I stirred slowly, a moan escaping my lips. I lifted my eyes open gently. I was in a large unfamiliar room. The bed I laid on had silver silk sheets. The walls were silver as well.
A soft breath from the corner of the room caught my attention. A man was sitting there, the same man I remembered seeing before slipping back into unconsciousness.
He slid his binocular glasses off to observe me. "Ahhhh...you are awake." He was also smoking something that smelled of strawberries.
"Where am I?" I asked, starting to sit up.
The man quickly made his way over to me. "No, my dear. I must insist you stay put."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
The man sighed. "I am Taneleer Tivan, but I am known as the Collector."
I frowned. "A collector of what?"
He smiled thinly at me. "Of all things, my dear. How are you feeling?"
Taneleer put his smoking leaves down on a nightstand next to the bed and placed his hand on my forehead.
"I'm fine." I said quickly. "How did I get here?"
"I found you outside of my collection. You were injured. I cared for your wounds." He replied, stroking my cheek.
"Why?" I asked quietly. "Why did you help me?"
The Collector sighed. "What is your name, my dear?"
"Sulwyn." I answered. "It's strange, but that's all I remember. I can't remember how I got here or anything else."
"Sulwyn." My name rolled off the Collector's tongue like silk. I could listen to his voice all day.
"What will you do with me now?"
His chocolate eyes locked with my green for a few long moments of silence before he let out a deep sigh. "You may stay here with me as my assistant. Since my Collection was all but destroyed by my last assistant, I must ask that you do not touch anything which belongs to me."
I nodded. "You seem like a very kind man. I will do whatever is necessary to repay your kindness to me."