Back at the tree…
Soren looked up for Aiya and called her name. The only thing that answered was silence.
He searched the tree and found no sign of her. Feeling slightly worried he jumped down and tried to call her. The air was still, making him more uncomfortable by the moment. Did she ditch him? No, her bike is still by the tree. "This phone is no longer in service…this phone is no longer in service…" was all he was hearing repeated in his ear. Ignoring the voice his phone remained in place as if he was waiting for her voice to answer over the operator. Pacing around the tree looking for some sign she was still there, he noticed roots of the tree were amok, following the train he noticed her bad was sitting next to door that sat under the tree. He never saw this door before, where did it go. Peeking inside the tunnel he yelled for her, only to hear his echo yell back at him. Grabbing her bag he slowly made his way into the dark tunnel, half curious and half scared for her.
In the new world….
Aiya has been helping around the house while she remained there. Edan's mother invited her to stay in the house until she was ready to get back on her own feet. His mother's name was Beth. Aiya felt like she had no were to go until she knew how to get back to the tree. Aiya was usually tasked with cleaning the house and feeding the chickens in the pens next to the house. While they both worked, Edan was no where to be found. Beth told her that he had to go back on patrol in the forest. During the warm afternoon, they grabbed two baskets and headed out to forage strawberries in a field near the village gate. During their walk, Beth told her more about her family, and how the village is such a great place. When they started to pick their first batch of berries, a horn blew a long bellowing tune coming from a watch tower nearby. Beth quickly grabbed Aiya and told her to take the baskets back home and wait for her there. Noticing other villages running to the origin of the horn, she nodded and ran as quickly as she could home while Beth ran to the front gate.
Aiya started to store the strawberries in a fruit basket when the door abruptly opened with Edan being supported by Beth and another man. His head hung low, as his feet barley supported himself. His clothes were torn and his armor was removed to expose the fresh wounds on his side. Beth was panting as she struggled with her sons weight "Aiya, go grab some towels and water!" Aiya hesitated at the sight but quickly ran to the kitchen room and grabbed the necessary supplies. With water pale in hand, and wraps in another she found them in his room trying to make him comfortable on his bed. The other man said "I have to go back; a couple others have been wounded as well. There was a whole pack of them this time, they are started to cross the boundary lines and we chased them out. I don't know for how long though.." Beth nodded and he left at that moment. Beth took the pale from Aiya and dipped clothes into the cold water and attempted to clean his wounds. Aiya noticed she couldn't stand to see her son in such a state. "Beth, I can take care of him if you need some rest, I know first aid." She looked at her in confusion. Aiya mentally slapped herself for saying 'first aid'. She restated "First aid in my village means medicine. I can help him, it doesn't look too bad, and he just needs some patchwork done." Beth looked at her son but nodded; she didn't say another word but left them to start work in the kitchen. Aiya grabbed a small rag and started to clean the dirt and dried blood that covered his chest. His shirt was already removed, making it easer for her to access the wounds. His breaths were shallow, it didn't seem like he lost a lot of blood. It was more out of pure exhaustion. A long cut followed his ribs on the right side of his chest. She cleaned it to the best she could, she didn't have any alcohol or a type of cleaner to prevent infection so the water would have to do. She cleaned the rest of his torso and dressed the rest of his wounds, before moving to his head. He had a slight cut under his chin that would heal in the matter of days, but she wanted to clean it as well.
The cold rag caused him to awaken from his state and stare at her in confusion. "Your mom is in the kitchen, I'm taking care of you for now…just relax". He rested his head back in submission but still kept his eyes fixed on her hands as if he was still not able to trust her. She dabbed the rag over his wound and attempted to clean his face. The room was warm with silence; she wished she could ask him how this happened. She didn't think he would tell her even if he could. "I think after a couple days of rest, you will be on your feet in no time" she said optimistically. His face remained a stone. She nervously tried to change the subject "I mean, if you're a fast healer it could be less…hehe." He sighed and turned his head slightly away staring at the brick wall beside him. Aiya sighed and said softly "I am sorry, for not knowing earlier…that you can't…." He turned to her as if he was finally interested in what she was saying. "I know how it feels, not to be able to tell someone how you really feel. Being silent against your own will. There are lots of things I wish I could have said ….should of said." She thought about how she felt about Soren. He was in love with her, but she didn't know if she felt the same yet she never had the heart to tell him. Edan searched her eyes as if he was listening to what she was thinking. She smiled at him and said "I am wrong; I will never know how it feels to be like you. I am sorry for saying that". She was about to stand, when his arm grabbed her wrist shocking her. She looked back at him to see her staring in her eyes again, like he was reading her whole sole as if it was a book in front of him. He looked at her in a way that made her see he understood her. After the brief moment of the quiet conversation that was taking place, he released her and lay back gently onto his bed. She felt slightly dumbstruck and left the room in awe, but she felt relieved slightly that he acknowledged her. What ever he saw in her bad or good, she was happy he knew she existed.