“Are you thirsty?” That was Diana.
She must have noticed my insistent gaze on the blue colored ceramic cup and the golden water pitcher on the wooden table just beside the bed I had just laid.
We were almost at the doorstep, but my quest for water had me taking a look at the source of thirst-quench for the umpteenth time.
“Yes. I am.” I answered, standing still, my eyes peering down at her, my lips stretching in a thin smile when I saw the smirk cloak her lips.
She found my desperation for water funny. Well, she could smirk away, as long as she got me what I wanted.
“Okay then. Give me a second.” She said, before walking fast to the table to do my bidding.
Seeing as she grabbed both the pitcher and the cup, I believed she had the foresight to know that just one cup wouldn’t be enough to quench my thirst.
“Here you go.” She said, before handing over to me, the water pitcher and the cup.
Without much ado, I opened the cup-for it had a cover, and poured some water into it; draining the liquid with my mouth immediately.
Ahh. I breathed out, before taking up the second dose. Then a third. Then a fourth.
“Thanks a lot, Diana.” I muttered, as I handed the cup and pitcher back to her. Now, I felt sated, filled, and charged to move ahead. The water, cold, had been invigorating.
“We can see your parents now. I really need to thank them.” I was aware of the painlessness that assuaged my legs, and body. It was like I hadn’t been through a near death experience.
“Sure!” Diana screamed, laughing when I glanced at her in surprise.
Well, the little girl was a handful. She held my hand again, and whistled as we strolled out of the room to the outside world.
**
A clutter of small hut-like houses. That’s what I saw when I stepped out of the room, or rather a hut, now that I could see things from a better perspective.
When I and Diana had stepped out of the healing abode, I had turned around to look at my healing center, bamboozled when I noticed that it was actually a lone house, not a room.
All the while I had been inside there, I had been thinking that it was a part of a whole bungalow. Turns out, it was on its own, just like the others I was seeing now.
There were several houses like that around it, and down the slope. This particular house was built on hilly terrain.
Looking at it carefully now, it looked like a mini clinic, where villagers could come in whenever they were in need of medical assistance.
Villagers.
Was I in the human realm already? I asked myself, cocking my head to the side, pondering on the fortunate turn of events. It was like the goddess was finally on my side.
When I had opened my eyes for the first time, I had hoped that this chance at life wouldn’t be given at the cost of serving as a slave to another pack. I wasn’t ready for a second suffering. But with humans, things would be different.
‘Don’t jump to conclusions yet.’ My mind taunted me, and I sighed.
Yeah right. My jumping into conclusion had landed me in this community in the first place. This time, I would watch things play out without having any expectations.
By the way, I didn’t have the wolf powers, and so wouldn’t be able to differentiate their scents or something. I was just plain Jane in that aspect.
“Why did you stop? Are you okay? Is your leg hurting you? We can go back if it is.” Diana said, concern coating her voice.
The girl and her many questions.
“Yes , I am fine.”
I almost asked if she was human or werewolf. But shut my mouth at the last moment. Time will tell. It always does.
“Don’t worry about me. I just thought about something. Is this a village?” I asked, before I could stop myself, even as I held out my hand so that she would place her tiny palm on them again.
She had retrieved it in alarm when she had thought that my legs were still hurting. Her hands were quite soothing for some reason I couldn’t explain.
“Yes. It’s that obvious. Isn’t it? Do you have a problem with it? Do you prefer the city?” She asked, her forehead besieged with scrunch lines at her question.
She willingly placed her hand in mine though, and we began our journey once again. I wondered which part we would be heading to. There were snake-like paths, some heading to other clutter of houses, and the others leading to some part of the slope that I couldn’t see from here.
The clinic itself was surrounded with three of such houses. I was sure that the houses belonged to my saviors, and that they were probably the health base of the village.
“Maya…” I heard Diana call, and sighed. I had zoned out on the little girl.
“I am sorry. I was caught up in another thought.” I muttered, and she shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t worry about that. I think I understand. You have been out for so long, and now that you are up, you are trying to piece some information that wouldn’t go away in your mind. It’s okay. I asked if you would have preferred the town though.”
I shook my head. “No. Your village is better.”
I didn’t tell her it was because at this time of my life, I desired peace of mind, quietness, and someplace where I wouldn’t see a familiar face.
A good place to strategize and plot my revenge against Adam and his brothers.