Jelani sat up with a groan and pushed herself to a seated position with her back resting against the bed's headboard. Every part of her ached like she had been beaten within an inch of death and her head ached so badly it was like it had been cracked open with an axe.
But she was alive. More than alive, it would seem, she was taken care of. Her injuries were bandaged, and it didn't take her long before she was reaching for the water pitcher and pouring water into a glass. It was possibly the most refreshing thing she had every tasted in her entire life. It didn't matter that it was luke warm and probably hours old at this point – it was refreshing and perfect and everything that she could have hoped for.
Two cups later she had the strength and the resolve to put her feet over the edge of the bed and onto the floor. It was cool to the touch, though even the soles of her feet ached when she put any pressure on them. Her magics had taken their tole and she knew it would be weeks before she was back to full strength. Weeks that they didn't have. Weeks that meant more and more of her sisters would be sacrificed to whatever evil had abducted them.
The names on that list were burned into her memory. She didn't need the paper to know who was on it, what colors they were written in, nor which ones had been viciously crossed out in black ink.
They would be avenged. She would make sure of it. They would train harder. They would prevail and liberate them.
But that was a challenge for tomorrow because at that exact moment, Pyla's panicked voice rang through the halls and Jelani jolted to her feet.
Too fast.
She stumbled into the wall before finding her balance and began the excruciating hobble into the hallway and to the door directly to her left.
"Pyla?" her words were hoarse as she opened the door to a few people bustling around Pyla who seemed to be out again after her initial cries. Normally, Jelani might be on alert, but based on her own healings she doubted that whoever was taking care of them meant them any harm. At least not at this moment.
"Is she ok?" she croaked as the women looked up to see her standing in the doorway.
"Ah! You're awake! Good." Then she glanced back at Pyla with a sad frown, "She is surviving." The woman muttered quickly, tutting a few times after looking at the stump where Pyla's hand used to be, "You two have been through a lot."
"Slavers." Jelani said softly and her words were greeted by a sad sigh of understanding.
"They're getting bold. Brazen. The desert is overrun. No one is safe, especially women. You were alone, where is the rest of your caravan?"
Jelani paused for a moment, weighing how much truth she wanted to present to this woman and ultimately deciding that discretion would be in their best interest. Most of the people around Essryn would not support women being so blatantly masculine and outside of their societal scope as women.
So she shook her head slowly and cast her eyes down. The woman would take it to mean they were dead, or taken, but she wouldn't have to actually say any lies.
And sure enough, a motherly arm was soon wrapped around her.
"Let's get you some food, yes?"
"I'd like to eat it here...for when she wakes again...if that's alright?"
It was more than alright. The moment the words left her mouth a chair was pulled up and she was gently lead to it where she could sit beside Pyla. A warm cup of tea was placed on the beside table within her reach and soon a spread of fruit and crusty bread were placed there. Despite everything, Jelani found she wasn't terribly hungry and sipped slowly at the tea and gnawed on the bread so not to be rude.
And she waited.
