My name is Lylly Wold, and I live a modest life with my family near the mountain of the divine monster Emet.
At least, I did until I saw him that day.
It was the 23rd of July in the year 1102.
The heat was unbearable, and the mosquitoes were the size of butterflies. I just turned twenty and was pushed into marriage.
I mean.. I guess it is time.
Others in the village my age are already mothers. It was strange to see all my childhood friends slowly growing into adults raising kids of their own.
Still.. I don't want to get married and have kids just yet.
I don't wanna throw my freedom away, but this winter, I might just have to.
I also knew my duty towards my mother and little sister and my poor old granny.
The bride price would make sure they well feed for a year. Never the less.. It felt like selling myself. The fact that I could even choose made everything so much more real.
I did my best not dreading the winter festival when traditionally girls get engaged. As much as I hated it, this year I'll be attending with my little sister Eleanor, who is only sixteen years old.
Ughh.. If only Ehlite could've blessed me.
At the same time, I was glad he didn't. Those blessed are living a different life and far and wide. If our village had even one. We wouldn't have to sacrifice so much livestock at the end of August to apeze the monster Emet.
My grandmother, who is also a respected elder and a healer of the village, used to tell me stories about her childhood.
Back then, the man went to battle Emet each August, and those fallen were enough to settle the monsters hunger for the year.
Only after a specially devastating August, mostly women at this point tried to offer livestock, and with that, the man didn't need to die a cruel death anymore.
Today was like any other.
I went to feed the pigs and chickens and took a bath in the river Sen. The water was cool and clear. Great in the summer. My sister went to gather wild flowers, those with medicinal properties for my grandmother. She always stocked up coming the sacrifice.
Man being man.. Each year, they decided to test their mental against that monster, even though there was no need anymore.
Some did it to show off their skills to the village, others wanted to gain worthless glory of being someone who survived against such beats.
Each year, some died, and those coming back left with reminders for the rest of their lifes.
I washed myself one last time and got dressed. I wanted to go look for Eleanor. She often stopped and admired things no normal girl did.
Like random flowers, she found special or disgusting bugs. Others just squash. I always needed to keep my eyes on her. Although lately she matured and started to behave rather normal.
Walking along the long grass tickling my palms. I spotted her in the far. She was kneeling next to the river bed, looking over the other side.
" Eli.. What are you doing?" - I was close enough to see her eyes. They caught something in the distance.
My sister was the spitting image of my mother and in some way granny, too.
They all had blonde hair, so why, I'm the only one getting dads black curly locks? I looked like the neighbours kid when standing next to them.
She didn't turn her head. I swear if it's another gold fish, I'm pushing her in.
"Lylly.. I think that's a dead body." - she pointed at the part of the river I couldn't see well.
I froze for a second but quickly overcame it and run to her. I scanned the lake but didn't see anything.
"Eli, are you sure it's not just some tree or.. Another fish?" - I kept my eyes on the looking for evidence to support my hypothesis.
She pointed to the other side off the Sen once again. Following her finger. She was right.
There was a body of someone just lying there. He didn't move, blood from him head still dripping into the running water.
Indeed, it looked like a dead body.
"Let's go over the other side and check, then we talk to the elders and give him a burial." - I put my hand or her shoulder, ready to lead her.
I couldn't believe I had to go out of my way to deal with some random corpse washed up.
It took us twenty minutes to get to him. Yes, dead as... anything dead.
"Don't have to look Eli. Let's just go get grandma or anybody else." - I kept looking at other things, wasn't comfortable with dead bodies.
" We haven't even checked Sisi. Grandma would scould us. I'll go see it." - with careful steps, she made her way to the body.
"Eli, wait.."
She was already kneeling next to him. She put her finger on his neck to feel his pulse.
" Lylly go get grandma, he is alive. Hurry! " - suddenly whipped her around and looked alarmed.
"Eli.. Are you su.."
" Just go! His head is bleeding and brings others to carry him. Go!" - she quickly changed her expression to angry.
I didn't wanna leave my little sister with some unknown man. Unconscious or not, but ran anyway.
The faster I get someone to take this off our hands, the better.
I ran past a few people, I knew, but first wanted grandma to know. Arrived at the town hall and busted in frantically looking around the wide space.
" Sweetheart, what's the matter ?"
I turned around and faced my grandmother.
Vistellia Wold, she was close to 60 but looked younger. Although we all outgrown her in height, which annoyed her greatly.
" Granny, there's a man Eli found.. he is alive but bleeding. Come quickly..." - I did my best to convey what happened as clutching my side.
She didn't hesitate for a second, and her surprised expression changed into determined one.
" You two come with me to carry him. Lylly, show the way."
She pointed at the closest available man and speed away with them.
I had run after them to actually show the way.
We got back to Eli, already pulled the stranger under a nearby tree and checked his body for more injuries. She put some of the fabric from her dress on the man head wound.
He was tall and well built, and light blue hair made him very unique looking. Also noticed his pants and boots made from high-quality materials.
" Eli, talk to me."
Grandmother knelt down next to her and took out various ointments and pastes. She put something smelling like peppermint on his head wound to stop the bleeding presumably. Eleanor had always been her little helper since she was a little girl.
" Granny, other than his head, there is more bruising on his back and arms." - she turned him gently pointed out the areas. " I think he might have fallen from a great height, into the Sen, and ...he must have travelled for miles..."
" Calm down, sweetheart. I'm here now, let me see.." - granny calmed her and took over, checking along his badly bruised torso.
Me and the two men, whose names were Dilip and Menir, stood some ways by the side watching granny examine the man's injuries.
" Dilip, Menir, please come and lift the boy. We take him into my home. I can treat him there." - she got up and walked a few steps, taking Eleanor with her.
They went and gently picked him up, followed granny to our house.
Why our house? There is no one in the infirmary.
I took Eli's hand and walked after the unknown man? Boy? I suppose for granny, everyone looked like a boy.
" I know what you think."
Eli pulled my hand and looked up to me with accusing eyes.
" No, you don't... Miss healing angel." - I ruffled her hair a little." Ehlite might bless you if you keep saving every random person."
She didn't fall for my taunts. I missed my little sister, who was easy to tease.
" I know, granny taking him home bother you. But she just doesn't wanna walk back and forth between the infirmary." - she looked annoyed, her eyes kept ahead on granny back. " You need to get over your irrational fear of all, man."
She let go of my hand and ran after others.
She wanted to see granny in action, so she tried to be present with every injury. Or was she angry at me for refusing to marry until now?
It's not like I hate man. I just .. yeah, okay. Her words might have a solid base.
In our house, there were already people waiting outside. The news that some strange person found near the river will be spread to everyone in the next few minutes. With barely a hundred people living here, it wasn't hard.
One of my neighbours, Lucian, who had a hopeless crush on Eli, was among the fastest.
"Lylly ..is it true Eli found a dead body?" - he turned with excitement, his hair wiped around with it.
I sighed. " He is not dead. Why would we bring a corpse inside the house? .."
I didn't want the entire village attention on us. With the closets town being almost a day ride.
Our little place was starving for entertainment of any kind.
Once, a travelling band of performers came and stayed for a week, doing various plays and dramas about far away royal families and their royal woes. It was like a festival. I loved the princess ones.
How easy in those stories to be found by their prince who is always nice and loved them. Fair tales.
I pushed my way inside the house and saw my mother boiling water and gather clean cloth.
" Need my help, mother?" - I stepped closer and offered, fully understanding that other than carrying things, I would be pretty useless.
" Did Eli scold you or something?"
She looked at me all concerned. Am I that transparent?
" .. I think she's angry at me because of the last winter festival. " - I turned away a little, afraid mother had similar feelings.
After refusing yet another set of suitors, who since then haven't even looked at me.
We had a harsh winter, food was light and it was an unusually cold one. Eli got sick for weeks.
We prayed to Ehlite every night for her fewer to break. It was a bad memory, and I felt guilty. If only accepted the offer or any before that.
We would've been able to afford more firewood and better food and had a man at the house helping my family with harder work.
Once your desired freedom starts to look like plain selfishness to others near you.. it might have already happened with me.
" Stop thinking nonsense for once. Nobody is holding it against you. Let alone Eli and an.."
" Seline, where is the water!!? "
I heard granny's voice, and my mother left with the pot and an apologetic smile.
She said that, but I had a feeling that this winter festival Eleanor would accept her offer, most likely Lucians. On her very first one.
This year, it is going to be my fourth, and if I get a single offer, I should feel lucky. Refusing so many and then seeing them start a happy family with someone I knew growing up. It made for awkward encounters.
Is it so wrong wanting more?
I followed my mother inside the main room with a somewhat guilty heart.
The man was on his stomach, and granny treated his back, which carried a lot of scars. I guess he is a soldier. Slaves don't wear such high-quality leather boots.
" Some of this is old...he looks so young, though."
Eleanor ran her hand and ran along a deep vertical cut on his back it looked like he was close to cut in half. But they did look old.. he must've had a hard life, huh?
After twenty minutes of granny working in sync with my sister.
" We done all we can." - she wiped herself off and got up. " He is not gonna die at the very least. Let him rest, and we will see once he opened his eyes."
Granny went outside with Mother close behind her.
Eleanor still played with the mans back!
" Eli, stop touching him already..what are you doing?" - I knelt down and saw her eyes shining.
" Prude.."
She didn't listen, just hit me with something personal.
Over the years, I got this unfair moniker from the village. Just because I didn't have kids already, I'm somehow prude.
I huffed and left the room. There is no point arguing with her.
I walked over to my female role models and poured myself some tea.
"...he is no older than Lylly, and yet his body looks battle worn one. I feel we found a soldier of some far away kingdom." - granny looked for answers before the man woke up. " Or maybe from right here in Insatel, there's nothing on his clothes or inside them that could tell us."
" Mom, we just wait until he is up."My mother got up and checked the room I just left. " Since you said he might be a soldier, shouldn't we put someone to guard him?"
My mother had some good points.
" Seline, the boy been through a lot, I doubt he was able to walk for days. Let alone attack anyone. - Granny stretched and made herself more comfortable. " But just in case, I'll ask Dilip to stay near for a couple of days."
Eleanor soon joined after washing her hands and face. She looked red.
" You like a tomato..where exactly did you end up touching him? "
" ELI!?"
She looked embarrassed but didn't buckle.
" Calm yourself, mother." - she took a seat and stood her accusing gaze. " I'm a healer in training. I need to touch my patients every now and then.." - she turned to me." Besides someone who never even touched a man, you sure talk a lot, Lylly."
I was ready to tear into her.
" Enough! " - mom was quick to get ahead of us. "With all that's happening, I assume no one finished their choirs..so go get to it."
My mother shut it down.
I got up and followed Eli outside. I was done with most of mine, but I wanted to help gather flowers with her and make up.
" Who do you think he is? " - I tried to ask something, I knew she was interested in. " Granny thinks he is some kind of solider."
Eli didn't answer for a few seconds.
She turned around with a radiant smile.
" Whoever he is.." - she beamed like the sun. " I think our boring days might have come to an end..."
Looking at her face, I knew.. This boy was trouble and nothing else.