Hello, Everyone!
Last time, my poor Mary had a pretty bad time. She woke up after the fight with the Hydra and found out she was missing the bottom half of her right leg. Her friends tried to heal her and to look for help but they were unsucessful. The damage was irreversible.
“Hey,” Bruno said. “How are you?”
Mary stayed quiet for a long while. She was sitting on the bed, staring at her left leg and the remains of her right dangling from the edge. Her thoughts ran in circles and when she spoke, she almost couldn’t recognize her own voice.
“Alive,” she croaked.
That was it, wasn’t it? She was still alive and she had to think of what came next. Was she going to have to go home and admit that adventuring had been a bad idea? Get a wooden leg and live her life clunking on the paved streets of Frinkeltong? She imagined herself as an old, bitter librarian who could never venture out of the city ever again.
She had to remind herself to breathe slowly so that she wouldn’t suffocate in her own anxiety.
Mary swallowed, suddenly very aware that there was something much more urgent than thinking about her leg. She felt her whole head burn in embarrassment.
“I…” She stared at the floor and blinked back her tears, “I h-have to go to the bathroom.”
Bruno and Aurum shared an uncomfortable look. Then, without a word, the bard stood up, picked Mary up in his arms and carried her to the lavatory. Luckily, it had a seat instead of a hole and he didn’t need to stay for the next part.
When she was left alone, Mary finally let out her tears. She felt so small, so helpless! She sobbed quietly for a long time before calling for Aurum to take her back to her bed.
“Do you think he left for good?” Mary asked quietly.
Aurum had taken off shortly after the thing with the toilet. He had never spoken a word to her. Was he angry? Disappointed? Did he hate her now that she was damaged?
“Nah,” Bruno said. He’d found her a set of crutches and was adjusting them to her height. “Aurum’s got a good heart, even though he’s got a knack for spending too much on stupid things.”
“But is his stuff here?” Mary insisted. “Did he leave a note like last time?”
“It’s all here,” Bruno reassured her. “There’s no note. He’ll be back.”
She went silent for a couple of minutes.
“You know you can leave and carry on without me, right?” she said, her heart tight in her chest. “I won’t be mad.”
“Don’t be silly!” Bruno said. “What are we going to do without your oranges?”
Mary gave him a small smile.
Aurum came back late in the evening. By that time, Mary was already trying to walk on her crutches and do little things by herself. Bruno’s healing and the time she’d spent sleeping had done wonders and her wounds barely ached anymore.
Now, if magic could also make limbs grow back...
“It’s way better out there,” Aurum said. “That feeling of dread and the heartbeat in your throat? It’s gone. Died with the Hydra. People walk differently, they seem a lot happier than before. Plus, you know, there aren’t any more disappearances and forgotten people.”
“Too bad nobody’s gonna know it was us,” Mary murmured.
She was trying to open a window but couldn’t use her hands without letting go of the crutches. She huffed in frustration as she had to let Bruno do it instead of her.
“Do you think we should tell Loyosh about his wife?” the dwarf said. “Or maybe Trim? Or would it be better if they didn’t know the truth?”
“Aurum should be the best judge on that,” Mary said. “After all, his situation is closest to what they are living through.”
The bard lowered his eyes, fidgeting with the amethyst ring.
“I wish I knew every detail,” he said quietly, “and at the same time it’s too painful to think about.”
Mary thought about Lanurey’s words coming out of the Hydra’s mouth. “I’ve never stopped loving you,” she had said. Maybe Aurum had loved her as well and his feelings couldn’t be erased as easily as his memories.
She felt sad, like she’d lost something very dear. But it wasn’t her place, and her own emotions were not the most important thing right now.
She hobbled to her bag and tried to take out her journal. Her grasp of the crutches slipped and she almost stumbled on the floor. Bruno, who was watching her every move, managed to catch her in time and get her to sit on her bed.
“Sorry,” Mary murmured. “I’ll get better with them, I promise!”
“Don’t worry about it,” the dwarf said.
Aurum looked away. Mary bit her lips.
“You know you don’t have to stay with me, right?” she said, this time looking only at him. “Just get me home and I’ll be alright. Lilly and Bramble will take care of me.”
“Yeah, no,” the bard said. “Who’s going to make us origami if we left you behind?”
“Plus,” Bruno said, ”what are you goind to do in Frinkeltong? You’ll go crazy.”
There was a knock on the door. Aurum went to open it and moved aside to reveal a familiar hunched figure in the doorframe.
“Hello, children!” Granny Gretel croaked with a toothless smile. “Feeling better?”
Look at my poor baby, feeling all sad and helpless! I've had my leg broken (twice) and had to learn how to walk with crutches so I know what it's like. It wasn't fun. But in my case I knew it was going to be just a month or two until I got on my feet again. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have it be a permanent thing!
Although... let's see what Granny Gretel will do. She must be here for a reason... right?
Catch you next time!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossary and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: These are my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum and Bruno) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.