Mirune Otina

It was a pretty normal day in our little village. I did laundry with Mother, and I bought a few things at the market. While I was there, I felt a tingle go through my whole body, like something terrible just happened. I hurried home to Mother and we cooked our evening meal, cooked lamb meatballs and some sliced carrots. "What's wrong, dear?" Mother had asked me when she saw that I was not eating my food.
"It's nothing. I just thought I felt something a little bit ago, like a chill."
"Well, you are past that age, dear."
"Mother, no, it's not that. Like something bad happened I think."
"Is it bothering you?" I nodded my head, and so did Mother. "Maybe you should go to bed then."
"Yes, I think I will."
"Remember to take care of your plate, dear."
"Of course, Mother." I got up and put my plate on the counter. "Good night, Mother." I started to feel anxious, so I went to bed early. I think it has something to do with that feeling from earlier. So I went to bed and had a really strange dream. It was really dark, and I saw someone crying. I couldn't tell who, though.
I woke up that next morning feeling quite rested. I washed all the dishes and went outside for a walk. I walked toward the gate that led out of the village, and saw something strange. Maybe one hundred yards off, a dark figure was walking toward our village. It was just another traveler, so I started to turn. As I did, though, the dark figure fell. I froze for a moment, to see if whoever it was would get up, and they didn't. So I ran out toward this person, to see if I could help. As I got closer, I realized that it was a young man. Maybe twenty years old. He had long, jet black hair.
I noticed that he didn't have a shirt on, and my face burned hot. I shook my head hard, because I already had a boyfriend. "H-hello?" I looked around at his face for signs of life. Only then did I notice the sword strapped to his side, but he wasn't wearing a soldier's uniform. I wondered who he was.
He suddenly moved, and slowly pulled himself up and looked at me with glazed green eyes. He didn't say anything, but instead stood up shakily. As soon as he took another step, though, he stumbled, so I helped to support him. He didn't resist my help, so I took him toward my house. I felt him quivering with exhaustion while I helped him walk. I felt him wheeze with each step, and wondered how far he'd walked. Where he'd come from.
We approached my house and I took him inside. Mother wasn't there. She was working in the kitchen in the manor, so I helped him to the couch, where he laid down. When he laid down, I noticed he had dozens of nasty bruises all over him. I walked to the kitchen and grabbed some ointment Mother had made. Since he fell asleep, I gently rubbed the ointment over his bruises, noticing the hard features of his muscle. He had to have been a warrior of some sort. When I finished applying the ointment, I checked his temperature, which was normal, thank goodness.
I decided to let him sleep, but first I needed to take his sword off. I did just that, and I got curious. I slowly unsheathed the sword, and gasped. It was smeared with blood. I nearly had a heart attack when he grabbed my wrist just then. I looked at him, at his eyes, and I saw confusion and fear, but something else. Like an understanding. I knew that he was a great man. I put his sword down, and easily pushed him down onto the couch. He was so exhausted that he wasn't able to resist even a push from a young girl. I grabbed a wooden chair that Mother had bought some years earlier and sat down next to him to keep him company. I needed to make sure he would be ok.
I jumped when a knock sounded at our door. Who would be calling? Mother wasn't home yet.. I walked slowly over to the door and said, "Who's there?"
"I think you know, princess. Let me in." A young man's voice called from the other side.
It was Jeremy! I opened the door and hugged him. "Hi, Jeremy. Aren't you supposed to be working?"
“Nah, I have the day off. What are you cooking? It smells awful!”