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I remember the first time I felt the strange pains. I got a cut on my hand, it bled deep and blue, and it hurt terribly. I never knew why. The others faced the same, strange, phantom sensations and wounds opening on their own. UrGoh returned home, and he told us his counterpart bore the same marks. When we asked Aughra, she reminded us of the day we were born, when two died, and their counterparts went with them?
So when I watched as bruises bloomed across my skin, I wondered what my counterpart had done. Did he fall? Was he struck? Did he do it on purpose? Why are we connected this way? It usually was not so bad, the worst any of us had faced was a broken leg on UrUtt, and UrMa would get deep cuts on his arms, but it was always treatable. UrIm tried to connect with his counterpart, to learn why we felt this way, though he refused to tell us what he learned. UrSu insists we must not worry about them, our counterparts are not ours to control. UrGoh is always seeking his out, following the roads his wicked other cuts across Thra’s skin, and he always returns with bruises across his chest and broken bones, he never seems to mind, though.
But I was hurt once, a terrible, searing pain in my gut. Blue blood stained my coat, I could hardly walk back to the village. UrAmaj carried me home, I don’t remember much, I just remember being carried on his back, and it started to rain, and then, I fell asleep.
I dreamed of terrible, terrible things. Poor little podlings being badly hurt and begging me for help, and of plants kept in dark rooms sadly wilting, and I dreamed all my blood came pouring out and wouldn’t stop, no matter how many times UrIm bandaged it.
When I woke, I was in UrIm’s cave, UrAmaj had fallen asleep watching over me. I remember how the suns drifted in through the cave’s entrance and shone a beam of light on UrAmaj’s sleeping face, he seemed to glow. He was beautiful.
And his sweet brown eyes fluttered open and filled with delight, “You’re awake, oh good. How do you feel?” At first I couldn’t answer, I was too lost in his eyes, I could hardly feel the pain in my stomach, all I felt was butterflies.
He reached up and brushed some hair out of my face, tilting his head a bit, “I meant to get up earlier, so I could make you breakfast…” UrAmaj muses softly.
“But I could help you…” My voice came out weaker than I expected, and I began coughing. UrAmaj frowned and gently cupped my face in his hands, “Stay here, rest. I’ll make breakfast, and I’ll brew the tea, too.”
“... But that’s my job…” I protest, but it only makes me cough more.
“Not today.” He replies, and he pulls away and turns to leave.
“Don’t let it steep too long.” I call after him, and he chuckles as he disappears through the doorway.
I must have fallen asleep again while I was waiting, because the next thing I remember is UrAmaj returning, UrIm close behind. “Feeling better, yet?” UrAmaj asks as he holds out a cup of tea to me. I shakily take it, “... No…” I look down at the ripples in the cup, my hands trembling.
UrIm had moved towards a shelf lined with bottles and began searching for one, his tail flicking impatiently back and forth, sweeping wide arcs across the floor and leaving patterns in the dirt. As he lifted his face to see up on a high shelf, the suns’ light caught on his many amulets and necklaces, and scattered little dapples all over him and the cave around us. His amber eyes glittered in all the rays around him, and seemed to make him glow, almost as if, for a moment, he had a halo.
But just as I was admiring him, UrIm suddenly looked up with alarm, and turned towards UrAmaj and I, terror in his eyes.
Our gazes met, and in an instant, searing pain lanced through my arm. UrIm rushed to my side, I wailed as the agony did not stop, UrAmaj said something in a panic but I can’t remember what he said.
I buried my face in UrAmaj’s chest and screamed, he embraced me, the pain continued, and worsened.
Then, I could not feel my hand anymore, but I dared not look, the pain persisted, and I felt something touch the wound; UrIm, already bandaging it. I reeled, UrAmaj held me tightly and tried through his tears to reassure me, “You’ll be alright, it’ll be over soon.”
And I began to get dizzy, the pain worsened, and yet, suddenly, was gone, and so was I.
Before I opened my eyes again, I felt the numbness in my arm– and with dawning horror, realized I could not feel all of it. I tried to sit up, but found I was too weak. I blinked the sticky sleep out of my eyes, and saw UrAmaj fast asleep next to me, holding one of my left hands in his, and I turned my gaze to the other; and saw nothing. My eyes drifted towards my other arm, searching, and yet still, nothing, until I saw a bandaged just below my elbow
There were no words, I could hardly think, but what is there to think of it? UrAmaj must have felt me move, his eyes opened, and he sat up, delighted as before that I was awake. Yet, tears formed in his beautiful brown eyes, and he cupped my face in his hands and said shakily, “I was so scared I was going to lose you.”
I didn’t respond, and he shuffled closer and wrapped his arms around my neck and hugged me, and though he was silent I felt him shutter and silently weep, I didn’t look up, I just felt the tears fall on me.
I couldn’t seem to think of the pain, all I could think of was how gentle his touch was, and how he smelled like spices and herbs, and his hair was softer than spring grass– and I think I would be happy if I spent forever here in his arms.