"Are you all right?!? That was a big fall!"
Laurie struggled to raise herself off the ground, feeling extremely foolish. It took every bit of the speaker's help to raise the young woman to her feet, her own clumsy attempts doing nothing but hinder their progress. Finally standing, one hand grasping the bar for support, Laurie was able to brush the hair from her eyes in order to see her 'rescuer'. She recognized, with a sinking heart, the young soldier she had spoken with earlier. Oh dear, what must he think of me? she thought exasperated. Probably that I've had too much to drink, was the alarming answer.
"Are you alright?" Caligon repeated, peering anxiously at the the lady before him. "I'm fine, thank you." Laurie replied. "I just need a little fresh air, that's all." She felt horribly foolish and was only looking for an escape, but Caligon insisted on accompaning her outside, obviously afraid that she might take another tumble if left on her own. "Thank you," she mumbled, his kindness making her even more embarassed.
The air seemed fresh, a light wind still blowing softly though it would soon die with the setting sun. The sky was already turning a mellow blue, replacing the sharp glare of earlier with a more gentle, forgiving hue. As he stood watching her, Caligon noticed the sky almost perfectly matched Laurie's eyes. As for Laurie herself, the air had cleared the cobwebs sleep had left to ensnare her but that only made her feel more humiliated. She gazed at the stables without seeing them, searching for something to break the silence, but unable to comment even on the beautiful weather.
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