Page 32 of Aofie's Quest
Nodding but still teary-eyed, I put my head down and tried to sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The next timeI opened my eyes, a halo of sunlight pierced the gloom of the cavern. My limbs were numb and I yawned and stretched, wondering if the giant had changed the dressing on my wounds while I slept. A hot flush rose to my face. I had to find some clothes before I attempted to find the shepherds. The giant seemed resourceful and he hadn’t attempted to take advantage of me.
As I moved on the pallet, I found I had a greater range of motion without inflicting fresh pain to my wounds. Encouraged, I gingerly sat up. My stomach cramped and was tender to my touch, and my back was sore and the skin tight. Still, the cool air of the cavern was pleasant and I did not shiver and tremble with fever.
The scent of grass and wool hung in the air along with something else. I sniffed. Cooked meat. My stomach growled, hungry for something other than the disgusting gruel the gnome had fed me. My eyes dropped to the place where the cup of water had sat. It had been replaced with a jug brimming with water and a plate with strips of meat on it. I took a bite and the succulent flesh melted in my mouth. I ate with relish, a semblance of my old self returning.
When I finished, I licked my fingers, full for the first time in days. A movement caught my attention and I looked up. A pair of luminous eyes stared back at me. I squeaked and clutched my arms around my bare breasts before hastily lying back down. The light was poor but, since he could see in the dark, I assumed he’d seen everything.
“Have no fear, little one,” the deep voice came.
Instead of looking at him, I squeezed my eyes shut, embarrassed and horrified that the giant had simply sat, watching me eat, naked!
“If I wanted something from you, I would have already taken it,” he said.
Did he mean to make me feel better? But as I lay there, I understood what he meant. My hair had been cut off, and my body scarred and broken. No man would want me now, much less a giant. Worrying my lower lip between my teeth, I dared to peek in his direction. The shadows did well to hide him, and yet aside from his shape, I glimpsed a bluish hue to his skin. A white bone flashed as he lifted it to his mouth.
“Why do you hide?” I asked, curiosity overpowering my embarrassment.
“Knowing my story will not improve your life, little one. I am here because of the many choices I made. Many wrong choices. Now it is best that I stay here. If you make a vow of vengeance and take back your kingdom, you may meet many like me.”
Like him? A warning thrummed through me, but not powerful enough to make my magic flare up. “Are you a giant?” I guessed.
His eyes widened. “Nay. If I were a giant you would be in my belly. They are cannibals who eat the weak and small when they feel the urge. You would do best to stay away from giants. My kind are unpredictable, for the blood of angels and demons should never mix. Nor should the blood of demons and humans, or angels and humans.”
My breath caught. I recalled words Romulus had shared with me during a time that seemed so long ago. “Are you a mix?”
“Aye, little one, which gives me the knowledge to heal your wounds. But I do not wish to talk about myself. Rest today and I will find clothing for you. At sunrise I will show you the way.”
Obediently I put my head down, although his words sent a buzz of questions racing through my mind. He was one of mixed bloodline, like myself. Although from what I’d seen of him, I guessed that he was not human. Jezebel had not bled him, which meant he did not have the blood of the gods. My gut twisted as I drew the only conclusion left. Was he one of the Nephilim? Part angel, part…demon?
He was correct. The less I knew about him, the better. Yet I still wanted to know his history. What had happened that drove him to seclude himself in the dark? He’d vaguely mentioned choices and I wondered if his story was like mine. Had he left home, stepped out into the world for the first time, and found it full of death and evil and corruption? Had he been broken, abused, and left for dead, and then decided to hate with all his heart? And was it that hate and quest for more that had ultimately led him here? Part of me knew there was a lesson to be learned, but the angry part of me pushed it away.
The day passed slowly and I fidgeted as I alternated between eating and sleeping. I sensed that although my wounds were not fully healed, I was restless and ready to move on, even without discovering more about the being who assisted me. At some point he left and returned, a vague shape moving in the gloom, and I told myself not to be afraid. Even if he was part demon, he’d shown me no ill will.
“Come, little one,” he said in his even tone. “It is time to prepare. Come to the pool and bathe.”
Without waiting for an answer, he turned his back on me and began to walk away. With a sigh, I moved my stiff body to a sitting position and then, slowly, stood up. At first, I weaved in place as I regained my footing, aware my limbs were weak not only from blood loss but from lying down for days. How much time had passed? Had spring already deepened into summer?
We walked slowly through the cavern until the walls narrowed and sloped down. My mouth went dry as we moved and I wondered if this was some trick and, at last, he’d eat me. Heart pounding in my throat, I gasped when the cave widened again and a shimmering pool lay before me. Pale moonlight offered a glimpse of those dark waters and I sank to my knees in front of it, suddenly grateful to be able to cleanse myself from the past.
He lay a cloth down on a nearby rock and moved back into the shadows. I dipped the cloth in the water and washed. The water was cold but I ignored my shivers and scrubbed the grime and dried blood off my skin. When I was clean, I found a short shift that fell to my knees. It hung off my body like a sack but it was better than nothing at all.
“What is your name?” I asked when I was back on my pallet, lying on my stomach once more. The short excursion had tired me and my ribs ached, reminding me I was still broken.
“Little one, the less you know, the better,” he repeated, his tone full of sadness. “Sleep. You will need your strength for tomorrow.”
* * *
Fear woke me,although I recalled nothing of nightmares. Sweat covered my body and my limbs shook. A glimpse of light told me it was time to leave, but although reason told me I must go on, it was easier to stay in the comfort of the cave, hiding with my mysterious host. I thought I understood why he hid, why he stayed in the dark where he did not have to face the world, or questions about his past. But when his pale eyes fell on mine, a shiver went up my spine. If I stayed, it was only a matter of time.
Sitting, I ate more meat while he moved around in the dark. His words floated to me, steady and calm. “I have prepared a healing balm. Apply it to your wounds when you feel pain. I can do nothing for the broken bones. I set them but you shall have some discomfort for a while. Now come, you must reach the shepherds’ city before the daylight leaves. These hills should not be roamed when darkness grows near.”
I sighed as I stood, my skin still tight. “Where should I go when I reach the city? Who should I ask to help me?”
He grunted. “I know little of the city nor those who dwell there. However, the path will lead you straight there. I will give you a walking stick for protection, although I warn you against fighting, for your wounds will re-open.”
