Day 6 of Freedom
Light. Scrapes against my lids like a rake, invading my eyes. I don't want to open them, not yet, but I must see what happened. All I can remember is collapsing after hours of trudging thru drifts of snow, searching, seeking. I set as many traps as I could, before the weather took a turn for the worst. A blizzard swept in from the north-west, howling at my ears like wolves. Maybe they were wolves, but I cared not. I simply walked until my limbs froze. None of that matters now. What matters is here and now.
I open my eyes. A small wooden hut fills my vision, a fireplace sputtering in the corner. I am lying on a small cot, which, although it is rough, is clean and smells faintly of cedar. My eyes rove around the hut again, taking in the small items along the shelves, the stones and the roots. Whoever's house this is, they are not an elf. Probably an old hermit who lives out in the woods, away from the hustle and bustle of men. I start slightly as someone walks in through the door flap.
He is short, not much taller than me. A grey beard reaches down to his waist, and he leans on a staff for walking. He comes and sits down by the edge of the bed, smiling kindly at me with his warm brown eyes.
"Good mornin'. Old Aaron thoughts ye might be up today. Ia've got some stew, if yed like?"
I stare at him for a moment, then rasp out a few words.
"Yes, please."
He smiles again, then gets up and goes over to the fire, where a kettle is hanging. I just lie back, not really thinking about anything. Its been so long since I felt this way. What was the word? Happy...am I happy? I never knew I could ever be happy again. The elves tried to beat it out of me, they tried to destroy me. I am still here, and I am...happy. I have hope to...for the future. Hope....tis a very long time since I had that....