Faith, Fate, and Fools

Renaissance

"Guys! Come here! There's a person in the grass!" I waved my hand, signaling my friend toward me.

"It's probably just Michel taking a nap again! Leave 'em be, he can find us later. It's getting cold, let's just go."

"Quit your whining Mach." I rushed toward the person and knelt at their side. "It's not even Michel, it's a girl...do you recognize her?"

Mach came to my side and brushed her hair from her face. "I don't think she's from Renaissance; look how dark her skin is." He stood and stared at the top of the chasm, "I bet she's from there." He looked back down at me. "Does she look like a farmer?"

I held her wrist in my hand, it was calloused and bruised. "She definitely has work hands, about as bad as the sculptors. But there's no way any of those sun dorks would come down here. It's too dark for their "bright souls"."

"Well do you know of any other farmers?" he crossed his arms.

I paused. "Fair enough- I still don't think she would've come into the chasm if she was from that city. Anyway, she's alive; we should take her back to town, see if the doctors can wake her up."

"Fine by me. Grab her legs." He slouched over her and reached for her arms. I tossed my bag to him, hitting him in the stomach with 30 pounds of small game. "Hey! Watch it!"

"We can't just manhandle her; she's a person, not a piece of meat. I'll carry her, you can hold our stuff." He groaned, but obeyed. I picked up the girl and held her against my back, holding onto her thighs. I could feel her heart beat on my back; it was soft and slow.

Mach and I walked through the chasm that separated our town, Renaissance, from the religious nut jobs on the other side. We approached the stone-carved stairs that led up to the town, but before I could begin climbing, Mach grabbed my shoulder. He was staring at our city, biting his lip. "Hey. Vinnie,"

"What? C'mon, we need to get her to a doctor." I nodded my head toward Renaissance.

"No, we need to hide her. If she is one of those sun worshippers, Elder Bruegel may not be too happy about her being in town. Besides, it might freak her out if she wakes up and sees a bunch of strangers hovered over her." He chuckled a little beneath his nervous grin.

"You're probably right...so then what do we do with her? We can't just leave her here."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Whose house is closer to the chasm; yours? Or Michel's?"

"Definitely Michel's."

"Alrighty then." He pulled a tarp from his backpack and draped it over me, covering all but my face. "Onward to Michel's."

. . .

Mach pulled the tarp off of me and dropped our bags from his body. I laid the girl on Michel's bed and sat in a chair next to her. I pressed my fingertips to her neck, and felt her slow, steady pulse. "I wonder what's wrong with her."

"She looks sick, like she hasn't been eating well. Make her some food while I take this meat to the dinner hall."

"Aye aye captain." I saluted him mockingly as he left, passing Michel in the doorway.

"Hey thanks for leaving me in the chasm jackass!" Michel yelled at a snickering Mach. Michel mumbled something under his breath before turning to me and widening his eyes. "Wh-what?! Who the heck is that?!"