The shame and courage

Rushia slowly opened her eyes, her mind foggy. She found herself lying on a cold slab of stone in a dim cave, still holding her wooden stick. Water dripped from the moss-covered walls and the air was heavy with earthy dampness.

Where am I? How did I get here? she wondered, utterly confused. Her memories were a blurred mess. The last she could recall was hitting the raging river, the icy water closing over her head. After that, only darkness.

Sitting up on the smooth stone, Rushia looked around the shadowy cave. It was lit only by dim sunlight filtering in from the entrance. The weak light gave the interior a mysterious, almost mystical aura.

Rushia slid off the slab, her bare feet touching the wet cave floor. She shivered as the cold seeped through her thin soles. Gripping her wooden stick tightly, she slowly made her way toward the light, hoping it led to answers.

Stepping outside, Rushia was greeted by fresh air and birdsong. She found herself surrounded by soaring pines, the trees towering overhead. A brook babbled gently nearby, the crystal clear water sparkling in the dappled sunlight.

Despite the tranquil beauty, Rushia was unsettled. How did I get here? Did someone bring me to this cave? She longed for the familiar forests near home, not these mysterious unknown woods.

A breeze blew, making Rushia pause in surprise as it ruffled long, raven-black hair around her shoulders. She reached up tentatively, feeling the silky soft strands. Her hair had always been a short, messy brown mop before.

Rushia rushed to the brook's edge, kneeling down to see her reflection. She gasped, not recognizing the face staring back. Delicate porcelain features gazed up at her with striking violet eyes. Lush black hair framed the refined and lovely visage.

"Who is that?" Rushia whispered, touching her smooth cheek, utterly lost. The reflection copied her but did not look like her awkward self at all. She wondered if this was all just a vivid dream.

But the birdsong, the grass under her bare feet, the velvety hair brushing her neck - it all felt real. Somehow, mysteriously, she had been changed.

Rushia shook her head in innocent confusion. Maybe a kindly sorcerer saved me and transformed me? Or perhaps I wandered into a fairy circle under a full moon? Those seemed like the only explanations fitting for a fantastic tale of adventure.

Of course, she knew little of the darker forces that could also alter someone's form against their will. Her mind brimmed only with childhood fairy tales come to life.

"Mother won't even know me like this," Rushia said, worried. She imagined her mother seeing a strange raven-haired girl and turning her away, not realizing it was her lost daughter.

But finding her mother again was all that mattered to Rushia. "I must quest through the kingdom to be reunited with her!" Rushia declared boldly to herself. Gripping her trusty wooden stick, she set off along the brook to search for a home, innocent determination etched on her delicate features.

***

A few days had passed since the tragic incident in the woods. Rey sat stiffly in a chair beside Lea's hospital bed, a stern look on his face. But behind his rigid bearing, genuine worry plagued him as he took in the extent of her injuries.

Lea's arms were thickly bandaged, with splints stabilizing the badly broken bones. She managed a weak smile at the obviously uncomfortable Rey.

"No need to look so serious on my account," Lea said lightly. "The healers say I'll be fine in no time."

Rey's expression didn't change. "You need to take better care of yourself."

Lea chuckled softly. "My dear Rey, are you actually concerned for me?" she teased.

"Of course not!" Rey sputtered. "I just...didn't want to see my companion act so foolishly." A faint blush rose on his cheeks.

"Uh-huh, sure," Lea grinned knowingly. "Admit it, you were worried. But I promise to be more careful, for your sake."

Rey looked away in embarrassment. "Yes, well...just focus on recovering quickly so we can leave this place."

"What about the child who saved us?" Lea asked solemnly. "I only remember falling unconscious from my injuries after she appeared."

Rey's expression grew bleak. "Drias told me what happened after I carried you away. The girl lured the beast to a cliff...but they both plummeted over the edge."

Lea's eyes widened in shock. "She's gone then?"

"No sign of her yet, even after mobilizing search parties from the Hunter's Guild," Rey replied. "But I've commissioned further quests to scour the area. Her actions deserved that much."

Lea smiled faintly. "That's kind of you. I know such things don't come free."

Rey looked aside. "I owe that child a debt. This is merely my duty."

"Still, thank you," Lea said sincerely. "And for paying for my treatment. I know it was costly."

"Think nothing of it, just focus on healing," Rey insisted, mildly embarrassed by the gratitude.

A solemn silence fell between them as they pondered the courageous girl's fate. The rain outside matched the gloom within the small hospital room. But a flicker of hope remained that the valiant child who saved them might still be found.

***

A light rain had begun to fall, droplets pattering down through the forest canopy. Drias stood alone amongst the endless pines, his leather garb dripping with moisture. A solemn stillness hung in the air, broken only by the gentle taps of water hitting leaves and earth.

Before him was a small clearing, the undergrowth cleared away. At its center was a simple mound of upturned soil, marked by a wooden stick driven into the ground. Wrapped around the stick's base was a faded strip of cloth, its original color lost to the years.

This unadorned grave marked where Drias's mother had been laid to rest nearly a decade past. He had not visited in so long that nature had begun to reclaim the site. Vines and weeds crept over the disturbed earth, slowly erasing traces of the burial.

Drias stepped forward and knelt down. With calloused hands, he gently cleared away the encroaching plants until only dark, wet earth remained. Rain ran in rivulets down his face, mingling with silent tears.

"It's been a long time, mother," he said, voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry I haven't come by. The years just slipped away from me out there in the wilderness. But you were always in my thoughts."

Drias removed a flask from his belt and took a swig, letting the liquor burn down his throat. "I've become one of the greatest hunters in these parts now. My name is spoken with awe in taverns all through the frontier lands. I've taken down beasts that no other dare challenge."

He gave a sad laugh. "Remember when I was just a foolish boy who you needed to protect? And now caravans seek my skills, offering piles of gold. You wouldn't believe the riches I've accumulated, the exotic places I've seen."

Reaching out, Drias laid a hand on the simple grave marker. "But none of it means anything without being able to share it with you. I achieved everything we ever dreamed of, but you weren't there to witness it."

Rain dripped from the brim of his worn hat as he hung his head. "Perhaps if I'd come back sooner, I could have saved you from the sickness. We...we could have been happy."

His broad shoulders shook with restrained sobs. All his achievements felt hollow knowing his mother perished never seeing his success. Pursuing fame and fortune had consumed him, making him neglect what truly mattered until it was too late.

He slowly ran his fingers over the wooden stick, deep in contemplation.

"But Mother, I'm not the man I once was," he began somberly. "Those glory days have long passed."

He gave a hollow laugh. "Look at me now - a drunken fool who can barely hold a spear. I let the liquor replace my courage until there was nothing left. My skills faded along with my reputation."

Drias shook his head ruefully. "I saw myself in that brave child the other day. She reminded me of who I used to be, facing danger with valor. But her light was extinguished because of my failure."

He clenched his fist. "I should have been the one to fall, not her. My worthless body can endure wounds that would kill a frail child. If anyone had to be sacrificed for the others, it should have been me."

"Even if by some miracle she survived the plunge, the icy river would have sapped her strength. And gravely injured, she wouldn't have lasted long alone in these unforgiving woods," Drias added grimly.

"My friend Rey tried to help, but it was hopeless. Her tiny body has likely already been devoured by beasts," he said, disgust in his voice.

Drias sighed heavily, steeling himself. "Mother, grant me courage. I must face the child's grieving mother, who will surely despise the sight of me. I dread telling her that I failed to save her beloved daughter. But it's my duty to recount the tragic events."

He slowly stood up. "This will be my final hunt, the most perilous yet. Afterward, I intend to hang up my spear for good. My glory days have passed, as has the heroic girl who briefly outshone me."

Reaching down, Drias carefully took the wooden stick from his mother's grave. "Mother, I will carry this with me one last time, to face my deepest shame."

Tucking the wooden stick into his belt, Drias set off with hunched shoulders back towards the village. His steps were heavy with regret, but also renewed purpose. This would be his final redemptive act before disappearing into obscurity's wilderness forevermore.

***

Rain pattered down through the pine branches overhead. The brook that had sparkled so clearly before now ran muddy and swollen with runoff. Even the birdsong was muted, the singers taking shelter from the storm.

Despite her soaked clothes and the chill rain dripping down her neck, Rushia trudged onward through the gloomy woods. The dancing sunlight and tranquil beauty had vanished, leaving only sodden greenery and shadows.

Rushia sloshed through puddles and muddy patches, her legs caked to the knees in muck. Her lovely raven hair, so soft and smooth before, now clung to her head in soaked strands. She looked less like an enchanted maiden and more like a drowned rat.

But Rushia ignored the miserable weather, focused only on finding her way home. She gripped her wooden stick tightly, the rough bark slick with rainwater.

"Not even storms can deter a knight's quest!" she proclaimed loudly, trying to bolster her courage. But her voice quavered slightly, the brave words at odds with her dread of thunder and lightning.

Booming rumbles echoed through the heavy air, making Rushia jump. She picked up her pace, wanting to find shelter before the skies fully opened up. The mysterious cave was far behind her now.

Trudging uphill, Rushia eventually came upon a rocky overhang providing some respite from the weather. She huddled beneath it, shivering as she wrung the water from her dress.

With the storm as her only companion, doubts began creeping into Rushia's mind. Would she ever find her way back through this endless rain? How long could she survive out here alone? For the first time, the dark mysteries of the forest unsettled her childish imagination.

But Rushia shook her head, banishing those thoughts. Once more, she focused on reuniting with her beloved mother. She would be brave, like the gallant knights in the tales she loved.

Gripping her wooden stick tightly, Rushia peered out into the storm. Somewhere beyond the veil of rain and shadows, her mother waited. Rushia would never stop questing until they were together again.