The Council Part 2 (Alex)

"I will ask again for your name and this time I hope you will answer honestly for I will not give you another chance," spoke Tavalox.

"I told you, my name is Alex Milds." Her voice spoke with more confidence then she actually possessed.

"Very well, Alex Milds. Next question please."

A brown and black rabbit spoke up next, "Where are you from?"

"Nowhere," came Alex's cool reply.

"My dear girl," Tavalox was starring down at her with a very annoyed look on his face, "if you insist on lying to us we will have no choice but to banish you to the mountain."

"I'm not lying!" she retorted hotly.

"Salmurk," Tavalox addressed the centaur to her left, "take this stubborn human to 'the room' for a moment. The Council needs to have a discussion."

Alex stood up and followed Salmurk to a small room at the back of the hut. Since there was no furniture about, she took a seat on the floor, bringing her knees up under her chin. As she sat there in silence she wished desperately that Serataom were here with her. Thinking of Serataom reminded Alex of the object she had clutched in her hand. She decided that now was as good a time as any to take a look at it.

The object looked like a small pebble that one might find by a stream. It was smooth on all sides and blue-green in color. She liked the feel of it in her hand, for some reason it calmed her and brought her comfort. As she looked closer at it she noticed that the blue and green colors were swirling around like clouds before a storm. Suddenly a picture formed, it was the forest with a tiny red dot flashing in its center. What is this thing?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Salmurk's rough voice, " they're ready for you to return."

Placing the pebble in her trouser pocket, she followed Salmurk back into the great meeting room. Again, she was brought to a state of panic upon seeing the variety of creatures gathered together.

"We have decided to forego the questioning and simply let you tell us about yourself and why you are here." Tavalox was looking directly into her eyes. She again had the feeling that he was reading her thoughts. "I will again advise you to speak honestly. You may begin with your name."

Alex positioned herself on the stool, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "My name is Alex Milds. This Alexandra Fields you speak of died eight years ago alongside her family." She paused here expecting Tavalox to accuse her of lying again. When he said nothing she continued on, gaining strength with each word spoken. "My parents are Bitterness and Hatred. I come from nowhere and everywhere. Revenge is why I exist." She stopped, feeling no need to say more to complete strangers. Her eyes mirrored the coldness that had seeped its way into her heart eight years ago.

"Very well," Tavalox paced back and forth in front of her. His hooves making the clippity-clop sound so familiar to her. "Tell us, then, how you came to be in the Forest of Hereanafter."

Not sure herself how she ended up in the forest, Alex felt it safe to recount the past few days. "I was in Mexico running from the sheriff and his posse when a sandstorm blew up out of nowhere. I tried to make it to shelter but the storm over took me. When I woke up I was lying on some kind of black, hard ground. Huge buildings rose up to block the sky and these odd looking motor cars kept going by. Wanting to get away from these strange surroundings, I wandered about until I spotted forest. Unaware that I was trespassing, I took shelter in the trees." She added this last bit in the hopes that they might see she was ignorant of their ways and therefore innocent of breaking their rules. "The next morning I tried to catch a rabbit for breakfast, only to discover it could talk. He led me here and you know the rest."

She sat there on the stool listening to the whispered comments among the Council. She didn't expect them to believe her, after all she hardly believed it herself.

"Miss Alexandra,"

"Alex," she interjected.

"Whatever. Do you really expect us to accept this tale?"

"Not really."

"Good because not only have you trespassed and lied to us, now you tell us that you attempted to murder a rabbit." Tavalox looked rather disgusted with her. Like she was a cow patty stuck to his foot, or in his case hoof. "Salmurk, take her to 'the room', we must decide what to do with this thing."