Chapter 52

Following him inside when they had sent a servant to fetch the medicine man.

"Hmm?" Ash shifted into reality, previously lost in thoughts.

"I’m worried about our visitor,” she confessed and furrowed her eyebrows when she realized he was not paying any attention to her. "What are you thinking about?" She wondered.

"It is nothing, my mind just went back to Frost and what he could possibly be doing at the moment,” he heaved a sigh.

"Why would you suddenly remember him?" Myan furrowed her eyebrows, "do you think he has some sort of connection with this lady?" She asked, sitting by his foot.

"No…I just remembered his punishment and felt a bit of pity for him if I'm being honest." Ash said.

"Punishment?" Now that he mentioned it, she realized she hadn't put full thoughts to Frost since the last time they saw. She had no thoughts for him. It was almost as if he had been wiped away from her memory. "What even happened to him? I've not stopped to think about him for even a day."

"Anukgo cast him in a bottomless pit, I tell you he is suspended in the middle of nowhere at this point, screaming his lungs out as he falls into an endless pit."

"But forget that." He stood to his feet. "what is the cause of your worries, my dear?" He placed his hands on her shoulder, forcing a smile.

"It is nothing, it's fine,” she sighed, figuring it would be pointless to keep bringing her worries about their guest up. That did not mean she wouldn't be wary though.

She returned to the bedroom where they had left their guest and saw the confused woman wrapping her arms around herself, her knees drawn to her chest.

"Hello?" Myan began in a gentle voice, moving closer. "I think it is rude to not acknowledge you with a name, I'll call you Maria,” she offered.

Maria stared back as if she expected an attack. Noticing, Myan took a few steps backwards. "It is okay. The medicine man will be here soon, but in the meantime, would you like something to eat?" Myan requested to know.

She was being careful with her questions, not wanting to set her off the wrong way.

Maria simply shook her sweaty forehead.

Myan took that as a request for personal space, nodded and turned around so she could readily take her leave, but Maria halted her steps with a call for her name.

"Wait. Who are you? Where did you find me? You still haven't answered my questions and it is driving me crazy,” she snapped.

"My husband and I have no connection with you. We have no relations to your dismay. My husband was kind enough to bring you here. I hope you can remember that." Myan told her, clearing whatever doubt Maria possibly had.

Myan left the room, promising herself to investigate this to its last bit.

***

The medicine man had managed to calm Maria down after series of talks, trying to assure her that she would regain her memory if she remained consistent with the herbs he had brought to her.

Myan had asked a servant to prepare a room for their guest, knowing now that she was going to be staying a long time. "We can't just let her out there on her own." Ash had said. She wondered what had happened to the tough man she used to know. She did not like the fact he allowed a complete stranger into their home, memory loss or not.

He was lying asleep next to her on their bed, snoring loudly. She sat up with a sigh and made her way for the bathroom.

Myan couldn't resist the urge to sneak up on their guest although she managed to convince herself that the 'only' reason she had gotten up was because she had to pee.

Her worries on getting the door open without waking Maria up were gone because the door was wide open, and Maria was missing.

"Maria?" She squinted her eyes, walking in with slow steps.

A big part of her didn't want to alert Ash, wanting Maria to have gone as far as she could get but her conscience did not permit it.

"Ash?" She called, heading in the direction of their room.

"As…" she called, trailing off into a scream…something was pulling her feet but there was no one there. Before she could get the time to alert anyone, she was leaving the room without self control.

"Help!" Her voice trailed off in the distance.