Two
He was near death when I found him, his body frozen and battered, naked and sunburnt in a meadow near some willows. At first I thought he was dead he lay so still, but jerked slightly when I approached. I circled round him, near to the willows, and saw a little boat wedged into the roots of the oldest tree. He must have come down the river from the mountains, though how he got up there was a mystery to me. I could see that he was too weakened to defend himself let alone threaten me, so I covered him with a shawl I was wearing and half-carried, half dragged him through the meadow, then the glade, and then to the cottage.
He couldn’t talk it seemed, and watched me wide something akin to wide-eyed fascination as I prepared some thin gruel to try to revive his wits. He remained that way as I fed him like a baby and laid him to sleep near the range over there. His burns and bruises weren’t so bad as they looked, but his thin body was constantly taunt, near twisted. I was becoming convinced he was a madman, and thought it best sit up and watch him until he slept.
He did not sleep it seemed, and I found myself falling asleep in this chair, but just across the way from him, near enough to the fire to stay a little warm, far enough to escape if need be. I awoke with a start to see that his eyes were moving at least, moving very slowly around the room, as though taking in many things for the first time. He seemed fixated with the fire and kept returning to stare at it, like some small child fascinated.
I asked him if he was feeling any better and you should have seen him jump. Fair leapt up in the air he did. Of course, this gave me the fright of my life and I started as well. You would think that he had never heard anyone speak before! I sat very still for a moment and he continued to watch me from his spot by the range there, his eyes wide like saucers. I realised then that I hadn’t said a word to him since I found him out there in the meadow, and of course he hadn’t said boo to me. I told him my name and he continued to gawp like some big dummy, so I decided once and for all that he was indeed, a complete idiot. At that moment I considered trying to tie him, but wondered how he might react, and instead bade him goodnight and retired to my room, locking the door, and barring it with a chair, just to be sure.
When I awoke in the morning, still alive praises be, I found my room unentered and in the same state I had left it. Walking into the main room I found him there still sitting in the same position, still gawping at the room, still wrapped in that shawl, although the fire had long since died down. Now, you know that these Spring mornings aren’t too mild, so I had no fear that he would have frozen to death in the middle of the night, and after all, this wee cottage of mine does hold in the warmth well, but you would of thought that he might gather his wits enough to fuel the fire when he found himself alone with it. No such luck. I addressed him, and he turned to look at me again. I asked him to try and stoke the fire, no reply, I asked him if he was hungry, no reply. I relit the fire from the near dead embers, and reheated the gruel.
