He returned carrying a cup of steaming tea. I assumed it was tea. Coffee was out of the question considering that we were somewhere in the mountains.
" Here," He stretches the cup to me, and I probably give him a concerned look because, he adds," It's lofan root tea. Known for its restorative properties. It will help with your...," He trails off and gives my body a once over, " Well, with everything. You'll need all the help you can get, in your case," I hadn't actually taken the time to have a look at myself. I remember the carvings Micah had done on my skin. I wasn't prepared to face that part of myself. Later. I wanted to breathe for a few moments without that image haunting me.
After a few moments, I reach for the cup and give the man a silent thank you. I wasn't prepared to speak just yet.
" You're right. You shouldn't speak just yet. Your body is in severe shock from malnutrition. Most likely your vocal cords are so brittle, that they would probably shatter if you breathe a little harsher. "
I lift my cup to take a sip, and my eyes trail to the hand holding the cup, and I'm faced with a fraction of my harsh reality. I'm skin and bones. The joints are sticking out, my skin is so translucent that, even in the dim light, I can see my veins, and what remained from my muscles twitching under my skin.
The sight of the markings on the back of my hand leaves me breathless. I expected gashes, oozing with puss.
Where Micah had cut into my skin, instead of scarring, what was left behind were iridescent silvery golden lines that curbed and swirled, punctuated by a rhombic shape in the middle. Within the rhombic shape, there was an odd sign. A letter of some sort. In proficient in foreign languages but it wasn't anything that I recognised.
In spite of the memory attached to it. The marking was beautiful. Anxiously, I raised my other hand and was greeted with a matching marking on the left of my hand.
The stranger must've noticed that I was staring at my hand, because he noted in a rather somber tone," You have similar ones on your forehead, neck, legs, and on the soles of your feet," His remark made me look at him. He'd settled next to the fur ball on the floor, in front of the fire. The creature hadn't moved since I'd woken up, but it was alive.
However, one had to closely watch to notice as it puffed up and deflated accordingly with each breath it took.
I nodded when the stranger said nothing more on the matter and turned to watch the fire.
To say the least, I was grateful. I was sure I would die. Unless I was and this was my version of the afterlife.
" Don't worry, he will call for you soon. I'm sure of it," The stranger said wistfully as he gently stroked the creature next to him. It was a strange thing to say, the way I saw it. Who would call? Call for who? I wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself or the creature next to him.
The ensuing silence wasn't heavy, or uncomfortable. We both settled on watching the fire crackling, sparks rose towards the ceiling and my eyes trailed after them and noticed that no chimney and no smoke was coming from the fire.
Well, for one that was a strange occurrence, since smoke was a byproduct of anything that burned. And strange occurrence number two, anything that burned released some as a consequence.
I let those thoughts take over my mind because anything else was too daunting and exhausting to digest at the given time.
Painfully slow, I finished my brew, which to my amazement left a sweet aftertaste in my mouth, and slowly lowered myself onto the bed.
I had been awake only for a few hours but it was more than enough to drain what little strength I had regained.
The rustling of sheets drew the attention of the stranger, who turned his head in my direction while I settled on my side, facing the fire and him.
" I will wake you in a few hours to have some more food. Unfortunately, it will be the same insipid soup, but for now, it is all we have," He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, in a way that said that he was at his wit's end.
I refrained from saying anything. I wasn't sure what to say. Yes, I had questions. While I was held captive by Micah and his crazy bunch. I had spiraled out of control. The memories of my thoughts during the time I was chained to the floor, came back fragmented and a little hazy but I remember the despair I felt in those moments. The feeling lingered still, like an aftershock in the wake of an earth-shattering earthquake.
In the grand scheme of things, what occurred to me might be nothing more than a drop in the ocean. It made no ripples, perhaps had gone unnoticed. But on a personal level, had shifted an indomitable part of me.
Weary, I closed my eyes and decided to give my body some more time to recover. I didn't know how much time I would have. I didn't remember what happened after everything exploded into a blinding light, but I was sure that if Micah found out that he had been unsuccessful then he would begin his hunt for me anew.