Chapter 186: Day 185

Day 185,

Lin left this morning to return to the Village to check in with her father to let him know how I was doing and make sure no one else was being neglected while she was here looking after me.  My words, not hers.  As such, I wound up holding off on talking about my recent nocturnal sprite visit.  Didn’t want her to worry and feel like she had to rush to come back.  And she did say she’d come back to check on me tomorrow or the next day.

I think I might try heading down to the beach.  I doubt I’m up for swimming, but it’s a clear day for once and the fresh air and sun will do me good.

 

Maiko joined me for the walk to the beach.  I can’t say I minded the company, which is just as well seeing as I’m not entirely sure she would have let me go anywhere on my own.  While I suspect I may eventually tire of being babied like this, and sooner rather than later, for now I need but think back to the past few weeks to remind myself to be grateful that I have friends looking out for me.

And besides, the fact that I had to stop and rest twice on what is normally a leisurely stroll for me rather drove home the fact that if I was no longer sick, I was still a far cry from well.  

It was on the second of these stops that Maiko brought up a spring that her mother once took her to and claimed possessed healing properties.  Apparently she’d suggested taking me there to Lin when I was at my worst, but it’s on one of the outlying islands and Lin objected to moving me in that state, especially for that kind of journey.  But maybe now that I’m able to move about again…

It’s an intriguing proposition to consider, even if I’m hoping my strength (such as it was) will return before long without that sort of aid.  In a past life I would have written such a spring off as mere placebo but artifacts, sprites, and floating islands all exist, why not a healing spring?  

The beach itself was pleasant enough, once we finally got there.  If Maiko was frustrated with my pace, she did a good job of not showing it.  As suspected, the prospect of swimming exhausted me simply thinking about it, but I was still able to wade a short distance into the waves, letting them wash around my knees and allowing my feet to sink into the sand.

Close my eyes and turn my face to greet the sun.

Stretch my arms wide as if to embrace the sea.

Breathe deep of the salty air.

Listen to the surf before me and birds behind me.

Allow myself to smile.

As my arms grew tired I let them drop and slowly opened my eyes as I turned to look back at Maiko.  She was still at the treeline, half hidden behind a trunk as I’d first glimpsed her those months ago.  I waved to her.

The twofold pause of one who’s realized they’ve hesitated.

She gave a small wave back.

My smile faded.  I walked over to her.  Asked if something was wrong.

Silence save for the birds and the waves.  Four beats of the sea’s heart.

She said she usually tries to avoid spending time in exposed areas like this.  Too easy to be seen without realizing it.

I considered what to say to that.

Waves in.  Waves out.

Waves in.  Waves out.

She added that she’d begun to get lax about that, but seeing people at the spring the other week had her on edge once more.

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Another beat.

I imagined taking her by the hand and running toward the water.

Waves in.

Her momentarily too surprised to resist, letting herself be dragged along despite being more than capable of stopping.

Waves out.

Protests about the possibility of being seen.

Waves in.

Reassurances that no one ever comes to this particular stretch of beach but me.

Waves out.

Playful splashing about in the water.

Waves in.

The both of us allowing ourselves to relax and let our guard down.

Waves in.

Telling her that I’m sure no one in the Village would have a problem with her.

Waves out.

And if anyone did say anything, she had friends to stick up for her.

Waves in.

A good day with her coming out of her shell and me feeling that I had helped.

Waves out.

I nodded, said I understood, and thanked her for indulging my whim to come out here.  We walked back to the house in silence.  As we did, I wondered if I should have acted on that fantasy.  It was a nice idea, but who’s to say it was a good one?  Who am I to force a fairytale idea of “helping” someone on another?  Would it really have been helping, or was it just a self-aggrandizing fantasy about saving or fixing someone? And if it was a good thing to do, I’m not the sort of person who could pull it off.  Maybe Lin could, or even Cass.

And besides, I was tired.

Judging by the moon, it looks like we’re due for another mist night any time now.  I should have asked Lin to grab my blanket from the library.

 

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