Chapter 4: Blood and Roses
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	"...bruised ribs, lacerations, mild concussion, and
burns on your back."  The voice, for all its gruesome cataloguing
of injuries, was pleasant, even cheerful.  The young doctor it
belonged to might have been saying, "Yes, it _is_ a beautiful
day."
	Alaric suppressed the urge to throttle him.
	"...and that's it.  You were quite lucky."
	"LUCKY?!"
	The imperturbable young man nodded.  "You survived the
battle, even survived a Magitek core pack explosion almost at
ground zero."
	"Oh.  When you put it that way..."
	He nodded again.  "Oh, a few other things in the area
survived, too.  Are any of these yours?"  He gestured to a small
pile of breastplates, helmets, clothing, swords, knives, and
unidentifiable bits of bent and melted metal.
	Alaric was about to shake his head, but paused, looking
at the heap of metal.  There was something...  "Yes.  A pair of
dirks, underneath the silver breastplate, next to the staved-in
bronze helmet."
	The doctor looked at him quizzically for a moment, but he
shifted the pieces of armor.  His eyes widened as he retrieved
the matched pair of Guardians--the weapons Alaric had nearly lost
in the explosion.  "How did you know...?"
	He had no answer, so he just shook his head, accepting the
weapons and securing them once more.  Carefully, he stood, ignoring
the doctor's protest that he was not well enough yet.  He knew
better.  The twinges of pain in his body told him that he wouldn't
be performing any acrobatics for some time, but he was resilient,
he would heal.  And he had to see about passage to someplace safe,
maybe Albrook...
	He sighed as he left the pavilion and a man called his name.
Leon.  He was sure that trouble would follow that one...
	Wait.  What...?
	"Leon," he greeted the man.  "Good to see you're still alive.
Where'd you get that armor?"
	The response was a little vague, as though Leon was thinking
of something else.  "It was... a gift..."  He shook his head.  "I
have to get to Narshe, and I need you to help me."
	"Why?  You shouldn't have any trouble finding a ship bound
for Nikeah, and from there you can get to Narshe..."
	"Not that.  You've been to Narshe, recently.  I need help
finding my way around..."
	"Wait a minute." Alaric protested.  "I was about to go to
Albrook..."
	"What are you going to do there that you can't do in Narshe?"
	He thought for a moment about replying, 'Find a good glass
of wine,' but decided against it.  "Well..."
	"See?  Come on, we have to find a boat, and..."  Leon
proceeded, virtually dragging Alaric in his wake.
	Well, at least he'd see Lyssa again...