POV: Ash
Location: Northern Empire
I woke up in a bed in a room I had never visited. My clothing were exchanged for a white sleeping gown, and beside me, a cup of hot milk and soft bread were placed on a table.
That is for me I guess.
What surprised me was that my burnt skin had already been healed, and my ash hair full of dust had also been combed, I wondered who did it.
The door leading out of the room made a cracking sound before being fully opened by another human being.
"Ash, I am glad you have woken up," Tiya said, her legs rushing to my side.
She sat on the chair located beside the table, she looked at me as I adjusted myself to a sitting position, placing my back against the wooden bed.
"I am so sorry, I couldn't send help as early as you needed," she said, her eyes reflecting a deep worry in them.
"It's okay, I am alive, there is no need to worry "
"But everything belonging to you burnt down,"
"I don't have anything of importance,"
"The guild promised to pay for the damages caused to you, Welshi was aiming to get her hands on you after all, the guild branch leader said."
Tiya then took the ceramic mug full of hot milk and handed it over to me, "You should eat Ash," she said, handing over the mug and a round soft bread to me.
I collected it from her and began to eat, she watched me as I completely ignored her and dug into my breakfast.
Mid-bite, I lowered my hand holding a half-eating bread, "I wanted to ask, what happened to Welshi after I passed out."
Tiya lowered her eyes avoiding eye contact with me, tilting her head to look at her hands resting on the table, she answered me.
"Welshi is dead."
She did not share any more details with me, she just let a wave of silence replace our conversation.
Just moments after announcing the death of Welshi, Tiya looked up to me, this time her eyes looked calmer than before, "You would be paid twenty-five gold coins, the branch leader decided on it a while ago, you have suffered from an assault by the subject the guild asked you to protect."
I smiled at Tiya's reveal, now my balance would be enough to take me through to gates, getting me closer to Bash, my other half.
"I am grateful, thanks a lot," I said to Tiya, "Now I just have to go shopping for new stuff, new luggage, new underwear, and even a hat."
Her eyes glowed, a glow I had not seen before, she walked up to my bed and sat on the milky blanket covering my legs. "I know good places where you can get everything you need, the village of the fireflies would surprise you with what we can offer."
I Dropped the empty mug in my hands on the table beside me, my eyes returned to Tiya, "I doubt I can go shopping in this white gown."
"Don't worry about it, this is one of the guest rooms in the guild, my room is located just a few turns in the hall," she grabbed one of my hands resting on my thighs, "Over there I have a dress that would fit you."
With that, Tiya took me to her room and dressed me up in a yellow dress, it was so long that the tip was dragging along the ground as I walked. She placed a white flower in my hair along the side of my left ear. She then placed a round big hat weaved out of special dry leaves on my head.
Holding hands, me and Tiya went shopping for everything that was burnt in the flames last night.