¢нαρтєя тняєє
Thace chopped the array of ingredients, making sure not to cut himself as he did so. The scent of mild spices and the aroma of a well-made roux filled the room, taking the Galra back to when he was but a young boy, watching his mother hum happily while she cooked incredible food, only then to serve a fantastical meal that always brought his family together after a long day.
Oh, how I miss you, Mother. How I miss you and Father so very much, he thought to himself. If only I could have one more day- one more hour, with you and the family.
Thace placed the vegetables with the rest of the soup mixture, letting it simmer so that all the flavours could combine into one, excellent medley of deliciousness. The boiling water bubbled softly, utensils that needed to be cleaned sat on the counter. Traditional methods of cooking had always been the former soldier's forte, something he excelled in and enjoyed doing in his spare time.
"This should give him the strength he needs. With rest and homemade food, Shiro should be back on his feet in no time at all. I just hope that my methods in treating him will work."
"Mmmm, something smells good in here! Need any help?"
Telenum walked into the kitchen, the smell of Thace's cooking driving her senses crazy. Tying her long hair up into a pig tail, she held a pin in between her lips before securing it into her long locks.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you, Telenum." Thace smiled, putting on a brave face to avoid worrying the teenager. "Can you help me wash up, please?"
"Sure thing."
Telenum began to scrub the dirtied metal utensils clean, before passing them to Thace so that he could dry them and put them back in their original places. At least, after the cleaning was over, there would be a tasty meal to look forward to.
*****
Shiro slept somewhat contentedly, his breathing ever so hollow as his chest rose and fell with each breath his tired body took. Nyma kept a close eye on him, occasionally taking the cloth off the Paladin's forehead and wringing it, soaking it in fresh aquallia before reapplying it.
"I don't like this, Rolo, not one bit. How did he even get here? I thought hardly anyone knew about this planet?" she said, brushing the hair that stuck to Shiro's forehead away.
"I thought so too, Nyma." Rolo replied, sighing as he tried to piece together the puzzle that he had been trying to solve since Shiro was found.
This doesn't make sense. What happened to you, Shiro? Where are the others? Lance, Keith, Pidge...Hunk, Princess Allura and Coran. What happened? There's gotta be some kind of explanation, and only you would know the answer. But, I can't dig into that right now. You've have to get better first.
Shiro awoke with a moan, his head spinning. His sight had returned thanks to much needed rest, and he could see clearly again.
"Hey, sleepyhead." Nyma smiled sweetly, trying to bring some light into the situation. "How did that nap turn out? Has it helped at all?"
"A little, I suppose." Shiro answered, the feeling of coolness travelling over his body was almost like Heaven on Earth- well, Heaven on whatever the name of the planet he was on was called. "Where did the princess go?"
"She went to go help Thace in the kitchen." Rolo spoke, not taking his eyes off the window he was staring out of. "Oh man, I could eat his food all day, you have no idea how good it is. Trust me; it'll be unlike anything you've ever tasted before."
Shiro appreciated Rolo and Nyma's good will, but he didn't understand it- at least, not right away. They tried to steal Lance's lion and get away with it, but here they were, helping him to recover from a fever and get him back to health. They were right, they really had turned over a new leaf, and for what it was worth, he believed them.
"Nyma? Can I..." he motioned to the glass on the table, to which Nyma quickly got the message.
"Here you go."
The young man sat up with a quiet groan, using whatever strength he could muster before taking the glass into his hands. Shiro gently sipped the water, wanting to avoid a stomach ache from drinking too quickly. His head felt heavy, like tons of bricks were weighing it down. He noted it as being a simple effect of the fever, and he could only hope he would recover soon.
I have to find the others.
"Thanks."
It was safe to say that Shiro was beginning to get some of his strength back, but Thace was right, it would take him a few days to heal properly, maybe even more because of the fever. At least there was only one thing that needed to be stitched; the rest consisted of minor bruising. Memories of what happened before he awoke in the infirmary of Telenum's ship were nothing but broken shards, it was hard to remember. Bits and pieces, that's all he could see.
"You definitely look a lot better, Shiro." Nyma commented, her white crop top with dark purple lining and matching skirt standing out in the basic looking room. The colour in his face was without a doubt returning, and the sweating that seemed to consume the entirety of Shiro's skin had reduced greatly.
Whatever's in that water, she thought to herself. It's definitely helping. Thace really knows what he's doing. Don't worry, Shiro, it's going to be okay.
"Damn," Rolo said, turning from window. "There's so much life out there, i've never seen anything like it. I wish you could see it for yourself, Shiro."
"It's beautiful." Nyma added, crossing one leg over the other. "There's a bed of flowers by the river the aquallia is from, it's absolutely amazing. Once you're better, you'll have to come with us so you can see it. I think you'd like it."
"I'd like that." Shiro said, picturing a gorgeous scene of flowers before realising there was something he had forgotten to say to both Rolo and Nyma.
"Listen..." he began, sighing afterwards. "I know the last time we met, things didn't go so smoothly. I appreciate you and your new friends looking after me, and I can see that you both have definitely changed. But, there's also something else I want to say, and I don't remember much before I came here, but I-"
"I'm terribly sorry to disturb your conversation, Shiro, but I would like to give you this. You must be famished."
Thace held a bowl and a decanter in his hands, while Telenum held three more bowls. It wasn't until Shiro got a closer look at Thace, did his eyes widen with shock.
Thace is a...Galra? What? That explains why I was seeing purple, but...why is he here?
Fear wasn't the first emotion to set in; instead it was that of confusion. Shiro had several questions that he wanted to ask, but he knew they could be saved for another time. Why was a Galra helping him? Why was Thace on a princess's ship, let alone second in command? Why did Telenum, Rolo and Nyma trust him? And more importantly, why was he being so kind towards him?
Shiro couldn't find it within himself to run, the lack of energy being to thank for it. Instead he continued to stare at Thace with the emotion that had overcome him. Thace knew exactly what to expect, and after putting the decanter of soup down, he slowly walked to the side of the bed, sitting on the same chair he had sat on before.
"I understand that this may come as a surprise to you. I can sense that you have been through some very traumatic experiences, and you must believe me when I say I know what that's like. Whatever you have had to face because of my kind, I am terribly sorry. I will never justify the wrongdoings of Zarkon, as he too has caused me misery. I promise to tell you more, but for now," Thace eyed the soup and bowls. "please eat."
Shiro couldn't deny that whatever was in the decanter smelt incredible, not to mention he was starving. It reminded him of home, of when his mother would make soup for him when he was sick (or when he'd make it for himself on cold days). Telenum poured some soup into a bowl, proceeding to use a spoon to sip the contents, wanting to avoid burning her tongue.
Rolo and Nyma mimicked the princess's actions, briefly glancing at each other awkwardly before eating. It followed by Thace preparing some soup for Shiro and handing it to him, then pouring some for himself.
"Be careful. It's still a bit hot."
Shiro only nodded in acknowledgement, a silence filling the room as the five went on to eat.
I suppose in this case, Thace thought to himself. A silence such as this is only natural. I understand Shiro's caution; I would be the same if I were in his situation. Whether he likes it or not, getting him back to health is currently my top priority. I will have to search for the Black Lion tonight; I cannot wait until it's too late. I was going to wait until you were well, but I can't sit here and do nothing. I'm sorry, Shiro.