Part 36

 

Greza awoke in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room.  It was a small but private room.  The bed looked clean and there was a window. 

She sat up.  Her head hurt but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.  The window looked out over the courtyard where soldiers were training. 

She was back home.  She had made it. 

Greza collapsed back down and stared up at the white painted ceiling.  Why was everything white in this room?

Her arm didn’t hurt and when she looked down she saw that there was no bandage and no sign of a wound.  Had she hallucinated the whole thing? 

“Hello?”  She called out. 

A few seconds later a woman Dark Elf poked her head in. 

“Good, about time you woke up,” the woman said.

“How long?”

“You’ve been out the entire week.”

Greza nodded.  She didn’t know what to ask.  What was to become of her?  Was she disgraced or would she be allowed to rejoin her unit? 

“Wait right there and I’ll bring you something to eat.” 

The Dark Elf woman went back out into the hall and Greza heard her talking to someone else.

“Go tell him she’s awake,” she heard the woman said. 

A few minutes later the woman returned with a bowl of something hot.  Greza didn’t care what it was and just started eating without tasting.

She didn’t dare ask any questions about her fate.  She feared the answers. 

When she finished the bowl she was still hungry but the woman took it away and left. 

She sat there, looking out the window for what felt like hours.  She wondered if she’d be able to be one of those simple soldiers again.  She had to pray that they’d show her mercy.  If they thrust her out of the Company how would she fulfill her divine mission?

“They told me you were awake,” she heard a familiar voice say from the door. 

She turned to see Richkurk and Onata standing there.  Onata rushed over and threw her arms around her. 

“I thought we lost you.  Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“I promise,” Greza said.

Richkurk pulled up a chair beside the bed.  Onata broke away and sat at the edge of the bed. 

She couldn’t stand looking at their smiling faces.  How could they show such gladness when she had failed them?  If she was in trouble then tell her.  This protective façade wasn’t helping her. 

“What’s going to happen to me?”  Greza asked. 

“What do you mean?”

“I allowed myself to be captured.”

Richkurk looked to Onata who shrugged with a confused expression. 

“I failed.  I was captured.  I put the Duke and the Company in a weaker position.”

“What are you talking about?”  Onata asked.

“Greza, we heard what happened.  After the battle when we couldn’t find you, we asked around and found out you had volunteered to hold off the enemy while others retreated.  Then, three days ago Private Tarak returned and told us what had happened after, that you freed yourself and the prisoners.  Greza, you’re a hero.  The Duke’s been asking about you almost hourly and you’re scheduled for promotion and at least two medals.”

Richkurk’s words flowed over her like a dream and Greza couldn’t believe it.

“I did nothing special to deserve any reward.  I messed up.”

Richkurk began laughing. 

“Girl, you’re either the most humble creature I’ve ever met or you’re mud eating crazy.” 

“I think both,” Onata said. 

Still laughing Richkurk stood up and patted Greza on the shoulder. 

“Glad to have you back, Greza.  Get well and I’ll see you soon.”

Richkurk left and Onata climbed onto the bed to sit beside her.  Her black uniform meshed with the black fur of her goat legs. 

“We all thought you were dead,” Onata said.

“Didn’t they try to negotiate for prisoners?”

“They never told us they had prisoners.”

“The Duke didn’t even know?”

“No one knew.”

Onata kissed her on the check and gave her another squeeze. 

“Can I still be your partner?”  Greza asked. 

“Maybe.  Depends if you won’t let your promotion give you a puffed up chest.”

“We’re the same rank now, right?”

“Yeah, but I have seniority.”

She looked down to her arm. 

“I was wounded on my arm,” Greza said. 

“The Duke had Alethia heal you.”

“Alethia?”

“That sorceress he always keeps near.”

“The Raven, yes.”

“Well, you were a mess.  I mean, they didn’t think you were going to live. When the Duke found out you returned he ordered Alethia to heal you.  Few get that privilege.”

“Why?  Can’t she just heal anyone whenever she wishes?”

“No, every spell she casts costs her a memory.  The more powerful the spell, the more powerful the memory.  He only allows Alethia to use her magic in the most serious situations.  For him to use it on a grunt is…well, I’ve never seen it happen.” 

The Duke had her life spared.  They thought her a hero for some reason, but why would he go through such great lengths to save her life?  Her life wasn’t worth the skin that held it together. 

Her eyes were watering and when she tried to clear them she found tears running down her cheeks. 

Onata just embraced her tighter and didn’t let go. 

After a long time Onata broke off and stood up. 

“I have to go, got a class to teach on camouflage.  I’ll be back later tonight.” Then she leaned over and whispered in her ear.  “Don’t leave me like that again.”

Then Onata left. 

Hero?

That didn’t make sense.  Heroes were people in the stories that did great deeds.  They were important people that changed the course of history.  She was just a runaway slave that was good at one thing; killing. 

But why would the Duke spend so much to save her? 

She tried to get up.  Her legs felt weak but strong enough to stand.  She walked around her room for a bit and then went back to her bed to look out at the soldiers.  This time it was with more joy because she knew she’d be rejoining them.  She’d be able to serve her Duke again.        

Onata came back that night and brought dinner with her.  She sat on her bed and they ate their meal together.  Onata told her all about the war she missed and Greza told her all about her experiences but left out anything to do with her divine mission. 

It was good to be back.  She had friends here; people that cared about her. Erinad would be glad to know she was cared for.  He hadn’t died in vain.