Chapter - Tir
Tir felt the dull throbbing from his abdomen before he even opened his eyes. He looked down first, vision blurred, and noticed several cloths wrapped around him. He could not remember how he had gotten into this bed, the last thing he remembered was -
- The alley! -
He grew more alert instantly, and the blur began to clear from the room. To his side was a small table, on which his cloak and vest rested. There were indeed several clothes wrapped tightly around Tir's stomach and a few around his arm. He was sitting in a small bed, comfortable but very old. To his other side was a small dresser, and next to it was a chair.
He tried to get up to reach for his cloak but an acute pain from his chest halted him. He fell back onto the pillow cushion and took a few deep breaths, determined to try again. Before he could though the door opened.
A girl walked in holding a few cloths and a bucket of what looked like water. She walked a few feet before noticing that he was looking at her and then stopped in her tracks. Her eyes darted around for a second before coming back to meet his. It took Tir a moment before he recognized her, she was the girl from the alley.
"I… I know you," he looked right at her.
She did not answer, but stood clutching at the cloths in her hands.
"Back at the alley, what… what happened?"
"Begging your pardon sir, the two men, they ran, and I… you could not move, so I brought you back here."
Tir looked at the girl, she looked strong to be sure, but skinny nonetheless, there was no way she could carry him more than a metre.
Tir tried again to sit upright but again clutched at his chest.
"But how… did you…"
The girl's face flushed, she turned away from him and looked nervous. Then she fell to her knees.
"Please sir, forgive me, I… I didn't know what else to do, there was a wheel barrow nearby and I… well you were so pale, and I looked around I did, but there was no -"
Tir reached out and grabbed her hand and the girl stopped speaking immediately.
"It's okay," he smiled, "my name is Tir, what's your na-"
Of House Zulan," the girl whispered, looking from Tir to his cloak and back.
He looked at his cloak, it was torn but the sigil of House Zulan was yet clear to see. Tir looked back at the girl.
"What can I call you?" he asked again.
"My… my name is Riyantisse," she murmured, yet looking at the floor.
Tir reached out his free hand and lifted her chin, "Thank you," he smiled.
Ria offered Tir her home to recover, to which he graciously accepted. When she tried to move him into the master bedroom though, he told her he was more than comfortable where he was. It took a few more days before Tir could muster the energy to leave the bed, but once he did he was out and about. Ria did not say much at first, but after a while and much insistence from Tir, she quit referring to him as sir.
She lived with her mother and brother in the Natrium, where her family owned a small tavern. Though it was much smaller than what Tir was used to certainly, Tir liked it there. It… felt like a home, more of a home than any Tir had known. Ria's mother and brother were kind and Tir very much enjoyed their company. On the seventh day he was there, Ria told him she was heading to the market. When he insisted on joining her though, she adamantly protested, to no avail. When Tir offered to clean up at the shop, Ria looked horrorstruck.
"But… but you mustn't, I can do it, certainly."
Again Tir insisted and again Tir won. But when he tried to use the broom to clean the windows, Ria burst into laughter before she realised what she was doing but quickly stopped when she saw Tir's confused face.
After a week, Tir was feeling much better, able to move his arm without any pain in his chest and Ria had finally began to call Tir by his first name. Tir accompanied Ria to work every day and every night they would walk back together, often sitting outside after supper and talking for the whole night. Tir did not know what he was doing here, but he knew one thing though, he did not care to leave.
Next chapter - Yonri
Chapter after - Effina
I created a small list of the remaining characters that will have chapters titled after them. This doesn't mean that these are the next chapters, but I thought it would be good to allow you guys an idea of what is to come
Remaining characters (in no order, their chapters won't be in a row, should be in between existing characters) -
Ka'Yinaye - Master of Coin, Small Council
Olliana Bal'Neisacan - Dowager Empress
Gerita - Simki fealtor
Frarin - Simki merchant
William - Simki native
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