Darkness…

Only this time it was quiet, comfortable, a healing darkness, the kind that comes when both body and mind are too exhausted to worry anymore. Rihinn remained wrapped up in that wonderful place made of black velvet for many hours. There were no nightmares, no dreams of any kind to disturb his peace, just a beautiful, blissful nothingness. He would have stayed there forever but the sun's cheerful morning light crept up along his cheek and over his eyes. The darkness brightened and the world came into existence once again.

He could hear birds outside in the yard. He could smell bread, or what was left of it, from the night before. His stomach rumbled. Rihinn knew he couldn't ignore his hunger for too long. He lazily opened his eyes and scanned his cottage to find that everything was as he had left it yesterday evening. Even the sheets and blankets on his bed were barely disturbed. He had slept like the dead.

He lingered under the soft, warm covers just a moment longer before finally swinging his pale legs and feet over the side of the bed. He stretched his arms and back with a loud groan and a grimace on his face. Ouch. His muscles were still very stiff from being bed-ridden for so many days, however, Rihinn's grimace quickly turned to a smile once he felt the early morning sunshine dance along his bare back. He swept his long white hair forward over one shoulder in order to soak up a little more of the sun's heat. It felt wonderful and alive on his skin which made him feel wonderful and alive again, like the first warm day of spring after a harsh winter. He wiggled the feeling back into is toes before setting his feet down on the worn braided rug beside the bed. With feet planted firmly on the floor and after the pins and needles sensation had abated, he stood up. The room spun wildly for an instant. "Uuuhh! Maybe that was a bit too much enthusiasm…" he mumbled to no one in particular while pressing his fingertips to his temples.

Rihinn stood still until the room settled and the nausea passed. He noticed then that his sleeping shorts were slipping ever so slightly down his hips. He tied the drawstring tighter, much tighter than he was used to. I need a good meal before I fade away. To emphasize that thought, his stomach let out a fierce growl. He made his way, cautiously this time to avoid another dizzy spell, to his small kitchen which was just across from his bedroom. Much to his relief, his mother had left some eggs in a bowl on the counter for him the night before. That meant he could skip the foray to the chicken coop for this morning.

He prepared a simple breakfast of eggs and toast with butter. When he was finished eating he put the dishes in the wash basin. He'd wash them later, at that moment he was more interested in checking up on his neighbor across the village whose life he had saved four days ago. He decided he would stop by his parents' house on the way to his neighbor's farm. Auriar, Rihinn's mother, had mentioned that she wanted to come back this morning to check on Rihinn anyway, this would save her and his father the trip. His father was no doubt exhausted from his long journey home from Khesharcs City…

To be continued eventually :P