Free Fall - Into Other Worlds

Chapter 18 - Apologies

"It looks like you'll be needing to stay here a few days," Eron's grandmother said as she came out from the house. "Since that's the case, you'll need to make yourselves somewhere to sleep before night falls."

Sat by the fire Kara had finally started, the two looked at each other before looking back at the old woman. Mage Wix wasn't happy with the situation, but there were no other options. They couldn't travel on without Eron to guide and protect them, and currently he was in no state to do that. The only way to keep moving without waiting for his recovery would be to find a new guide, and that wouldn't be an easy feat. Though Wix knew that neither he nor Kara would really want to leave with Eron in such a state.

"What do you mean by somewhere to sleep?" asked Kara with confusion. "You're not willing to let us stay in your house?" She doubted her and Wix could build a stable shelter before nightfall. Where would they even get the supplies? It's not as though they could chop down a tree.

"I don't think that's what she meant," said Mage Wix before turing to the old woman. "It's not, is it?"

Eron's grandmother sighed and lightly shook her head in disapproval of the two youngsters. "I meant for youse to make yourselves beds. Unless of course ya want to sleep with the bugs on the floor, if that's the case then ya needn't bother." She was about to turn to go back inside, but then paused and turned back to the two. "But youse could at least make one for Eron. It's not good for him to be lying in the dirt."

Kara and Mage Wix looked at each other with silent understanding before getting to their feet and heading towards the shack of a house. Once inside they managed to get the old woman to explain how and what to make the beds out of. Kara did the hard labour of cutting down the bamboo style plants that the old woman hand planted and grown, and therefore could be used without upsetting the forest. After chopping down a few of the tall stems, Kara then cut them to size. Wix twisted long grass into rope to tie the pole like stems together. It took them hours, but as the last of the day's light vanished, they had finally accomplished their task.

"Well, I have to say I'm quite pleased with our handiwork," said Mage Wix with satisfaction. He folded his arms and stepped back to admire the three small platforms they'd built.

"Let's just hope they hold together for the night," responded Kara as she checked the sturdiness of the structures for the fourth time. "Let's take them inside for now." She wasn't as confident as Wix in their finished product, but it was too late to try again, or make something new.

Kara and Wix carefully carried the first bed inside. Putting it down next to Eron, they stopped and looked down at their still unconscious companion. Kara's chest felt weighted and stuffy just looking at him. His grandmother had sewn his torn flesh together with thick thread at well-spaced intervals. It didn't look well done, and would definitely be painful to remove later on. On top of the raw wounds was some sort of translucent gel that almost looked like tree sap. Was it really okay for his wounds to stay exposed? Shouldn't they bandage them?

"Shall we move him on to the bed first?" asked Mage Wix.

"Mmm," responded Kara with a nod. "Let's get him off the cold ground."

"And away from all these insects," added Wix as he bent down and flicked away a bug that had just crawled onto the sheet Eron was lying on.

Lifting the sheet by its corners, Kara and Wix lifted Eron up and onto the hard platform that would have to do as a bed. Kara could see small beads of sweat building up on Eron's brow. She felt his forehead and frowned at the heat emitting from it. Seeing him this way made it feel as though someone was tightly squeezing her heart.  

"Let's hurry and get the other beds in," she told Wix before quickly walking outside. She raised her face high to stop the tears filling her eyes from spilling down her cheeks.