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She crossed her ankle and shifted her weight in her seat. “No. There is another settlement not far from here, Stone Haven. Their land borders our own. They have been vying for our land and hunting grounds for years. They are only out for themselves, though, and are little better than the Others that live in the valley. A peace treaty is in the works but has yet to be officially secured. We knew this mission would be dangerous, and only the best soldiers would go to escort the group across the border.”
She paused. Her face contorted at her last words. What caused her pain?
“Continue, Eva,” Samuel said.
She sighed, and something dark passed over her face. “The day of the mission, I took the lead—”
He laughed. “You lead?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is that funny?”
“No. I’m just . . . surprised. You’re so young.”
Eva crossed her arms. “You can’t be that much older than myself. I’m almost twenty-one, more than capable. But anyway, yes, I led the crew across the border. We retrieved the civilians and were almost back onto our land when Stone Haven attacked. We were ambushed. We held them off, but fire was exchanged, and it got messy. The soldiers ended up in hand-to-hand combat. But it was the explosion that threw us. W-we weren’t expecting that.”
Her voice broke, and her eyes refused to meet his. It was then that he was overcome with the need to comfort her. He started to move but halted his action. What role did she play in him being here?
She shook her head and looked at him with a renewed vigor. “Our crew held them off as we gathered up civilians. That’s when I found you. You were unconscious and bleeding—it was evident you took the brunt of the blast. We brought you here and I treated your wounds. Y-you were out a long time—weren’t sure if you’d make it at first.” She smiled. “But you’re strong. A survivor... a warrior.”
He leaned back against the chair, absorbing the information. “Are you saying I’m one of the civilians from the south?”
She nodded. “Y-yes. We believe so. The soldiers from Stone Haven wear red sashes tied around their right arms. You had no band. Your clothes were primarily black, well, the parts that weren’t singed.”
“Can any of the other civilians you brought here from the south identify me?”
She shook her head. “I needed help attending your wounds. One of the women, Mildred, from the settlement in the south assisted me. She had no idea who you were, but she did tell me they picked up a few young men on their way here. She said you were one of them.”
He stood now. “Point the men out to me. I’ll talk to them myself—”
“They’re dead. I’m sorry. Mildred said they didn’t return to Everwood. We believe you are the only survivor of the three.”
He started pacing. “So, no one knows who I am?”
Could they be lying to him? What purpose would that serve?
No. What she said made sense. It would explain how he came to this place and his memory loss—his wounds.
Samuel moved to his side. “You are welcome to make a life here. Maybe, with time, your memory will return, but for now, we’ll have to give you a name.”
His hands raked through his hair. No home. No family. No name. His heart was racing again. The room was spinning. His breaths came hard and fast. The walls closing in—
In the midst of his panic, her hands were on his arms, anchoring him back to reality. One minute everything was black, the next she was there. The angel.
She gave him a smile that was both beautiful and reassuring. “I know this is a lot, but it’s not the end of your life. Think of it as a clean slate, Krieger.” The apples of her cheeks grew large.
How could such a sweet, gentle woman lead a battle? She didn’t know him, yet she was trying to comfort him. Why did she care?
He relaxed at her touch. “Krieger?”
She smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. “Yeah, you look like a Krieger.”
Did he? Any name would do, but the fact that she picked it out seemed fitting. She did, after all, save his life; she had earned the right to give him whatever title she saw fit.
Moreover, he liked Krieger; the name had a nice ring to it. It was different, like him—like his situation.
Samuel approached them. “It’s settled then. Eva will show you around. You will be assigned your very own hut, an occupation, and life will move forward.”
What choice did he have? He should get on with the act of living and hope that a piece of his memory came back. Besides, he wanted to come here, right?
