Hydrangeas and Callunas

Chapter 6: Old Friends and New Beginnings

To my dismay, I opened my eyes.

I hurriedly sucked in a breath to fill my lungs that had somehow emptied themselves. My vision was covered in spots leaving me unable to make out details of the face that was situated above mine. I lay on my back, gulping in air. I noticed that for the first time in a while my stomach didn't pain me.

As my vision cleared a familiar face came into focus. My eyes widened as I took in his features. Long, platinum blonde hair hanging down as he looked at me from above, green eyes glistening with tears, and a soft face that anyone would feel an impulse to trust at first glance. Sitting above me was Onas.

When he saw that I was awake and noticed my look of recognition, his face scrunched up and he began to cry. I felt his arm wrap around my back and lift me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and cried into my shoulder. I hugged back gingerly, still in shock.

"Oh Ara, I knew it was you. I saw you on the ground there and...I thought you were gone" he laughed through his sobs and I tightened my grip around him.

"Why are you here?" I asked quietly.

Still through tears Onas replied "The King hired any adventuring group with a cleric to visit plagued cities and do their best to heal people. Phibi is the reason we're hear and she's the reason you're alive. Ara I'm so glad-"

"It's Arya now. I left Ara behind when..." I faltered. Was now the time to tell him that Durlan died? I guess now was as good as ever. I don't believe there is ever really a good time to tell someone that a person they loved is gone. "Durlan, he-"

Onas pulled away from me and smiled sadly. "I know. We went to visit a year ago and found the place burned down. It was too late for Phibi's skills to bring him back. It's alright Ara-" he saw me flinch and corrected himself "sorry, Arya." He let out a quiet laugh. "That'll take some getting used to." He smiled and I couldn't help but smile a little in return.

"You know what," I said "you guys can call me Ara. I'm okay with that." His face lit up and he hugged me again.

Suddenly I remembered something, or, more accurately, someone. I pulled away from the hug and began running towards the tent I shared with Ellisar. "Ara? What's going on?" I heard Onas call to me as I left. The sound of his feet running along the soft earth behind me reached my ears but I kept running.

I reached my tent and was out of breath. I didn't know why, I could run for hours and not get tired. I felt a small hand on mine and looked down to see the comforting face of my old friend Phibi.

"Ara you really should sit down. You were just brought back to life after all." She pulled my hand down and I sat reluctantly. "Now, I'm just going to check some-"

"Phibi please can you help that man. He's my husband, I just...I need him to be okay." I interrupted, pointing inside my tent. She looked at me quizzically, then towards the tent opening and then back at me. She nodded "I'll try" and entered the tent.

I leaned my head back and took a breath. As I sat there I noticed a group of figures walk up and sit around me. When I mustered up the strength to look around I saw some faces I recognised and two that I didn't. Around me sat the smiling faces of Dusdreal, Onas, Erevan, Andrew, and Sylleth as well as two human females that were looking at me quizzically.

When I returned their gaze the brunette in armour smiled and waved. She began to speak "Hi. You're Ara right? We've heard a lot about you. Mostly from this jerk" she motioned to Onas and he blushed softly. "Anyway, I'm Andrea and I fight stuff. This is Darcie" she pointed to the very pretty blonde girl to her right who waved gingerly and then looked off into the distance. "She doesn't like to talk much but she can steal pretty much anything." Andrea continued. "We joined the Outcasts a month ago. It's nice to meet you." She smiled wider and looked at me expectantly.