On shaky legs, I drag myself after the couple who seem to be heading into Helej Norun. They speak animatedly, and once in a while one of them laughs. I'm lost to the world. And all of a sudden it doesn't feel as terrible as it thought it would be. Sure, I could've died, but since that didn't happen why ponder on it?
We walk for hours on end and when the sun is about to sink again behind the horizon, there in the distance imperious, towering over the red sands, stands Helej Norun.
Speechless, I move my feet a little faster to catch up with the couple and tap the woman on her shoulder.
She turns to me wide-eyed, and I feel the urge to apologise. I was being rude.
" Helej Norun?" I softly ask and the woman nods and turns her gaze to look in the distance.
" Denmar," She says, placing her hand over her heart. It could mean home. Home is where your heart is and mine was in Morston.
By the time we reach Helej, it is midnight, and the moon is already high up in the sky. Helej is quiet apart from a few stragglers who roam the District streets.
I trail after the couple and trust them to navigate the strange surroundings. It is nothing like Morston.
There is no trace of the imposing buildings with architectural structures resembling the Old World. The houses are flat-roofed, painted in brilliant white with vivid accents of colours clashing against the white background. The roads are made of red compressed sand and it creates such a colourful painting that it is almost breathtaking. It spans as far as my eyes can see and probably for miles more. Morston is about half the size of Helej Norun.
I'm not sure in which colony I've ended up but I try not to worry about that and focus on keeping myself close to the couple.
We turn right on a narrow alley, lined with houses built in the same manner, a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours.
The couple opens a rickety door and holds it open for me to follow after them. The night has brought with it the usual chill but I don't seem to notice it anymore. I'm too preoccupied with taking everything in. Dazed would be the appropriate word in this case. Also tired to the bone among other things.
The woman clears her throat and I turn to her, while she gestures with her hand to her mouth and then rubs her stomach. Food. She is offering me food and I couldn't be happier.
" Thank you. Sounds good," I say but the woman frowns and my gratitude falls flat because she doesn't understand me. So, I try to smile instead and bow before them. It should do. She bows back, turns to the small kitchen, and begins to open cupboards, pull various items out and place them on a small table in the middle of the kitchen. A table that is suitable for only two.
With no clue what to do with myself, I settle on a stool in the corner of the kitchen and hold tightly onto Shay. I begin to worry. He has been out for quite some time. Graham must be going mad.
The man appears next to me with a wooden box lined with a blanket and points at Shay. Giving him a wary look, I shake my head. I don't feel comfortable parting ways with him. If he needs me, I want to be there when he wakes up.
The man nods and places the box on the floor and I'm relieved that he doesn't insist. I wonder if Mason speaks their language or perhaps he is using someone to mediate between him and the locals that work for him.
Then again, if it weren't for me, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have to deal with the Kallah. Enid would be safe. Everyone would be better off if I was out of their lives.
Food was placed on the table. They hand me a bowl of what appears to be spiced grains, and I'm too hungry to inspect any further. I say thank you with a short bow and dig in. The couple settle into a quiet conversation throughout the meal, and I focus on making a decision.
Do I stay away and keep everyone safe, or go back and create chaos for everyone around me? Perhaps my decision is influenced by some brain damage I have suffered after spending so much time in the sun. And my common sense and the little logical thinking I have left have been slowly fried away by the heat. Does it really matter? What matters is that the ones I love will be safe.
By the time I finish my meal, I've reached my decision and placed Shay in the box the man has given me.
The man takes the bowl out of my hand and replaces it with a glass of water. I drain the glass and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand while the woman brings a few blankets and points to the floor. That will be my bed for the night. I can't complain.
I smile and bow, and she hands me the blankets, " Denmar," She says again, placing her hand over her heart, and I realise that is probably her name.
" Lily," I say back, and she smiles.
She gives it a few tries but she gives up when it doesn't sound right. At this point, I don't care anymore what they decide to call me. As long as I get a bed, to lay my tired bones.
The man joins in, and points at Shay," Sertari," He says with awe in his gaze and I realise that he might know what Shay is. He is a creature of the desert after all, just like them.
I nod, because I have no clue how to ask him about Shay, and he nods back.
Denmar slaps him on his chest and says something in their language which goes over my head because their language makes little sense. And not many venture into Helej Norun. I never had the urge to, and yet I found myself in it anyway.
" Nareen," And I guess that was his name since he said it in the same manner as Denmar said it.
I bow and say my name, but he too fails to pronounce it right, and I don't try to correct them because it doesn't matter how they say it.
After they leave the small kitchen, I make my bed on the floor pull Shay close to me, and take his paw in my hand, and once again I pass out. My body is failing me once more. Or perhaps I'm failing it. Who is to say, which is which?