Covered in Mud

Back to the present...

Herbert was still kneeling in the wet ground, the rain had let up a bit and turned into a soft drizzle. He confessed to Ava that Alex had died rescuing him from underneath a fallen horse, struggling to recount the memory between sobs as the torture of surviving haunted him.

Unaware that Ava knew about and supported his special relationship with her husband, he was utterly shocked when the great Duchess of Behrllan bent down to clean him up and get him off his knees. He thought that'd she'd be furious with him, perhaps even throw him in prison, but she simply smiled a genuinely understanding smile and rest her hand on his shoulder, with a soothing pat.

Tears began to well up in her eyes, thinking about Alex and seeing the pain in the man in front of her. A single tear ran down her check as she uttered, "It's not anyone's fault... I'm sure Alex is glad, watching you from above, knowing you survived and are standing here today."

"You're still recovering and need to take care of that leg," Ava said looking down and seeing the muddy bandage around his wound. "Go home and get yourself cleaned up. And make sure not to get an infection! We don't want his death to be in vain. Please come over for tea sometime once you're feeling better." Ava gave him one more comforting pat on his shoulder, before turning around and walking away.

Herbert watched as she walked away until she finally exited the cemetery and was no longer in sight. He looked at the ground and gave a small nod, picking up his crutches and making his way home.

----

Ava wandered around the outside of the city walls for while, staring up at the clouds above her, feeling the little spits of rain that fell down from the sky upon her face. Eventually, she decided to make her way back into the city and stop by the nearest market. Even on a sad day such as this, people still had to eat, so a few stalls were open. Despite the castle being well stocked with food and drink, she was looking for a particular honey flavored moonshine to pour out for Alex as it was his favorite.

Everyone avoided eye contact with their Lady as she walked down the street, in fact it seemed everyone one except her mother in law, Helena, had been avoiding her since news of Alex's death broke. No one wanted to face the grieving widow, opting rather to give her space. It was an isolating feeling and the feeling only grew stronger as people on the street tried to discreetly scurry away.

Ava came across a stall that appeared to be selling alcohol. She inquired about the honey flavored moonshine, but the merchant informed her that the woman who usually sells it did not come to the market today. Ava thanked the man and continued on through the winding streets of the city, slowly making her way back up hill to her castle.

Occasionally, she would turn down small alley streets, tracing her fingers along the wet brick and stone of the walls as she walked. She turned herself down one alley that lead to some stairs, which descended to a street with a short stone barrier on one side to prevent falling to the tier below. This side of the city faced the mountains sitting to the east. On a clear day one could see the beautiful mountain range, white snow blanketing their peaks. However, since the rain came in, clouds shrouded the view and only a misty haze could be seen hovering over the city.

Ava turned to continue up the street when something or someone caught her eye. A figure was slumped over against the wall, as still as a sack of potatoes. She walked over to investigate.

A disheveled looking person had collapsed next to the wall, with an appearance as if they'd just been to hell and back. Matted black hair concealed the person's face, their clothes were torn and covered in dirt and blood. Scratches could be seen on the back of the person's hands and their bare feet looked as if they'd been walking for days.

She bent down to check if the person was still breathing, thinking she had just found a corpse left in the street. She moved the hair away from their face and placed her finger under the nose to check for a breathe. A little air could be felt. Surprised she began to pull back her arm when suddenly a hand appeared and grabbed her wrist. The corpse like person in front of her opened their eyes and stared at her. Their dark chestnut eyes looking deep into her own as if they could look past the surface and into the far reaches of her soul.

Suddenly, the stranger's eyes rolled back into their head as their lids shut closed and they passed out on Ava's shoulder, their arm going weak as their hand still loosely held onto her wrist.

Ava had a passerby send for a couple castle guards to come meet her there. She just sat there patiently waiting, this person's head on her shoulder and hand draped around her wrist, until three of her guards arrived. She instructed two of them to lift and carry the injured person back to the castle and sent the other guard to find a doctor.

Rather than following her men, Ava stayed behind for a brief moment. She smoothed out her damp wrinkled clothes and looked off into the distance, the clouds had started to dissipate and a few shimmering sun rays could be seen peaking through to light up the grazing meadows that reached the foot of the mountains.

She couldn't get the eyes of the collapsed stranger out of her head. Their dark half moon eyes were so mysterious and foreign to her. They must've traveled a long way before making it here.