Raphael’s addition to her household was unexpected, but not at all unpleasant. She’d soon grown comfortable with his wintery presence - so refreshing amidst a village of summery souls - and appreciative of his company. Of course, it was good to have another set of working hands at the farm, his in particular worth perhaps triple that number. But more than that, she enjoyed his quiet, earnest nature. Alice still couldn’t understand what had brought the man to their quaint little village in the first place, but everything he did was with a singular - albeit secret - focus, devoid of any ulterior reasons.
And above even that, Raphael made her feel safe. Which was strange, because she’d never truly felt unsafe before for his presence to have changed it so. Not in the village where she knew everyone, nor in the forest where everything knew her. Even the strangers who passed by knew - if not by courtesy, by self preservation instincts - that she should not be made an enemy. Yet, with him around, she felt unnecessary to keep herself on guard at all times. With the now familiar chill of his aura within the reach of her senses, Alice felt like no harm would ever befall her.
It was her own carelessness that led her to carry that sense of invulnerability along with her beyond her own territory and his immediate range. The forest was just as much home as the farmhouse, and her newfound guardian was right there. However, by virtue of her habit of traversing that path every day, its exact distance slipped her mind. The discovery of a fresh sapling perfect for replanting closer to home had her distracted enough to not notice the warnings of the forest itself as the two men ambushed her.
Alice knew better than to try and fight back or run. Her abilities were not combative in nature, so she would bide her time. They seemed particularly taken with her eyes, greed flourishing in their auras and dulling their awareness to the growing inhospitality all around them.
Being brought to a wagon full of other women had her changing tactics, quietly accepting the binds that would restrain her voice and her hands. Her entrance in the cage shifted the mood inside it, perhaps because of her unwavering belief in their captor’s failure. One way or another, they’d all be once again free. That she had no doubt of.
As the light from the slavers’ torches were dimmed by the pulled fabric that hid their stolen goods from view, Alice began collecting her energy. Without her voice, the power of her suggestion would be halved, but for this sort of cowardly soul, her gaze alone would be more than enough.
The vivid shades of green in her eyes seemed to blend and darken, and she was about to begin weaving her silent spells together when something else caught her attention and broke her focus. The fears and pains of the women around her made it difficult to sense anything else, but the sound of that peculiar howl pierced through her senses. Lifting her head, Alice angled herself towards the way she’d come from. There were two winter presences, deeply connected between themselves, both heading toward them.
Her heart began racing inside her chest, a small smile tipping her lips despite the rag crudely tied across her mouth. She reached out to them as best she could, hoping it would help guide them, but knowing in her heart that he would find her regardless.
Even without words, she reassured the other women that everything would be okay and moved closer to the locked door of the large cage, watching as one of the men secured it further within the wagon. Given enough time, she could have probably unlocked it as well, but with Raphael on his way, she channeled her energies to the ropes tightly binding her hands. She was only half listening to the slavers while degrading her restraints, and dismissed their ramblings as nonsense for the time being, having better things to worry about.
She felt her savior’s arrival due to the marked change in his presence. There was a fire burning within the ice of him. Growing hotter and hotter the closer he got. The sounds of combat startled her companions, but they remained quiet in the face of her calm. Raphael’s quiet voice had happiness and relief washing over her, and it fueled the last of her spell, the ropes crumbling away from her wrists.
Undoing the rag on her mouth, she began freeing the other women as well, but the sound of the key opening the lock had her looking back in time to see their savior - her guardian - and her body moved before she could think better upon it.
Stepping out of the wagon, Alice buried her face in Raphael’s chest and wrapped her arms around him tightly. You came, her heart seemed to cry out with its thundering, and it took her a second to both find her voice again and make sure her magic would not seep through it. “Thank you...” She whispered to his heart, only then remembering herself and abruptly pulling away with color across her cheeks.
Turning her attention back to the women, she helped them out, guiding them away from the slavers on the ground and making sure they weren’t in immediate need of medical aid. She left it up to Raphael to search the wagon itself for any clues as to where the men had come from and where they were heading while she tended to their victims, learning their names and memorizing their auras.
“Are you able to return to your homes yourselves?” She asked gently, suggesting that they take the horse and the wagon for that purpose, to be kept along with whatever valuables they found within. Day had broken across the skies and the forest no longer felt threatening around them. Alice further instructed that they could find aid in her own village if they asked for it by using her name, quietly blessing them with protections as she saw them off. “This will only make you stronger.” The young witch promised with a smile. “Take care.”
Once they were on their way, she took a deep breath, letting the soothing and comforting nature of her aura fall away. Alice had noticed the blood and the accompanying wounds on the fallen slavers and did not wish for any of the women to be around for what would happen to them next. As she walked up to Raphael’s side, her eyes seemed to take the dark colors of the leaves not yet touched by sunlight. She wanted answers too.
“How painful is it..?” She asked quietly of the measure he’d taken to keep the slavers from running away. “Should I wake them fully?”
My dear Babci (grandmother) has continuously sent me information about some magazine envelope art contest. I decided what the hell. I haven't done non digital art (or any art) in ages.
