Chapter 37 Section thirty-seven

In a daze, I vaguely heard the brisk ringtone, and I lay still, admiring the looping melody.Suddenly, the memory revived, and I remembered the situation before I lost consciousness. I sat up in shock, ignoring the sharp pain in my chest, and looked around, and the surroundings were pitch black. I couldn't see anything, and for a moment I thought I was still in the forest at night, and when I looked at the sky, there wasn't a single star. The bell rang again, as if suspended in mid-air, and I turned to the direction of the sound.What appeared to be a bed beneath me confirmed my feelings as I ran my fingers down to the duvet.The bedding is so soft, after these hard days, I really want to lie down again and enjoy this luxurious happiness.

But I immediately thought of Nicholas and Ilo, and I sat up again, calling out their names, looking around blankly, eager to sort out my confused thoughts.No one answered, only the faint ringtone responded to me.I reached over to the mattress again to make sure it was real and not the product of my overly imaginative. This is not hallucination. I look around.The air was scented with spring flowers, but the darkness remained impenetrable.I called out the names of the two children again. no answer. Suddenly, there was a sound in front, like the sound of a door opening.I looked towards where the sound was coming from, but still couldn't see anything.Someone's voice, a woman speaking to me, her language I do not understand, but her voice is very gentle.I still can't see anything.I suddenly understood: my eyes!I instinctively reached out to touch it, but what my fingers touched was a gauze bandage.

I started tugging at the strip of cloth in horror, when a pair of warm hands gently grasped my wrist.The soothing tone added meaning to the unfamiliar language. I obediently lowered my hand and asked, "Excuse me, who are you? Where are Nicholas and Ilo? Are they safe?" A series of questions blurted out, and I waited. Less than the previous answer, the next one came again.And the response I got was only comforting words, apparently persuading me to take a good rest. The other party obviously couldn't understand what I said, but I still asked the question stubbornly. Now I just want to know if the two children are well.It is obvious now that I miraculously survived the wolf's claws in the forest, but with my brother and the children in my care missing, I could not rest in peace.

I tried to sit up again, but those gentle hands supported me and let me lie back on the down mattress.She held a bowl to my lips and gave me water.I took a few swigs gratefully, then shook my head saying enough was enough.As soon as the porcelain bowl left my lips, I asked again, "Where's Nikolai? Where's Ilo? I must know." I could not understand her answer any more than she could understand my question.I heard the kind lady leave.I want her to stay, to explain, to give me hope, but I know words mean nothing to us right now.I heard the sound of the door opening and closing, and knew that I was alone again. In the silence, only the clear and clear ringing of the wind chime.

I carefully touched the bandages over my eyes with my fingers, then lay back down and meditated on my situation.Ideally, the place where I am now should be the village in the forest that we discovered from a distance a few days ago.This seemed reasonable, because the only people who could find me in time were the residents of that village. After thinking about it carefully, the person who saved me should also speak Polish, although I can't be sure, because I was not familiar with the pronunciation of Polish in the past.Thinking about it further, I think she, or they, must have found me after the wolf thought I was dead and left me, and then took me home and nursed my wounds.

my wounds. I felt the pain in my chest again, and felt it with my hand, wondering how the injury was.I touched my chest, which was also covered with a thick bandage. My fingers groped my body to see if there were other wounds, but I found that I hadn't suffered any more injuries.And Raisa's amulet was still on my neck, which added to my comfort. At this moment, I noticed a strange smell from the things I applied on my body. I guess they used some kind of earthy ointment to treat my wounds, which made me feel more at ease, at least I was among friendly people. Along with this thought, I couldn't help thinking about my brother Nicholas and dear Ilo, what kind of situation they are in now.

Does my survival mean their misfortune? Did the wolf abandon me to chase them? Could they have encountered another wolf in the pack? My thoughts were racing and heavy, fearing the worst had happened.Even if they escaped those predators during the night, how could two such young children survive in the forest?If they are still alive, how long can they last?Guilt weighed on my heart, and I had to act now. I moved my legs off the bed, onto the floor below, and tried to stand up.My body is still very weak, but I try to stand firm.I heard the soft ringing of wind chimes on my left, so I judged that the door should be in front.However, because I couldn't see, I didn't dare to take a hasty step, for fear that I would trip over something and aggravate the injury.

Just as I was hesitating, the door opened, and an angry voice entered my ears.In a blink of an eye, I was held down, and the movement was gentle but irresistible, and I was asked to lie back on the bed.Finally, the lady who helped me persuaded me. Knowing that I could not understand her words, she still said stubbornly while pressing me gently with her hands, indicating that I must lie down quietly.So I had no choice but to allow myself to be tortured by worry. Suddenly, I heard Nicholas's cry, it was unmistakable, he was calling my name, and my heart jumped wildly in surprise.After a while, I felt his small body thrown into my arms, his arms tightly wrapped around my neck, and a series of unintelligible words were quickly spoken from his mouth.

Knowing that my brother was safe and sound, I was overwhelmed with great relief. I could hardly respond calmly. It seemed that for a few minutes, I could only cry and laugh at the same time, enduring the pain of the wound on my chest while feeling the hug brother's joy. Nicholas finally said that he was tired and calmed down. I endured the pain and hugged him tightly, but I didn't dare to say the question that was on my lips. But I have to know. I asked softly, "Nicholas, is Yiluo with you?"