"You guys rest here first. When you recover, I will take you somewhere else." Eyang Guru spoke as he was about to walk away.
Nalini hurriedly stopped him. She had many questions because the place was still unfamiliar to her.
"Mercy, where is Master going? Are we left here alone? What if..." Nalini's words cut off, Eyang Guru turned around and pointed to a room across the row of rooms.
"If you're hungry, you can find food in that simple kitchen. There are fruits, rice and salted fish. There is a stove if you want to boil water. There are cooking utensils too. But I never use them," said Eyang Guru.
Nyai Dhira gaped at Eyang Guru's explanation. Her heart kept wondering, what exactly is this place?
"Thank you, Master. I mean, if you leave, where can we find you?" asked Nalini. Her head bowed, she was embarrassed to ask such a question. But I don't know, she suddenly felt afraid of losing the mysterious helper.
Hearing Nalini's question, Eyang Guru laughed. The question was probably ridiculous to him.
"No need to look for me, I'm free, I can be anywhere. You just take care of your wound and take care of your mother. I'll come back when it's time," explained Eyang Guru. He then turned around and walked away without looking back.
"Yes, Eyang Guru." Nalini and Nyai Dharmi bowed to him. The man's charisma was so strong, even though his words were simple, what he said seemed to be a command for those who heard it.
Nalini raised her head slightly, wondering which direction Eyang Guru had gone.
She saw him heading towards the armament room. At one corner of the wall, his right hand groped and then pressed a point that seemed to stand out.
Suddenly the wall seemed to split and shift on its own! A ray of light entered from the open gap. Apparently there was a secret door and another path from that direction. Eyang Guru entered and then disappeared there. The gap closed up again.
Nyai Dhira and Nalini looked at each other, amazed and curious.
"Girl, who do you think he is?" asked Nyai Dhira as she poked her daughter's waist.
Nalini shook her head. She had the same question and needed an answer.
"I don't know, Mom. But he's definitely not a random person. Yesterday Eyang Guru said that even the great warriors don't know this place," said Nalini.
"That's right. Is he the leader of the warriors?" Nyai Dhira apparently had her own suspicions. Judging from his great martial arts skills and internal energy, Eyang Guru deserved that title.
"I don't think so. Warriors often go in groups, while Master travels alone. This secret place is also beautifully built and well-equipped, more like part of a palace, perhaps Eyang Guru..."
Nalini did not continue, her throat choked. She dared not mention the name that was highly respected by everyone in her village, even throughout her kingdom.
"Who?" Nyai Dhira grew curious. Her neutral gaze locked on her daughter's face, hoping for an answer. She knew her daughter was smart, even though she only stayed at home and helped her make jamu.
Nalini brought her face close to her mother's ear and whispered, very softly. She was afraid that even her whisper could be heard by Eyang Guru who had disappeared somewhere.
"The King... I thought Eyang Guru was our king," Nalini whispered in her mother's ear carefully.
Nyai Dhira's body instantly stiffened and stiffened at her daughter's whisper.
"Huh?! Are you kidding me, girl? How did you know that?" Nyai Dhira replied while holding her daughter's shoulder. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
Nalini shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. "I just assumed so, Mbok. The villagers like to tell me that our King likes to travel around without people knowing that he left his palace."
Nyai Dhira listened carefully to Nalini's explanation. She then rubbed her eyes.
"What you say could be true. Just look at where we are now. All this magic and beauty could only be created by a king," said Nyai Dhira as she looked around her.
"Then we have to be polite and careful when that man comes again," she added. She took Nalini's hand and pulled her to her feet.
"Come on, Nduk. Let's see our room."
Nalini stood up and followed her mother. Her legs were still limping, but she was feeling much better. She felt comfortable in that place.
Together they walked down the corridor and entered the room that Eyang Guru had shown them for their resting place.
Nalini eagerly entered the room and fingered the items there. She rubbed the simple but sturdy bed, as well as the neatly arranged pile of soft and warm blankets.
"Very nice, ma'am. It must be so warm to sleep with this blanket," Nalini said with an amused laugh. She remembered that she only slept on a mat and a thin blanket.
"Yes. We can sleep comfortably in this room until your leg heals," said Nyai Dhira. Her heart was happy to see her daughter start laughing again. They embraced happily.
Nyai Dhira then opened the bundle of cloth they were carrying. She hoped to find a change of cloth to wear. The clothes on her body were so dirty and wet.
"Clean your body, change the cloth and I will take care of your wound." Nyai Dhira ordered Nalini who was already half asleep. She yawned several times, rubbing her eyes.
Nalini was about to argue, but seeing that her mother was serious, the girl quickly washed her body in a small stream not far from their room.
The water looked clear and felt cool against her skin. Nalini even tried drinking it. It tasted very fresh. The water was still natural and came out from between the rocks.
"Mom, come here!" Nalini shouted calling Nyai Dhira. She was delighted to find a spring that they could use during their stay.
Nyai Dhira, who was arranging her luggage, approached Nalini with a slight grumble.
"What's wrong, girl? Don't make noise in this place. This is not a garden!" she said. She remembered her daughter's habit of shouting excitedly when she found clumps of wild medicinal plants in the fields around their cottage.
"Here, mom. Taste this water," said Nalini. She repeatedly brought her hands together to scoop up the water and then drank it. "The water is very fresh. You can drink it right away."
Nyai Dhira was interested and followed Nalini's lead. She tasted the water a little. Her face showed joy and she nodded in agreement.
"You're right. This is pure water. Natural water. Apparently the source is here," he said. Several times Nyai Dhira drank the water with both hands like a thirsty person. She just remembered that it seemed like a long time since they had eaten and drank enough due to being chased by the villagers.
"One more thing, ma'am. Water this good will make our potions even more effective," Nalini said cheerfully. She remembered her mother's medicine lessons. Clean water could determine how effective the medicine worked to cure the disease.
Nyai Dhira nodded again. She then remembered the simple kitchen shown by Eyang Guru and wanted to make potions there. "You hurry up and change your clothes. I want to check the kitchen."
Nalini then quickly finished her business. Luckily some of their clothes were not too wet and could be worn. As for the wet clothes, she aired them on the rocks. "Maybe we should make a clothesline here too."
Nyai Dhira did not immediately respond. She was in the kitchen and smiled happily to see that everything she was looking for was there. Even the stones and piles of dry wood for the fireplace were neatly arranged.
After finishing her business, Nalini approached her mother who was fetching water. They both sat in front of the stove while warming themselves.
After the water was boiled, Nyai Dhira took a little and mixed it with turmeric mash. "Here, your leg, you must immediately give medicine so that the wound does not get infected," said Nyai Dhira.
Nalini complied and held out her left foot. The sole of her foot appeared to have a deep wound. Nyai Dhira painstakingly applied the herb on the wound. Nalini winced at the pain.
"Does it hurt?" asked Nyai Dhira. The former healer carefully examined the wound, hoping not to find any wood splinters or dirt.
"Luckily there are no thorns left," she said with a sigh of relief.
"Nothing, ma'am. I took it out myself," Nalini replied with a proud smile.
Indeed, without her mother's knowledge, she tried to treat the wound herself from the beginning so that it would not have a severe impact. "If there was still wood stuck, I wouldn't have been able to walk."
Nyai Dhira frowned but was happy to hear her daughter's words. "Apparently you listened to my medical lessons. I thought all this time you were just playing around," she said. Nyai Dhira then bandaged the wound with a piece of clean cloth.
"It's done. Try walking," she encouraged Nalini to move her bandaged leg.
Nalini stood up and tried to walk slowly. At first she limped a bit, but then she tried to walk. The pain she felt began to diminish considerably. "It's not too painful anymore."
Nyai Dhira smiled. "Yes. In a few days your wounds will dry up and heal," she said.
Nyai Dhira then remembered to make footwear for the next time they traveled far. "We have to wear sandals, so we won't get stabbed by wood again," she said.
"Yes, of course. Yesterday we were chased, so we remembered to wear footwear," Nalini replied with a laugh. However, sadness suddenly crept into her heart. She realized their current position of no longer having a place to live or a destination. The girl was silent for a long time.
"Are you sad, girl?" asked Nyai Dhira as she rubbed her daughter's head. She felt very guilty for making her daughter suffer with her. All this because of the plague that she could not overcome.
"I'm sorry."
Nalini shook her head at her mother's words. "No, Mom. I'm not wrong and there's no need to apologize. Everything happened because of slander from people who did not accept the death of their family members, even though it was all because of the plague."
Nyai Dhira hugged her daughter. She was so moved that her chest felt tight. Nalini, whose father had left her since childhood, was very similar to her late husband. He was the only person who understood her.
"Mother, I want to see the secret door that Eyang Guru used yesterday to leave, how?" Nalini said suddenly. The girl had always had a lot of curiosity. But it didn't seem right to use it at this time.
"Don't. We don't know what's inside that door. Let's just wait here until Master returns." Nyai Dalini tried to prevent her daughter's wish.
Nalini had a disappointed look on her face. She really wanted to know what was behind that door.
"But I want to know."