Chapter 5
1366 Words
The man stared at her in confusion. But Princess Loaisa knew what to do with the wine already. They can be antiseptic and they needed it to aid the man's wounded arm.
"This will be a disinfectant," she informed him and glanced at his wound, thick blood pouring down on his arm.
But it was thicker than it should be, Princess Loaisa thought. Denser. One would have thought it had dried already, but she could see them continue to come out from the open wound. However, she thinks nothing about it. She didn't think judging someone else's blood is the right thing to do when that someone is close to danger.
When she moved, the man figured out what she proposed to do. Princess Loaisa opened the plastic bottle but hesitated. She lifted the mouth to his lips to motion him to drink. The man accepted and took a sip on it.
She then clamped her palm down his lips to suppress his cry for more coming pain. For a brief moment, it confused the man, but he was dizzy with the pain. He had no choice but to let the harmless young woman do what she wanted to do to him.
Besides, he's too star-struck by the young beauty. And the genuine worry shrouding her face melted his heart. For a stranger she just met in the woods, bleeding, and in the middle of the fight, she's caring for her like a long friend.
He hadn't seen a woman for a long time now to confirm if they're all like this. But his group of humans is all good as well. As long as there's no danger threatening them. He surely was not expecting a woman to come down with him and offer help. Definitely not a beautiful woman, not even a scar or lines of struggles on her face, or any indication she's been down here like the rest of them for a long time now.
And not to mention her fragrance. It was rare and almost out of this world. It was strong yet mild. Sweet and ambrosial. He clenched his jaw to suppress the urge to inch closer and get more of the scent. His body trembled at the apprehension of it. He couldn't explain the feeling. Something familiar. But also feels… unknown.
He wished he could tell which is the effect of the poisoned arrow, and her effect on him. He couldn't distinguish which was making his body convulse. His thoughts ceased as pain devoured him, directly coming from his arm.
Princess Loaisa felt sorry when pain crossed his expression, but she had to do it to avoid the infection. She didn't know what kind of poison was on the arrows.
She tightened her hand on his lips to suppress the noise. The man grabbed her wrist to help flatten her hand on him. But for some reason, he realized it wasn't enough as the effect of wine directly poured on his wound intensified.
Princess Loaisa's gasp was left in her throat. She felt like her lungs were being strangled as she stifled her own scream. She bit her lower lip until she tasted her own blood, tightly closed her eyes, and leaned her forehead down on his forehead, as his teeth sank deeper down her arm.
When the man realized what he had done, he slowly freed her. His hand was gentle on her arm as she reassured her, slightly pushing her off him to see her face. When she did lift her head, tears in the corner of her eyes became visible to him. He felt a strong tug inside him at the mere sight of it.
Princess Loaisa forced a smile to convince him she was fine despite the agony from his sudden attack. The man can bite! She thought, but she understood that it was the effect of the wine. He had to suppress a scream so the wolves won't...
She frowned. Why? Wolves can surely smell the human blood in them.
"You okay?" the familiar voice came from above them. It was the first old man she met. She first thought he was talking to her, but his eyes were directed at the man with her. When he caught sight of Princess Loaisa, he grimaced, clearly not expecting her to be with him. "You're here," he voiced out eventually.
The younger man's face appeared next and looked down at them, beside him, and limply and almost unconscious was the second old man. His neck was bleeding, soaking his worn-out coat with his own blood. The young man kept the young man's arm around his neck to support him.
Princess Loaisa failed to contain her gasp in horror at the sight of it. Swiftly, she drew out a handkerchief from her bag to tie around the man's arm next to her and helped him rise to join the group. The old man helped them up from the small hole.
"Where are the wolves?" she asked, looking around and noticing the place had turned silent. In the distance were two bodies of dead wolves. They were both in a lighter color. Not the same two wolves Princess Loaisa met and saw earlier. She felt bad for seeing them lifeless. She instantly mourned for them, but the young man halted her sorrow.
"They are rogues," he replied in a breath, still panting for the aftermath of the battle, and as he kept the man balanced beside him.
"Let's go," the first man ordered, turning around from them. His two companions followed him.
"But still wolves?" she questioned in a soft voice. But they did not spare her a glance. Only the man next to her glanced at her, but his lips were shut tight. He could stand on his own, but without realizing it, Princess Loaisa kept her arm around the man to support him.
That's when she noticed the height difference between them. Her head could only reach his chest and to think he was limping and barely got to stand straight. Despite the wound, the man looked tough. He didn't look helpless for one bit. In fact, he looked like he could carry Princess Loaisa around the woods and won't feel exhausted. That was what his body screamed.
But his expression was a mirror of suffering. The young man mistakenly shot him earlier, or that was what they all thought. He did not know the poison was that strong. It shouldn't be like this to him.
"Will ask the others to take those bodies to the mansion," she heard the old man say.
Princess Loaisa bit her lower lip to prevent asking questions, but she couldn't help it. "Mansion?" In the woods? In the South? She has never heard of it. Unless it was the one from...
Her mind trailed off as she saw lines of wooden and buried fences in front of them. Connected to them are meters of thick barbed wire bandaged around the tree, used as a barricade―a border!
“Is this the Kent?” she exclaimed in excitement, making everyone halt in their tracks. They filled her eyes with delight. Her parted lips displayed a radiant smile that made everyone blink. As much as she was beautiful with the innocent smile, the men couldn’t help but suspect her odd exhilaration.
The human hunter loved Kent for it had been their home for years. But for a human who just got into the South and was facing Kent to flash that kind of happiness like it was her life’s dream to be in the south, it was unusual enough to strike suspicions. Who would wish to be here? Especially at times like this? When humans in the south are nothing but meals to the other creatures? If they did not learn to fight back, they would have been dead a long time now.
“You’re glad?” The old man narrowed his eyes at Princess Loaisa, making her smile immediately fall out of her face; her excitement subsiding.
And in silence, the man beside him could not explain why he felt disheartened for the vanishing smile on the young lady’s face.
- Writer
