I saw a house meters in front of me and tried to take a few more steps but the ground rushed up to meet me before I could even take the first. My whole body was cold with exhaustion and my mind was slow and growing numb, I took a deep breath “Help me.” I called out desperately trying to stay conscious, if I drifted out now, I may never be able to get back. “Help.” I called again, more quietly.

I tried one last time “Please.” I called, knowing I was too weak to call out again. A dark figure rushed to me, the sun gleaming brightly behind her, she crouched down and took my face in her hands looking into my eyes. I let out a small and painful sigh of relief as I saw the compassion in them, “Nathaniel!” the figure called, “Nathaniel! Come quick, she’s hurt and I think she’s nearly gone!”

Another figure rushed towards me, “Now, pick her up gently.” I closed my eyes and felt myself being carried into a shaded place. “Lay her down on here.”

“But Merlada…” The woman shook her head at the boy and I felt myself descending onto a soft bed. A cool hand passed over my brow and I felt something being held to my lips, I closed them instinctively.

“Drink, it’s just water.” I sniffed at the liquid in the bowl and shook my head. It wasn’t just water. I kept my lips closed and opened my eyes, looking into the woman’s with steely determination. “Okay.” She set the bowl on the floor and picked up another letting me smell it first, “But it was just a plant extract to help you sleep.” I finished drinking and started to shiver from exhaustion, she lay a blanket over me. “Now sleep.” She turned and began to walk away. I crooked my head to her and took a shallow breath, “Thank you.” I said and saw her look towards me, but before she said anything my eyelids had dropped and I had fallen into a sleep so deep that nothing could have woken me up.

I could feel myself regaining consciousness, however it felt abnormal; my eyes were still closed, and I did not know what was happening outside of my body, but inside my body I was aware of a small light. I felt like a ghost as I watched the small light move around to different places, healing up wounds and cuts that I had received inside me somewhere. It took me a while before I realised that the small light was a part of me, a small glow knitting back together the edges of thousands of shallow cuts. I watched the light curiously and saw how it brushed along these small wounds that had pulled me apart bit by bit, slowly weakening me and tearing a wound into me that I did not know was being created. I could not understand how long I watched the light fixing me, but I gradually began to feel stronger and after a while the light faded and I glided back into unconsciousness.

I heard a quiet whisper in the background and slowly began to slip into reality again. “But we don’t know who she is.”

“She’s getting better…”

“So you say, but the only real improvement we’ve seen is that her breathing has become regular.”

“She’s not a normal person, I’ve never seen anyone survive from being that exhausted, it’s like…”

“All the more reason for us to be wary of her she’s not normal, she’s strange and unusual, we should get rid of her.”

“Are you suggesting that we throw her out!”

“I’m just trying to be reasonable, we don’t know what we’re dealing with here…”

“I will not throw her out!”

“But she’s been here for fourteen days without waking up!” I was slightly surprised at how long I had been here; the glow must have taken a long time.

“Just leave her to me. Go and get some water from the river.”

“But I’m just trying…”

“Just go Nathaniel.” The woman sounded irritated. I heard the young man leave and slowly flickered open my eyes. The woman had her back to me so I quietly sat up and looked around; I was in a large wooden hut, the walls were rounded, there were two doors, one that was open and led outside the other was closed and there was a small fire in the middle of the room, hanging over it was a cooking pot.

I quietly got up and walked over to the woman, stopping a few paces behind her and clearing my throat softly, trying not to surprise her. The woman turned quickly and her eyes widened in shock, she stood there staring at me for a moment. “Thank you.” I said to her quietly.

“But you were too weak to even… how can you be standing in front of me now?”

“I am a quick healer.” I said calmly.

“But it’s not possible.” She said doubtfully, looking at me as if I was some sort of phantom.

“Look into my eyes and tell me it is not possible.” She looked into my eyes and I calmed her mind down carefully. I realised two things at once; first I was ravenously hungry and second, I desperately needed the toilet. “Is there anywhere I can relieve myself.”

“There’s a toilet through that door.” She said indicating to the closed door, I walked over to it slowly and went inside. I relieved myself and then went to the sink, washing my hands and then splashing my face with cold water to wake myself up some more. I breathed in deeply a couple of times and paced back into the room with the woman.

She was sitting down, stirring the pot over the fire, watching me carefully as I walked from the door and sat down opposite her. “Why have you cared for me for so long?” I asked her.

“You were not well, I thought you needed caring for, and I knew you were different when you distinguished that there was sleeping oil in the water I tried to give you.” I smiled at her even though I could barely remember. “If I may ask, why did you cross the Plains?”

“I had to.”

“You had to? Why?”

“I do not mean you any disrespect, for indeed I owe you my life, but I will not tell you that.”

“Then I will ask one more question, can I trust you to not harm anyone?” I thought for a moment and then answered truthfully.

“It depends on the situation I am in.”

“The situation?”

“You cannot trust me to never hurt anyone, for there are those which I wish to hurt greatly, but you can trust me not to hurt the people in your village. I am thankful for the care you have given me, but I will not swear to never harm others when that oath could cost me my life.” I said slowly and surely, not knowing what her reply would be.

“Then I will have to trust your judgement.” I nodded at her and heard footsteps approaching,

“The boy is coming back.” She stood and looked through the door.

“He is only just approaching, how could you know that?”

“I am not a normal person.” I said to her, using her own words. We stayed still for a moment, staring at each other until the boy walked up to the door, the woman ignored him and left her eyes locked on me.

“Mother what’s the matter? Why are you…” He caught sight of me sitting by the fire and rushed over to me, roughly picking up the front of my shirt and lifting me off the ground, pushing me against a wall. “What have you done to her?”

“Nathaniel you don’t know what you’re doing! Put her down at once!” the woman shouted at her son. He let go of my shirt and took a step backwards. I nimbly stepped around him and faced the woman.

“You know something the boy does not.” I said to her quietly, it was not a question, it was a statement but I knew she would reply, given time.

“Boy! I am no boy! I am in the nineteenth cycle, you are the child here.” The son said argumentatively.

“Be quiet Nathaniel.”

“But mother…”

“Nathaniel do you ever open your eyes!?” She exclaimed, exasperatedly.

“Peace Nathaniel,” I said to him calmly, “You know why I crossed the Plains don’t you?” I said to the woman.

“Yes.”

“You understand why I called him a boy.”

“Yes.”

“Then I think my thanks will mean more now.” She nodded and then cringed, Nathaniel rushed over to her and supported her. “What is the matter?” I asked quickly.

“She’s dying.”

“Why? What’s wrong with her?” I asked Nathaniel.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does mother, she’s got some sort of incurable disease that’s slowly eating up her life.”

“Where is it?”

“Inside her.”

“Yes I know that, but where inside her?”

“In my heart.” She said weakly. I walked over to her, but the son stood in the way.

“Don’t even touch her.”

“Please move, I am trying to help.”

“There’s nothing you can do.”

“Nathaniel, I know you are trying to protect your mother, but I am trying to help her, she saved my life and now I am going to try and save hers.” I looked right into his eyes, persuading him to move.

“Alright, but I’m standing right next to her the entire time.”

“Fine.” He stepped out of the way and I placed my hand on the woman’s chest, above her heart. I pushed my consciousness into her body and found the disease, the healing took a few moments and then I came back out and moved my hand onto her forehead.

“My debt has been repaid, rest.” He eyes shut and she went limp against her son in a deep slumber.