He’s alive.

The world was completely still as Alexei opened his eye to the figure of this woman hovering right over his face. Nothing moved, not even the leaves outside quivered, but over the silence brooded a ghostly calm and the whisper of her sweet, fresh breath as it brushed on his face.

Her hand was resting on his shoulder and he could take in every scent of her, she smelled like freshly plucked cherries and her brown eyes closed in shock as her eyelashes batted. He swallowed hard and could taste the bitter medicine behind his throat, he had no memory of when and where he had taken this medicine.

He laid there motionless, he knew he should’ve said something and this situation was extremely awkward but words failed him, Alexei closed his eyes a little trying to remember what had happened before now, his head pounded as he tried to get the memories.

******

It was dark, so dark that Alexei and his brother could see nothing but figures, they knew what they were getting into when they walke