Yuru

Wynn’s mind woke up before her body did. She knew she was lying down, cool sheets beneath her and a thicker one covering her. Next came the sounds. A low mumbling that sounded familiar, followed by a creaking door closing. Wood groaned under an approaching weight that stopped at Wynn’s side. Before she could comprehend where she was, cold water flowed into her throat.

The shock and pent up anxiety triggered her body into scrambling away, coughing when she swallowed too much.

The voice lowered, “Calm down, you’re safe here. But you need to drink some water at least.”

Blinking as her sight adjusted, Wynn took stock of the person sitting at the edge of the bed. A woman with dark, short hair in armor, her gloved hands holding a cup. There was a sturdiness to her, in her broad build and steady gaze; this woman was not one Wynn wanted to cross.

“Where…”

Her voice cracked, her throat to dry to properly finish her question. Breaking away from the stranger’s gaze she inspected her surroundings. Her empty sheath leaned on the wall across from her by the curtained door, too far for her to make an attempt for in her weakened state. The rest of the room was bare with only a bed, wardrobe, and nightstand beneath a window. Warm, evening sunlight splayed across the bed.

“Yuru brought you in last night,” the woman said. “Said you had fainted from hunger. So we put you here in this room.” With slow but stiff movements she made her way to the bedside table where she refilled a cup with water. “Drink. Once Yuru knows you’re up he’ll bring in some food.”

If she had poisoned the water then Wynn would already be dead from what she had managed to swallow. When the woman offered the cup again, Wynn took it and sipped from it cautiously. The relief was instant, and the water was so clean, not at all like the river water Wynn had resorted to.

“Thank you,” Wynn said.

The woman offered a nod before retreating to the door, saying, “I’ll get Yuru.”

Alone now, Wynn settled back into the bed, her nails scratching into the clay cup. She had fainted and had been brought into this house. And someone had apparently peeled off the wet, muddied clothes and dressed her in a simple gown. Wynn swallowed at the thought of someone handling her dirty body, was ashamed of being in bed now with her skin drenched in days-old sweat and greased hair.

“How pathetic of me…” she muttered to herself. In the end, she had to rely on the help of others while she remained so weak and useless. Wynn glanced at her sheath and gripped the cup tighter. She hadn’t even been able to hold on to her sword, stolen while she had slept and waking just in time to grab the sheath.

Wynn set the cup aside and buried her head into her knees.

“Father was right. Why did I ever think I…”

She flinched when the door suddenly opened, having not heard the footsteps. In the doorway stood the man Wynn had met the night before. Same soft, blue eyes smiled at her, appearing all the more clearer in the sunlight. He was a tall man, loose clothing hiding his frame save for the tone muscle in his arms. Yet, there was not a hint of aggression in his calm stance, especially when he wore an apron and headscarf keeping his long, black hair back.

“Good morning,” he said and the gentleness in his words made Wynn tense up. She stared as he set down a tray on the nightstand. “I brought some broth to help your stomach settle in. If it’s too hard on you to eat the vegetables don’t eat them.”

The scent of the broth reawakened Wynn’s hunger. Nothing in this world came for free, Wynn learned that truth early. Wynn knew better than to trust a stranger, and yet…

The man picked up the bowl and gently blew into it, swirling the spoon round and round. “I’ll cool it for you. I’m sorry, I should have set it aside for a moment before bringing it.”

Wynn’s hands clenched the bedsheets at his light chuckle.

There was always a steep price.

“All I have is a sheath,” she admitted.

“No, there’s more you can offer,” other men had replied. Wynn’s skin prickled at the anticipation for Yuru’s response. Did she truly need to demean herself so to survive in this world?

Only the sound of the wooden spoon sliding along the bowl could be heard in the room.

Then, “What happened to the sword?”

“Stolen,”

“Ah, well, that has been happening more and more, it seems. You can still cause some damage swinging the sheath around.”

Wynn didn’t know exactly which of the man’s words caused her to break, but once a tear managed to form and fall, more followed. She cried into her hands from all that she had to live through. She was tired. So, so tired. Every single day, wandering with nothing, chased away for having nothing, being treated like she was nothing. She had even wished for death, brief as it was, just to see an end to her misery.

A warm hand pressed on her back and rubbed. “There, there. No one will harm you here. You’ve been strong all on your own, haven’t you? You can rest now.”

Wynn shook her head, unable to speak through her sobbing.

“Eat first, that will help you feel better.”

She shook her head again.

“Then…Ah, I know!”

The bed dipped as the man took a seat. “If it’s payment you’re worried about, then how about this: once you have the energy, you can help me around the house. Manual labor for food and a roof.”

He continued to pat her back until her crying eased and she nodded her head.

“Good. Now finish this and sleep some more. I’ll go get dinner ready so you can eat something heartier when you wake up.”

With one more pat on the head, the man moved towards the doorway. Wynn quickly called out to him, “Wait, what’s your name?”

“Yuru,” he said, and gave her a kind smile so dazzling Wynn lost her breath. Once he was gone, she looked down at the bowl. Sniffling, she took a spoonful and refused to swallow it, wanting to savor the flavor as long as she could. It was still warm, and she felt the heat travel down her throat, chest, and into her empty stomach. Food that wasn’t cold, wasn’t spoiled or dirty. And it was so delicious.

A few more tears escaped but Wynn ignored them to focus on eating, each bite reminding her that she was human and not a creature fighting to live every second. And as she ate, Yuru’s face kept reappearing in her mind. She could still feel the caring way he had comforted her. Whether from the steam from the broth or from the strange mix of relief and embarrassment, her face warmed either way.

Ah, she thought, I didn’t get a chance to share my name.