Blank Sheet

Time passed without the girl’s knowing. She felt her consciousness returning in pieces. Her sense of touch returned first and what she felt was an incredibly soft warmth wrapping around everything but her head. The scent of freshly picked flowers came with it. But unfortunately with it all, so was the piercing pain in her leg.

Finally she managed to open her eyes and found herself looking at a wooden ceiling. Or rather, she assumed it was with her vision still blurred.

My glasses…? She thought and moved her hand to her face.

Gone, not where they were meant to be. Were they discarded? It would be no wonder in there said. Yet before she could ponder its whereabouts, a familiar voice sounded next to her.

“Are you looking for these?” a warm voice answered from right beside her.

It was the old man from before, like she suspected. After having rested, she could hear his voice far more clearly. He held something out, a set of black-rimmed spectacles, her damaged ones.The girl turned her head and gave a quick nod. She shuffled around a little and sat herself up. She winced when her leg’s pain flared up, then took the glasses from his hand and slid them back to her face. Within moments the world came back into focus and she sighed with relief, even if only for one eye.

“Apologies. They’re damaged, hopeless beyond repair but if you need them, one lens still works.”

He once again responded before she could ask. The girl opened her mouth to speak but her throat was sand. Only rasp came out. Her limbs didn’t feel as leaden as they had before. She realized she was lying on a bed, covered with a thick, striped blanket. It had worked wonders on her exhaustion and made moving a little easier.

“Where… am I…?” she managed to say with an aching throat.

Now she could get a proper look at the man. She took note of his rounded ears first and his visible sign of age. A human, on the shorter end with a twirling mustache and fluffy beard reaching to his sternum. He wore a blue jacket over a white linen shirt. She could also see that he was a little hunched over, even while he was seated. Additionally he wore a flat cap.

At her question, his blue eyes lit up and his beard twitched upwards into a smile. He reached for the nightstand right beside her and handed her a full glass of water. Her eyes widened; the sight of water hit her harder than expected.

She stared at the glass of water, longingly so. When she woke, all she had seen was saltwater everywhere. And yet, this glass held the freshest, cleanest looking water she had ever seen. All the sensation was amplified by how parched she felt.

“Easy girl, don’t strain yourself.” He said, handing her the glass. “You’re at my home. I was running a delivery when I found you at the shore.”

The girl greedily took the glass and gulped its contents down. The water ran down her raw throat. Too fast. She choked on it and broke out into a wheezing, coughing fit. Every cough further scratched against her parched throat. The old man gently pressed a hand to her back.

“You’re dehydrated, girl. Take it easy. We’re not scarce on water.”

“S-sorry… I’m just parched…” she coughed out. Now with more careful sips came immediate relief. 

The dizziness began to fade away slowly, her throat no longer felt dry and the pounding of her head was disappearing too.

 “Thank you kindly…”

“Don’t mention it.” He replied right away, and leaned backwards into his padded wooden chair.

“I brought you to the church first, but it seems their clerics have their hands full already. I hope you understand.” He combed through his beard. “My little abode will have to do for now. It’s not the fanciest, I hope it is not a problem.”

The girl shook her head to dismiss the concern while she held the glass in both hands. She took another long sip before answering. This time, she was more careful.

“Thank you kindly, sir. But I feel I’ve already burdened you enough.”

“Nonsense, girl. And you may just call me Albert. Besides-“ he pulled up his walking cane and tapped the space where her injured leg ought to be. “You can’t walk with this. What would have been the alternative, with the clergy occupied?”

“I… Guess you’re right. But I uhm… Gods, I really don’t want to intrude!”

“You needn’t concern yourself with that. As for this here-“ he said.

Albert tapped the blanket over her injured leg again, prompting the girl to pull the blanket up. It was still there, a bolt lodged in her calf. He’d propped her leg carefully to avoid driving the bolt deeper. His eyes began to narrow at the sight.

“I bet it’s been those darn Red Feathers again. They’ve been the source all the ruckus lately.”

“The Red Feathers, si- I mean, Albert?”

“A ragtag band of pirates. I’d bet my good leg they’re responsible for this and the wreckage.”

“Pirates…” she murmured to herself.

With narrowed eyes she searched her mind. But there was only fog. Not just the ship, everything. She searched and searched, tried to get past the wall of white. But she couldn’t. Her past was a white haze she couldn’t pierce. And when realization dawned, her eyes went wide and her stomach dropped.

“I don’t remember that…”

She searched her mind for anything. The place of her birth, where she came from, the name of a family pet or the face of her parents. But her mind returned nothing but a blank sheet. She bit down on her lip and her hands twisted in the blanket. She had forgotten nearly everything. Snippets she had to piece together were still there. But her origins, her past life, all of it was gone. She opened her mouth, her eyes went wide in shock and she begun to shake.

“You’re a bit shaken, girl. It’s only nat-“

“No. It’s… not just the ship but… All of it. Everything.”

A pause. Albert’s brows furrowed and his sharp blue eyes were tinged with visible concern as he stroked his beard.

“Do you know your name? Anything about yourself?” he asked.

She reached inward again. And this time, something surfaced. A snippet amongst the few. Only two words. And when it happened, she smiled, small and genuinely. Moved by elation, she turned her head and locked her eyes with Albert.

“Mira…” she said as if tasting the word. “Mira Chaillon. That’s my name.”The old man let out a hearty laugh and patted her shoulder. A comforting gesture. Knowingly or not, it was enough to lift her spirits and bring a smile to her face.

“See? Not all is lost. Nice to meet you, Mira.” He pulled his hand back and rested it on the knob of his walking cane again.

“Like I said, I’m sure you’re just a bit shaken. Anyone would be after being shipwrecked. So, hold your head up.”

He let out a long breath and Mira found herself exhaling too. But this quick moment of elation broke when Mira flinched. Another jolt of pain ran up her leg, reminding her of her predicament. Albert’s eyes narrowed at the sight.

“We’ll have to take care of this, however. Before it gets infected.”

“But the clergy is occupied, right? Are there other healers around?”

“Magic is rare enough already. All our healers work with the clergy.”

Mira pondered this, rubbing her cheek and narrowing her eyes as focused on the bolt. She remembered a staff, her staff. When she held it, she had felt something. A connection, of sorts. Something that transcended her lost memories.

“It might be far fetched, but… I found a staff near me and I think it belongs to me. I may be a mage.” She said and her eyes lit up, but then she went back to narrowing them.

“No… I don’t think I can recall any spells. And even if I did, I don’t think I’d be in a good place to try it out now.”

“A wise choice.” Albert grunted. “But that bolt can’t stay. And I can’t tell when the clergy will open their infirmary again.”

A moment of silence followed, Mira lost in her own thoughts.

He’s right… But what can we do? It needs out but the clergy is occupied… she thought.

She gritted her teeth when another surge lanced through her leg. Then Albert slapped his thighs and pushed himself upright.

“Tell you what. I’ll visit the potion shop and fetch someone to help us.”

“W-wait! The potion shop? But I uh…” she scratched her cheek and looked around frantically. “Do I have any money…?” she asked quietly.

“I wouldn’t know. But if you had some, it would help.”

He shuffled to the corner of the room just outside of Mira’s line of sight. When she saw him return, he produced a sodden leather bag and unmistakably, her staff.

“You had these with you. I’d imagine those are your belongings?”

Mira’s eyes shot open and as if cradling her newborn, she immediately cradled both the bag and her staff. When both were returned to their rightful owner, she smiled. Yes, this felt familiar. The scent, the feel, all of it.

“You picked these up too? When you found me?”

“I can hardly leave them all out there for the scavengers to find, right?” Albert chuckled in response and disappeared from view into the nearest room.

“I’ll leave you some loaves to eat, will that do for you?” he called out to her.

Mira bit her lip, hard. Part of her felt giddy; The first thing she experienced in this unfamiliar place, was the kindness of such a sweet old man. But the other part of her felt unbearably guilty too. Her shoulders slumped, and she sunk her head between them while poking her fingers against one another.

“O-only if it’s of no issue!” she called after him.

Then she coughed again, her throat still hurting. Turns out that drinking a cup of water wasn’t enough to fully rid of the achingly raw feeling.

“No bother! And don’t strain yourself!” he called back from what was presumably the kitchen.

“I’ve made too many for my grandson and I anyway!”

And while he was there, Mira’s eyes drifted back to her pulsing leg. It felt like it was burning in rhythm with her own heartbeat, and she didn’t want to look at it any further. She needed to focus on something else. Anything would do. And her past belongings were a good start. She poured out her bag and went through the contents.

What she found was a soggy book, three empty flasks and what seemed to be a little purse. With giddy delight she opened it and only a few coins. Yet unfortunately her mind couldn’t tell their worth. Her excitement collapsed into a deep frown and she felt the urge to slam her head against the wall in frustration.

“Ugh, darn it…!” she said, puffing out her cheeks. “Or maybe this is worth more than I think?” She pulled out everything she supposedly owned. A handful of copper coins, fifteen of them, three silver coins and one golden coin. She was focused, lost in her thoughts. Everything else became a backdrop.

“Is that a lot…? Or not enough?”

“Mhh… It seems like plenty.”

“AGH!!!” she squeaked in surprise when suddenly Albert stood before her again with a little basket.

She hadn’t noticed him approaching. In the basket sat three palm-sized loaves, enough to share. She felt her hair stand on end and her heart still hammered from the scare. But she calmed herself again and looked pointedly at the coins in her hand, once more having to ask this man for help.


Mira felt lucky that Albert was kind. Who else could she trust with currency right now? Albert bent over and picked a coin from her hand. He turned the coin, nodded and slid them back into her palm.

“Let’s see… One copper coin is one Tel. A silver is ten Tels. And a gold is a hundred Tels. You’ve got a hundred and forty-five Tels then.”

“Is that… Good? Or bad?”

“Far from bad. You’re not broke. Most loaves of bread cost you one to two Te- What are you doing?”

The moment Mira had confirmation of it, she pulled six of her copper coins from her palm and held them out for him. Her eyes were on him, wide with expectation. The least she could do was to repay him for his kindness immediately. And he simply chuckled and sighed in resignation.

“Thank you, Mira.”

“I can at least pay for the bread then. And the potion. And your help!”

“Right. One thing after another, alright?” he said and patted her shoulder, then set the basket on the bed.

“I’ll come back in a moment. You can stay here while I’m gone.”

“Mmmh… It’s not like I can move with my leg right now.” She replied with a sheepish smile and a chuckle.

Albert pulled his hand back and laughed heartily. Then he turned around and took his leave. She heard his footsteps fading, the front door opening and then clicking shut. Now she was alone. The room felt larger now, quieter. For the first time since she woke up, she had time to gather information. And she was going to use that time.