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Sunlight. She’d forgotten how bright it was. She’d forgotten how warm it was. She’d forgotten so much in the time she’d been gone. Dear gods, how long had she been gone? It couldn’t have been more than a few weeks. Could it? Maybe it had been years and she’s forgotten. So much forgotten…
Stumbling into the sunlight, it felt like breathing again. The cold air hit her like a brick, the bright light made her squint and she never wanted it to stop. She didn’t need to look down. She knew she had passed the threshold. She was free. They made it. They made it.
Eurydice couldn’t help but laugh out loud. A joy unlike anything she’d ever known overcame her as she took in deep breaths of chilly air. The snow was starting to melt, the first birds were rustling in the bare trees. Spring was coming.
He’d done it. He’d truly done it and brought back spring. Orpheus.
Her lover stood a few steps in front of her, still as a stone, back still turned. She approached him. „We did it.“ She said with a hoarse voice, carefully laying her hand on his should. Turn around. Look at me.
The tension in his shoulders melted away. „We did it.“ He agreed and took her hand. He was shaking, his skin as cold as the morning dew.
He turned around.
Eurydice gasped and held his hand tighter. She knew what he’d done for her. What he’d faced for her. Yet here, in the unforgiving sunlight, she truly understood. Every bruise, every scrape, every cut. He was dirty from the long road and bloody from the fights, and to her, he’d never been more beautiful. She took a step toward him, laying a hand on his cheek. He hissed when the dirt touched his raw skin. Without hesitation she kissed his swollen lips. „Let’s go home.“ She whispered.
„Home.“ He echoed, eyes still far away.
It hit her like a hammer. Something was wrong. Orpheus was exhausted, barely able to stand, his eyes flat and unfocused. Thinking fast she steadied him with her hands on his shoulders. Not a moment too soon, as he started to sway. „Orpheus!“ She called out to him, earning barely a reaction. With grunts of effort she helped him sit down and lean against a boulder. Frantically she starting patting him down. Maybe he broke something, maybe he had an internal injury no one had noticed? A thousand possibilities ran though her head. She’d been on the road so long, she’d seen so much and worse. Eurydice patted down his head and gave a sigh of relief when she found little blood and no sign of a major injury. One of his eyes was swollen, his brow and lip split and a big bruise on his cheek. All his ribs seemed fine, if bruised to hell and back. Eurydice gave a gasp when she finally found what she was hoping not to find.
Orpheus’ left leg was in a poor state. There was a makeshift bandage all around his calf. The fabric was dark and wet and smelt awfully bad. Eurydice cursed under her breath. They had to get to safety, yet the town was still hours away and she had no idea how Orpheus had walked with this kind of injury. Next best thing: Shelter, preferably with access to water. Either way, they had to move. „Let’s go.“ She said to her lover, as she slung his arm over her shoulder and heaved both of them up. Orpheus groaned in protest, but he stayed standing. They starting walking.
Soon exhaustion started pulling on Eurydice. Orpheus might’ve been a twig, but he was also tall and heavier than expected. Though trying to limp on his own, he kept falling back onto her support.
The sun was already starting to dip toward the horizon when her legs gave out. With a grunt they collapsed into the snow. Eurydice bit back a yelp, the cold brought back memories of desperation and hunger. She rose quickly, shaking the snow from her. Beside her Orpheus stirred and sat up, looking at her as in a daze. „Eurydice.“ He said.
„Yes, it’s me.“ With shaking legs she pulled him up, praying to whoever cared enough to even listen. They needed to find shelter. Night was approaching fast and neither of them were in good shape.
„Listen.“ Orpheus muttered beside her. „Music.“
Eurydice stopped in confusion. There was no one around for miles. Did he hear animals and mistake them for people? Or maybe just the wind in the branches? Just as she wanted to dismiss his comment, she heard it. A ripple. Somewhere beyond the trees, a promise of water. Filled with hope once again, she stumbled onward.
When she saw the river, she felt like crying. It wasn’t that big, but clean and hidden in a trench, sheltered from the worst of the wind and snow. As careful as she could, she put Orpheus down between the roots of a big tree and pat his cheek a few times. „We need food and firewood. I’ll be back.“
He hummed, if in agreement of confusion, she couldn’t tell. She itched to do more, clean his wound and dress it, stay with him, warm him. There were other things more important now. Stiff fingers collected as much wood as possible, mainly twigs, quick but easy to burn. She could focus on the bigger logs later. In her many pockets she stuffed all the seeds, nuts and berries she could find. It would have to do for now.
With aching legs she hurried back to their makeshift camp and set up the fire. Finally she turned to Orpheus, who sat exactly where she left him, skin cold and clammy. He looked at her and recognition flashed in this eyes. „Eurydice.“ He mumbled.
„Yes.“ She kissed him.
„I missed you.“ He said and smiled. Oh that smile, that beautiful innocent smile. Quickly Eurydice shook herself. No time for poetry now, surviving was what she was good at. She tore off the shredded remains of Orpheus’ pant leg and carefully unwrapped the makeshift bandages. The smell of iron hit her hard and she paused to steady herself. Propping his leg on her knee she finished unwrapping. There was a bite mark. The skin around swollen and red. One of the guard dogs must’ve caught up to him. She’d seen but a glimpse of them, while leaving. In tense silence she cleaned the wound and reapplied the bandage she’d cleaned and hung up to dry over the fire. It wasn’t ideal, but would have to do until they got back to town.
She fed Orpheus some nuts and berries and gave him water from the stream. He seemed too confused to question any of it. After eating all she had left and the night setting in, she stoked the fire as much as she could and snuggled beside her lover. Thus they spent the night, barely asleep, shivering beside the small fire.
Eurydice woke first in the dim light of the first sun rays, struggling against the early morning mist. She felt like she was frozen solid, but oh so alive and free. With new determination she turned to her lover. His cheeks and head were red and hot. Eurydice swore and shook him until he opened his eyes and mumbled in protest.
„We need to keep going. We’re almost there.“ She urged him until he let himself be pulled up.
Beside her he seemed to radiate heat, every now and the trying to tug on his neckerchief or shirt. Overnight the fever had set in. The wound was definitely infected. Eurydice remembered a couple from the town. They were good with herbs. They could help. They could save him. She was not willing to give up. Not when they’ve come so far.
Not long after she could see the first house on the horizon and it took all of her strengt to keep going. So close. She was so close.
A few steps from the door they collapsed. The last thing she knew was footsteps and voices, her last lucid thought praying that Orpheus was alright.
This time Eurydice awoke in a bed. Soft and warm and safe. With a content sigh she opened her eyes and looked around. A small table with a jug of water and a meager slice of bread right beside the bed. She wolfed it down before thinking too hard about it.
Someone had found them. Them. Orpheus. She jumped out of the bed, noting in the back of her mind that she was wearing a rough chemise. She’d been washed, her hair clean and braided back.
Almost smashing the door she stumbled out of the room into what appeared to be a main hall. No, a living room, but bigger. Tables and chairs sat on the side, out of the way. A counter stood to her right with glasses and bottles. A bar. Hermes’ bar.
The very same sat by the lit hearth, a pile of blankets next to him. As if sensing her, he turned around and lifted his glass. „Eurydice, come join us.“
She did, standing as close as she dared, hoping to soak up as much warmth as possible. It took her a moment to notice the guitar sitting next to Hermes. It looked freshly cleaned and polished, if a lot more marks on it than before. „Orpheus?“ She asked carefully, almost fearing an answer.
Hermes gestured downwards, to the pile of blankets beside him. Except, between them she could a mess of floppy hair sticking out. She knelt down beside it and pulled the blankets back a bit. Orpheus was lying here, safe. She felt his head and cheeks. They felt cooler then she remembered. Peeling back the blankets further, she finds his wound neatly dressed in proper bandages and is relieved to feel the skin no longer hot and swollen.
„He’ll be fine.“ Hermes says, taking a sip.
„Did you find us?“ Eurydice asks timidly, suddenly remembering him to be a god.
Hermes shrugs. „Nah, but I took you in. Figured I owed you as much.“
She felt like kissing his feet. „Thank you, thank you so much Mr. Hermes.“
With a wave of Hermes’ hand the blankets fold themselves back over Orpheus and one over her. „Don’t mention it.“ He stares unblinkingly at her. „Don’t.“ And she realizes he means it literally.
Before she can react, Hermes gets up and leaves the room, leaving them alone in front of the hearth. With a smile Eurydice pushes some strands away from her lover’s face. They made it. They’ll be alright. She presses a kiss to his head and watches as a soft smile spreads across his face.
Outside the window, she can see sunlight and the first sprouts coming through the snow. In the distance, a train was blowing. Spring has come again.