He wondered if he'd broken his handHe wondered if...
He wondered if he'd broken his handHe wondered if he was going to be thrown out of the bar, or end up in a free-wheeling brawl for this stupidityThe Asolini who had proclaimed his readiness for war clapped him on the back with a hard, cheerful blow and the owner of The Trialla, their employer, in fact, grinned broadly, completely ignoring the shards of broken glass along the bar
"I was hoping someone would shut him up!" he roared over the raucous tumult in the roomSomeone else came over and wrung Alessan's hand, which hurt amazinglyThree men were shouting insistent demands to buy him a drinkFour others picked up the unconscious man and began carting him unceremoniously away in search of medical aidSomeone spat on the man's shattered face as he was carried chanel classic flap bag replica by
Alessan turned away from that, back to the barThere was a single glass of Astibar blue wine in front of himHe looked quickly at Devin who said nothing at all
Tigana, he murmured under his breath, as a Cortean sailor behind him bellowed his praise and ruffled his hair and someone else pushed over to pound his back, Oh, Tigana, let my memory of you be like a blade in my soul
He drained the glassSomeone, not Devin, immediately reached to pick it up and smash it on the floorWhich started a predictable sequence of other men doing the same with their own drinksAs soon as he decently could he made his way out of the room and went upstairsHe remembered to touch Devin's arms in thanks as he wentIn their room he found Erlein lying on his bed, hands behind his head, dolce and gabbana bags gazing fixedly at the ceilingThe wizard glanced over as Alessan came in, and his eyes quickly narrowed and grew frankly curious
Alessan said nothingHe fell onto his pallet and closed his eyes which were still hurtingThe wine, naturally hadn't helpedHe couldn't stop thinking about the woman, what she had done, how she had looked rising like some supernatural creature from the seaHe couldn't force out of his mind the image of Brandin the Tyrant falling to his knees and burying his face in his hands
Hiding his eyes, but not before Alessan, fifteen feet away, only that, had seen the shattering relief and the blaze of love that had shone through like the white light of a falling star
His hand hurt terribly, but he flexed it gingerly and didn't think he'd broken rolex ladies watches anythingHe honestly couldn't have said why he'd felled that manEverything he'd said about the woman from Certando was trueAll of it was true, yet none of it was the real truthEverything about today was brutally confusing
Erlein, unexpectedly tactful, cleared his throat in a way that offered a question
"Yes?" Alessan said wearily, not opening his eyes
"This is what you wanted to happen, isn't it?" the wizard asked, unwontedly hesitant
With an effort Alessan opened his eyes and looked overErlein was propped on one elbow gazing at him, his expression thoughtful and subdued"Yes," he said at length, "this is what I wanted
Erlein nodded slowly
His head was still throbbing, but less than beforeIt was quieter up here, though the noise from below still penetrated, a louis vuitton gold handbag dull, steady background of celebration
"In Senzio, yes," he said
He felt a terrible sadnessSo many years of planning, and now that they were here, where were they? His mother was deadShe had cursed him before she died, but had let him take her hand as the ending cameWhat did that mean? Could it be made to mean what he needed it to?
He was on the IslandHad seen Brandin of YgrathWhat would he tell Baerd? The slender dagger at his side felt heavy as a swordThe woman had been so much more beautiful than he'd expected her to beDevin had had to give him the blue wine; he couldn't believe thatHe'd hurt a hapless, innocent man so brutally just now, had shattered the bones of his faceI must look truly terrible, he thought, for even Erlein to be so gentle with me fake gucci watch now