"Back at the time of delivery, everything was fine, though it was an unexpected early deilvery. Aunt Lillian had rushed to catch the earliest flight, till then her mother was with me. The three of us very nervous yet supremely excited! I had already thought of naming you Rhehan, after my father "Rhenold" and mother "Hanna"s" names. My happiest moment was the first time i looked at you, after your birth. Few hours after you were born and everything was very peaceful and happy, suddenly Davis entered the hospital room. He had his few men with him too. It was then that he told me, how much he wanted to take revenge from me. He waited for me to deliver you, so that he could kill you!" Tears dropped down from Elizabeth"s eyes as she remembered the new born Rhehan"s dead face, with white froth all over it, oozing out of his mouth.
"Kill me?? My father wanted to kill me?" Rhehan gaped at Elizabeth in horror. Rhehan"s head was almost spinning his stomach had a sharp pain. He left Elizabeth"s hands and clenched his stomach tightly, controlling the pain.
"Yes. Me and Lilly aunty"s mother tried to fight them but it was all in vain. He made you drink a blue colored poison and you died before my eyes. He took you away after he made sure you were dead right in front of my...my... eyes! Later he...he... told me that he fed your body to wild animals and birds in ...in..the west woods." Elizabeth patted Rhehan"s arms lovingly, trying to console him, though she herself was trembling from head to toe.
Rhehan covered his face with his trembling hands. The more he heard Elizabeth"s story, the more his body felt weak to him. Rose quickly stepped closer to Rhehan, picking up the gla.s.s of water from the table. "Here! Have this!"
Rhehan sipped some water from the gla.s.s, with his s.h.i.+vering hands and took few deep breaths. "But how is this possible? If I died, how am I alive and healthy?" Rhehan frowned in confusion.
"Let me answer that!" Xio Lee sat near Rhehan patting his back. "West woods is no ordinary place, now you also know that from that night"s experience, after meeting the animals. Only a few selected people can go there and you are one of those!"
"How do you know about that night"s experience! Did Rose tell you?" Rhehan looked at Rose with a questioning look on his face.
Rose nodded her head in a "no". She was equally surprised, listening to her master"s words.
"The time you were poisened, Davis and his men placed you inside the west woods so that your body can never be found. n.o.body has ever dared to step in these woods. Their intentions were bad, but it helped you in return. A monk who was close-by, meditating under a tree, was informed by the animals about you. The monk quickly reached there and saw you were lying completely dead, sorrounded by various wild animals. There was a hospital tag around your wrist, om which "Rhehan" was written. The monk then told one of the animals to quickly summon me."
"You? You were in the jungle?" Rhehan looked at Xio Lee in surprise.
Xio Lee nodded in a "Yes" and looked in Rhehan"s eyes.
"The west woods is my home, infact yours too!"