Tanya woke suddenly, her limbs jerking and her eyelids fluttering. She was drenched with sweat and her tongue felt swollen and useless in her parched mouth. Sunlight streamed in through an open window, causing her to wince. She sat up slowly feeling as if every muscle in her body had turned to water, and examined her surroundings. She was in a small brightly painted room. The bed she was lying in occupied one corner, and an ornate wardrobe, a washstand and a tall mirror, stood in the other three. The wall she was staring at had an arch that led out onto a tiny balcony and on the wall to her right was a stout wood door. The room was agonizingly familiar, but her mind felt dull and useless. She lay back on the bed with a sigh and closed her eyes. She couldn't remember anything after seeing her assailant fall to the ground and-

With a start Tanya remembered the wound she had received. She reached for her arm and was relieved when she felt soft bandages.

"I wonder if the other arrow hit me." She thought aloud.

"It's a wonder it didn't and I just want to say that you're the luckiest elf I know!" Tanya knew that voice. She knew the room. She sat up and smiled as Sarah walked in the room. Sarah her best friend since-

'Since forever.' Tanya thought. Her mind cleared and she knew where she was. It was one of the many rooms in the sick bay. She was home.

Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her friend.

"We were so worried!" she went on in a breathless voice. "Worried you would never wake up! Tanya you went out alone! Alone! You know better! These times are dangerous for us. And look what you got from it! You were almost KILLED! What was it Tanya? The thing that attacked you. You shouldn't have gone out alone! Its arrows were poisoned! Strong poison. The worst the apothecary has ever seen. Why was it after you Tanya? Oh Tanya!"

Sarah grabbed Tanya in another hug and Tanya could feel her friend sobbing.

"I'm fine now! Really! But not if you keep squeezing me so tight!"

Sarah drew back her arms and smiled in an apologetic kind of way.

"Tanya! Everyone was so worried. We're just lucky he found you!"

Tanya was suddenly full of curiosity.

"What happened? To me I mean. After I blacked out."

"I can't really tell you the whole story, because I wasn't there, but when he carried your body into the city everyone thought you were dead!"

"Who's 'he'?" Tanya asked eager to know the identity of her rescuer.

"No one knows!" Sarah continued. "He didn't give a name or anything. He just carried you to the apothecary and left the city. He wouldn't stay."

Tanya began to feel queasy. She had an anonymous rescuer, who hadn't even stayed in the city to make sure she got better. In her position, it was enough to make her a little nervous. She had a feeling that this event would bring to light dangerous information. That couldn't happen. Her life depended on it. Sarah's life depended on it! She would have to do everything in her power to erase that day.

"What's wrong Tanya?" Sarah asked noticing the worried expression on her best friends face.

"Nothing!" Tanya smiled. "How long have I been asleep?" That had been a close one. She had to be careful not to let her feelings show. Sarah returned her grin. "You've been in the sick bay for five days. The arrow that gave you that wound," she motioned to Tanya's arm, "was poisoned! You're lucky that we have such a good knowledge of foreign cures, or you wouldn't be here now! Even after they gave you the medicine, there was fever. High fever! You were burning up! I had to stay by your bed all day just to keep the cloth on your forehead cool. Oh Tanya you had dreams. Fever dreams! Sometimes you would sit up screaming, but most of the time you talked. You wouldn't stop."

Tanya looked at her friend horrified. "What did I say?"