, and went out the door Hector came through. Alessandra sat there staring at the food she really wanted to eat, but she felt the fancy woman would be mad about that for some reason, so she sat there drinking the wonderfully cold water and waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, she could wait no more; she was so hungry. She grabbed some meat with one hand and bread with the other. MEAT! It was ssssooooo good. It didn’t even smell funny!

Finally, after three pieces of meat and two small round pieces of bread that she was sure had a fancy name, the woman came back in. She looked at Alessandra, shook her head, and sat down.

“I see I have my work cut out with you, dear. I am not, nor have I ever been, a Madam. I assure you, child, I have never set foot in a house of ill repute.” At Alessandra’s blank look, she clarified, with a sigh, “A brothel! A whorehouse! A house of pleasure! God’s help us! Why does a child know of these places? I AM A DUCHESS! A noble! A very important person! My husband is a Duke as well as a Magister for the Guild. He was not after you not because you broke a law but because you are a new mage, a very strong one, in fact. NOW PUT THAT MEAT ON A PLATE AND USE A FORK!”