Arc 719, Rebirth Cycle, 7th of Ashan
Nearby a small town on the riverbank of Zynyx river
"Look, mate, I saw it with my own eyes. Your girl was macking on this citylad before they both suddenly disappeared from the inn!"
"Immortals be damned man. Drop it. Don't want to hear another fucking word...This is not the time anyway, we got ourselves a visitor."
The two silhouettes in the distance, standing guard at their small settlement's wooden gates, put a stop to their infighting to face this approaching figure. At first they simply seemed to stand firm, close to one another and with 'sword and board' lowered, yet ready to be taken up instantly if the situation should call for it. And it did, for as soon as the man's appearance became less obscured, the two men nearly simultaneously tightened their grip on both hilt and strap. Fully devoted to defend their homestead from this savage attacker.
Nothing happened.
The savage didn't make the first move, actually he barely made any movement apart from swaying carelessly about as his mount slowly trudged on until it finally halted in front of the watchmen. It was clear as day that this feral man was many things, but least of all a threat to their safety. The sunken, hollow eyes of the man peered through the dirty beaded dreads sticking to his lowered face, looking at the guards without any hostility or defiance directed at them. Only exhaustion to the point it was too much to even think. "Please. Horse. Food for Horse." was all the man could utter out before collapsing.
After the black darkness slowly made way for broken white in front of him, he realized he wasn't on his horse anymore. The beige tweed blanket covering him tightly, somehow helped him ease up. The confirmation that he was, at least, no't at death's door anymore. The wet towel on his forehead indicated he was suffering from more than an empty stomach when he passed out. His body was crying out in pain, his weakened muscles aching as he scuffled with the throw covering him in order to get to that bowl of fruit and nuts on the dresser next to his bed. Only a sadist would tie him down while putting a mouthwatering feast just next to him! As his hunger prevailed over the pain, the man finally broke free, with a pained grunt he moved his arm to pull the bowl closer to him.
He didn't even hear the woman approach him. Too fixated on filling his stomach to think further than his nose is long, he didn't bother to worry about his safety, check for escape routes, or any of the sort. But when the redheaded fury appeared before him, his survival insticts instantly flared up, she looked so pissed off that he even forgot about his stomach as the man looked at her. Until it broke the tension of the stare-down between the two with a deep loud rumbling. The man was the one to crack, with one hand on his stomach, he smiled sheepishly at the woman. "Sorry." Uncaring, the woman narrowed her eyes as she breathed in deep through her nose.
"Guess it can't be helped...Lay down."
The man, who was clearly not from around these parts, understood what she was saying and was in no mood, or position, to argue. He figured it was thanks to this woman he survived, least he could do was respect her wishes. "You. Helped me?" The woman didn't answer immediately, she first took care of covering him with the blanket, as well as replacing the wet towel with a dripping icy cold one on his forehead. "We all did."
She told him what happened from the moment he hit the ground to the moment she took charge of taking care of him during these times. How she was nearby when he arrived and overheard his words from behind the cover of the wooden palisade around the town. He could've sworn the woman to be smiling softly as she moved to grab the bowl of fruit. "No matter how, a man so close to death worrying about someone else -his mount even- could not be a dangerous person, to me. So, I convinced the watchmen and chief to let me take care of you until you're back on your feet."
The man looked at the woman, he thought he understood what she was saying, but he couldn't be sure. She spoke too fast for him to really understand it completely. It must've been visible on his face as the woman summarized it neatly with "Me. Helped you." At which the man was pleased to see her smiling bright. "Thank you!!" The woman seemed equally pleased and at ease now, nudging him towards the bowl: "Eat up now, you'll need it!"
