Chapter Text
The people here were so pretty, and they took such good care of me. Well, they did the best they could without me being able to really tell them differently.
…
I opened my eyes, the sun just peaking over the horizon. Rubbing at my eyes, I sat up. The crusty from the night before seemed to take forever to get out. Once cleared, I started to stretch, trying to get rid of how stiff I felt. As usual, I wasn't really successful. Ignoring the stiffness, I stood up, using a rock wall that was near me. Cave wall?
Looking up, I saw I was in a cave. Large animals were curled up all around, but none of them seemed to have noticed I was awake. The large animals were so cute. I want to pet them… hm, later maybe. First I need to use the bathroom.
Picking my way carefully across the floor, I made my way to the entrance, slipping out without waking anyone.
A breeze played across my skin, and I shivered, realizing I was naked. Something soft touched along my back, and I flinched, trying to find who was there. Turning my head, I saw that my hair had grown out. It hung well past my shoulders.
Grimacing, I stood there untangling my hair, the motion soothing even as it frustrated me. I had never allowed my hair to get this bad before. And it had been a long time since I had seen it this long. Memories didn't really come to refresh me, which was strange, or maybe it wasn't? Is this normal?
Once finished with my hair, I remembered my original reason for getting up, and hurried off to find somewhere to use the toilet.
Hmm… no out houses or anything. Well, I'm already naked. Just find some soft leaves and a spot to squat. Shrugging, I found the softest leaves I could, and crouched near a tree, relieving myself.
My ears pricked at the sound of trickling water, and I followed it, now wanting to drink my fill, and maybe even wash better.
Finding the stream easily enough, I stepped in, sucking in a sharp breath at the coldness of it. Thankfully the stream was deep enough for me to crouch and wash myself comfortably. The coldness of the water even helped ease the pain in my knees as I stayed there, using sand to help exfoliate my skin.
Humming along to a song, I didn't notice the rustling until a voice spoke up.
"Eowyn? Is that you?"
My head snapped up, but I relaxed upon seeing Olan. A smile spread across my face at seeing him there instead of something scary.
"Oh, Olan it's just you. I thought it was something wild come to eat me!" I laughed, the sounds much rougher than I thought they should be. Usually my voice isn't this scratchy after a night's sleep. Weird.
Olan's eyes blew wide open, jaw falling slack. He even fell to his knees on the bank of the stream, arms half reaching for me. At my frown, he seemed to shake himself, eyes searching my face for something.
"Eowyn… you're back. You've been sick for so long, we feared you wouldn't return to us." He breathed the words, almost afraid that speaking them would break whatever spell he seemed to suspect.
I tilted my head. "Hmm, so that's why my hair is longer. And my voice." Standing up, I stepped towards him, reaching back, allowing him to sweep me up in his arms. "I'm sorry, that must have been so scary for everyone. I hope something like that doesn't happen again." I buried my face into his neck, inhaling his familiar scent.
Olan shuddered slightly, keeping me pressed against him. I welcomed the hold, snuggling closer.
"Did you wake up yourself, or were the others awake too? I can't imagine me just being gone after being sick is going over well." I chuckled, laughing louder when Olan started briskly walking back. He ducked his head when I tried to press, a blush on his cheeks.
"Everyone! I found her!" Olan called out as we got closer.
I blushed as I realized how far I wandered away. No wonder he had been concerned.
A chorus of relieved shouts met us just as we broke the tree line back near the cave I had left from.
"Sorry, I needed a leak and a wash." I said sheepishly, running my fingers through my hair, a self-soothing motion I've used for decades.
Szideshi, Jun, Mymu, and Orino all gasped, then rushed Olan in their eagerness to get closer to me.
"Eowyn?" "Is it really you?" "You've come back to us!" "You were gone for so long, I'm so happy you're okay again!"
Each of them spoke over each other, hands touching me all over, as if reassuring them I was real.
My smile turned a little sad at seeing their desperation. Olan had hidden it better, but seeing Mymu and Orino's faces I could tell it was harder and maybe longer than they wanted to tell me about. Do I need to know?
I reached back for them, stroking cheeks and tops of heads. "I'm so sorry I worried you all so much." I apologized quietly, embracing my husbands tightly.
"I'm just so happy you came back to us. We know you didn't choose to get sick." Mymu chirped, bouncing around.
Szideshi scooped me from Olan, who surprisingly didn't complain, twirling me around a few times, wrapping me up in his coils as he did so.
"Moon of my life, I thought I had lost you forever. Every now and then you would show some sign of getting better, but the moment was always over too soon." He whispered to me, wiping under my eyes rhythmically, pressing his forehead to mine.
"My sun and stars, I am glad I found my way back. Mostly." I winced as he pulled away, all of them looking at me with concern now. "I don't feel right, like I'm still trying to anchor in. I can't… I don't remember anything."
They all sucked in a sharp breath, Szideshi hissing more than anything else.
"Nothing?" Jun asked, clasping my left hand.
"I… I know things, but I don't know how. No, nothing before waking up in that cave." Watching their faces, this was both cause for concern and not it seemed.
"Do you know who we are?" Szideshi asked carefully, almost making me laugh.
I smiled brightly. "Of course, you're my mates. You're Szideshi, you're Olan, you're Jun, you're Mymu, and you're Orino." I listed off, feeling proud of myself at the happy expressions on everyone's faces.
"And, do you know how you met us?" Orino asked, gesturing to himself and Mymu.
I frowned, no image coming to mind. "I know I must have recently, you're the last two I mated." I shook my head, wondering if I should try to remember. Something inside of me was shying away from trying too hard. "How did I get sick?" I asked, frowning as that wasn't how I meant to phrase it.
"You… we're not entirely sure. Your mind had been badly hurt, and we didn't know how to help." Szideshi explained, reluctantly letting Jun take me in his arms to cradle.
As much as I enjoyed being passed around for cuddles, this felt important. "Should… should I try to remember?" I asked, uncertain. If my mind had been hurt, and I come out of the sickness not remembering anything… maybe that was how I healed?
Jun met my eyes, and shook his head. "That's up to you. If you want to remember, we won't stop you, but we won't push you to remember either."
Everyone else was nodding along as I looked around, biting my lip as I thought.
"It… it might be for the best." I bowed my head, my hand automatically coming up and raking down my neck. Three hands caught my hand, stopping the motion. I looked up, confused, before I saw the blood under my nails. "Oh…"
No one looked comfortable as Jun bandaged my neck, explaining I would scratch at it when I was sick.
I shivered at hearing I had been like that. I shivered as I thought how bad it must have gotten. I looked around my body, trying to see if there were any new scars. The problem with that, I couldn't remember what scars had always been there, and which were considered 'new' to my body. It was a little distressing looking at some of the thicker lines, and hoping I hadn't done that and made my mates watch.
"Eowyn? Did you want to get dressed?" Szideshi asked, holding snakeskin clothing in his arms.
Purring, I held up my arms, looking at him daringly.
A full-body shudder rippled through my snake's body, his eyes molten when they met mine again.
"You want to?" He asked, voice strained.
"It must have been quite a while. Come my sun and stars, shall I keep you warm?" I smirked, taking a step towards him. He took me in his embrace, and I knew I didn't need to remember. I needed this. I needed my husbands. Whatever had happened before didn't matter. My husbands loved me, and I loved them.