[CHAPTER ELEVEN]

Sloane came to consciousness slowly. At first it was the murmur of voices speaking in hushed tones, the whisper of fabric and plod of footsteps. The crackle of a fire, a crumbling log. The scent of woodsmoke and ash.

Then she became aware of heavy blankets weighing her down. Bandages binding her wounds and restricting her movements. 

Sloane opened her eyes. The room was pitch black. How long had she lay dazed and semi conscious?

Sloane forced herself into a sitting position despite the pain. Her eyes sought a source of light. 

"My friend," a deep male voice from across the room startled her. There was a wooden creak as he rose from his unseen resting place and crossed the room to her. "You are badly hurt. You should be resting."

Sloane looked down at her hands in the darkness. "Who are you?" She asked, craning her head around toward the voice.

"I am Tolman," the deep voice answered, "You are at my farm with my wife Tove, and our children."

 "And- and please, tell me," Sloane could barely speak around the growing lump in her throat, "is it daytime?"

There was a long pause, a second presence rose and approached. A lighter presence that sat next to Sloane and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes my friend," the deep voice answered, "it is just past midday."

Sloane struggled to hold back tears as overwhelming emotions surged within her. The lighter presence patted her shoulder gently. "It is good to cry when you need to. Don't bottle your tears child." Tove's voice was as gentle as her presence.

Great sobs wracked Sloane's body as she wept against Tove's shoulder. Eventually she fell asleep, and woke up some time later. She just laid under the furs and listened for a long while, the sound of children playing, birds singing in the trees outside, and the breeze that rustled leaves created a peaceful melody. She could smell earth and wood, firs and fire, the scents carried to her on the softest breezes.

An ache that penetrated every inch of her body kept her from drifting back to sleep. It was difficult to focus through the pain but she finally managed to activate her healing aura. After a while it took enough of the edge off the pain to allow her to sit up. 

"You don't have to get up my friend," that deep voice said from outside the house, "whatever you need we will take care of for you."

Sloane felt for the side of the bed and swung her legs over, "I've got questions but they can wait. I'm supposed to meet the agent from the Traveler's Guild in Steinnthorpe. Can you take me to town?"

"You are badly hurt," he replied, "can you make it?"

"I'll make it." She answered firmly.

Several hours later she was sitting in Jarl Toke's dining hall. It was fortunate that she arrived minutes before the agent. Now that introductions had been made the request was considered complete. 

"What happened?" Jarl Toke asked, "you were gone for months and returned with such injuries."

"Months?" Sloane repeated with confusion, "It should only have been a week before I began my return trip."

"Newly arrived settlements often exhibit time anomalies and discrepancies." The Traveler's Guild agent interjected. "But as to her injuries I have no knowledge."

"Tolman?" Jarl Toke queried.

"I found her by the river when I went to check on my fish traps. A horse stood over her body. At the time I was not sure, but I believe the horse pulled her from the water. She was bleeding from a wound on her head, as well as that hole through her shoulder. Her ribs were broken and she was half drowned. We did not know if she would live through the night when I brought her to my farm."

"Impressive that you survived," the agent commented, "there are both waterfalls and rapids between Fort Langton and Steinnthorpe."

Sloane had turned to face Tolman, "Where is the horse now?" She rose from the chair, hands outstretched toward him.

"The horse is at my farm," he spoke as he caught her arms, "being pampered by my children."

Sloane's forehead rested against his chest as her body sagged with relief. "Good," she mumbled, then straightened and turned toward Jarl Toke, "If that is all I ask your permission to return to Tolman's farm."

"It is late." Jarl Toke spoke gravely, "Stay the night, both of you, and return in the morning."

"Thank you for your generosity," Tolman replied solemnly.

There was food, fire and dancing, but none of it held more than a passing interest for Sloane. She longed to be back at the farm, to be reunited with Regal and rest in the quiet peace. Sloane continued to practice her healing aura through the evening, and with great relief went to sleep that night.

The next morning Tolman woke her just after dawn. "It is time to leave." He whispered.

"I am ready," Sloane cautiously rose to her feet, and stretched out a hand, "can you guide me? I want to try walking back to the farm." Neither one had spoken above a whisper, somehow Sloane felt as if they were sneaking away before they could be dragged into any other duties.

Once they were outside the village Tolman spoke at a normal volume, "It is quite a ways to walk my friend, will you be all right with the distance?"

Sloane smiled and tightened her grip on his forearm. "There is only one way to find out. I have to try."

"If you get too tired do not be afraid to ask for help," He reassured her.

"Thank you. I'm not used to being able to ask for help, or needing to." Sloane confessed.

"Do you not have friends at home to turn to?"

"I don't know how to answer that question." She replied honestly, "I don't have anywhere I can call home. Before coming here, well, my mother didn't want me, and my siblings didn't care about me beyond what they could force me to do for them. The only ones who ever seemed to care about me were my brother and father. I crossed over to find them, but I've been so busy trying to get stronger and survive that I keep losing sight of that goal. Even now, I feel it slipping away from me."

"I do not think there is anything wrong with that." Tolman replied as he guided her around a large boulder, "It would be unreasonable to expect you to forge your way through without the strength to survive."

"I'm afraid," Sloane confessed, "If I don't regain my sight, how will I find them?"

"I do not know," Tolman replied regretfully, "but for now lay that burden down and just rest and recover."