9

The warmth of the thick blanket was the first thing the wanderer noticed. Followed closely by the soft pillow beneath his head. He debated whether he should get up but ultimately decided to continue laying down on the soft cushioning and listened to the quiet droplets of rain.

weird, he thought, how can I hear rain but not feel it?

Is this what dying felt like? Because if it was, then this was far more comfortable than he had expected. He heard a noise to his left, followed up by a quiet "Shit".

That's when he realised, that probably he was very much still alive.

He forced his eyes open to find himself staring at a wooden ceiling. He looked down and realized that he was lying in a bed, designed for somebody roughly his size. He tried to sit upright but the attempt resulted in him simply falling back down into the bed with a quiet flop.

"Are you awake?"

The wanderer looked to his right, only to find a man staring at him with a concerned look. He had oily brown hair and a broad frame with otherwise completely unremarkable features.

The Wanderer tried to answer but apart from a weak rasp, no words were willing to leave his mouth. The stranger quickly grabbed a glass of water and helped the wanderer into a sitting position. After he chugged the water down in a heartbeat he managed to get out a "thank you" before being overwhelmed by a cough.

He tried to apologize but the stranger simply handed him another glass, whilst simultaneously saying

"I don't blame you, if I'd been out for two days a little cough would probably be the smallest of my concerns."

His voice sounded rather young, regardless of the years of life that showed behind his gaze. It also almost seemed like he had lost his touch in talking a little because he accented his words very weirdly.

The wanderer looked around the small hut. And it was truly small, it merely contained the bed a small table with a single chair, and a small stove, where a pot was boiling. This was the exact moment the wanderer realized his appetite.

The stranger followed the wanderer's gaze.

"Of course", he slapped his forehead, "are you hungry? The food will be ready soon enough."

Despite the temptations the wanderer looked out the window to see the sun slowly beginning to fall towards the earth. It must have been late afternoon already. A perfect chance to cover more distance before it gets dark. And he had to keep going. It felt so close, the end of the path was near.

"Thanks for the offer but I must continue my journey."

The man held his hands up.

"No please I insist."

The wanderer could now smell the soup from across the room.

"Really thank you for the offer but I don't even know you."

The man laughed.

"Well that's easy to fix isn't it?"

He held out his hand.

"I'm Nuntius, nice to meet you."