In the Light of Morning

They had remained beneath the rock in uncomfortable positions until morning. There had been the rustling of leaves and quiet movements during the night but both Elim and Asha had made no sound. Now, that the morning light was here, Elim was ready to begin their journey back to the outside of Maribah where it would be easy for them to make contact with Asha's family.

"You must wake up because it's time to resume our journey," he whispered to the beautiful sleeping form of Asha. He knew she must have been weary from curling up underneath the rock, but leaving now was paramount.

"Are we safe to go? Are they gone?"

"I doubt it but in the light of morning I can see the faces of foes and defeat them easily. Come we must make it to the horse if it is still there."

Asha followed Elim's footsteps, her eyes darting around as she ran in fear of their enemies. The horse was there just as they had hoped. But as they mounted the horse and was about to leave two of Odmodo's men stood in their way. Elim knew there was no running away from this fight but he needed to be sure it was just the two men.

"Hand her over and maybe we wouldn't have to fight you. And you can live to tell the story," one of the men yelled, his strong face contorting menacingly.

"Oh, you cowards, have you forgotten how I beat you the last time? Are you sure you wish to go again?" Elim boasted as he halted the horse.

"You are the coward, and we will teach you a lesson if you don't hand her over now!" the men threatened.

"Stay on this horse. Hold it tight. When we begin to fight, find a way to run past them. Find a safe place to hide, and I will find you later. I believe it is just the two of them, left by Odmudo perhaps to catch you when you leave Aku village," Elim instructed.

"But will you be... they are coming!" Asha shrieked as the men drew out their swords, running towards Elim.

"Go now!" Elim screamed as he unsheathed his own sword and charged at the men after he had spanked the horse to get it moving. One of the men attempted to stop the horse, but Elim slashed his hands after knocking the other assailant to the ground:

Once he was certain Asha was no longer at the battlefield, he charged towards the men who attacked him simultaneously. It was a tough fight as he tried to fend off the attacks from the two men while also delivering his own vicious blows.

Away from the fighting scene, Asha's heart pounded in fear that something might happen to Elim. She was terrified of being all alone and losing him. Unable to control the horse, she dismounted and hid behind a shrub to watch the intense fight between Elim and the men. With every strike, her heart ached at the thought of Elim dying. She knew she had to do something. Scanning the area, she spotted a sturdy stick. Courageously, she thought if she could use it to disable one of the men, then Elim could easily handle the other.

Her determination led her into the fighting scene. Despite her small, tired legs, she mustered the strength to run towards them, ready to attack. Elim spotted her immediately as she approached, catching him off guard, but he managed to stop one of the men from striking him by holding him off with his sword followed by a devastating blow.

But he wasn't the only one who saw Asha heading towards them with her mighty stick. One of their attackers did. Before she could reach them, the other men she intended to attack had already spotted her. Elim noticed one of them heading towards her. His mind raced, knowing he had to act quickly to protect her. He nudged the man he was fighting aside and rushed towards the other attacker to stop him. With a swift thrust of his sword, he stabbed the man, stopping the man in his tracks and preventing him from reaching Asha.

"Behind you!" Asha screamed, holding her stick midway in the air as she saw the other attacker rising from the ground toward Elim.

But Elim wasn't fast enough to avoid the man's sword, and it sliced through his shoulder. He grunted in pain but fought back with all his strength, pushing the man to the ground and delivering a fatal stab to his stomach.

"We must leave now!" he yelled, as Asha stared at the dying man in horror.

"But you're bleeding," she exclaimed, noticing the blood seeping from Elim's wound.

"Come! We will stop at a nearby village to take care of it," he said, pulling her towards the horse. "I didn't want you to see the ugly side of me. Why did you come back?"

"To save you. I couldn't bear losing you."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you have fallen for me," he remarked, placing her on top of the horse with his shoulder still bleeding. But she said nothing, leaving him uncertain of her feelings. Was she in love with him or did she hate the idea?

"We must hurry. I need to take care of your wound before it gets worse," she insisted.

Elim chuckled at the thought of a woman fretting over him. If only she knew what he had been through since his family was torn apart by the king.

When they arrived at a nearby village, they found a place to rest while Asha tended to Elim's wound.

"I can swear the Asha I rescued from Maribah isn't the same as the one I see now. You have changed," he observed.

"You keep saying that as if it's something bad," she replied.

"No, I mean it as a compliment. You've toughened up. Many others would have lost it after enduring what you have. But you rose above it. Now, you're saving me. Thank you, Asha, for taking care of me," he expressed sincerely.

Asha paused, watching him intently. His eyes locked onto hers, stirring emotions deep within her heart. Beautiful feelings for someone who is a killer? She inwardly sighed. Despite witnessing him kill two men, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. Maybe his son wasn't so ugly or perhaps that's what she really hoped because she truly cared about him. 

"Are you ready to tell me your story? How did you become the way you are now? Is the rumor true about your family?" she inquired.

"I see that the old, curious Asha is in there somewhere after all," he remarked. 

"You can't blame me for wanting to know about you and the famous open secret in Maribah. I mean, if we are to work together, I should know about your past and why you wish the king dead. Tell me!"

"Alright, I will tell you because it is the right time. But Asha, what is most important is finding a way to communicate with your family, and I have no idea how we can get that done. If there's no way, we might have to go into Maribah. I will have to take the risk of going in to find a way to speak to my mother."

"That's too risky! There must be another way for us to let them know that they must help us!" Asha exclaimed, her concern evident.

"I don't know of one. The only entrance for me into Maribah was compromised when I tried to kill the king but failed. We must make our way to Maribah and hope Odmudo would be too distracted with finding you elsewhere to figure out that we are headed back there," Elim explained solemnly.

"I am hopeful it will all work out. We will find a way together. I am no longer afraid of the king. Now, tell me your story," Asha urged.

Sitting close to Elim, Asha could feel his warmth and sensed his eyes on her as he began his story. Being beside him felt natural, and hearing him recount the most painful story she had ever heard stirred a desire to console him. Now, she could understand why he was so broken. It was the evil king's fault. If only she could guarantee him that they would both find their way home, a way to reunite with their loved ones.

——

But as they hoped to find their way home, home was coming to them in the form of Nemere. She was traveling with another man who would protect her on her journey to find Asha or anything that would link her to them. This was her own way of redeeming herself for causing Asha's misfortunes.

"Can you do this?" She recalled the Queen's questions as she explained her mission after Nena had summoned her to the Queen's Chambers. She was to meet a rich man who had been exiled from Maribah in some strange village. The queen had assured her that this very man would know something about Elim's whereabouts. A smile spread over her face as she thought about meeting her good friend Asha again.