A soft bed, and a warm face.

Lyra slowly returned to her senses.

She had never felt so much pain. Everywhere was sore. Her muscles, her bones, her heart, ached.

But she was.... not dead.....

Any movement was a strain. For a long time she just lay there. She didn't know how long.

It was hard to understand the passage of time, or the sensations of her own body.

Eventually, she had the strength to open her eyes. Her vision was fuzzy, she could see was in a bed, in someones house. The mattress was soft. She was covered in bandages, bloody strips of cloth. There was a woman at the side of the bed, watching her.

"Oh. You're awake"

The voice was like honey; sweet and soothing.

Lyra tried to respond, but she only coughed up blood. Her head pounded with pain.

The woman gently touched her arm, and smiled at her

"It's okay sweety. I've got you. Rest"

Lyra didn't have the strength to do anything else, and faded back into sleep.

She woke again a few hours later, when the woman was cleaning and redoing her wounds. Lyra didn't stir, barely concious before she slept again.

And then she woke in the evening. It was late. The sun had set. Lyra whimpered in pain, and a moment later the witch was there, with a bottle held up to her lips.

"It's a healing potion sweety. Drink. if you can."

Lyra tried, getting some of it between her lips, and faded back into sleep, and dreams.