"When I awoke the next dawn, weak and delirious from loss of blood and pain, they were gone, and at first I thought I was alone. But as I lay there upon my back, barely able to move, I felt the presence of someone nearby. Opening my eyes, I saw a nymph, watching me from the reeds. She must have known I posed her no threat, for she approached me, knelt a short distance away.
"She was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen; dark eyes wide and innocent, long brown hair that the gentle breeze teased about her sweet face. I must have been such a sight by contrast, uniformed, bloody and battle-scarred, and spattered with mud.
"After several long moments, she finally got up the nerve to approach me, casting frightened glances about her. Then, reaching out a small, perfect white hand that trembled, she touched my wounds. A wonderful, warm stupor came over me, and my pain faded as though I was unhurt. I fell into slumber, then, sure that I was dying, and that she was a last sweet dream before eternity took me.
"When I awoke again, night was falling, and I could hear voices approaching. Elf voices. They found me there, saying they thought they had seen someone kneeling over a body from the distance. To their amazement, my wounds were almost healed, though I was still weak and half out of my mind.