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A Small and Tall Collection | Chapter Twelve | Recovery and Discovery

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Chapter Twelve | Recovery and Discovery

There were few times a Borrower could sleep deeply without a care in the world. It wasn’t when they were children, because the fear of being caught by a human while asleep was a true waking nightmare. Like a crouching cat in the bushes waiting to ambush any and all unsuspecting prey, children rarely slept deeply once told about the world beyond the walls. It also wasn’t as an adult or after a big borrowing mission. It wasn’t in their older years and memory was fleeting as an infant.

There was too much in the world to be aware of. There were too many things to be apprehensive of.

Deep sleep was almost never an option, but it was a welcome one if the opportunity arose.

Now, thankfully, was one of those times. It could’ve been days and Ashlynn wouldn’t have known the difference. The Borrower woman opened her eyes and, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she didn’t feel the sting of tiredness tugging at her lids. She stretched, careful with her injured arm, and stared up at the ceiling that towered high above her. It was still alarming, heart fluttering with what felt like air, but the interaction earlier with Soren and his two sons made her feel mildly at ease.

It was a weird sensation.

She still didn’t trust the boys implicitly, but at least there was some silent reassurance that she fell under the protection of Soren. Ashlynn closed her eyes, an image of Soren forming in her mind. A smile. His voice. Those eyes.

She swallowed and shook her head, and the image along with it.

Weird…

What else was weird was she didn’t wince when she swallowed. She reached up and felt along her jaw, noticing how it didn’t feel as swollen anymore. Palm to her head, it was cool to the touch, and the tingling of her bones and skin had also stopped.

Wow… that medicine really did the trick. I feel… great.

Ashlynn sat up and almost instantly regretted it when her vision swirled, and the sudden pang as her arm twinged reminded the Borrower she wasn’t completely up to snuff. Leagues better, but not recovered. There were still things she could do to help her heal, and a light rumble from her insides told her where to start.

Thankfully, Soren didn’t move the tray from earlier and the food was still where she left it. It took a moment to stand shakily on her feet on the uneven surface of the comforter. Each step gave in different ways, keeping the Borrower on her toes which, thankfully, she was feeling steadier on.

She sat near some of the bowls she was by earlier and decided to continue eating the soup and bread, seeing as that and the medicine were helping her kick the sickness in record time. She’d just managed to fill the bowl and mop up the sides with a spare piece of bread when she heard the signature *tap* *tap* *tap* on the frame of the door. Instinct took over as the Borrower’s eyes shot up toward the door.

“Sorry.” It was Soren, an apologetic look filling those golden, hazel eyes of his. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just came to see if you needed anything. Well, that and my pillows. I stopped by a few hours ago, but you were knocked out and it felt rude to come in when you were asleep.” Ashlynn’s mouth felt like it was suddenly filled with cotton.

He was by earlier? And I didn’t wake up?! I must’ve been sleeping super deep then. At least he didn’t come in. That was really… sweet.

“Are you hungry? I could heat something up for you, or heat what you currently have. The boys and I already ate and were actually getting ready for bed. So, if you needed anything, I could go ahead and get it for you.” Soren’s thoughtfulness made Ashlynn’s cheeks warm, and she looked away bashfully as she thought about his question.

Then, she nodded.

“Okay, good. Um… do you want me to heat up what we had? Or just heat up some more soup? Wait… nodding. So, yes or no to the first?” asked Soren. Ashlynn shook her head. Her mind was made up on the so-called “magic broth” Soren had already made. His smile tugged at the corner of his lips playfully as he nodded. “So shall it be.”

In no time, Soren had returned with a fresh cup of soup and warm bread which he set on the tray after Ashlynn gave a cautious nod for him to approach. The steam rolled off of the top, and with it the pleasant scents of everything Ashlynn thought a home should be. She smiled and breathed deeply, realizing only now that she had her sense of smell back.

“You like that?” Soren asked. The Borrower nodded, flashing a smile up at him as she inhaled deeply again. “I can tell, and I can tell you’re feeling better too. You haven’t had a coughing fit once.” He was right. The sickness had finally met its match, and all thanks to a human.

Ironic. Expecting a human to be the source of my problems and here he is solving them.

“Well, I won’t keep you. Is there anything else bugging you? Need anything else before I go?” asked Soren. There was something, but how to communicate it was the trick. Ashlynn’s shoulder was still stiff and tender. If she wanted to leave, she needed it to be on the mend. She looked up sheepishly as she reached up and touched her slung arm. Soren’s keen eyes picked up the motion and understood instantly.

“Still hurting? Like a twinge or an ache plus stiffness? Or all of the above?” asked Soren. The Borrower woman nodded. The hope that she didn’t need to be grabbed or held to solve the problem was in the forefront of her mind, but if it would get her home sooner then it didn’t matter.

Soren will be gentle. If he needs to grab my arm, he’ll be careful.

“Alrighty then. Easy enough. You’re probably just feeling the tenderness of it being relocated. Is it numb or tingly still?” Ashlynn shook her head. “Good. That would be less than ideal. Um… okay. So, you’ll need to do some exercises and stretches to get it fixed completely. I’ll demonstrate on myself and then you imitate the motion.”

Soren began explaining a few of the baseline exercises that she could do to help stretch her twinging muscles. Rolling her shoulder gently. Slow arm extensions. Arm rotations. Shoulder shrugs. Anything for her to start getting rid of the tenseness in her muscles. He showed each motion clearly and made sure Ashlynn could do it and adjusted as necessary before moving on.

At some point, Ashlynn caught herself smiling as Soren continued to speak to her. There was just something soothing about his voice, like warm tea and honey which Ashlynn had only had a few times in her life.

“Also, don’t try and do too much all at once. I’ll venture a guess that you’re eager to get out of here, but rushing your recovery can do more damage to your shoulder. So, several smaller sessions would be better for you. Sound good?” suggested Soren. It felt reluctant, but Ashlynn forced a nod. He was right. She did want to get out of here as fast as possible. Being out in this massive room and unable to take care of herself entirely was a belittling experience. At least she wasn’t being treated like a child. Soren was good about that.

“Good. Then, if it’s okay, I’m going to snag my pillows and head out to the couch.” Couch? Isn’t this his bed? Wait… is he… Her confusion must have been evident on her face because Soren chuckled, hands placed on his hips while his head bobbed up and down. “Yes, technically that’s my bed, but it’s being used for something better than just sleeping. Kind of its own rehab center. Anyway, don’t worry about it. Worry about getting better and resting up. Do… you want to take more medicine? Feeling feverish or icky still?”

It was a lot to process. Which question to ever start with. As the Borrower went down the list of questions, she ended up with the same answer for all of them, and so she nodded. In no time, Soren was back with another small cup of that dark, minty teal liquid from before and some fresh water. He snagged his pillows before stepping up to the door and glancing over his shoulder.

“Need anything else?” he asked. How could I possibly need anything else? You’ve already thought of everything, and you’ve been so kind. I… I can’t begin to thank you. A strong part of Ashlynn wanted to tell him that, but that Borrower instinct choked out her voice. She wanted to thank him, but she only could muster a smile as she shook her head.

“Alrighty then. Goodnight little miss.” With that, Ashlynn was left once again alone in Soren’s room.

Is this a dream? Some weird fever dream from a nightmare? This shouldn’t be happening. I should be in a cage. I should be taped to a wall or locked in a box. I’m in a room – a human’s room – all to myself. I have food and a bed. This shouldn’t be happening. What makes Soren and his boys so different? Have they come across Borrowers before? Or… rather… has Soren?

Ashlynn sipped on the broth and chewed on the pieces of bread thoughtfully as she reflected on the past day. She was still uneasy. Nothing was likely to ever change that fact. This place was too big. Humans had no right to be as big as they were.

At the same time, were they so different?

Head. Hands. Heart. Dreams.

Humans had less to worry about, sure, but everything else was so similar.

Ashlynn finished her meal, eating until content, and once again curled up onto the bed with her back to the drawer. The medicine was already kicking in, making her head feel fuzzy and her eyes tired, even after sleeping for hours not long ago. Perhaps it was the medicine or the flurry of recent events, but Ashlynn found herself thinking about Soren. How nice his voice was. How kind he’d been. Those golden hazel eyes.

She felt her cheeks blush as her last thought entered her mind.

Too bad he isn’t a Borrower.

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Time when sick is a funny thing. It drags on for an eternity, each passing second taunting the next, especially when there’s nothing to do.

This was not the case for Ashlynn.

The past two weeks had practically vaporized right before her eyes. She’d spent a fair amount of time sleeping, and she even spent time making a new set of clothes for herself seeing that the others had been mildly soiled by sweat and sickness.

She’d also taken time to make sure her arm was on the mend. The exercises were working wonders. Each day felt like an immense step forward. Ashlynn had even dared to do some test climbs from the top of the bed into the drawer, which Soren hadn’t removed in case she wanted a place to hide behind.

The tests had gone better than expected. Her arm was still tender, but she could place weight on it now without doubling over in agony. If she didn’t move too fast and wasn’t active for too long, she was fine. It felt thrilling, like her first borrowing mission. The thrill of her progress was overshadowed only by one thing – the prospect of leaving.

Ashlynn had to admit that, in some weird way, she was a bit sad that she was recovering as quickly as she was. Sure, the food helped, and never before had she slept so well, but it was leaving the boys that felt disheartening.

Their interactions were limited. Ashlynn made sure of that much. Still, Soren coming in and making sure she was okay felt good. She’d even permitted the boys to come in and say hello on multiple occasions. The youngest was probably her favorite of the two, and it wasn’t because of the gift he’d made for her, which was a kind of multi-tool rod that was lightweight like a walking stick with a fishhook super glued on one side for grabbing and a wedge on the other to hold a line. It was because of his questioning style.

He asked the most random, non-specific questions to Borrowers that she’d ever heard before. It was amusing to say the least. Weird things like whether or not she would want to be a dinosaur, which he explained to her in great detail, or if she liked different food because it was easier to chew since she was so small.

Dorian asked more direct questions, like if she liked climbing and how fast she thought she could climb different pieces of furniture. Other questions were concerned with where she liked to go and if she liked music. The questions were innocent enough, so that wasn’t it. It might have been because Dorian unintentionally caused her injury in the first place, but Ashlynn found herself a little more on-guard with the older of the two children.

What usually ended up happening was she spent time listening to the two boys. During the day, they went to a place called school and, when they returned, they wanted to tell Ashlynn all about the different things they learned and if she knew this or that. They held up maps and papers with scribbles all over them as they went on and on about the things they were being taught. It was adorable, especially when they tried to explain something that Ashlynn had no concept of.

At the end of the day, the Borrower woman decided these two kids were alright. Sometimes careless when they were excited, but alright all the same.

She also decided something else too, and that it was time to leave. She’d already spent too much time out in the open already.

Her arm felt almost completely healed, and her sickness had finally subsided a few days ago with not even a sneeze or a sniffle in sight. She’d have to take it easy with her climbing and borrowing activities, but deep-down Ashlynn felt like she could once again manage her life.

It was time.

She was hoping to be in and out of the drawer quickly to retrieve her belongings, but through a series of bad throws and needing a few resting periods it took longer than expected. She’d just managed to hoist her leg up on top of the drawer when she heard the all too familiar sound of the *tap* *tap* *tap* on the door.

Her heart skipped a beat, anxious worry nearly causing her to fumble and fall back onto the bed, before looking over and seeing Soren’s familiar face peeking through the crack. She wasn’t sure why, but guilt welled up in her throat. Her plan was to simply wait until night and the climb down the covers and onto the floor.

Seeing Soren, however, made her question her actions.

Was she really going to leave? Especially without saying goodbye? After all he and his sons had done for her?

Shoot. I… I can’t do that… not to him. Ashlynn sighed and jumped down from the edge of the drawer, glancing between Soren and her belongings at her feet.

The moment Soren spotted the small woman’s minute glance between him and the bag, he knew she was preparing to leave. She’d been on the mend and recovered from her dislocated arm in record time. If he was being honest, he was surprised she stayed as long as she did, and suddenly he felt his chest tighten ever so slightly.

“Hey there, little miss. Okay if I come in?” asked Soren. He watched as she shifted on the bed ever so slightly before nodding. He stepped into the room and walked slowly toward his dresser, which sat opposite of the side of the bed. It was involuntary, but Soren folded his arms and stared at the ground for a moment before bringing his eyes to look up at the miniscule woman. Her blue gray eyes were filled with confliction as she continued to glance between Soren and the bag at her feet.

“Leaving?”

It was all he needed to say for her shoulders to slump and her head to hang low. The sensation was a mixed bag to say the least. Soren could only imagine what was going through the woman’s mind as his own emotions swirled from one to the next. He was pleased that she was on the mend and well enough to be out on her own again, but in a weird way he was going to miss her too. Despite not saying anything, he really felt like he was just starting to get to know her.

Evidently, she seemed to be feeling the same. Otherwise, she would just walk out and not hang her head so low. Soren was about to dismiss himself when he watched her small hand come up and wipe at her eyes.

What is wrong with me?! Ashlynn scolded herself as she felt her eyes burning with tears. Why am I crying? Why do I feel so reluctant to leave? Is it the food? The bed? The… boys? Soren? The prospect of needing to move? What is wrong with me?

Ashlynn heard Soren inhale slowly, but sharply, as he spoke again.

“Hey, little miss, don’t be sad. You’ve no reason to be. You stayed because you were sick and now you’re better. You should be happy that you get to leave,” grinned Soren. Ashlynn bit her lip and nodded but couldn’t meet his gaze. She wasn’t sure if she could say goodbye to those eyes just yet.

“And, if you feel up to it or if you’re ever interested, you can pop back down or up, whatever it is, and come see us. You’re more than welcome to,” proposed Soren. The thought was a tempting one, and it was something that Ashlynn found herself considering. “The boys will be disappointed they didn’t get to say goodbye, but they’ll understand.”

Oh, shoot! Is this some kind of ploy to get me to stay longer? Curses!

“Do… you need help getting down? Or do you just want me to leave?” asked Soren. Ashlynn thought about the question, longer than what she would have. On the one hand, she didn’t want to reveal any of the secret places she had to get in and out of rooms. The Borrower didn’t think that any of them would set traps, but the instinct was still there to protect her people, even if she was the only one in the entire building. On the other hand, Ashlynn didn’t have a lot of good footing places on the covers, and they didn’t reach all the way to the ground. She’d have to make a drop fall, and she didn’t want to risk another injury when she was so close to leaving. Then again, did she want to leave?

Yes! Yes! Of course I want to leave! What kind of stupid question is that?!

But… maybe… a little help wouldn’t be bad? But that also means… being on his hand… Ashlynn shuddered before she glanced over at Soren and bit her lip, unsure of how to indicate everything she wanted with a single look. He’s been so careful… so gentle… If he can just get me to the kitchen counter, then I can go in that way without having to pry anything off of the walls and possibly leave another trace. And… would being held by him… be so bad?

“So, is that a yes?” prompted Soren. Ashlynn nodded, mind made up. “To me leaving?”

Soren’s eyes widened as she watched the small woman shake her head.

“N-no? You… want help down?” asked Soren. He’d refrained as much as possible from touching the miniscule woman, mainly due to his own apprehension of accidentally harming her in any capacity. The times they had made contact were absolutely necessary; that is, seemingly, until now.

His heart skipped a beat, stomach full of butterflies, as he watched her glance up at him and nod. It was completely unexpected. His mind started to race. He swallowed dryly, arms drawing in a bit tighter across his chest as he kept them folded. Clearing his throat, Soren bit his lower lip and nodded stiffly.

“Um… okay. Sure. Do… you just need help down? Or… -erm… do you have a place in mind that I should… bring you to?” Soren felt his voice crack ever so slightly as tension and nerves threatened to play with his vocal cords like a backwoods country banjo. “Right… yes or no. To the ground?”

Is… he nervous? Ashlynn wondered as she shook her head.

“No? You have a place in mind?” Soren’s heart was starting to race as fast as his thoughts as he watched the small woman nod. “And… you’re ready now?” He stared into the hand sized person’s blue gray eyes, a shiver running down the length of his spine, as she nodded again, albeit a bit more hesitantly than her other responses.

Soren wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do this. Pick her up? Let her step onto his hand? Cupped like a captive butterfly? Hang onto a finger? His first instinct was to let her step on, but would that be secure enough?

Might as well try.

Soren pushed himself off of the dresser, feet feeling heavy like lead bricks, as he unfolded his arms and laid his hand, palm up, onto the bed several inches from her.

What on earth am I doing?! Neither knew their thoughts aligned. Either could have shied away, and yet they didn’t.

Ashlynn stared at the calloused, gentle hand that had helped put her shoulder back into place, swallowed hard, and snagged her bag off of the bed before walking toward the outstretched fingers. Her heart hammered violently behind her ribs. Every instinct screamed to run away.

The Borrower forced her body to step up onto the human’s finger. It was soft and malleable like the comforter, giving with every step, but firm at the same time. Every ounce of focus was on not losing her balance or her mind as she wabbled across the notches of Soren’s fingers to his palm.

She only now realized she had been holding her breath as she crouched and placed her hand onto Soren’s thumb. She could clearly see and feel some of the ridges of his fingers as her hand rested against the appendage. It was almost imperceptible, but there was a tremor to Soren’s hand.

He’s just as nervous as me. Funny… he holds all the power and yet me being here makes him nervous.

Soren marveled at the small figure’s movements and the ease that she walked across his hand. It was hypnotizing the way she moved and crouched. Just her weight in his hand kept him motionless for fear of startling her. Even her eyes as she looked up at him expectantly was enough to keep him frozen in place.

“Um… er… ready? Just… uh… point. I’ll follow where you say to go,” Soren muttered. It was a vain attempt to disguise the tremor tugging at his voice. Ashlynn nodded and, just like that, Soren’s hand lifted from off of the bed and into the air. The dizzying height was mind numbing, the equivalent of a ten-story building or more, but it was natural for Ashlynn. Greater heights than these were in her arsenal of experiences.

It was her nerves that added to the experience, so it took a minute for her to realize Soren was looking down at her expectantly, waiting for her to give some kind of signal to direct him. She pointed toward the door, shaking her head so she’d phase out of her stupor. His fingers curled upward ever so slightly and she heard him inhale deeply before he began to move.

One step, and then the next, Ashlynn continued to point the way through the hallway, past the living room, and into the kitchen. The Borrower thought that being carried would be jostling and uneven, and maybe it was; however, Soren was taking an additional precaution and taking slow, even steps to not knock the small woman off balance.

When they made it to the kitchen, Ashlynn pointed to the counter by the bread box, and so Soren obliged, stepping up to it and setting down his hand, asking, “Is this okay?” before spreading his fingers out so they were no longer cupped. Ashlynn quickly disembarked, barely shaking an involuntary shudder, before turning around and facing Soren again.

“Well then. I guess that’s that. Do you need anything else before you go?” asked Soren. Ashlynn smiled and shook her head. She’d already helped herself to more than her fair share of the breakfast buffet Soren had made for her earlier. It was safely tucked away in her bag now, and she hoped it wouldn’t be rude that she took as much as she did.

“Okay then…” Soren sighed. “Well, it was nice getting to know you, for whatever that’s worth, and I wish you the best of luck in your adventures. Wish we could’ve learned more about each other, but that’s life, right? I don’t even know your name. Well… anyway… please be careful and, please, if you need anything, know you’re always welcome here. Take care, little miss.”

Soren flashed another smile as he turned to leave, and she did the same. She nearly had the electrical cover off of the wall when her mind flooded with intrusive thoughts. She turned back to see Soren was walking past the table and was almost around the corner to the living room.

That’s it? No requests? No demands? An invitation to return and the best of luck? And now he’s just leaving? He… he’s probably the only human who would do something like this. I… I can’t just…

“Soren!”

Ashlynn hadn’t even registered that she’d done it until his name flew from her mouth. Her voice sounded horribly unused, craggly as if it were full of dust, but it was enough to make Soren stop in his tracks, entire body rigid like a taut bow string, as he turned around to face her. His golden hazel eyes were wide with surprise, lips parted slightly in awe. He mouthed the word ‘you’, but nothing came out.

Good thing too. Ashlynn was quickly losing her nerve and, after two weeks, broke the last of the big three rules. She coughed nervously and watched Soren pivot slowly and dare to take a step back toward her.

Oh! Just finish it!

“I… just… thank you.” She had to raise her voice to nearly a shout, fearing she’d lose her will to continue or that Soren wouldn’t hear her. “Thank you… for what you did…”

The expression on Soren’s face shifted from curious to fascination to delight as his eyes sparkled with the smile on his face.

“A-and… it’s Ashlynn. My name… it’s… Ashlynn.”

Their eyes lingered, one locking onto the others’ unblinkingly. There was something else there in Soren’s eyes that Ashlynn couldn’t identify. Was it interest? Allure? Her cheeks immediately began to burn with increasing intensity the longer she held the human’s gaze.

That’s enough! Get back into the walls! Ashlynn chided as she spun on her heel and darted into the darkness of the walls, embracing the life she loved once more. Though she was already halfway up the line to her own home, she could still hear Soren echoing her name as if to brand it into his memory.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Why did I do that?! What Borrower in their right mind would speak?! I was home free! I went the whole time without talking, and because I feel bad for the giant man I blurt out my name?! Idiot!

It took a couple of breaks, but Ashlynn finally managed to get to the ceiling tiles she called home. The place was barely lit from the lights she’d left on from before. A thin layer of dust coated her bed, which the Borrower was sure was still disgusting from when she was ill, and she found evidence of mice.

“Brilliant,” she mumbled before rolling up her sleeves and getting to work. It took the better part of a few hours to rid her home of all things nasty, disgusting, and spoiled before she finally had a chance to put away the food she’d “borrowed” from Soren’s breakfast buffet and flop down onto her bed.

As she laid there on her own mismatched comforter, she stared at the perfectly proportioned ceiling above her. It was here, in the quiet that she was so familiar with, that her thoughts began to swirl and pick at everything that had happened over the past few weeks, particularly her interaction with Soren on the countertop.

What on earth were you thinking? You were almost out and decided to say something to that human. That human who fed me, clothed me, and healed me. Don’t be ridiculous! His sons were the ones who put you in that situation in the first place. But not Soren. I don’t have a real reason to be upset with him. He’s a human! That’s reason enough.

A human who seemed sad that I was leaving. A human who had nothing to gain by helping me. A human who sounded like he was going to miss me…

Ashlynn paused at this thought. For so long, it felt like she had been on her own, and now an emptiness in her chest that she had forgotten she had was opened again. Maybe that’s what it was. Maybe that’s why she spoke up and talked to Soren. Maybe that’s what she would miss – someone missing her. Not the human, but the fact her absence meant something to someone else.

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and rolled over, hoping that was enough to jostle the thoughts rattling her and her mind.

Are you really okay with this? Having a human missing you? If that’s what it is at all?

The thing was… Ashlynn’s answer… was yes.

One thing was certain, and that was she needed to shed these feelings as fast as possible. Come the spring, she would need to consider moving and she needed to stay as far away from Soren and the two boys as possible.

Or… would she….

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Continue | Coming Soon

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A Tall and Small Collection | Original Story

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