Editing Alexandra Etapaq (section)

===A Cold Bath and a hot night:===

Undressing and stepping in the cold water Alexandra looks perhaps even more annoyed. She washes quickly. 
She then hears footsteps behind her and quickly turns and takes the knife she had kept around her ankle in hand. 
A wide grinning Shaz Far stands at the side of the water. 
"What a nice view this night."

Alexandra rolls with her eyes and turns again to finish her washing up and sobering up before walking to the edge of the little lake. 

"What can i do for you? Or did you just come to stare at the full moons?"

Shaz Far looks for a long moment at Alexandra ass she takes up her clothing and starts to dress. 

"Aren't you in a mood. The war getting to you? Things getting to rough?"

Alexandra gives Shaz Far an annoyed glance

"No, just crisis of faith i guess. Or midlife crisis... existential crisis. I don't know. Realizing things don't matter. But that doesn't matter, have you heard of the changed plans?" 

Shaz Far nods with a serious look 
"Mmhmm that too was a reason to seek you out, making sure it was really your order and not your drunk version speaking. "

Alexandra closes her blouse and looks up at Shaz. 
"Yes i am serious, i feel the ways i've tried to approach it won't work. We need to play the game as they expect it to be played. All towns not siding with us will be wiped out."

Her face dead serious and her tone flat and cold

"Go ahead and do what you do best. You won't hear a word from me. This is the way we will reach the top quickest and with the most show of power." 

Shaz Far raises an eyebrow 
"As you wish General. I will rally my forces tomorrow and start to march along the towns. "

Before he turns to walk away he hessitates 

"You are not falling apart right? That we need to prop you up with a stick to pretend you are still in charge?" 

Alexandra turns "I am not falling apart, just realizing it doesn't matter. Realizing i don't feel anymore." 

She starts to move away from the lake leaving Shaz Far behind her. 

For a moment she walks alone but after a moment she hears heavy footsteps behind her. Annoyed she adds

"I don't need an escort. "

For a moment silence. 
Then in a tone she had not heard from Shaz before 
"It is getting to you, isn't it? That Abyssal Mark? You are fighting it to much."

Alexandra is silent for a moment, in a calmer voice she answers. 

"It is not just the mark. It is the lying my parents both did around it, the realisation that i will never be as usefull or well regarded as i was as an Elite, that the manipulation from the others is annoyingly obvious, that i feel like i miss half of the senses. Can't feel heat, can't feel cold. 
I used to feel this overwhelming sense of loyalty and duty, and i don't anymore. I don't seem to care.

And yes, yes, i am whining and complaining, shouldn't be doing that. I am just now seeing these things now. And i am in the middle of a war that doesn't even feel as my choice. " 

Shaz Far stops and so does Alexandra, she turns to face him. 
Before she can utter a 'what' Shaz grabs her by the back of the head and presses their faces together in a painful, hot kiss. 

When he releases her he grins "Did you feel that?"

Alexandra her first instinct was to hit him across the face. Though her hand stops and she litteraly jumps him. Grabbing his face. 

There were rumors started that night that wild animals had come closer to the encampment.