After Humanity

Chapter Twenty-Five

30 Years Earlier ~

Magnus

Two days on the road and they were both fading. Neither had had anything much to eat since their escape and the nights were only growing colder. Having managed to light a fire in spite of the damp, they both huddled close to it, across from one another, savoring the warmth on their fingers. Staring into the flames Magnus lost himself in thought.

How had he come to this state? he asked himself. How could he have been so wrong about Dulane? An uneasy feeling swept over him as he felt eyes upon his skin. Looking up, Magnus found the human woman staring at him intently.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. The expression on her face was entirely unreadable and Magnus could not help but find that extremely unnerving.

"I am trying to figure you out, Magnus Kendrick," Alice answered, her gaze not turning, nor relaxing in any way.

Magnus gave an uneasy laugh, hoping to break the tension of her stare with some levity. "I am trying the same for you," he said, "I believe I am failing."

"I would not blame you know," she said quietly, looking to the ground for a moment, her fingers worrying a blade of grass. "You have that knife there. There is no way I might escape. In fact, I will offer myself up willingly and promise not to fight." She looked at him again, a resolve fixed in her gaze. "My only wish was to die having obtained revenge on Cedrick Dulane. I have done that now. My purpose is complete."

"I don't understand," Magnus replied with genuine confusion.

"I am an animal to you am I not?" she asked. "I know well that you eat my kind. We might both starve to death at this rate and there is no need for that. It was my intention to save you after all. Given your trade, I trust you have skill enough to make this relatively quick and painless if I remain compliant."

Magnus's eyes opened wide, somehow horrified by what she was clearly suggesting. Of course he ate human meat and he'd slaughtered and butchered his share of livestock over his lifetime. But this creature had saved him. Twice. How could she possibly believe he might kill her now in payment for that kindness?

"Alice," he said, "let me make one thing perfectly clear. You rescued me. You helped me out of blind faith and I could never betray the trust you offered me in sparing my life from horrific ends. I will never do the thing you suggest. Truly I would rather starve."

She frowned slightly at his answer, her resolution towards death fading perhaps. But after a moment he noticed that same unsettlingly blank expression on her face as she stared at him.

"What is it?" he asked.

Alice merely shook her head in response. "We shall see," she answered. "Promises made to a slave are seldom worth much. If I have learned anything in my life, it is that."

Magnus frowned. The pain in her voice was undeniable. "If your trust has been betrayed before I am sorry for it," he said, "but I swear I am sincere."

Alice didn't answer.

As a wind swept up he watched her shiver across front him. He felt instantly protective of this creature who had clearly been abused so badly. In the mere three days they had known each other he could already see how different she was from other slaves. She was brave, intelligent, and entirely without the sheep-like quality most captive humans seemed to inherently possess. She was no animal at all.

Magnus stood and walked next to the shivering woman crouching beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He felt her tense instantly at his touch.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Magnus could hear the hint of fear in her tone and was surprised by it until he realized the likely cause. Did she think it was his intention to use her body? He was aware that others took advantage of their female slaves in such a way to force their submission, but the idea had always sickened him. Magnus knew he could not even begin to imagine the horrible pain this poor creature had suffered at Dulane's hand. Again he cursed himself for having allowed himself to be so deceived by the man.

"We will be warmer if we sleep side by side," Magnus replied, gently guiding her rigid body to the ground.

A few moments passed as they lay there together, her form stiffly caught in his arms, no doubt waiting for him to prove himself to be the monster she feared. But then the woman sighed and Magnus felt her body relaxing against his side as she snuggled in close.

"You truly are remarkable," she said, the awe in her voice undisguised. "My instincts told me you were kind, but I could never have dreamed of this." She leaned her head against his chest and he stroked her hair, savoring the warmth of the animal's body curled next to his.

"Good night, Alice," he said, closing his eyes.

"Good night, Magnus," she replied before heaving one more contented sigh.

So a short and sweet, but perhaps this chapter gives a bit more insight into how Alice and Magnus's relationship began to develop originally. From his point of view, it seems he was devoted to repaying her for saving his life, but Alice seems to have trusted a bit less. Still doesn't answer the big question. Right now she is a runaway slave. They are both in a rough place, wandering in the cold, hungry...So how did they get from here to where they are now? This story of their past isn't over yet ;-)

Still, I hope this give an inkling into the kind of positive realtionship Magnus and Alice might have developed over the years and why. Its important given the fight they are currently having in the present. It also shows that Magnus has never been able to read Alice all that well...;-)

In the next chapter Judith and Sarah and the others get the news they have been dreading but expecting. Wonder how that will go over with the other women on the estate....FIND OUT MONDAY! :-)