Chapter Two!

Chapter Two

Ella was not able to check on him again until the afternoon. She had just filled up a bucket with a ladle to bring it to him. A few clean rags and scraps of cloth were draped across her arm.
She found him dozing, and he awoke as soon as she set everything on the ground at his side. He looked about him with wide eyes, as if he was unsure about where he was. He looked startled when his gaze finally fell upon Ella, who was getting some of the rags wet beside him.
“I am sure that you do not remember much,” Ella said without looking up, “But I brought you here this morning. I have some water. Are you thirsty?”
He nodded.
She gave him ladle after ladle as he drank greedily, “My name is Ella Thatchie.”
“I’m Yeusem bar Shali,” he looked at her, a questioning look on his handsome face, “Why are you helping me?”
“Never mind that, Yeusem,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You will learn why presently, but not at this moment. You have some nasty wounds, would you permit me to tend to them?”
Nod.
“Good!” she sat down and pulled up his pant leg, “How did you get this thing?”
He winced as she slowly began to clean away the dirt, “I tripped on a rock and fell like a silly fool and the rock cut my leg.”
She nodded, “Sure looks like a rock wound to me.” she accidently broke part of the scab and it began to bleed.
“How.. can you tell?” he asked between clenched teeth.
“Well, surely you can see how jagged the cut it. A cut with a blade would have been a clean cut, unless, of course, the blade was jagged too.”
“Oh.” he sucked in breath and stiffened.
“Sorry if I’m hurting you, but this wound is very dirty. It will never heal properly if it continues this way.”
“Understood.” his face was turning red.
“No one is around besides me. And believe me, I will not be impressed by your efforts. Yell if you want to!” she said, almost giggling at his attempt to be strong. He opened his mouth and groaned loudly.
“That’s it!” she encouraged.
“You have no idea how much this hurts!” he gasped out.
“I do, actually,” Ella replied quietly.
“You’ve...had a wound...like this?”
“Yes...there! Just about done!” she grabbed one of the cloths and ripped it into thin strips. She then wrapped them tightly around his leg, “Does it feel secure?”
“Yes, now can you tell me why you are helping me?”
“You’re a persistent one, aren’t you?” a smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Well, technically, I am your enemy.”
“I guess you could say that is a matter of choice,” she replied.
He quirked an eyebrow quizzically, “How do you mean?”
“It doesn’t matter what ‘race’ you are or that you live on the other side of the world, you’re still human, and therefore free to make choices. You can choose what you believe in and join in the ranks of the light. What’s stopping you?”
He shrugged.
“Alright, why am I helping you?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well, ‘tis kinda hard to explain, but I’ll try,” she chewed on her bottom lip and looked at the ceiling, “I’ll just come right out with it, though it may sound strange,” she took a deep breath and blurted, “I saw a vision of you.”
“You what?”
“I saw a vision of those men abusing you in the woods. I heard you cry out, and I knew that I had to help you. I knew that you were different by the look in your eyes. I knew how to find you because of my vision. I have been to that place many times. I often sit on the log and think. I have also climbed the old oak many times.” she put up her hand to halt his question, “I don’t know how, or why it happened, but it did. And here you are in my barn.”
“Oh.”
“And now my turn.”
“For what?”
“Questions.” she replied. “Sit up, Yeusem, you also have a head wound that I must see to.”
He obliged and sat up. She undid the dirty makeshift bandage and ran her fingers through his short, black hair. The blood was dried and plastered to his scalp. This would not be fun.
“What are you doing in Veranda?” was her first question.
“I am basically an outcast among my own people. No one likes me or wants to be my friend.”
“Why? You are the last person I would expect to be an outcast.”
“Well, I was beginning to have doubts about the religion and customs of my people,” he admitted.
“Ah!”
“Ouch! You’re pulling my hair from my scalp!” he tried to wiggle away from her hands. Her hands followed his head.
“That is dried blood that I am pulling away, not your hair.” Ella contradicted.
“Well, at least try to be more gentle.”
“Yeusem, when it comes to dried blood, gentleness is the last thing on my mind,” she dabbed at the wound with a wet rag to loosen the blood from his hair. They were silent for a while, until Ella finished cleaning it and wrapped a fresh cloth around his head. She sighed, “I know how it feels to be an outcast.”
“You? How?” he looked surprised.
“How?” Ella chuckled, “You are obviously blind, the reason is before your eyes.” she took off her mask and locked eyes with him. After a few minutes he looked away from her piercing gaze.
“I see now,” he said quietly.
Silence reigned in the barn again. Yeusem took occasional glances at Ella, but other than that, he stared at the straw.
Finally, Ella got up and looked at Yeusem, “I will see if I can get you some blankets and some food. I will be gone for a while, so just stay here and don’t go out of the barn. My mother never comes in here, but it does not hurt to be safe.”
“Your mother?” he quirked an eyebrow again.
“Yes, my mother, who practically hates to look at me and only has me ‘round because I do all the chores and make her tea.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll be back later. Hopefully with a few more things with me,” she winked, “I will keep the water bucket here,”she turned to leave.
“Thank you, Ella.”
“Think nothing of it, Yeusem.” she turned on her heels and stalked out of the barn.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Ella! Where were you?” her mother demanded, her hands on her hips and scowling.
“In the barn, feeding and watering the animals,” she replied quietly.
Her mother frowned, “And what are you doing without your mask?”
“I..I took it off in the barn and forgot to put it back on.”
“Then I suggest you go and get it.”
“Yes, Madame,” she turned to leave, but quickly turned back, “One of the baby goats is looking quite sickly, may I bring some old blankets with me to wrap her up in?” Ella hoped her explanation would work.
“Yes, yes,” she waved her hand dismissively, “Just so long as it is an old one.”
“Thank you,” Ella rushed into the hallway and opened a cupboard, pulling out several old and faded blankets. She then dashed out towards the barn.
“Yeusem!” she called, “’Tis I, Ella.”
“Back already?” he grinned.
Ella laughed, “I left my mask here, and I made up an excuse for the blankets.” she set them down beside Yeusem, “They may be faded and old, but they are clean, and should keep you warm.”
“Thank you.” he took one and rolled it into a ball for a pillow.
Ella grinned, “Good idea.” She looked around the barn, sure enough, her mask was in a corner of the stall, half buried in straw. She put it on and turned towards her friend who was making a bed for himself out of the blankets. He looked up,
“I like you better without the mask,” he said, smiling.
“Really?” her jaw dropped and her voice held obvious surprise. Before waiting for a reply, she said, “ Well, I gotta go!” with that, she shot out of the barn.
This had to be the first time in her life that someone did not mind her not wearing her mask. Not only that, but he had said that he liked her better without it. She shook her head, there is no way that anyone would like the sight of her face.
He must be blind..yes! That’s it! He’s a bit blind from his knock in the head and cannot see my face properly! No...what am I doing? He paid me a compliment...I will take it and be grateful. She fairly floated back to the house.
“I’m back, Madame,” she whispered, her bliss gone with the sight of her mother. There was one person who would never give her a compliment. To many, her mother was a beautiful woman. Ella could see that herself. She was elegant, tall, fair with blonde hair, and not a wrinkle or freckle on her face. But Ella had seen the hate behind those stunning eyes, she had seen her brows furrow when she frowned at Ella, and she had heard scorn and contempt in the sometimes sweet voice. She knew what Widow Thatchie was really like.
She went about her evening chores, and even slipped away to bring Yeusem food. But he was asleep, so she simply put it beside him and quietly left the barn. As she lay in her bed, her mind was a tornado of wild thoughts and replayed scenes from that day. She had never had anything happen like this, ever. And she marveled, she had a friend. One who did not mind to look at her. Those brown eyes had looked at her as he would look at a friend..no..as a sister. She was sure of it. There was an unspeakable tenderness in both his chocolate eyes and voice.
“I like you better without it.” he had said to her.
She had never felt special before in her life. She looked up at the ceiling, and grinned. She wished this happy moment would last forever.