something moving very fast above her head. She stood up quickly and turned to look at the wall behind her. Then a crossbow bolt flew by her arm, making another whooshing sound. As she turned to direction of the shooter, she collided with a black ball of rags and was thrown back over again.
"Owwww...", she managed, laying back down on the hard stones again. She thought to herself that falling over a lot did not do too much good for her health, and it was starting to grate a little in her mind. She got to her knees, rubbing the back of her head and almost slid back down again when she tried to support herself on the suddenly wet and soapy ground. She managed to steady herself and noticed the ball of rags beside her. It moved slightly and she noticed the bundle also contained an upturned bucket and a mop with the head snapped off.
Then it unfurled slowly and she saw a familiar face.
"Oh! Thomas! Are you okay?" She reached out and shook him gently.
"Huh, wha?" Thomas opened his eyes slightly and turned his head towards the voice. He took in the image that slowly making it’s way to his brain and his eyelids slammed open.
"A- Alice? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was..." She went quiet and thought about it hard. The bump must have hit her quite hard, as she couldn’t remember a whole lot past about 30 seconds ago. Then a connection clicked somewhere in her brain and a memory was dropped into her consciousness.
"Ah, yes!" Her face cleared up and she reached behind and pulled out a small circular object. "You dropped this when you fell over earlier, I thought you might want it back".
He blinked at her, his brain still fuzzy after being knocked about so much. Then his gaze travelled to the small shiny object in her hand.
"Oh. Thanks!" he quickly took it and shoved it into his shorts. Then he managed to get to his feet.
He looked her up and down. She was covered with a layer of grey brick dust, but it somehow made her seem even more radiant than usual, as if shining through it. She was smiling at him like a child who had just received praise and he felt his heart beating faster. He managed to avert his gaze with some difficulty and noticed the upturned bucket on the floor next to him and the broken mop. This seemed to jerk hi brain back into gear and he picked them both up, while Alice watched him inquisitively.
"Huh? What do you need those for?" she asked, head titled in confusion. She looked down at the strange objects and then down at her dress.
"Oh, heh, my dress is kinda wet." She held the hem of it and wringed it attempting to get the water out. "I just dried it this morning as well."
"Don’t worry, I'll get that", he said smiling brightly. He held the mop towards her dress, and a thin stream of water passed from it and followed the stick into the waiting bucket. Then he touched his robe and a much larger pool of water drew itself from cloth and fur, and made it's way into the bucket. It sloshed about in his hands nearly full again.
"Owwww...", she managed, laying back down on the hard stones again. She thought to herself that falling over a lot did not do too much good for her health, and it was starting to grate a little in her mind. She got to her knees, rubbing the back of her head and almost slid back down again when she tried to support herself on the suddenly wet and soapy ground. She managed to steady herself and noticed the ball of rags beside her. It moved slightly and she noticed the bundle also contained an upturned bucket and a mop with the head snapped off.
Then it unfurled slowly and she saw a familiar face.
"Oh! Thomas! Are you okay?" She reached out and shook him gently.
"Huh, wha?" Thomas opened his eyes slightly and turned his head towards the voice. He took in the image that slowly making it’s way to his brain and his eyelids slammed open.
"A- Alice? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was..." She went quiet and thought about it hard. The bump must have hit her quite hard, as she couldn’t remember a whole lot past about 30 seconds ago. Then a connection clicked somewhere in her brain and a memory was dropped into her consciousness.
"Ah, yes!" Her face cleared up and she reached behind and pulled out a small circular object. "You dropped this when you fell over earlier, I thought you might want it back".
He blinked at her, his brain still fuzzy after being knocked about so much. Then his gaze travelled to the small shiny object in her hand.
"Oh. Thanks!" he quickly took it and shoved it into his shorts. Then he managed to get to his feet.
He looked her up and down. She was covered with a layer of grey brick dust, but it somehow made her seem even more radiant than usual, as if shining through it. She was smiling at him like a child who had just received praise and he felt his heart beating faster. He managed to avert his gaze with some difficulty and noticed the upturned bucket on the floor next to him and the broken mop. This seemed to jerk hi brain back into gear and he picked them both up, while Alice watched him inquisitively.
"Huh? What do you need those for?" she asked, head titled in confusion. She looked down at the strange objects and then down at her dress.
"Oh, heh, my dress is kinda wet." She held the hem of it and wringed it attempting to get the water out. "I just dried it this morning as well."
"Don’t worry, I'll get that", he said smiling brightly. He held the mop towards her dress, and a thin stream of water passed from it and followed the stick into the waiting bucket. Then he touched his robe and a much larger pool of water drew itself from cloth and fur, and made it's way into the bucket. It sloshed about in his hands nearly full again.
