The Assassin's Redemption

Chapter 3

Sunlight shining through forest-Art by CassiopeiaArt from deviant art.com found on Pinterest.

The next time that the young man woke-up again, he felt something cool on his forehead.

"Hi, my friend, you've been in and out of consciousness these past few days." spoke the familiar voice.

The young man furrowed his brow, concentrating hard to remember the owner of the voice. Fragments of the past few days came together. The blue-eyed man – the herbalist—was the one who had come to his aid by the roadside and the unpleasant concoction that he made him drink. However, he noted that this time instead of blacking out, he was able to keep himself awake. His mind worked to ask the herbalist a question, "You've been helping me-a stranger-these past few days to get better. Don't you have a business to run and a family to see?"

The middle-aged herbalist gave him a soft smile, "Aye 'tis true. I think we are a little past the stranger part. My name is Jason Galen. And you'll get to meet my family in a few minutes."

"Papa!" shouted a little girl from behind the cart and the animals. He tried turning to see the voice, but it was then the young man noticed he was sitting on a blanket. The blanket had been tied and suspended up to the back of Lady's, saddle.

Jason engulfed his eight-year-old daughter into his arms, "Hi Elena, my bright-light, how I missed you!"

"You were gone so long! I was really worried about you, Papa! But then Nana came and prayed to Adonai asking to bring you home soon. And you are here now!"

"Praise be to Adonai. I love you daughter." he said, kissing his daughter before placing her on the ground. Nana Grace was descending the steps from their travelling house wagon. The wagon house was nestled between two large oak trees in the forest. Raising on her tiptoes, Jason planted a kiss on both of her weathered cheeks in greeting. She cupped his face, "Oh my boy, so glad you are back. Did you do well in the market?" As Jason was responding, Elena had skipped over to the mule, "Hi Beth how are you doing?" The mule gave her a response and she giggled. Her blue eyes then caught the buckskin horse with a black mane.

"Wow, that is the prettiest horse I have ever seen!" she exclaimed, drawing the attentions of Jason and Nana Grace.

Elena went around to take a closer look at the horse when she saw that something was attached to its saddle.

The young man with a brown locks lifted tired green eyes at the little girl. He studied the little girl: she had two short blond braids cascading down from a bandana around her forehead. A contrast compared to her father's dark complexion and black hair. Her dress's blue colour matched her wide eyes.

"Daddy, why is there a stranger here?" she pointed, a little weary of the material that surrounded his lower part of his mouth, obscuring that rest of his identity.

Jason lowered himself to his knees and turned her around. His hands rested on his daughter's forearms, "It's alright, sweetie. He had an accident and needed my help. He's still not quite healthy yet, but with you and your Nana's help, we are going to make him better." he explained.

Elena took another apprehensive look at the stranger, "He's not going to hurt us, like the other injured stranger we took in, right?" her voice nearly breaking. The young man titled his head, Wonder what she meant by this?

Jason shook his head, "No, bright-light. He's not like him. We can trust him." Nana Grace came behind Elena and patted her back, "It's going to be alright. Now let's get a bed ready for our guest."

Elena gave a weak smile, "Okay Nana. I'll get the hay mattress ready." She disappeared into a different section of the wagon house.

Nana Grace then bent down to the stranger, hands on her hips. Her steady brown eyes studied him. She had sliver hair and had an apron around her waist. He shifted slightly at her gaze. How could an elderly woman like her made him feel so uncomfortable?

Then she spoke, "Young man, we don't know who you are or what you do, but we welcome you as our guest." She smiled and drew out a weathered hand in greeting. He took a black gloved hand out and weakly shook hers. Drawing closer to his face, she whispered, "You've been living life half asleep. Now your life is in a delicate balance between living and dying. I'm praying that you may live, so you may understand how to live your life fully awake." She smiled slightly as steady brown eyes observed the young man's puzzled reaction. 

Nana Grace looked over to her son, "Jason, take him into the house. I'm going to fetch some water."

Jason nodded and asked the young man, "Are you able to stand?"

"I think so." came the weak reply. When the young man was aided to his feet, he leaned heavily on the taller Jason. His legs felt wobbly.

"That's alright, take a few steps at the time." came Jason's reassuring voice. The young man took the large wagon steps one at a time. Jason took the man's grey white cloak and hung it up on one of the wooden coat pegs along the cabinet walls.

Soon he was inside the house and taken to the back where a fresh stray mattress, pillow, and blanket waited for him.