Rain. She could hear the water falling, echoing in her head. She struggled to open her eyes, but found that she couldn't see even when she thought she had opened them.
"Do not exert yourself too much, warrior. Your wounds are healing, but still need time to knit fully."
Crawler rolled her head to the side, following the sound of the voice that spoke to her. "Who are you?" She asked hoarsely, her voice sore and somewhat muffled. Moving her mouth, she felt what would be bandages around her head, probably having a tiny slit where her mouth was.
"I am Salogel. It was lucky that I was in the area, otherwise that man would have killed you."
Crawler sighed. "Then I guess I owe you my life, and my thanks."
"Your thanks are accepted, but your life is your own. I do my actions only to preserve live, not own it."
"Worthy cause," Crawler stated, then jumped as she felt a hand touching her leg. "What are you…"
"Don't worry, I will not harm you. You have injuries here that I have tended, and just wish to examine them."
"How bad…?"
There was a pause, and Crawler wondered if her savior was going to avoid the question. Then he sighed.
"I have knitted your facial scarring and the bandage is to keep the herbs in place to minimize scarring. I have wrapped your ribs and your knee with a compress that should reduce the pain as the muscles and bones knit themselves. I've also been giving you a tea to take care of any other…" He paused again, one of discomfort. "…One to wash out any other internal injuries that you might have received."
Crawler groaned, her mind flashing back to the last few hours she could remember. Once more she swore that she would get Rouddim back for the injuries and shame he had bestowed upon her.
"Do not worry," Salogel stated, his voice coming closer to her head. "You should be healed enough by the morning."
By morning? "How long have you tended me?"
"Almost a whole day cycle."
"A day!" Crawler tried to sit up in shock, but pain suddenly shot through her body and she rolled to her side, curling up into a ball. She felt hands fall upon her face and shoulder, pushing her gently back into the flat position she had been in.
"Let the herbs do their wonders, warrior. Do not doubt their secrets."
"Just where did you get those herbs, anyway?"
A throaty chuckle responded. Crawler found herself almost soothed by the voice that spoke to her. "If I told you, warrior, then they would not be a secret, would they?"
"I guess not."
"Unfortunately, they were not able to knit your hand. That injury is beyond my understanding."
Crawler tried to close her left fist, but once again the appendage refused her commands. "It's understandable. I will deal with it later, when I can see again."
"Sight is good." Again that chuckle. Crawler then felt the gentle hand under her neck, lifting her head slowly. "Drink this. It will make you sleepy, but it should finish the healing to the inside of your body."
"What is it?" Crawler tried to sniff what the contents might be, but the bandages blocked her nose from inhaling.
"A secret. Now drink."
Crawler felt the cup coming to rest along her lips, and she opened her mouth to drink the substance. At first it had a bitter taste that made her want to gag, but after the initial bitterness, the concoction had a soothing aftertaste.
Almost instantly she felt the drugs taking affect. There was a warm tingling in her belly that slowly warmed her whole body. It felt like she was being overtaken by a slow moving, warm wave of water.
The weariness followed, and Salogel slowly lowered her head back to the cushion it had been resting on. "There… there certainly are… a lot of secrets… in these... these woods…" Crawler mumbled as she felt herself slipping back to her sleep state.
"That there are, warrior," she heard Salogel as if he was far away. "But the question is, who holds more secrets in these woods? You or I?"
That question followed Crawler into her sleep as she pondered the real truth behind it.