A Wuxia Tale: Blades and Flowers

Herding Sheeps

(AHRAN)

I woke up disoriented. Like I woke up from a dream that I cannot remember. My throat felt raw, my mouth dry and head aching a bit. I feel tired even though I just woke up. As tired as someone who run for miles and miles without any end goal in sight.

It's a bone deep kind of exhaustion.

And then next, I feel fear.

I noticed the unfamiliarity of my surroundings. I don't know where I am. Next, I noticed that I am seeing things clearly. My hand went to my eyes. I don't have a blindfold on. My eyes are exposed.

And lastly, I tried moving my body but it won't follow. My body felt too heavy or is it that I feel too weak? I'm not sure. I still feel disoriented.

But I have to move. I have to find Adda and my eyecover. In that order. So I took a deep breath and forced myself to move sideways. "Ah!" I moaned in pain when I try bracing my palm on the place where I am lying to brace myself. But my wrist gave up almost immediately.

I am too weak to move myself up.

Tears wet my eyes. With feeling weak comes helplessness. If I can't move, someone might come and see my eyes. I won't be able to defend myself if a simple task of sitting is hard for me. I will be an easy prey if an enemy finds me.

More tears came. My head started pounding. I hate this situation. Me, vulnerable. I hate being weak. I don't have the time or the luxury to be weak.

"Then get up, AhRan." I said to myself. "Stop being weak and get up," I took a deep breath and tried again.

I succeeded this time. I managed to sit myself up but then the whole world started spinning and I clutched my head in pain. "Ah. Ah!" I closed my eyes shut as I gasp for breath.

"What are you doing?" A voiced pierced through my suffering. A pair of hands righted me and made me lean my back on something hard. When I opened my eyes, I saw Jian Yu staring at me. "Where is Adda?" was the first thing that I ask.

"In the next room. She is sleeping again. We woke her up to eat lunch with us but she still look tired so we told her to go back to sleep." Jian Yu peered at my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I need my blindfold," I said.

"No need for that. You are safe here," Jian Yu said. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty..." I said. "And hungry." I added when I felt a pain in my belly.

"Good. It's good that you feel hungry," Jian Yu said before standing up and leaving the room. But then after a moment, he came back. "I asked for food for you. Meanwhile, you should drink." He said while pouring water from a covered pitcher to a glass. Jian Yu took that glass to me. I tried taking the glass but we both notice that my hand was shaking.

Jian Yu sighed. "You are still tired," he said. I watched as he got a spoon from a covered basket near the pitcher. Jian Yu sat down with me and spoon some water. He held that spoon of water to me. "I'm not a child," I said weakly.

"Yes. You are a patient. You got sick and even though your fever has broken, you are still a patient. So please..." he held the spoon with water nearer to my face. I had no choice but to open my lips to take that water. I am thirsty.

Jian Yu did that a couple of more times until I feel satisfied. I leaned my head backwards and closed my eyes. Even drinking water makes me tired. "Where am I?" I asked.

"Wang Estate. When you collapsed, Adda ran here for help. You had high fever and we suspect extreme exhaustion and dehydration." Jian Yu said.

"Did I almost die?" I asked.