It was the long-awaited morning light, soft and clean.
Dust danced in the sunlight. The lazy atmosphere made Klaus reluctant to get up—but without a doubt, he desperately needed food. As he struggled to climb up, the wooden cabin he found himself in made Klaus feel rather surprised... Had someone saved him?
"You're awake!"
An old man and a young man entered carrying baskets... Judging by their clothes, they looked like locals.
The old man did not seem very enthusiastic. After entering, he went straight to the stove in the center of the room, sat down, and smoked his pipe.
The young man was much friendlier. He hurried to Klaus's side and helped him sit up. "You shouldn't move around yet. We found you unconscious at the edge of a cliff, so we carried you back. You've got a lot of wounds from leech bites. Grandpa says you've lost too much blood and are very weak."
"Where is this..." Klaus asked weakly.
"I can't tell you that." The young man shook his head. "Sit here for now. I'll get you something to eat."
"...Thank you." Klaus nodded lightly.
Only he and the old man warming himself by the stove remained in the room... The old man looked about seventy, though he might have been younger than he appeared. People living in the rainforest all tended to look older.
"Klaus." Klaus tentatively spoke up. "My name is Klaus. Thank you for saving me."
"Your name is Klaus?" The old man slowly turned his head and sized him up, then frowned. "A deserter?"
Klaus smiled bitterly. "I suppose so... You can also hand me over to the local Rebel Army. You might be able to get some supplies."
The old man fell silent in thought, taking intermittent puffs from his pipe. A