Emalia woke by nearly falling off of Colin's shoulder when he jerked himself awake. "How... what?" Colin queried. Emalia too, sat up and looked about, for the moment unaware of anything being the matter. "Um, whe.. where are we?"
Emalia stood slowly, looking around. The campfire had vanished, it was apparent from the deciduous trees around them, they were no longer in the same forest as before. Emalia stared harder at the trees, her mind turning over the various plants, smells, and immediately - she realized she was not far from the very same places she had played as a child. They were in the Haon Dor forest.
She had only revealed this to Colin before they noticed Nephesh sprawled out on the ground. Colin shook the boy, but it took Emalia to lay a hand upon him to determine he had fainted. "What is going on here?" Colin again asked.
"I imagine... this little one attempted to move us as we slept and found it too much for him."
"Him? He did this?"
"You don't really believe in him, do you?" Emalia smiled and lifted Nephesh into her arms, leaning the halfling’s head on her shoulder. Inwardly, she smiled at the idea of holding her mentor, his legs dangling in his robes, as if she were his mother. She refused Colin's offer to carry the boy as they decided to take him to a temple, rather than her clan hall.
Still, she was worried about going home, but eventually, she would have to. They navigated through the woods, until finding the road that led back into the heart of Westbridge. They headed unnoticed to Life's Chapel, where Emalia went directly to the priest. "Sir, I am sorry to disturb you, but I am in need of help."
"Is there something wrong with your son?"
"Son... oh no. No. Though he is the one whom I seek to aid. You see, he cast a spell of some sort and he is quite weak from it. I would take him to my clan hall but-"
"There is no need to explain. In through the door, lay him there and I will care for him."
"Thank you."
Emalia returned to Colin's side, her face still worried. "I'm sure they will take good care of him." "I suppose leaving to the mountains is a bit out of the question with Nephesh down and Hellstrom... I wonder where he is... and if he's alright..."
Emalia noticed Colin's look and his shrug. "Emalia... perhaps he chose not to be found."
"I... guess that is possible."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to sadden you but I remember he did want to see you back safely and, well, you are back."
It was true and Emalia knew it. She also had to remember - she had made a choice and it was one she would respect. She nodded and admitted to the need for a shower, and Colin who suggested accompanying her - though only to take turns.
It was how they arrived at her home - and how they ended up without clothes. Emalia allowed Colin the use of her bathing room as she took the clothes and herself out to the river to wash.
The thoughts went through her mind as the cool water raced about her legs. She would soon return to the clan hall and let them all know that, for the time being, she was back in Westbridge. She would have to inform them that she had seen Hellstrom. She then would wait for Nephesh. She found herself wondering, as she scrubbed the clothes in her hands, if it might help to allow Nephesh to come to and bring him back to her home. The garden and river might do him some good.
Hanging the clothes on a root, Emalia dunked herself a final time and turned to see Colin wrapped in a blanket with his eyes riveted to the ground. The sopping wet clothes doubled as a shield as her cheeks grew crimson. A teasing series of daring remarks left her standing nude and exposed, but as Colin drew nearer to her, Emalia could only think of how to avoid the encounter.
She succeeded in getting into the house, her heart the entire time threatening to break from her chest. She quickly donned her clothes, feeling sanctuary in their touch. Emalia looked to Colin with a sigh. "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble."
"I suppose I should dress. I'll spare you any more discomfort and go upstairs. Truly, I am sorry also."
"There are no apologies needed, save my own for being foolish."
"Emalia. No, it's not foolishness. I just... I just wish there was something I could do for you."
"I just wish there were parts of me that could just let go."
"Emalia, I'll take what I can get. You don't need to worry so much about me. The way I see it, something is better than nothing. If I can only have part, then that's what I get."
Emalia stared at the fire for a little longer her mind racing. She saw Hellstrom and thought of his conclusion that Colin was better for her than him. She saw Melchior, throwing a book down as he stormed out of her life. She realized in that instant that no one would love her as Colin would, and it drew her up and over into his embrace.
They had only just begun to lose themselves, when Emalia's fingertip strayed across Colin's back. A long, vertical scar could be felt from the small of his back, up to places Emalia couldn't reach. She slowed the embraces, and entered the questions. She could feel Colin's irritation at her, again, breaking off their embraces, but the desire to see what this was overtook her mind and snapped her libido into nothingness. When he turned around at last, Emalia was in absolute shock. A wound, part healed, part seeming ready to break with new blood was stitched crudely nearly the entire length of his spine. The answer to who did such a think shocked her, but no more than everything else that was to follow.
Colin, himself had inflicted the wound, but for nothing that Emalia could have guessed. He had once been dead, he explained, and had returned only after some unnamed person had constructed a form for him. The words, "flesh golem," were not spoken - and truthfully, Emalia did not know there was a technical term for Colin - but the more he attempted to explain himself, the more Emalia's body revolted from the idea of a constructed body - parts of someone's body in a form - attempting to be with her intimately. Not only that, but again, another person in her life who had once been dead had come back for selfish reasons. Moreover, here was another choice she had made... without knowing the what the consequences would be.
Colin pleaded with her to see him as he always was - he was still the same... but the only thing Emalia wanted to see at that point, was his back - walking out her door. Once he had gone, Emalia slumped onto her couch. Everything was not what it seemed - and it left her wondering what else could possibly go wrong.
