His body would jerk forward from its resting position, his body sprawled across a spacious bed. His eyes would take a minute to register the warm hues of the lanterns that illuminated the home, a warm feel to it washed over him. It felt welcoming, comforting, everything he needed after the brutal trial he just endured. "What ... what happened?" Confusion nipping at his words as he began to shift his weight, turning his lower body to plant his feet on the wooden floor beneath him. As he tried to rise from the bed, a gripping pain would flare through his body, his memory slowly restoring itself with the painful reminder. A groan would escape as he recalled prior events.

"Ugh, fucking bandit." His right hand drifting down his side, surprising him was the texture of cloth, his midsection bandaged neatly. "How?" Question upon question spawning from the strange circumstances of his awakening. The second attempt at standing would prove more fruitful than the first, rising nearly to full height, a brief hunch persisting as his muscles awoken from his slumber. The aroma of a cooked meal would bombard him as he stood straight, piquing his interest on numerous fronts. Who was cooking, and what was that delicious smell?

Controlled steps would carry him towards the lingering smell, a slow pace the best he could muster at the moment as he inched towards the kitchen. As he turned the corner he'd notice a woman of small stature hovering over a stove, the bellowing of smoke flowing from the pot she tended to as the enticing aroma of its ingredients danced throughout the abode. "Oi minnow, finally up are we?" Her sight would never leave the heated pot, noticing his presence instantly. "You sleep like the world is on your shoulders, you should have more fun."

He'd pause for a moment, a look of stupor on his face as he was uncertain how to truly respond to her statement. All he could do was watch as she handled the large wooden spoon in her hand with the finesse of a master chef, stirring the contents of the pot with seasoned grace. "Um, were you the one that bandaged me up?" The only question he would muster, answers the only thing he could seek in his current state.

"Well, of course, I did minnow, I couldn't have you bleeding everywhere while we talked." She'd remove the spoon from the broth filled pop, placing it against her lips gently as she sampled her work. "Now hurry up and sit down, suppers ready and you need to eat." The table would already be set for two, a pair of bowls sitting on opposite sides of the table with utensils stretched across their sides. Judan would follow her instructions intently, pulling out one of the chairs at the table and slowly planting himself in it, fighting against the pain that remained a challenge.

Lady Emri would turn off the heated stove, the meal finishing its last few seconds of bubbling before she grabbed it and placed it on the center of the table. The spoon that swirled the mix of vegetables and meat would be replaced by a ladle, the stew pooling in the depths of the tool as it exited the pot as quickly as it entered. Both of the bowls on the table would be filled with her hard work, steam billowing from both bowls signifying the warm meal's completion.

INFO:

"Eat up, I didn't cook all this food for nothing!" A motherly warmth wrapped around her chastizing tone as she looked upon the young man. She would flash the same smile she displayed when he first showed up on her doorstep, forcing him to recall the memory of how he even ended up here. How did she manage to get him into her home, bandaged him up and get him in the bed? He had to be at least twice her size and less than half her age. He had become lost in his inquisitive thoughts, his expression wide-eyed and out of place, the only thing removing him from his thoughts was the tap of her spoon as it met the bottom of her bowl. She had no intention of waiting for him before she enjoyed the tasteful meal she had prepared.

The gentle sound would abruptly draw him from his daydreams, his hand hastily reaching for the spoon she placed near his bowl, gripping it firmly as he followed her suit. A pleasant surprise would overtake him as the stew traveled down his gullet, the combination of flavors ravishing his tastebuds with brilliant delight. Any possible hesitation he had towards ingesting the meal was long since forgotten, a bit of savagery presenting itself as he began to scarf down subsequent bites, each one faster than the last. The savory meal was a luxury he hadn't had the favor of experiencing for quite some time. His spirits seemed to rise with every bite, much to both of their delights.

"Hwehwehwehwe, that lifeforce of yours is returning beautifully!"

WIP

INFO: