Sammael And Aundrine

Sammael and Audrine were a pair of prosperous dye merchants. During Ali's stay with the family, she frequently ran away to escape the strict rules that they imposed upon her and from the devious torments of her young cousins (making them physically regret their taunts incurred the wrath of both guardians). The last time she fled, she ran into a marshes to hide for a night to throw off her pursuers. A city girl at heart, Ali quickly became lost and didn't realize that she was headed for a patch of quicksand until she toppled in, facefirst. Completely ignorant of quicksand (save the horror stories her cousins told) she struggled against the pull, only succeeding in getting herself further enmired. Sand began to ooze down to her throat, choking and blinding her, and making her panic. She couldn't breathe, a stitch stabbed in her side, and she realized that she was all alone and she was going to die.

Fortunately, since she had tried running away several other times, her guardsmen had started a revolving watch on her. Araliss had noticed her bed was empty and began tracking her; he found her cloak floating on the patch of quicksand. Without considering the danger to himself, he waded in after her, and dragged her unconscious body back to the surface. There were several long moments when she wasn't breathing, Araliss had to dig the sand out of her mouth and nostrils and pump her stomach to purge the sand from her lungs. Carrying a weakened and bedraggled Ali back to her family's home, the trio decided that if Ali was going to risk death to leave Sammael & Audrine's, it was best to move her elsewhere. It was the first in a series of many moves for her.