Rodrigo awoke to the sound of birds singing outside a window above the bed on which he lay. He reached up and touched a cloth bandage that covered his forehead and his right eye. He was in a room, on a bed, but he did not know where he was or how he had come to be there. He slowly moved his feet off the side of the bed and sat up. Many bandages covered the wounds over his body, and beside the bed on a small table was a bowl of water and a stone drinking cup. Rodrigo took the cup and dipped it into the bowl and drank his fill. The room was simple, and beside the small table there was a chair. Someone had been watching over him.
Leaning over to the window, just above the bed, Rodrigo peeked out. The lush green trees and plants outside seemed to be teeming with life. He turned when the door
