I found her while hunting garna almost three years ago. She had been wearing strange clothing and was barefoot. Her clothes were torn and far too thin for the weather. Her body was suffering from the blizzard the night before and she looked ragged like she’d been running before the blizzard. Her feet were bleeding and there was a hole the size of an arrow shaft in her left shoulder. She was lying in the snow shivering, arms wrapped around herself. Her hair barely came to the middle of her back, and was loose and flowing free like a maiden’s. There were two rings on her right hand but none on her left. Her eyes opened briefly showing a steel blue that made me think of cold metal. She was delightfully rounded, her body hadn’t been underfed, but her face held deep sadness, not just from her discomfort. There was a frown wrinkle that looked like it’d been there a long time between her blonde brows, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She sobbed a little then passed out. I carried her to the cabin, put her in the bed, and covered her in furs to warm her. Once I was sure she would stay warm, I went to town to get the Fruh, the village doctor. 

“You were supposed to be hunting garna. A woman is not food you know, Grone,” he groaned at me while he started looking her over. I gave him a withering look. Fruh quickly went about treating her wounds, cleaning her feet and the wound in her shoulder. 

“I know she’s not garna, but I couldn’t leave her in the snow, Fruh,” I grumbled, “Women are delicate.”

“This woman doesn’t look all that delicate.” I looked askance at Fruh but left him to his work while I went about worrying over her bedding. I found my brush and gently brushed out her hair. He did everything he could to get her to wake. He gave me four bottles of potions, two for healing her body and two to feed her. For the last three years, I’ve been regularly feeding her unconscious body the potions. She finally woke up today. When I felt her move, I looked at her, happy to see her eyes open.

“You’re awake! I’m so glad you finally joined me.” I don’t know if she understood me because she didn’t say anything. I jumped up and ran to the firepit, doling out a bowl of chooba for her. I came back and helped her sit up. She had thinned a little since not being able to eat regular food. She looked around with a confused gaze at the house while I fed her the chooba.

“You’ve been asleep for quite a while, Milady. I hadn’t been able to get you to wake for such a long time. I couldn’t find anyone who knew you either so I’m sure we’re going to find out some stories when you start talking. It’s been three years since I found you,” I knew I was babbling at some point. Just randomly talking to her about what I’d done over the last three years to help her recover. The exercise that Doctor Jubil had suggested to keep her muscles from atrophy, the sponge baths to keep her body clean, she responded to none of it but didn’t seem uncomfortable.

After she finished the chooba I went to clean up the dishes. She spoke, a soft rasp from lack of use, and I couldn’t understand anything she said, my head tilting to the side. She moved her hands like she was drinking from a cup and I caught on. I ran outside and grabbed a drinking horn and filled it with water from the rain barrel and came back with it, gently giving it to her. After she had a few sips she laid her head back and almost immediately fell back to sleep. 

Well, understandable. She’s had a workout just waking up after three years. I tried to keep the disappointment off my face while I laid her back down in the bed, and stroked her cheek while she slept. She didn’t seem frightened of me, which was good. Other women had been terrified of me because of the scar on my face. Though I was a knight I had no women willing to be near me because I was just a commoner. 

I watched her sleep for a little while, then moved to work on the pelts to be sold on the morrow. I’d have to figure out how to communicate with her, hand gestures wouldn’t cut it for long. And she’d need more clothes soon, she couldn’t wear my old shirts forever. We’d have to go to town soon for her clothes or get the tailor to come here, no I wouldn’t want another man besides the doctor to see her body. Jealousy flared up in me again, it was why I hadn’t ordered clothes already even though she’d been in my house for three years. I grumped at myself, “Old fool, she probably has a husband.” But if she did, why hadn’t he come looking for her? If she had anyone, why hadn’t they come looking for her? I’ve asked myself these questions over and over over the last three years. Who was she, what was the significance of the rings on her hand, why had she been wandering in the woods? Where was she from that she would wear the things she had on? I’d hidden those from the doctor back then, gotten her in one of my shirts, and told him I found her wandering. 

The shirt she had on when I found her was strange, it was black and the sleeves ended just above her elbows. It had a strange painting on it, skeletal monsters and flying skulls. I couldn't have Fruh thinking she was a child of the dark and refusing to help her. She didn’t feel evil. 

I’d always been able to sense the kinds of people I was around. I could tell someone’s intentions and emotions. Hers had been calm but worried, curious but reserved. Watching her sleep for the last three years I had been wondering what kind of woman she was and where she was from. Her brief waking today didn’t tell me anything except she was a foreigner. 

I sighed and looked out the smoke vent and watched as the sky grew darker. Time for sleep. I banked the fire in the pit, moved to the other side of the bed where she was sleeping, and slid into the furs leaving plenty of room between us so that if she woke again, she wouldn’t think I was going to harm her. I would hope she wouldn’t, but at the same time, she’s only just woken up and has no idea who or what I am.

Deeply sighing I turned my back to her so I wouldn’t be tempted to touch her or stay awake watching the moonlight on her face. I did need to sleep after all, and it finally took me. 

When dawn broke, I woke to find her watching me. Her dark blue eyes quizzical, she reached a hand stroking a stray hair from my face. I didn’t sense anything but curiosity from her so I didn’t move but watched her quietly. I smiled when she tucked the hair behind my ear and said something. I would imagine it meant good morning so I responded, “Good Morning, my lady.” 

She tilted her head at me, and repeated it back, “G- Good morning, my lady.” I smiled and laughed a little as she looked at me with a little frown, I sensed she wasn’t angry at me for laughing but more curious as to what she got wrong.

“Good morning.” A bright smile and she repeated it. I pointed to her, “my lady.” 

She shook her head, pointed to herself, and said, “ah-del-high-de”. She tapped her chest, “Adelheide.” 

I smiled and repeated her then pointed to myself and said, “Grone”. She repeated my name, touching my chest, then what I guessed to be her name touching her chest. “Beautiful,” I said, pointing to her. She tilted her head to the side not knowing what I’d said but she smiled. Her rounded cheeks lifted and I felt my heart skip a beat. Her smile was so lovely. Her cheeks blushed softly.