Waking up to the sound of bells, Bidi thought she was dead. Her eyes were slow to open all the way. Through her squinted eyes, she thought she was in heaven, but she was in the nursing wing of the treehouse.
The Black Hand happened to be by her side as she came back to consciousness. "What happened?" She weakly asked.
"You nearly died," he said to her with his cloak on.
"Did we win?" She pressed.
"After I arrived, the king had his army retreat," he answered.
"The war continues," she groaned, then tried to move and grimaced.
"You broke your spine," he said to her, "I tried to heal you with magic, but I can't make the pain go away. I was able to fuse your spine back together, but it will be very tender for a few weeks."
"Vran!" She exclaimed.
"A traitor," he flatly said.
"Where is Bran?" She asked. "I need to talk to him."
"He has rejoined our army along with some others who were part of Vran's legion. However," he paused, "some of them retreated with King Jax. Vran split his men, and I'm unsure why."
"Jax must've offered him a deal," she moaned while moving a bit. She was really troubled in staying still.
"King Jax would have him killed the moment the war is over," he suggested.
Bidi agreed by nodding, "how many men do we have left?"
"About three thousand," he boasted.
"Is that good?" Bidi perplexed.
"King Jax left with only a few hundred men," he informed.
"What of my sorcerers?" She worried; she felt like she watched a lot of them die.
He didn't say anything; he just sighed.
"That bad," Bidi asked.
"It's best you don't know."
"Tell me," she urged.
"Only half are accounted for," he croaked.
"What will be done of the dead bodies?" She asked.
"That is up to you. Your staff will be by shortly to check on you. I had a sense you would wake up soon— that is why I am here. I couldn't let you be alone," The Black Hand removed his cloak so she could see his disfigurement. He wanted her to see him smiling. He thought it would comfort her, but as soon as a nurse walked in, he shifted into an attractive man.
"Why do you hide?" She asked.
"Most people fear my true form," he shared, "it traumatizes them for the rest of their lives. You saw how Tora was. He wasn't like that before he saw me."
"There is nothing wrong with your true form," Bidi comforted.
"I must go. It will soon be time for the star to shine. I have affairs in Frithe to attend to," he said as smoke rose from his feet, and he disappeared.
The nurse checked on her for a minute and asked, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm in a lot of pain, but I'm happy I didn't die," Bidi answered.
"You would've died if you weren't helped as soon as you were. You lost a lot of blood," the nurse said as if a prayer was answered.
"I need to speak with Faro," she spoke after the nurse made her wince.
"I will get him," she said as she left. The nurse didn't actually know who Faro was, but she was going to ask around for Bidi. People tended to be more eager to help someone who could advance their careers.
