Game Of Survival •in editing•

9 The Color Blue

I wake with a migraine the size of Xom, the purple kingdom, and Lyth itself. The room blurs when the lids of my eyes finally decide to cooperate. Voices are hushed and jumbled in the room I'm in; my room I soon realise. Daina stands at the foot of my bed, a conflicted look and a snarky twist of her lips makes me think she didn't want me alive. Poppy is on my right, assessing the clean bandages around my wound. The General is on my left, a somber expression caressing his soft features.

"You're..." my throat burns, an ache I've only experienced twice from a childhood case of pneumonia. He passes me a glass of water and I drink it in three gulps. Water slides down my chin, my neck. He eyes the droplets as he speaks.

"I'm alive yes. Thanks to you."  His eyes slowly meet mine once more, a mutual understanding emanating around the room. I saved his life after I tried to take it. "How are you feeling?"

I lift myself a little, immediately regretting it because of the pain pounding against my skull. "Like I died."

"You almost did." Rider has his arms folded, standing stoutly behind the General. He eyes me wrlyly, and I'm not sure his delivery of news was a good thing to him. When The General grimaces and eyes him coldly, I realise I'm right.

"You didn't die. You were bleeding profusely by the time we reached the house. You passed out before you could make it off the horse." He explains, his tone calming and gentle compared to before. Before at the warehouse. Before when our lives were being held at the tip of an arrow. I shake my head, ridding the image, ridding the question, ridding the thoughts that are bouncing around my brain like demon bunnies on a sugar high. Instead I sigh, and slump into the bed, allowing only one thought to bypass the others. I'm not disturbed by the fact I almost died, and it scares me.

"Your injuries are healed, mostly because you've been asleep for two days-"

"Two days?! How was I asleep for two days?" I shout, regretting the action instantaneously.

"We gave you yellow glass flowers coupled with herbs Daina uses for the Guards' more...major injuries. You needed time to heal." He explains, a hand still on my arm I've realised, checking the bandages. My eyes fall to the faded purple bruises around his wrist and my mind flies to the chains they strung him up with. Briefly, his thumb brushes the skin of my arm and I suppress a shudder. Too cold.

"Thank you... I guess." I mutter under my breath. Daina stares and stares at me, eyes piercing through the thickness of the migraine. Then she just turns and leaves without a second word.  "Okay, guess me surviving clearly didn't have the same effect on other people." I say with a chuckle. Poppy smiles with me as she glances at my arm that's covered in bandages.

"Daina is not used to these situations; having someone other than whom she's accustomed to stay at the house. She's adjusting, doesn't mean she wants you dead."

"She hates me."

"You attacked her and stole her clothes, do you honestly blame her?" He chuckles. He chuckles. A beautiful sound that makes my cobwebbed heart stutter and I find myself momentarily confused at the reaction. He clears his throat, sitting straight. He wields authority like a honed blade when he orders the two other persons in the room to leave.

Poppy obliges right away, leaving with a little smile in my direction. I offer one without hesitation. Rider however stands like the true soldier he is, refusing to leave his commanders side.

"Rider, she's injured, she needs space."

"So are you sir, I'm not leaving you." My gaze travels to the General's chest, an image of a bloodied, angry wound spanning his body under the white of his loose sleeping shirt that exposes his bruised collar bone.