I was unconcious for days. I don't know how many, really. Doesn't matter.

I dreamt about Khasra. About what happened. Surukk did things that would have been too strange to understand, if I had been away. Sewed the tears inside me. Kept food and water in me with tubes. I'm glad I never knew it.

I dreamt about Khasra. I wanted him with me, so badly... sometimes I'd croak his name... "Khaaaa...".

It was many days until I woke up enough to understand anything of what had happened. First time there was nobody awake there. I don't even know what time it was... it was inside. Surukk was there, asleep. I passed out again.

Eventually I got better enough to stay awake, and learned what had happened. What had been done to fix me. How long it would be before I could walk. Or fly. My wing was splinted.
My voice was ruined. My throat got all scarred up inside from screaming.

Surukk confused me, more than ever. I never really understood... completely ... why he was helping me. It would have been better to just kill me. I would have, if it had been someone else. He tried to tell me, but the things he said just made so little sense to one brought up as I was. Maybe... someday I'll understand it. It's good to know how your enemy thinks.

Even if they saved your life.

Khasra came! He came to me! He fought with Sharrah, pretended to love her... and fought her, and forced her to tell him what happened to me! Then he flew to me! Everything changed when he came... I had hope again. Got stronger fast.

Khasra lived with me - never left my side. Fought with the Windhaven sometimes, but never really hurt any. He made me so proud to be his mate. Finally we couldn't stand being inside those walls anymore... and side by side we walked away.

Surukk tried to help us, but he never understood how proud Shkrill are. Khasra took his offers of food and things as an insult to his ability to provide for us. I understood a little better, since I'd been there so long. But we refused what he offered, determined to do it ourselves. We lived for almost a month at the western foot of the mountain there. Wirtkill.

They were good times. I got stronger, and worked my wing hard. I ached to be in the sky again.