Andlátkyn; Vandr Sanses unin Alagaësia

Where Do the Children Go

Dance had explained their new situation to Alter when he first awoke, leaving the taller skeleton wringing his hands with noisy scrapes and clacks. Dance had calmed him down, well, to the point where he was just boiling tea and cooking a venison pot pie nervously. Gertrude had bowed a little awkwardly, only for Alter to sigh and tell her he'd prefer she go back to the way she had been before. He was just a lonely old skeleton that would rather be friends.
It took Gertrude an hour before she settled back to normal, by then Alter was happily dishing out slices of pot pie to those who needed healing, explaining that the food had healing qualities to humans, which worked. Gertrude released a dozen patients, letting them tell the village of the creature that cooked healing foods.

Inevitably Dance explained that when monsters cooked, they infused the food with magic. It was a natural process that occurred and was necessary, as some monsters like skeletons needed it to stay alive, for they couldn't subsist off of pure solids entirely. Gertrude was understandably fascinated when she heard of it, finding out further that the magic had a few side effects on humans, one of which was healing.
Unfortunately, a small percentage had another, where they got sick, though fortunately this seemed to not be the case for anyone there that day.

Later on the skeletons picked up the sounds of a fight, Alter leaving the house with Dance in tow to check out the source.
They found it as Roran broke it apart, leaving two of them to stalk off, gawking at the skeletons when they spotted them. Alter approached as Roran asked the last one a question. "What started it?"

"I went scouting with Darmmen. The Ra'zac have posted soldiers on several hills. They can see across the Anora and up and down the valley. One or two of us might, might, be able to creep past them without notice, but we'll never get the children to Cawley without killing the soldiers, and then we might as well tell the Ra'zac where we're going."

Roran looked grave before he draped an arm around the other. "Come on, Gertrude should have a look at you."
"No." He moved away. "She has more pressing cases than me." He took a deep breath, only for Alter to interrupt. "Well I just healed most of them earlier today. It wouldn't trouble me to heal your face."
The young man blinked. "You're the one rescued from the soldiers."
Alter hesitated. "Yes."
"You're.. You wield magic. I don't trust magic."

"You do realize it's the user and the intent behind it that dictates magic, right?" Dance questioned, making his presence known.
"It's not inherently evil, it just is. It's who's using it you should look at. Besides, Alter is practically incapable of hurting a fly."
"Dance, please." Alter begged, exasperated.
"Am I wrong?"
"Yes, because I don't hesitate to protect the innocent!" Alter poked him between the sockets pointedly. Dust rolled his eyelights. "Alright, you've made your point."
Alter huffed, then faced the injured one. "May I please heal that bruise? It really is of no trouble."

He stared between the two of them, glancing at Roran, who inclined his head at them. The boy sighed, coming closer. "If you put a curse on me.." He warned.
"Why on Earth would I do that?" Alter asked incredulously, his hand hovering over the other's cheek. "You've done nothing wrong! And I can't curse anything; it's not a magic my kind can use. Our magic is all physical in some way. From attacks to colored magic; the only spells I've ever seen were from humans. Although, I'm sure magic works differently in Alagaësia." He explained. He dropped his hand when he finished. "There. That wasn't so bad now, was it dear?"

The young man stared at him strangely, then left, trudging through the rain. Alter started to call after him, then thought better of it.
"I never caught his name." He muttered.
"His name is Albriech." Roran explained, then gestured they come inside.
Both accepted, as they were wet from the rain already. Indoors, sat a pregnant woman with children all around her, sharpening spearheads. They gawked at Alter and Dance, shorter fingergunning as Alter waved kindly.