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It was to the feeling of cold water dripping into his eyes that Eros regained consciousness, opening his eyes to the bright sunlight filtering in through the window which was partially blocked out by the edges of the cold cloth that had oozed off of his forehead and down over his face. Reaching up to remove it with one hand, he sat up and looked down at himself in an effort to assess his condition.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoYurOPRQj
He still wore his ripped and dirty trousers smeared with mud and blood but his shirt and armor had all been removed; his chest was now tightly bound in bandages, more of the same of which had also been carefully wrapped around his wounded neck.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFsUqy7aEf
Hadn’t he lost consciousness in the forest? He distinctly remembered that Glory had run off and doubted that he could have made it back on foot with the extent of his injuries. So how had he wound up there?copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTktc9OXRs
“Oh, you’re awake.” Looking up, he found a young woman standing in the doorway holding a wooden basin full of water. “They found you on the forest’s edge, slumped over in the saddle of your horse almost as if someone had pushed you up onto it. You were covered in blood.” Entering the room, she carried the basin to his bedside before setting it down. “Your wounds...I won’t say that they aren’t serious-you really shouldn’t even be sitting up yet-but it’s as if something intervened with death on your behalf.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDQr8hfX95
The blazing figure of fiery white and gold, armor shining wings spread wide and eyes severe. “I haven’t actually seen him since my childhood, but I suppose that you could say I have a guardian angel.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNLJIbiPlW
“A good thing, I’m sure, in your profession.” Taking the cloth from him, the woman dipped it into the clean water before ringing it out. “Please, lay back down. You’ll only make yourself worse.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kPpN2yBZq
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m afraid that I can’t do that.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3s4UTcc8al
“Sir, you were badly injured just last night. They found you this morning. You’ve been asleep for only three hours. You need much more rest to recover!” But before she could stop him he’d gotten unsteadily to his feet.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡer9ZbRbtHx
“And I’ve been away from my home for just over a week longer than I should have been. With a week’s worth of travel yet ahead of me before I make it back. By now, I’m sure that my wife and second in command are both fit to be tied on the matter; I need to return immediately.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMRfbEiKgi
“Even just another day more is too much?”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡajKfeDsqMC
“I’m afraid so.” He replied, managing to locate his shirt and armor and putting them back on before retrieving the rest of his belongings. “Please, direct me to where I can pay for both my treatment and the damages caused during the fight so that I might find my horse and begin my journey home.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡM04V0fNbJu
“The innkeeper is away at the moment,” she told him resignedly, “but you can leave the pay with me and I’ll pass it on to him. As for your horse, he should be in the stable outside.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9gzpseHcv
“Thank you,” Eros said with a nod. “I’ll be leaving now. I hope that, now that Bleak Heart has been vanquished, your village can finally find some peace.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnPJD3n5u9
Supporting himself against the wall, he managed to make his way down the hall and a pair of staircases and out of the front door. Trailing his hand along the outside of the building, he managed to wobble over to the small stable that had been built behind it and found Glory awaiting him in one of the stalls.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgaMca2ZlM
“Ready to go home?” retrieving the saddle and bridle and putting them both into their proper place, he opened the door and lead the animal out. It was a painful struggle for him to pull himself up into the saddle but after a full five minutes he finally managed it and immediately sagged forwards over Glory’s neck in exhaustion. “Let’s go, boy.”copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4VKDlcS3p
The steed fell into a gentle lop as it set out back towards the road out of town, his wounds twinging with every step that it took. A part of him regretting not following the young woman’s advice to rest longer before heading out, Eros looked back over his shoulder at the village as it disappeared over the rise of a small hill.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2NcMqg9vK
He could only hope that he didn’t run into any more trouble on his long road home.copyright protection42ＰＥＮＡＮＡjd0t0dD2cZ
