The leather of his armor was cool against her cheek. She blinked, surprised to feel his arms around her. It was an unexpected gesture, and Calliope wasn't sure how to handle it, or what it meant. It was admittedly not the most comfortable of hugs, but Calliope didn't pull away. More than anything else he had done, this simple contact helped soothe her. It was not the answer to anything, not by a long shot, but it did seem to help.

The moment of peace was ruined, however, by distant rumblings of... [i]something[/i]. The sound of...drums? And hoof-beats. Calliope looked toward the window. "What is that?" Light - the light of torches, not the moon - was on the horizon. Many torches, the light coming closer and closer to the house, approaching from the side of the house that didn't have the gardens and training grounds. She pulled away from Alexander, looking out the window in a curious sort of daze. What in the world was going on?

Calliope distantly heard the sound of an alarm. She stayed where she was, staring wide-eyed at the approaching group of torches. Were they under attack? The shapes of men on horses started to form, more men a blurred mass behind them, as they came even closer.