Symphony of Shadows

25. Light

There was a bright light surrounding her as she looked down at her unconscious body, but she wasn't alone. Standing next to Astrid's pale, too pale, body was a familiar shadowy figure that she knew had saved her. Maybe he was a deity or another Vordr but she felt such light from him, such a sense of safety, that she didn't feel afraid. Instead, he almost calmed her, despite not knowing his identity nor what he was doing visiting her but Astrid didn't fear his presence.

She watched as the man brushed her cheek ever so gently and if she had any control of her body she would've been all too happily leaned into the touch. It was barely a whisper of his finger as he gazed down at her, Astrid could tell that he was talking but all she could hear was a faint ringing in her ears. Yet, his head hung from his shoulders and he appeared as if one harsh gust would cause him to shatter; she couldn't hear what he was saying but his body spoke more than words ever could. He was sorry. What for, she didn't know but it was weighing heavily on him and it concerned her so she would find out eventually. For now, Astrid just watched as it was all she could do, having already fruitlessly tried to sit up or even wiggle her fingers she knew her body had completely shut down. A similar situation had occurred to her cousin Fierce Fjorg Hofferson when he had fallen from the back of a Deadly Nadder around twenty feet up in the air. He had been suspended in a sleep-like state for more than a month but had pulled through and awoken to the surprise of his family.

The thought of being stuck in this state petrified her and she knew in order to keep her mind sharp she had to stay mentally awake. So far, she had no control over her breathing, her limbs, nor her blinking which infuriated her to no end. But she had other...stimulation at the moment. The shadowy man knelt down next to her and she felt him touch her hand but instead of holding it he caressed her bracelet which further confused Astrid. She was nowhere near solving any of the mysteries she was tasked with and was only finding more questions she didn't have the answers to. Nonetheless, his soft touch almost lulled her to sleep but she willed herself to stay awake just a little longer, she had to. Astrid didn't know if the man was a delusion or a reality but she urged herself to hold on a little longer, to remember this moment, to cherish it in her soul during the hard times that were guaranteed to come.

So, she focused every part of her mind on hearing what was being said and strained her ears. The ringing intensified for a moment before it went away completely and she could hear the man now to her delight. His voice was almost muffled and she could only make out bits and pieces of what he was saying to her but if she had the ability to cry, she would have wept.
"Please...come back...You can yell and scream at me...Just please come back."
Astrid had never known such care, such affection, and while it made her want to shy away from the attention, it made her heart smile and flutter. She was definitely out of it but that was a problem for lucid Astrid, not sleepy Astrid. Someone cared for her, really, truly cared for her, irregardless of her value. She was at her weakest, at her most vulnerable, yet here she was being talked about like she was the most desired hero on Midgard. This warm feeling was something new yet somehow old for her and it hurt her head trying to figure it out, so she chose to analyze it later, whenever 'later' was.

The man stood up and gave her one last longing look that made her stomach flutter, but turned away to speak to a much smaller figure she could only guess was Gothi. She could barely stay awake after exhausting herself and decided to let the gentle energy of the man lull her to sleep. She could search for answers another day, for now she was bone-weary and couldn't fight the sleep any longer. Letting the memory of the man caressing her hand, she sunk back to sleep.