Three Days After

"The repairs should only take a couple hours, maybe." At his next question she responded, "Mr Ardovini will tell you after he finishes the fortifications in the morning. I can't say." Aurelia had noticed him move closer to her, sending a pang of fear through her veins, but she ignored it, instead focusing on her work. While she had never actually repaired anything, she had seen the armorer do it hundreds of times, and thought herself able to do so as well. Besides, her mother had taught her to repair clothes when she was younger, so it wasn't as if she was blindly trying to repair his armor.
 
He was a little bit worried about the price, but it would not be a problem. After all he could have all the money they may ask. "Well, then I will come back tomorrow morning." Said him smiling as he walked to the door. "Oh. Do you know of some place I can rest for the night? I've been in the inn, but I was looking for something... Cheaper..." He meant free. He had all the money he wanted, that was true, but spending tons of coins in the city not only was bad for the economy, it also called the attention of many undesired guests, so he almost never duplicated money.
 
She nodded as he told her that he would return later. However, when he asked if there was a place he could stay, she was struck dumb. "I-I wouldn't know..." Her manners would suggest that she invite him to her home, but her common sense would tell her that inviting him to her house would be the worst possible idea. Struggling to remember if there was something that she could send him, but was pulling up a blank. When she couldn't remember anything, she felt too bad about lying to him, and instead conceded internally that she would need to invite him. Softly sighing, she said, "There's no where 'cheaper' in the city, but...but I suppose I can let you stay at my home for the night."
 
He looked at her and smiled. In any other occasion he would just said yes right away, but he didn't wanted to bother her, since she knew he was a mage and all of that. "Are you sure? I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable..." But then he quickly realized that night is so cold around here, and before she could think about it twice he happily accepted. "It will be an honor for me to be your guest." And he leaned on the wall waiting for her. "I don't know to do many things..." Apart from magic, he was pretty good at it. For his age of course. "But I will help you in anything I can."
 
She was about to reassure him that it would be fine, but he spoke too soon, and she remained silent. "My mother won't understand if you go there without me," she told him afterwards, "so I wouldn't go there without me..." she gave him a wary smile, not once pausing in her work. When he told her that he'd help if he could, she nodded, but didn't say anything, instead focusing on the task at hand. While it was true that her mother wouldn't understand if he went to her house without her, she probably wouldn't understand if she brought him back either. Aurelia was making good time on the repairs, it would take her less time than she thought it would to repair it.
 
He stood leaned on the wall, waiting for him. He didn't really wanted to piss off anyone on her family, and less her mother. Mothers can be very... 'Problematic' when they are angry, especially when her daughter is involved... And all of this he knew it by experience. He smiled and then looked at Aurelia. What a curious name for such a beautiful lady. "May I ask you your age? If you don't mind me asking, of course." He gave her his best warm smile.
 
"Twenty next summer," Aurelia answered almost immediately, not even pausing in her work to look at him as she said so or noticing his smile. Reaching the halfway point in her work, she shifted the material around so she could get to the other side, and began repairing it just as she had earlier. She was silent for a while, only the sounds of her working piercing the silence, soon nearly finishing it. Turning to him, she said, "Mr Ardovini will finish it in the morning. He'd get mad if I finished it by myself without telling him..."
 
It was nice to know some more about her, but she continued feeling distant, not wanting to know anything of him or even make conversation with him. But he was not going to complain, she offered her free shelter for that night and for that he was grateful. He smiled and nodded when she said she was done, and taking a closer look to the armor he could see she had done a pretty fine work. "Impressive." Said him touching the leather, finding a couple of mistakes, but not tellin her. He didn't wanted to discourage her.
 
"Thank you," she said as he complimented her work. She was glad to finally be able to do something that required real work, not the helping about she did most days. Looking in the side room to find Ardovini asleep at his desk, like she found him most nights, she blew out the candles in the armory, systematically making her way back to the front, where he was waiting for her. Looking to him, she said, "Are you ready?"
 
He walked to the door and waited for her to turn everything off and lead him to her house. "Sure." Said him, and let her exit first, like a true gentleman. The night was dark, some clouds were hiding the shy moon, who that night refused to show her face. Again, by his mind appeared the possibility of create light with magic. It was a pretty easy and simple trick but, seeing how Aurelia had reacted before, he decided that it may not be the best idea, so he just sharpened his eyes and let her lead the way.
 
She led the way to her house, avoiding the back alleys this time to avoid the unsavory types that hung around there at this hour. While it took longer, it was safer, plus it made it so that hopefully the magician wouldn't try anything. Occasionally glancing behind her to make sure of his position, she soon made it to her home, and pushed open the door. Her mother was sitting down, like she normally did, as she tried to teach herself to read. Her father was too sick to anymore, and so she was stuck by herself. "Um, Mama...I'm home. This--this is Kestreel..."
 
He stepped in, inside, it could be felt a really warm sensation, the sensation of a home, the sensation of family. He didn't had a true family, his mother rejected him when she noticed that he had magic powers. Luckily for Kestreel, the mage guild adopted him and taught him many things. He smiled and approached her mother, gently offering his hand to her. "It's an honor." And he made a little reverence. Being polite with the elder was the first thing he remember being taught.
 
Her mother had stood up as soon as Aurelia entered, curious as to whom her companion was. Her expression turned from friendliness to apallment and back to friendliness in the space of a second. Still though, she took his offered hand, shaking his hand. "Mama, you should go to bed," Aurelia told her, already feeling uncomfortable. "I, uh, sort of invited him to stay for the night. I can deal with him..." Her mother nodded, sending a warning look to her daughter as she left to the other bedroom.
 
He smiled at her mother as she went to the bedroom. "Your house id pretty nice." Said him to Aurelia with the smile sill on his face. The he took a deep breath. "I can accommodate my self on the sofa, even on a chair." He chuckled. "Even on the floor." Then he got a little bit more serious and looked at her. "Hey, thanks fer letting me stay here. It's pretty cold at night outside." He was really grateful, another night on the streets and he would probably got sick with some stupid illness.
 
"Just as long as you aren't sleeping next to me, I don't care," she answered him, moving about the house and putting things away. When she was finished, she quickly glanced inside the room her father lay, which used to be hers, until she gave it to him so he'd be more comfortable. Going into a separate room, she took a nightdress from a pile in the corner, quickly changing before going back to the room he was in. She had made sure to wear one that wasn't short, and this one went to her knees, so she thought it was okay. Sitting down on the sofa, she looked to him, "You can, uh, sleep anywhere you want..."
 
He sat on a chair and saw Aurelia getting deep inside his house. He didn't wanted to disturb anyone more than the strictly necessary so he just leaned his head on the table and looked at his fingers. Tiny sparks came out of them and jumped from finger to finger. Magic was indeed beautiful, if used as it was meant to be used of course. Aurelia came where he was again and he quickly stopped his tiny show before she could realize. "Oh, don't worry, I will just stay here. Thank you." He looked at her, and realized that he didn't saw his father. Maybe he is sleeping thought him, but his curiosity took the best of him. "I didn't saw your father. I he sleeping?"
 
She nodded, "Probably. He can't really do much anymore anyways..." Aurelia audibly sighed, looking away from the magician so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. Wiping them away with the bad of her hand, she turned to him, trying to smile, but having it turn out more like a grimace. "I--I'm pretty tired. I'm sure you can imagine, with all that's happened today..." She pretended to yawn, even though she was as wired as could be.
 
He looked at her, and even he could see she was acting pretty strange, he decided to believe her. "Okay... Good night." He smiled and leaned on the chair, trying to find the most comfortable position. Kestreel had the curious habit to not move a single bit while sleeping, not even a inch, and it doesn't mattered in which posture he was sleeping, he just didn't moved. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.
 
"Good night," she responded, blowing out the candle and setting it on the floor. For the life of her, she couldn't sleep, but when she thought he was, she finally let the tears fall, holding back sobs so as to not wake anyone else. Hugging herself, she squeezed her eyes shut, her tears staining her cheeks. While she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she really was worried for her father, and would do anything to keep him alive.
 
He finally fell slept, but his mind betrayed him as many nights before, and the same dream as always came to him. People in red robes, forming a circle around a body, speaking a language he couldn't understand, performing a ritual he didn't knew. He had many times asked his masters what does that meant, since all dreams of a mage really meant something. But his teachers refused to tell him anything as soon as they heard about the red robes. And as always, with that dream came a premature awakening.


He simply opened his eyes, finding himself in the same position he was when he fell asleep. But this time there was something different, somebody was crying quietly. He silently looked around to find that he didn't saw a thing in the darkness. Again, a simple spell could solve that, but he decided to take his chances. "Hey." Muttered him. "Are you okay, Aurelia?"
 
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