“She is serious,” he thought.

“That’s…” he searched for the words, “very generous of you. But I’ve already decided. Once Ashidi wakes up, I’m going home.”

“It’s up to you,” she said.

She stood and dusted herself off.

“Are you going back to the temple to look after her?” he asked, remembering that she was still alone with Mashuwa.

“Soon,” she replied, looking down at him. “But I’ve heard there’s a clean-ish stream nearby. I could do with a bath. You could too.”

He was shocked into silence. She turned away to head down the path.

“Um, maybe later,” he called after her. “I think they’ve got me working in the field to...

Please subscribe to keep reading.