Chapter 2: Tallys

Vaguely, Auralia felt herself being lifted off the hard road. The body holding hers was warm and comforting and the rocking of his footsteps was soothing. Snuggling up against him, she drifted slowly back into unconsciousness once again.

***

What seemed like days later, she awoke to a sharp stinging sensation on one side of her forehead. Slowly opening her eyes she found that she was no longer in the forest. She was now lying on a bed in a small, slightly messy cabin. A young man of a few years older than her was carefully reaching toward the stinging spot with something in is hand. As he got closer to it Auralia realized he wanted to touch it. Quickly she reached up, smacking his hand and sending the contents flying. At first his face seemed stern and frustrated making Auralia sure he was going to be mad, but a slow smile spread across his face and he started to laugh.

"So you're up at last?" the young man asked amused fully by her actions.

"That I am. How long have I been asleep?" Auralia asked amused fully by him.

" For most of the day. Now will you let me clean that cut of yours? I've been trying all day but your not a very good patient." He laughed.

"I suppose I never have been. When I was little all the healers back at the pal…" Auralia just barely caught herself. Scolding herself for slipping like that, she checked to see if the man had noticed. Lucky for her he hadn't seemed to. He was looking curiously into Auralia's eyes waiting for her to finish. "…back at home said that I was the worst patient they'd every had. I would never stay still for anything and I was always getting hurt because I was off somewhere climbing a tree or some such thing. Anyway, before you go after my head again, who are you?"

"I'm Tallys. Would you mind telling me your name?" he asked going to retrieve the object he was holding earlier that had been flung to the other side of the cabin.

"My name is Au… Alia. Nice to meet you. Now what are you planning on doing with my head anyway?"

"Well before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to clean that nasty cut you have on your forehead. Now I have to go make more salve because you spilled it all over my floor." Tallys complained, but by the sound of his voice you could tell he really wasn't mad. He just enjoyed giving you a hard time about it. "Well could you tell me a bit about yourself? Like what did actually happen to make you get that bump?" He asked going to a cupboard to get more ingredients.

Auralia told the whole story since she had first heard the bird call in the stables, careful to leave out any details that would give away her true royal identity. Meanwhile, Tallys had found his ingredients and made his salve. By the end of the story he had knelt down by the bed Auralia was on and was getting ready to apply it.

"Ummm… before you start, will that hurt." Auralia asked tensely.

"Maybe a little sting but then it should feel pretty good." Tallys assured her. She took a deep breath, and he started carefully placing the wet cloth with the salve on it over the gash in her head. At first she winced at the stinging sensation but then it after a while she realized that it did feel cool, comfortable, and rather nice.

"You're right. It does feel good." Auralia stated, surprised at how much better her head now felt.

"Would I lie to you?" he asked smiling. "I got it from one of the healers in my town when I was a little boy." Suddenly Auralia remembered, she couldn't have been the only one that was hurt.

"My horse!!! Where's my horse?!?" she yelled bolting upright in the bed. Tallys jumped, slightly startled at first by her quick movement, but then smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Its alright she is safe in the barn with my horse." He assured her and she laid back down on the bed. "You've got a very protective horse there you know. When I found you by the side of the road your horse was right there beside you nuzzling you. She wasn't going to let me take you until I explained to her that you needed help and I wasn't going to hurt either of you. It was quite a conversation and rather one sided it seemed, but eventually she let me take you home. Don't worry she wasn't hurt as bad as you. All she has was a couple of cuts on her legs and she was a much better patient than you. She only tried to bite me once or twice."

"When you found me was there someone else with me?" Auralia asked, afraid for Coryn.

"No, no one else, sorry. There were tracks going down the road so I'm sure that she probably got away." Tallys said yawning. "Now I'm tired and you should get some rest and to let that cut heel. Unfortunately, you just happen to be in my only bed and there is no way I'm sleeping on the floor. I think we will have to share if that's alright with you." Auralia looked over to the window at the other side of the cabin. She really had slept through the day. It was already dark outside and it seemed to be really late.

"Fine, but I warn you. I kick in my sleep." Auralia answered with a smile.

"Yes, not to mention slap people." Tallys added as he crawled onto the other side bed and laid down on top of the covers.

"Good Night, Tallys." Auralia said suddenly drowsy.

"G'Night, Alia, and move your knee that hurts." Tallys commented with a laugh but there was no answer. Before long they had both drifted off into a deep sleep and pleasant dreams.

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