anmo

IV.

Hands trembling, she pinched herself to focus on the situation at hand, the stranger still unconscious, without any response despite the damp cloth being used to start removing the dirt on his face. His cheeks are hollowed as if starved for weeks, lips all chapped and bleeding on both ends, the state of his physique are all pointing to the fact that he had lived a hard life 'til he stumbled upon them.

"Not in this place. Not on my watch."

"My brother's not picking up. Elka, we can't provide enough help for that person here and you know that."

"I'll just need to ensure that he'll be fine until he answers you. We can make sure of that."

"Let's just hand him over to the Border Command okay? It's supposed to be their responsibility anyways to watch over these areas, being at the edge and all."

"No. We won't do that. Just... just help me with this. Boil some more water for me while I tend to-"

"Elka!"

Sound of clanging metals, with the bowl dropped on purpose on the table, causing the water to splash around, has stopped Elka from mumbling more of her thoughts. She knows of her worries, after all she saw her in her worst state, eyes looking dead and tendencies to lose self to despair. For so many times she had tried and in every single moment she sees through her façade of pretending she had recovered from a long time ago but Elisse knows.

Elka is far from cured. The trauma had lingered for this long despite of the event that has reached its conclusion more than a decade ago and it has affected everyone that tried to be close to her. Not wanting her to drown in those thoughts once again and be brought along, she'll do all means to pull her from the endless pool her close friend built for herself to dive into.

"We don't know anything about this man and I'm not willing to risk my chance to leave this place! I know I've already said that I'd help but... this is just being foolish. I thought you want nothing but a quiet life now? Rather than being selfless, this is just you being overly stubborn."

"You don't know what it means to run away like this. The reason for ending up in this situation, the fear of being caught for made-up reasons. Criminal or not. Stranger or known. I don't wish that to anyone else. I..."

"This is not the same as that day. And even if it is, you're not in that state anymore."

She remembers her grief-stricken face. With the one who experienced the sufferings, forgetting is such a hard thing to do, so they resort to acting that the waves were over, but they all know, one ripple on the water surface is all it needs to start a tsunami within their heads, all over again.

"No. It never ended. It never did."

--

"Yes, that is what I just said."

"...are you really telling me that this unit is asked to catch this man and place him back into that island? Are we really on the same page?"

"How many times do I have to-"

"The king might have forgotten that we have served for his father in the previous war and brought glory to their names. He's already seated but still faceless and he deems himself worthy of giving such orders to us?"

With their leader in a taunting stance, every member started walking towards the two, expressions of either disdain or disappointment shown on their faces. It is indeed a fact that they have played a crucial part for the sake of their country, but the times have been peaceful so far and aside from large brawls and the cases herded by the Minister, noteworthy mission or messaging have come across them in a rare pace. The scar from a sword's hit, the pain felt from the shoulder pierced by an arrow, the lost hearing from the explosions, all of these are nothing but mere marks now, symbols of an era that was long gone.