"Your son?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Send him by later. I'd like to have a little talk with him."
She nodded and left the room. I turned towards the man still by my side.
"Are you the leader here?" I asked.
He shrugged expressively, "Some look to me for guidance."
"Can we stay until she's better?"
"I wouldn't hear of anything else!" He exclaimed.
"I can't pay you anything."
"No payment is required. Now why don't you sit down over there and take a load off your feet and I'll send you in some food."
He left then and closed the door behind him. I waited a moment before approaching the bed. Asia's color had improved drastically. I leaned down and pressed my ear to her chest relaxing as I felt the steady beat of her heart. I went to the other side of her and sat down heavily on a cot. I reached up to hold her hand and lean my forehead against the table. This had been much too close a thing.
The man called Eli was back with a tray of food. The plate was piled high with food, including a steak. I looked up questioningly at him and he gave a deep belly laugh.
"Only the kind that moos." He responded still chuckling.
I dug into the food. It was good and I felt myself unwind some and I started to talk with Eli, who sat across from me. I liked the man and I felt at ease with him, as I rarely did with strangers or even those I knew.
There was a knock on the door before it opened. The boy was standing there with his mother. Haltingly he stepped into the room towards me. The first thing he did was hand me my sword. I took it back from him and studied it for a moment before glancing at Asia. It really had been an accident, nothing malicious intended. I turned the sword end for end and handed it back to the boy. The boy's eyes widened drastically at the offered gift.
"Take it and keep your mother safe. You can go now."
The boy took the sword, but looked around as if he couldn't believe it.
He glanced at Asia and swallowed, "That's all you have to say to me for what I did?"
I looked up at him, "What do you want me to say? You're not going to fall asleep on sentry duty again are you?"
"No Sir!"
"I didn't think so and it looks like you've put yourself through enough hell without me adding any so let's leave it at that and move on."