Cora stayed in the quiet of the cot room for a large chunk of the day, listening to the conversations that drifted in through the door.

She turned the material Mattias had given her over in her hands. Never in her life had she been given anything so new… Carefully, she stood and laid the fabric out on the cot. The pale, almost white, dress showed no signs of wear. She ran her hands down the front, marveling at the texture. Then, without thinking, she took the torn and dirty clothes she had worn off and slipped the dress over her head, careful not to get the sling around her arm stuck. It hung loose, down past her knees and when she moved, it swayed with her. Balling up the old clothes, she dropped them on the end of the cot and then paced once around the room, enjoying the feel of the material against her skin.

If this is what Phaedra is like, I think I want to stay. She compared the two places and, although she felt cramped inside the Healer’s house, it was still so much better than winter time in the city. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The absence of boiler smoke and cigarettes was not lost on her. It felt as though she had been suffocating her whole life and now, she could breathe. The strongest scent in this place was from the freshly cut herbs.

The sound of the front door opening and closing startled her out of her thoughts, and Cora tiptoed over to the door to listen.

When the only sound she heard was an odd scraping noise, she stepped out into the main room to investigate.

“Hello Cora,” Mattias greeted her from the counter where he mashed something in a clay bowl.

“Where’s Seth?” she asked, looking around.

“He went to the market. He’ll be back later.” He answered.

“Oh…”

“Sit down and eat something.” The healer motioned toward a lidded basket in the center of the table, where the pot of stew had been before.

She reached for it, eyes on Mattias as he went back to work.

He didn’t look up when she stuck her hand in and pulled out a piece of dried fruit.

She took a bite and, for a moment, nearly forgot herself. It was as delicious and sweet as the fruits imported into the city. When they fell off overloaded carts, there was always a scramble for the scraps left behind. She reached out and snatched another piece from the basket.

“They’re even better fresh,” Mattias’ voice cut through the quiet and she whipped her head around to meet his eyes. “They’re brought over from the islands every few days. I expect we’ll be getting more soon.”

Cora stared down at the fruit in her hand, then turned her eyes on the generous man, suspicion rising. Small talk always led to something unpleasant. “What’s going on?” she asked.

He picked up the bowl and set it on the table with careful movements. “I want to know why you trusted Seth,” he said simply.

Cora opened her mouth, then shut it again. The question caught her off guard. She had been expecting confrontation, or some sort of accusation; even a favor in return for the food and clothes. Scrambling to come up with an answer she looked down again. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

“There is always a choice, Cora.” She watched out of the corner of her eye as he went back to the counter and reached for something up high. When he turned around, he carried a small jar with a few pieces of dried greens sitting at the bottom. “What made you decide to come with him?”

She hesitated, brow scrunched, trying to come up with the right answer. “I don’t know… He opened the door. I saw the way out and took it.” Why did this feel like such an intrusive question? The answer should have been simple. When he didn’t answer right away, she looked up from the food in her hand to see him watching her. “What does it matter to you?”

“There are no rats in Phaedra,” he started slowly.

Coa turned her expression to a glare as the words came out. So that’s what this is about. This is the part where it all ends. She took a step toward the cot room, her mind on the bundle of clothes she had left there. They were in bad shape, but they would be better for cold weather than the dress.

“If that was your life before and you want to go back, when your shoulder is healed, I’ll have Seth take you back.”

She took another step toward the door, muscles tense. A stabbing pain hit her in the chest and she gritted her teeth against it. She had known her stay in Phaedra would not last long.

“I think the reason you chose to follow him was because you had hope,” he said, his short tone regaining her attention.

Cora looked up at the older man, careful to keep her guard up. “What are you saying?”

“You have another choice, Cora. If you would like, you can stay in Phaedra. Nobody here goes without a home or basic needs. We can help you find a Shield, and you can start a new life.”

“What’s the catch?” she demanded before he finished speaking. Nothing good came for free.

Mattias met her eyes, expression serious. “It won’t be easy. Life here is nothing like what you've experienced. You will have to learn our culture and build relationships.”

“That’s it?” Cora crossed her arms. It was hardly a catch. It sounded more like a life of luxury with food she didn’t have to fight for or steal, and clean clothes without tears and rips.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The healer nodded. “Those walls you have built will not come down easily, but if you let them, you just might find a home here.”

She gritted her teeth, torn between the urge to hide away in the cot room and gather her old clothes and the desire to keep what she had.

“You don’t have to make that choice now. Sit and eat. You need the nutrients,” Mattias said, pouring the contents of the bowl into the jar.

She waited until he had turned his back to reclaim a spot at the table. Nibbling at the fruit in her hand, she thought over what he had said.

The silence that fell did not have time to settle before the door flew open and Seth hurried inside, breathing hard. “It’s Idris!” he said between breaths. “He’s coming. A kid is hurt.”

Mattias turned without a word and rushed to the door as a man entered. A dark brown cloak was flung back over his shoulders and he carried an unconscious boy in his arms.

“What happened?” he asked, walking with the man toward the cot room.

“Shadow-Walker,” the man answered. They crossed into the cot room, speaking in hushed voices.

“Hey Cora,” Seth said, startling her.

“What?” Cora asked. She stood to face him, heart pounding.

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked, coming to stand at the table.

“Fine.” She gave the automatic answer, not bothering to test it for herself.

Seth smiled. “That’s good.” His gaze ran over the dress she wore.

Cora nodded toward the cot room. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure what happened,” he answered, following her gaze. “I was on my way into the market and ran into Idris. He had this injured kid, so I came back with him.” He paused, then added, “It looks like a Shadow-Walker got him.”

Cora felt a shudder run down her spine. She stepped away from the table and around Seth, heading for the cot room. She came to a stop just outside the open door.

“—just outside the market,” the stranger was saying.

Their backs were turned, their focus on the boy who now lay on the empty cot.

“What was he doing there?” Mattias asked.

The stranger shook his head. “I couldn’t tell you. He’s wearing a band, but there was no sign of a Shield anywhere.”

“Oh man,” Seth said too loud.

Both men turned to look at Cora and Seth, and the stranger met her eyes with an unreadable expression.

“Seth. Go get the bucket,” Mattias said, pointing a bloody finger. “Quick.”

Seth ducked away with an, “Ok,” as Mattias turned back to the boy.

“What happened?” Cora asked, stepping inside to get a better view.

“He was attacked by a Shadow-Walker just outside the market,” the stranger answered, light brown eyes focused on her. They almost seemed too light against his sandy colored skin. When she looked down, her eyes were drawn to bare feet. Everyone else she had seen wore something between their feet and the ground.

She tore her eyes away and looked up. “Oh…” Words left her when she saw the boy. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, and blood flowed from a wound that looked like a chunk had been torn from his side.

“Here!” Seth announced, pulling the stranger’s attention as he hauled a bucket full of water into the room. He set it on the ground beside Mattias and handed him a rag.

“Thanks,” the healer said, taking the rag and dipping it in the water. He moved quickly, cleaning up the blood and then pressing a clean cloth against the boy’s side. “Cora, grab a blanket from the shelf,” he said without looking.

She hesitated, then climbed up on the cot she had used and pulled a blanket down. Passing it off to Mattias, she couldn’t tear her eyes from the boy. His black hair stuck to his sweaty forehead and his face was scrunched in a pained expression. “Um… Is he gonna be okay?” she asked.

Mattias draped the blanket over the boy’s legs and feet, then pointed to the workbench. “Second drawer on the right. Grab the big patch,” he said to the other man. “You can go, Cora. Thank you.” He spoke without looking at her.

She didn’t realize her mouth was open until she was out of the room. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“You alright?” Seth turned to face her, standing at the counter.

She sighed and sank into a chair. “Yeah.” Mixed feelings swirled around in her stomach.

“He’ll be okay,” Seth said.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “How do you know?”

“Because.” He smiled, taking the seat across from her. “Matt heals people. It’s his gift. This is not the first Shadow-Walker attack he’s seen.”

Finally, Mattias and the stranger emerged from the cot room.

“He’s going to be alright,” the healer announced, He carried the jar that Cora had drank from earlier and pulled a towel from a cabinet beneath the counter, dipped one corner into the jar, then wiped it over his hands. Like magic, the blood and dirt disappeared. When he was done, he passed it to the stranger. “Here.”

“Now what?” Seth asked. “Do you know where he came from?”

“No,” Mattias answered. “We’ll take care of him, and when he wakes, he can tell us what happened.”

The stranger handed the rag back to Mattias. “I’m going to see if the others are around to help track down his Shield.”

“Alright. In the meantime, Seth and Cora can help take care of him while he recovers.” He looked between Cora and Seth. “Someone will need to stay close and keep watch.”

Cora seized the opportunity, standing and stepping away from the table. “I can do it.” She hurried into the cot room without waiting for confirmation.

The boy lay still on the cot, a blanket draped over his body. His face looked peaceful, as if he might just be taking a nap. A dirt and blood stained sky blue cloak sat balled up at the foot of the cot. His messy hair and dirty face reminded her of some of the younger street kids. It was the norm back in the city. Seeing it here felt oddly nostalgic.

She sighed and sat on the edge of the empty cot, studying the boy. “They say you’ll be alright…” she started and then trailed off. Through the doorway, she listened to the sounds of cups being set on the table and the hushed conversation.

“I saw Maya and Rio at the market,” the stranger was saying. “I’m not sure where Felicity and Marina are though.”

“I haven’t seen them in a few days,” Mattias commented. “I suspect they’ve gone down to the well.”

Silence fell for a short time before the stranger spoke again. “Alright. I’ll be back to check on him. Thanks.” The scrape of a chair against the floor followed, and then footsteps across the room before the door opened and closed, signaling the stranger’s departure.

Mattias entered the cot room and placed a hand over the boy’s head for a moment. “He will be okay,” he said, finally answering her question from earlier.

“How do you know?” She looked up to meet his eyes as he turned to face her.

“This is not the first Shadow-Walker attack I have dealt with. It’s why having a Shield is so important.” He paused and then asked, “Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Cora asked. I’m not the one with a chunk taken out of my side.

Mattias held her gaze for a moment. “Alright. If anything changes, let me know.”

“Alright.” She waited until he had left the room to move so that she could lean her back against the wall.

Overhead, a single cloud passed above the windows creating a slow-moving shadow that crossed the room. The boy’s face scrunched and a quiet whimper came from his open mouth.

Cora tensed with the shift, waiting for him to wake. When he relaxed again she did the same, leaning her head back against the wall. Questions filled her mind. “I hope they’re right,” she said to the sleeping boy. “I don’t know if anyone in my world would survive something like that.” Keeping to herself, she had managed to avoid major injuries, though she remembered, as a child in the abandoned building, a sickness that had passed through, taking almost all of the other children as it did. It wasn’t long after that she had left for good.

A knock sounded at the front door and Cora settled herself in to listen.